Chapter 99: going back

Chapter 99: Chapter 99: going back

The last of the lunch dishes had been cleared away when Rowan rose from his seat.

"Well," he said with an easy smile, "I think we’ve kept our guests indoors long enough."

Several residents laughed in agreement.

"Come on," he continued. "Let’s stretch our legs."

No one formed neat lines.

No one waited for further instructions.

The residents simply resumed their afternoon as naturally as if they had always intended to spend it this way, inviting the students to join them.

Harold adjusted the brim of his cap before looking toward Damian and Vivienne.

"Our workshop’s this way."

"And we’ll pass through the commercial district on the way," Rowan added. "Might as well let you see a little more of East Junction."

Vivienne nodded and instinctively reached into the folder tucked beneath her arm.

Her fingers brushed against the stack of questionnaires they had painstakingly prepared over the past several weeks.

Before she could pull one free, she noticed Damian glance toward her.

He didn’t speak.

He merely gave the slightest shake of his head.

She paused.

Then, almost immediately, Ms. Lee’s words echoed quietly in her thoughts.

Today is simply the beginning.

A small smile touched her lips.

Without another thought, she slid the questionnaire back into the folder.

There would be time for questions.

Today was for understanding.

--

The streets of East Junction were neither crowded nor deserted.

People moved at an unhurried pace, greeting familiar faces as they passed.

A fruit vendor raised a hand toward Harold.

"Afternoon."

"Afternoon," Harold replied with an easy wave.

Not far ahead, two shopkeepers stood talking outside neighboring storefronts while a delivery cart waited patiently beside the curb.

No one appeared rushed.

No one seemed impatient.

The rhythm of the township unfolded with a quiet confidence that needed no explanation.

Harold slowed as they entered the commercial district.

"Our family’s workshop is just ahead."

He gestured toward a row of modest establishments.

"My father built it years ago."

Vivienne looked toward the wooden sign hanging above the entrance.

"The same workshop?"

Harold nodded proudly.

"We’ve expanded it a little over the years."

Damian’s gaze lingered on the neighboring businesses.

"Do most family businesses remain within the family?"

Harold considered the question.

"Not always."

"But many do."

"We’ve found that children who grow up watching their parents work usually understand the business long before they’re old enough to inherit it."

Damian gave a thoughtful nod.

He filed the answer away without writing it down.

--

They continued walking.

Every few minutes someone greeted Rowan or Harold by name.

Some stopped briefly to exchange a few words before continuing on with their day.

Vivienne eventually glanced toward Harold with quiet curiosity.

"Do you know everyone here?"

Harold laughed.

"Not everyone."

He scratched the back of his neck.

"Only most."

Vivienne couldn’t help smiling.

"It certainly seems like everyone knows you."

"They’ve known me long enough to know where to find me if I’ve disappeared."

Rowan chuckled.

"Usually the bakery."

"That’s slander."

"It’s entirely accurate."

The two men laughed together, and before long, Vivienne found herself laughing as well.

--

A warm, buttery aroma drifted from an open storefront.

Behind the display windows sat rows of pastries, fruit tarts, cream-filled buns, and small cakes arranged with careful precision.

Vivienne’s eyes lingered almost unconsciously.

It lasted only a moment before she continued walking.

Beside her, Damian noticed.

A faint smile appeared before disappearing just as quickly.

He had noticed, more than once... well to be more precise, twice at this point in time, that while Vivienne’s meal seem lacking...

She never seemed to skimp on her own dessert.

Neither of them mentioned it.

The conversation continued as naturally as before.

--

The walk carried them through several more streets.

A carpenter paused to greet Harold before returning to his work.

Children chased one another across a small square after school.

An elderly couple sat beneath the shade of a tree, chatting comfortably with passing neighbors.

Vivienne watched the easy exchanges with growing fascination.

No one appeared to be performing for their benefit.

This was simply how the township lived.

Beside her, Damian quietly observed something different.

Deliveries arrived without confusion.

Businesses seemed to anticipate one another’s schedules.

Customers lingered in conversation even after their purchases had been completed.

It wasn’t efficiency alone that caught his attention.

It was familiarity.

The transactions never felt purely transactional.

They felt... personal.

--

The afternoon passed more quickly than any of them realized.

Eventually, Rowan glanced at his watch.

"I suppose we’d better let our guests return."

"We’ve already stolen enough of their afternoon."

"Nonsense," Harold replied.

"You’ve barely seen anything."

He smiled toward Damian and Vivienne.

"Next week, we’ll show you a little more."

"We’d like that," Vivienne answered sincerely.

Harold nodded once.

"Good."

"Then we’ll see you next week."

The farewells were simple.

There were no grand speeches.

Only handshakes.

Smiles.

Promises to travel safely.

As the vehicle pulled away from East Junction, familiar faces gradually disappeared behind the rows of trees lining the road.

Silence settled comfortably inside the car.

The senior coordinator occupied the front passenger seat, quietly looking out the windshield while the driver guided the vehicle toward St. Albion.

Damian rested his notebook closed upon his lap.

There would be time later to organize everything they had observed.

Beside him, Vivienne leaned lightly against the window.

The afternoon sunlight slipped across the passing countryside.

Her eyes remained fixed outside for a while.

Then they slowly began to close.

The gentle rhythm of the road eventually claimed the remainder of her attention.

Without realizing it...

She fell asleep.

After a while, Damian seemed remembered something.

"There was something I want to ask..."

He turned slightly toward Vivienne.

Only to find that she had already fallen asleep.

Her head rested lightly against the window, rising and falling almost imperceptibly with the gentle rhythm of her breathing.

A few loose strands of golden hair had slipped free, catching the warm afternoon light as they brushed softly against her cheek. Her eyes, usually bright with curiosity or amusement, were now hidden beneath long, resting lashes.

For the first time all day...

She was completely still.

Damian paused.

It was strangely different from the Vivienne he had come to know.

The one who chased after Anthony without embarrassment.

Who disliked horses but still thanked one because it helped her pass.

Who accepted teasing with surprising good humor.

Who became unexpectedly earnest whenever the Foundation’s work was involved.

And who, despite quietly pushing vegetables around her plate, had eaten every last bite rather than disappoint the women who had welcomed her.

Now...

She simply looked tired.

A faint smile touched the corners of Damian’s lips.

"...It can wait."

He leaned back in his seat and turned his attention once more to the passing scenery, leaving her to sleep undisturbed.