How I think Crane handled being without Abbie. A sad, short blurb.
Jenny put a cup of lemon tea in front of Crane. He stared into it, let the steam tickle his nose and lips.
"Something needs to be in your system," she said.
She sat a bag of doughnut holes beside his cup. He pushed them both away.
"You also need sleep. Joe and I will take over for now. Rest up."
He stared at her, blinked, then flipped another page in the book he was reading. Jenny reached for it, but he put it in his lap before she could get it.
"I want to find her just as much, but you can't do this alone. You need to eat, drink, and sleep. It's been three days. You can't help her without any energy."
He flipped another page in the book.
"Talk to me."
"For as long as I draw breathe, Miss Jenny."
He stood up and left the kitchen.
"Crane? Crane?" Jenny said.
She left the house to get more groceries, but Crane wasn't in the kitchen when she got back. The living room and dining room was empty, so was the backyard. He wasn't in his room either. She stood outside of Abbie's room. Her door was closed. She went inside without knocking and saw Crane sleeping on her carpet with the opened book as his pillow. Bags lived under his eyes; his cheekbones appeared a little bit sharper.
Smiling a bit, she bent in front of him. Little by little, she slid the book from his hands. A photo hid some of the words. She picked up a smiling Crane and Abbie. She snapped this photo last New Year. They didn't want to take anymore pictures and glanced at each other with annoyed looks, but then their gazes turned into something else. She captured it before it went away. Sighing, she placed their picture in the crease of the book, shut it, and put it on the bed. Jenny found a blanket in Abbie's closet. She unfolded it and covered Crane with it. She left the room with the book under her arm.