Kaleo agreed with his assessment. "Braun's just infinitely cooler."
They laughed a little and started walking toward the station house.
"You're from Hawaii, right?"
Kaleo nodded and waited for any number of odd or cheesy questions that usually came after that revelation.
"Are we causing you any problems, bringing you in early?"
Kaleo was surprised that Braun had moved right on past the usual silly comments and right to work. It was refreshing and a promising start to the day.
"No," he shook his head. "It's actually a nice break. I've been looking for an apartment that won't eat up the majority of my pay."
Braun's steps slowed and he turned his head. "You need a place? I have a few rental properties that I like to rent to first responders. I don't have an opening right now, but I can ask around. I do contracting work at a number of sites. I can probably find a place, at least temporarily."
Kaleo shook his head. "I wish I'd known that before I ran around, coming up short." He held up a hand in surrender."I'm not complaining," he shook his head. "It's just one of those things that you look back on and think-"
"If only you'd known?"
They both nodded and laughed.
"But I have an appointment to meet with an apartment manager tomorrow. They have a place opening up at the beginning of next month."
Braun gestured at a door at the end of the row of rolling doors and they continued on. "Well, if it falls through, let me know." He pulled open the door. "You'll get a copy of the contact information from everyone in working at Twenty-nine during the morning meeting."
Kaleo nodded, feeling really good about the upcoming shift. "Sounds good."
Braun opened the door and gestured for him to go in. "I'll show you where to put your things. You're here really early. We have time to walk around and show you the basics."
The light inside the enclosed apparatus floor was darker than the outsides, even with the big open window panels.
Kaleo let out a soft, almost silent whistle.
The size of the station was more than five times that of the station he'd worked at in Hawaii. The Wailupe Station in Aina Haina had two doors and a tower that barely met the modern dimensions of what a firehouse needed their towers for.
The fire station he was standing in didn't even have a physical feature like it.
Firehouse Twenty-Nine probably had machines to dry their hoses and didn't need to hang them dry.
Kaleo had barely a moment to notice his surroundings before he was distracted.
"Braun?" The voice was older, not weak, but mature.
Braun turned his head toward the voice. "Yes, Chief?"
Chief.
Kaleo took a steadying breath. He'd spoken to Chief Aldo Campanelli before getting on the plane in Hawaii. It was a short call, but it was enough to make Kaleo believe that he'd made the right choice moving away from the islands and to the continental United States, thousands of miles away from everything he'd ever known.
The Chief crooked his fingers at them.
Or rather at Braun.
"Come over for a second."
Kaleo wasn't sure if he should just stand there and wait or-
Braun gestured with his hand for Kaleo to follow him.
