Chapter 18. Passion

Before I get into Dave’s office on Friday morning, I’m surprised to see that Rick isn’t in his office. When I think back to how dejected he looked on Wednesday and the conversation we could have had, I get a little worried. Maybe he was looking for a friend to unload to that day, and he never got the chance.

Dave and I discuss our work for the day. After we’re done, I see that Rick’s office is still empty. Dave is always nice and casual, so I think it wouldn’t hurt to ask him about Rick. They are colleagues, after all; maybe they share a few things.

“I see that Rick didn’t come in today. Is everything alright with him?”

Dave turns to look at the empty office. “Oh, yeah, he took some personal days. He hasn’t been looking great lately. I guess he’s dealing with some personal business. I didn’t want to pry, but I hope everything will be okay with him.”

“Yeah, me too,” I say.

“You two must have gotten really