There were pictures of bass, perch, and one enormous pike Mark had talked about for months.
He never missed a year.
“He didn’t even answer my message Saturday,” Sophie continued. “He finally replied Sunday morning. Just said, ‘Love you, kiddo.’”
She hesitated.
“Is everything okay with him?”
My stomach tightened.
“Of course. He’s just tired.”
But after we ended the call, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
The missing photographs.
The missing jam.
The hurried hug.
The strange answers at dinner.
And the ring mark.
I opened Facebook.
Ray posted photographs of absolutely everything.
If a bird landed on his truck, Ray photographed it.
If he ordered breakfast, the whole internet knew what he’d eaten.
Surely there would be pictures from the fishing trip.
There were thirty-one.
I scrolled through them carefully.
The lake at sunrise.
Dave holding a fish.
Tommy asleep in a lawn chair.
