Page 48 of Honeyfires

"What stops you from going too fast?"

"Training," I said. "You build the muscle memory on the tower until it's reflex."

She absorbed this. Then she looked at me directly. "You inspect the rope. And then you go down first."

"Yes."

"So if there's anything wrong—"

"It happens to me before anyone else."

She held very still for a specific moment. "I understand why you do that." She let out a breath. "I reserve the right to find it terrifying."

"Reserved."

"I'm adding it to the catalog. Under things that are terrifying and also completely right about the person I'm with." She looked at me, in the crew chief's seat, in the open door, the Arizona sky enormous behind her. "It's a growing category."

"I'm honored to be in it."

"You're the only entry."

Stevens, who had been quiet for approximately forty-five consecutive seconds—a personal record—said, "This is the most romantic thing I've ever witnessed at an active fire station."

"Stevens."

"I'm just saying—"

"You're doing the earnest thing again."

"It's my personality. She said so." He pointed at Vera.

"He's right," Vera told me. "Let him have it."

"Don't encourage him."

"Too late. The encouragement ship has sailed." She patted my arm. "Show me the tail rotor."

Miller walked her around the tail assembly. Explained rotor function, the stabilizer bar, and engine exhaust ports. She asked questions that made him stop twice before answering.

Stevens appeared at my shoulder. "She's passing the Miller test," he said, barely containing himself. "He explained the stabilizer bar. He never explains the stabilizer bar."

Rodriguez appeared beside me, arms crossed, watching. "She's good," he said.

"She's something else."

"Same thing." He was quiet. "She doesn't pretend not to be worried."

"No."

"Most of them either pretend it's fine, or make it your problem when it isn't."

"She's learning it," I said. "So it's hers to carry too."

He watched Miller speak to Vera without dumbing anything down, and she followed all of it, her head tilted slightly, asking a follow-up. "Good woman," Rodriguez said.

"Yeah."

He looked at me. "Don't screw it up."