Silent Farewell

"Alright, thanks for the advice, Lea," William said with a genuine smile. The glimmer of hope Lea's words provided meant a lot to William.

"Don't forget to get some rest," Lea advised, patting William's shoulder. "You're looking really rough."

William chuckled softly and promised to head home after making plans to meet Dave as soon as possible. But, as usual, the time Dave allotted turned out to be anything but pleasant, not even giving William a moment to catch his breath.

Dave had to go abroad next week, leaving William no choice but to meet him the next day because that was the only time Dave could spare, even if it was a Saturday.

Deep down, William briefly wondered if Dave intentionally did this because he was reluctant to meet him, perhaps knowing William's current situation.