Thomas Cole stood in Mary's kitchen, his phone pressed to his ear, listening to it ring for the fourth time that day.
Still no answer.
He ended the call and set the phone down on the counter with more force than necessary.
"Still not picking up?" Mary asked from where she stood by the oven, pulling out a fresh batch of muffins.
"No." Thomas ran a hand over his face. "Three weeks. It's been three weeks since everything came out, and he still won't talk to me."
Mary set the muffin tray down and walked over to him, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "He's probably just processing everything. Give him time."
"I've given him time. Three weeks is plenty of time." Thomas picked up his phone again, staring at Ethan's contact. "I should have known something was wrong. Should have called more. Checked in."
"Thomas, you can't blame yourself for not knowing. Ethan's a grown man. He made the choice not to tell you."
