Francis seemed okay for the first couple of days after his friends left Acker to go back to their lives in New Jersey. Then, slowly but surely, Mark began to see the changes in him.
He stared into space sometimes without realizing he was doing it and smiled a bit less. Henrietta even commented on it one evening.
“He needs time. He misses them and they miss him. It’s not easy to just leave people behind like that, even if you need the change,” she said in a kind, motherly tone.
“Yeah, I guess. It’s just hard to see him struggle.”
She smiled at him sadly. “That’s love for you, dear.”
Francis walked into the room, more troubled than before he’d gone check up on Charles who was napping again, even though it was only early afternoon.
“How is he?” Mark patted the seat next to him and Franc
