"Did you know about this?" Carl asks.
"To my surprise, no one mentioned it to me. I just knew that Kenny was having a difficult time with church, but didn't know all the details. Sometimes he spoke to me about it, but not always. He was really hot and cold that way. One day he would be spilling out everything to me, especially when we were hiking in the forest, but then for days, weeks even, nothing. His moods were often hard for me to fathom, and some mornings when he came down for breakfast, I really didn't know what to expect."
We seem to have both become weary of the chocolate chips, which lie on the desk next to Carl like something desolate and no longer loved. The night is now fully dark outside and soundless.
"He must have been difficult to live with at times."
"Usually he was okay. Like, Kenny was never miserable or offensive or anything like that. But there were times it was so clear that he didn't want to be bothered, that we would give him all the space he needed, It wasn't difficult at all. And besides, we're both alike in some ways."
There is a gentle knock on the door. "Come in", I say.
The door opens slowly and François pokes his head in.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you", he says, glancing at Carl.
"Not at all", say I, gesturing to the one empty chair in the room...
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