Rory was so distracted over lunch even Wayne noticed.
“You missing the big guy?” he asked jokingly.
Rory was, but of course he also had other things on his mind. “Uh, I guess, but—”
“Leaves a big gap.” Wayne chuckled and looked at the empty space next to Rory.
“Leave him alone,” Jake told him. This raised an eyebrow from Wayne. “Rory’s got stuff on his mind. His dad’s sick and in the hospital.”
Wayne’s teasing stopped immediately, and he and Liam showed their concern by asking Rory questions, ones he wasn’t sure he wanted to answer.
Barry tried a couple of times to change the subject, but it soon returned to what Rory should do. Everyone was agreed Rory should go see his father.
“It’s not that simple,” Rory said. This was met with looks of confusion and curiosity. Rory had to tell t
