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“Of course that was the part you latched onto”

“Nice pun”

“I thought so,” I said, grinning a little

“Well, she seeh

“Yeah It helps that ot immediate satisfaction”

“I have no idea what that means, but I’ll take your word for it”

We were quiet for a few minutes and I took the tiuest room, the furniture in his bedroom was no joke It looked heavy and solid and expensive, and I wondered if he’d picked it out himself There was a chair in the corner that had a pile of folded towels on it and a jacket tossed over the back The dresser was clean and nized of him and his mother when he was little I quickly looked away from it

“I don’t spend a lot of ti my attention back to the bed “We’re not home very often”

“Do you like your job?” I asked curiously When ere young, he hadn’t spoken rew up He’d always been good with building and fixing anything uess I’d assue and take his place in the hierarchy His life noas so far removed from what I’d envisioned for him—for us

“Yeah, I do,” he said, shifting a little on the bed “It’s satisfying and I like never seeing the sa Keeps me on my toes”

“Is it dangerous?” I asked quietly

“Life is dangerous,” he replied seriously “No matter what you’re doin’ with it”

“Fair point”

“I’ood at what I do,” he continued “And my team is the best I’ve ever worked with”

“They’re an odd mix,” I replied

“Probably why they work so well together,” he said “Everyone brings their own shit—faults and assets—to the table”

“Are Josiah and Ephraim brothers?” I asked “Because they almost seem like they could be twins”