A hint of amusement entered her voice.
“I can move it.”
Elijah looked genuinely surprised.
“Ten?”
“That would help.”
“Ten.”
She handed the notebook back.
Elijah packed his tools.
At home, Theo was already awake when Elijah entered.
Delia Grant, their sixty-seven-year-old neighbor, was making toast in the kitchen.
She had agreed to stay overnight after Elijah called just after midnight and admitted he might be late.
Delia looked at his dirty coveralls.
“You look terrible.”
“Good morning to you too.”
Theo ran from the hallway.
“Dad!”
Elijah crouched and hugged him.
Theo pulled back.
“You're late.”
“A little.”
“You promised before I woke up.”
“I know.”
Theo studied him.
“Something happened.”
Elijah smiled.
“How do you know?”
“You've got your machine face.”
“My what?”
“The face where your brain is somewhere else.”
Delia laughed from the kitchen.
“The child knows you.”
Theo's eyes widened.
“Did you fix something?”
Elijah removed the folded drawing from his pocket.
“It helped.”
“You opened it.”
“At four.”
“Did you fix it?”
Elijah nodded.
“The big machine?”
“How do you know about the big machine?”
“You talked about it yesterday when you were half asleep.”
Elijah closed his eyes.
“I need stronger boundaries.”
Theo grinned.
“Did you fix it?”
“Yes.”
“I told you.”
Elijah laughed.
“Told me what?”
“You fix anything.”
The words warmed him and frightened him at the same time.
Children built myths about their parents.
Eventually reality corrected them.
Elijah wanted Theo to learn that his father was dependable.
Not invincible.
At ten the conference room was full.
Dale sat at the head of the table.
His twelve engineers occupied both sides.
Priya was three seats from the end.
Elijah entered wearing clean gray coveralls.
No one had offered him a chair.
Dale stared at him.
“What is he doing here?”
The door opened behind Elijah.
Eleanor entered.
“He's here because I asked him.”
Dale stood.
“Eleanor, we were going to discuss the replacement board.”
“No, we're going to discuss why we don't need it.”
The room changed instantly.
Eleanor set her coffee down.
“Elijah.”
He looked at her.
“Show them.”
He went to the whiteboard.
This time Dale did not touch the marker.
Elijah redrew the diagram.
Thermal assembly.
Sensor block.
Connector.
Control board.
Safety shutdown.
He explained every stage.
Not dramatically.
Not with satisfaction.
Simply.
One of the senior engineers interrupted.
“We checked the sensor.”
Elijah nodded.
“Continuity?”