Ryan held his phone in his hand, staring at the last message Carl had sent him. Still nothing new. Every time he got less busy, he would slip his phone out of his pocket to check. Multiple times, his fingers hovered over the keyboard, wanting to type something, anything, even a 'hi'. But in the end, he always locked the screen instead.
Now it was lunch break. His colleagues were at their desks, eating the lunch they had ordered and scrolling through their phones. Stella had walked up to him to ask if he wanted some while they were ordering, but he had declined, saying he still had snacks. The snacks Carl had prepared for him.
Stella had stumped her feet dramatically before walking away, while the rest of the office awwned. He had gotten used to Carl being in his life. Their quiet conversations, the mornings spent gardening, the weekends they go hiking, and his body.
