About Nora asking if they were poor.
About a cracked bracket.
Then he said, "No."
Malcolm looked surprised.
Caleb continued.
"That's my condition for anyone returning to the same culture."
"And for you?"
Caleb looked at him.
"I need to know whether you want someone who stops aircraft."
Malcolm frowned slightly.
"Of course."
"No."
Caleb shook his head.
"Everyone wants safety when safety is free."
He leaned forward.
"Do you want someone who stops a twelve-million-dollar client?"
"When the customer is furious?"
"When there's no confirmed defect yet?"
"When every hour costs money?"
"When the CEO calls?"
"When operations says I'm overreacting?"
Malcolm did not answer immediately.
Caleb continued.
"Because that's the job you're offering."
"Not giving speeches after engineering proves the mechanic right."
"Supporting him before you know."
The room went quiet.
Amelia looked at Malcolm.
Caroline did too.
Malcolm finally nodded.
"Yes."
Caleb waited.
Malcolm repeated it.
"Yes."
"Then put that in the job authority."
"We will."
Caleb looked down at his hands.
"When do you need an answer?"
Malcolm said, "After Christmas."
Caleb looked up.
"We can survive several days without demanding anything else from you."
That was the first moment Caleb believed the apology might be real.
He stood.
"So can I."
Malcolm stood too.
"One more thing."
Caleb waited.
"The thirty-seven employees."
"What about them?"
"They have been asking whether you accepted."
Caleb almost laughed.
"They're impossible."
"We've noticed."
Before leaving, Caleb walked past the hangar.
He did not intend to enter.
Then the door opened.
Owen saw him.
"Caleb!"
Thirty seconds later, half the maintenance floor knew.
People appeared between aircraft.
Ronan walked over.
"Well?"
Caleb held up a hand.
"I haven't accepted."
Ronan nodded.
"Good."
Caleb blinked.
"Good?"
"Make them sweat."
Maya approached.
"What did they offer?"
Caleb looked at her.
"You people have no boundaries."
"Correct."
"Safety-quality lead."
Ronan whistled.
"Fancy."
"Reporting outside operations."
Maya smiled.
"Less fancy. More useful."
Caleb looked around.
The hangar felt different.
Not because anything physical had changed.
Because he now understood how many people had watched him leave and decided they could not continue pretending nothing had happened.
"I need to say something."
Ronan looked suspicious.
"That phrase never ends well."
Caleb ignored him.
"What you did yesterday—"
Owen said, "Don't."
Caleb frowned.
"Excuse me?"
"No speech."
"I'm trying to thank you."
"Do it at the Christmas party."
"There isn't a Christmas party."
Ronan grinned.