“I’m congratulating it.”
“That’s not normal.”
“Neither is rewriting Sentinel’s architecture in four minutes.”
He nods.
“Fair point.”
The sun dips lower across the lake.
The sky glowing soft orange behind him.
For a moment—
Neither of us speaks.
Then Boone gently releases the fish back into the water.
“There you go.”
I watch the ripples fade.
“That was actually fun.”
“Fishing tends to be.”
I lean back on my hands on the dock.
“You might be converting me to normal life.”
Boone sits beside me.
“That’s the plan.”
The evening air cools slightly as the sun disappears completely.
Fireflies begin flickering across the tall grass along the shoreline.
I smile softly.
“You never mentioned it when we were together before.”
My grandfather left it to me five years ago.”
“This place feels like a different world.
“Sometimes it is.”
“Do you come here when things get complicated?”
“Yes.”
“And now you brought me.”
“Yes.”
I glance at him.
