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“So…Where were you off to in the rain there?”

“Oh, well, I…” he stops to think. “I was going somewhere.”

“Sure,” I smile at him, taking his hand; he looks at it for a second, then smiles too.

“Would you like something to eat?”

“No, love, I wouldn’t want to trouble you.”

“It’s no trouble,” I say, getting up. “I’ll bring you a scone, what do you say?”

“That would be lovely. Thank you.”

“I’ll be right back.”

I go quickly over to the counter, where Vic is waiting for me.

“So?”

“I don’t think he has any idea who I am or…where he is,” I say, casting a glance over in his direction. “We should call someone.”

Vic ponders this for a moment, then has an idea. “Riley!” she says, grabbing her phone. “She works at the theatre in town.”

“Right! At the Gate Theatre. We can Google the number.” I scroll through the phone, looking for the right number, then press call. A man with a high-pitched, kind voice passes her on to me right away. I explain the situation to her calmly – I don’t want to make her worry – and she tells me she’ll let the family know immediately to come and get him. She doesn’t offer me an explanation, and I don’t ask. It’s none of my business.

I’ve known the O’Connors for a while. They come into the café every so often, and I’ve got to know Ian and Riley for a few months now, but we’re not close enough for me to ask about something so delicate. Unfortunately, looking at Mr O’Connor sitting at the table now, so lost and alone, I realise that this is, indeed, one of those situations, and I can’t to anything other than feel my heart restricting a little.