“That sounds amazing.”
“I’m sure you’ve noticed all my books. I had more, but…”
“I know.” Bernard placed a hand on his shoulder. “You had some horrible years. You were strong enough to get away though. Now you’re here, and we won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”
“Thank you,” Kelly said. “That means a lot.”
They walked home together. Kelly’s house was closer, so they stopped by his place first.
“Hey, I haven’t eaten yet,” Kelly said. “I’m going to order a pizza if you want to join me.”
Bernard was quick to agree. Since his fight with Rory, he hadn’t had the energy to cook and was going to order takeout anyway. And this way, he wouldn’t be eating alone.
“Sure, I’m in.”
When the pizza arrived covered in pepperoni, sausage, bell pepper, and extra cheese, they dug right in.
“This is great,” Bernard said.
“I only order Round Table Pizza,” he said.
“I haven’t had it in years. It’s wonderful.”
They finished the pizza and talked for a bit about life and work.
Bernard checked his watch. “It’s getting late, I better head home.”
“It was great having you,” Kelly said. “Thanks for having dinner with me.”
“Thanks for cheering me up.”
They hugged, and Bernard headed home with Ginger.
There were no messages when he got home, so he went to bed.
*
THURSDAY WAS THEsame as the rest of the week. No calls from Rory.
“You need to reach out to him,” Sarah said during lunch on Friday afternoon.
They’d decided on Carl’s Burger Hut for lunch today. It was a bit of a drive, but well worth it.
Carl’s only had outdoor seating. Bernard and Sarah grabbed a table outside and placed their orders.
He decided on a Philly cheesesteak with onion rings and iced tea. Sarah ordered a burger with fries and diet soda.
“I know,” he said. “That’s what Kelly said.”
“That’s right, you guys have dog play dates. How’s that going?”
“It’s going great. We meet on Mondays and Wednesdays, and we had dinner at his place Wednesday.”
“I’m so glad you guys are getting along. It’s good to see you spending time with friends.”
“It’s nice.” He smiled. “Now, I need to figure out what to say to Rory. I miss him.”
“I know you miss him. You will find the words. Just speak from your heart.”
