Page 60 of Reeves

“You should come, too,” Benjy says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

He starts collecting his bucket and shovel and jogs down to the waterline to rinse off the sand.

Reeves straightens beside me and wipes his hands on the back of his jeans. When he steps away from the trap, the movement is deliberate, like he’s quietly putting the distance back where it belongs.

He doesn’t answer the invitation. Benjy isn’t standing here waiting for it. Maybe we can let the moment drift away.

“Thank you for this,” he says.

I glance up at him.

“For letting me meet him.”

There it is, the clean ending.

This is exactly what I told myself I wanted when Reeves showed up asking to see the son he didn’t know existed. A meeting. A polite afternoon. Closure.

But standing here now, with the tide sliding up the beach and the trap Benjy insisted on building still sitting between us, it's suddenly unfinished in a way I don't know how to fix.

Reeves has been patient with him. Curious. He listened to every ridiculous pirate theory like it mattered.

And Benjy noticed. Kids always notice.

“Of course,” I say.

The words are inadequate for everything sitting underneath them.

Reeves nods once, as that resonates. Without saying anything, we both understand this was the right way to do things.

Benjy jogs back toward us, his bucket swinging wildly in one hand.

“Ready, Mom.”

He stops beside me and looks up at Reeves like the next step is already obvious.

“Let’s go, Reeves.”

I've got to nip this in the bud. I take a deep breath and grab his hand, trying to build up the courage for the right words before this crashes and burns.

We start walking toward the path that leads back up to the road. The sand is cooler now, packed down where the tide reached earlier. Our footsteps fall into an uneven line as we move across the beach.

Reeves walks a few steps behind us. It's not unfriendly, just separate. He's a temporary visitor.

That is what he should be.

Halfway up the path, Benjy slows suddenly and turns around.

“Hey, Reeves.”

My shoulders tense. What's he going to say now? Invite him to move in?

“Yes?”

Benjy tilts his head thoughtfully.

“How do you check if pirate traps actually work? We forgot to do that.”

Reeves slows beside us.