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"It sorts recycling." Lachlan's chest puffed out. "It can tell the difference between glass and other stuff."

"Using what sensors?"

"Weight. Amber pulled up more code. “We asked for one of the advanced kits to work with from the teacher. Every student had the opportunity to choose what level of kit they could work with.”

"Show me."

An hour disappeared into elementary school coding. Fixing why the robot kept turning left. Teaching them how to make it stop when something went wrong. Scout curled up at my feet, apparently deciding I made acceptable furniture.

"You're good with kids." Bonnie appeared with coffee.

"I'm just explaining computers."

"Same thing with these two."

The kids eventually went to bed with minimal protest, robot in tow ‘for practice.’ Bonnie followed, claiming exhaustion. Her hand squeezed my shoulder as she passed. "I'm glad you're here. Jase has missed you."

ESPN played at low volume in the living room. Just Jase and me.

"Guest room's all set up. Stay as long as you need."

"I haven't decided, but it won't be more than a week."

"Or a month. Or three. No pressure."

Comfortable silence settled between us. The kind civilians didn't understand. No need to fill space with words.

"You want to talk about it?" he asked.

"No."

"Okay."

He went up around ten. The living room stayed dark except for the TV glow. Scout had migrated to the couch, snoring softly beside me.

Different from a barracks. Different from base apartments. This was permanence. Roots. The thing everyone said we fought for but most never figured out how to build.

I was so fucking happy for Jase. I didn't have words to describe it.

The laptop came out from habit. Encrypted channels that technically didn't exist. I watched as Fort Gordon operations proceeded without me. My monitoring systems, my threat assessments, now someone else's responsibility. Someone younger who still believed the mission meant more than staying ahead of disaster.

The cursor blinked.

Waiting.

For twenty years, there'd always been input. Another threat. Another vulnerability. Another attack. Now, just a blinking cursor and my cousin's family breathing in sleep upstairs.

I closed my laptop.

Monday, the robot presentation. Bonnie would stress about something else, but handle it with grace. Jase would watch for signs of me breaking. Maybe that security company deserved a drive-by.

Not because the work interested me.

Just to have purpose that wasn't typing commands into servers that shouldn't exist.

The guest room was nice. Queen bed, dresser, attached bathroom. Fresh flowers on the nightstand. In my world, flowers meant someone had died.

I lay down on the bed, fully clothed, staring up at the ceiling fan. It stared back down at me.