Finn swallowed hard. That sounded exactly like something Maurice would think. Exactly like the kind of careful, considerate logic that made Finn like him even more.
Mr. Santos gave his shoulder a quick pat. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow will be interesting.”
Finn wasn’t tired. Not even close. “Can I ask you something?”
Mr. Santos paused in the doorway. “Of course.”
“Why are you paying so much attention to me?”
The man’s expression didn’t change, but something in his posture did—like he weighed how much to say. “Let’s just say I got a phone call before you boarded.”
Finn frowned. “From who?”
“A friend.” Mr. Santos adjusted his glasses. “Danish.”
Finn blinked. “Danish?”
“Mmh.” Mr. Santos’s tone was maddeningly neutral. “Old friend. Asked me for a favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
Mr. Santos gave him a small, almost amused smile. “Good night, Finn.”
And just like that, he stepped out and closed the door behind him.
Finn lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling like it might offer subtitles. A Danish friend? A favor? There weren’t many people from Denmark he even knew in the States—let alone knew he was on this train.
Had to be his father. But Finn hadn’t told him about the trip. He’d only seen the ticket on the counter. That was it. No conversation. No warning. No… anything.
He exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. This week was already weird, and it was only getting weirder.
But one thing he knew—really knew, in that warm, shaky way that made his chest feel too full:
Maurice liked him.
And that changed everything.
Finn woke up earlier than he needed to, the kind of restless morning where sleep just wouldn’t stick. He showered, dressed in his all-black outfit, rainbow belt, and slid his rainbowbracelets back onto his wrist. He never took those off—not for dates, not for strangers, not for anyone. They felt like a piece of himself he didn’t want to misplace.
He headed to the Dining Car and spotted Jacob already waiting at a table by the window. Finn gave him a polite smile and sat down.
They talked about easy things—hobbies, weekend stuff, the kind of surface-level sharing that didn’t require handing over any fragile pieces of yourself. Turned out they both liked hiking and sailing, which made Finn perk up a little.
“Really?” Jacob said, leaning in like Finn had just revealed something genuinely interesting. “Where do you usually go hiking?”
“Blue Hills, mostly,” Finn said. “And sometimes up in New Hampshire if I can convince a friend to drive.”
Jacob grinned. “I’m more of a ‘drag my coworkers into the woods’ kind of guy. They complain the whole time, but they keep coming back, so I must be doing something right.”
Finn laughed, relaxing a little. “Or they’re scared to tell a doctor no.”
Jacob pressed a hand to his chest, mock offended. “Hey, I’m very approachable.”
“Sure,” Finn said, smiling into his coffee. “Totally.”
Jacob’s eyes warmed, like he liked being teased. “I work in Hartford, actually. Hartford Hospital. I’m a heart surgeon.”
Finn blinked. “Oh. Wow. That’s… big.”
