Thirteen Years Later, Two Blue Competition Badges Answered Every Question

Owen looked at Daniel, then at his mother, then at the paper bag on the bench.

He kept his hands in his pockets and his shoulders up near his ears.

“Third row on the left,” Claire said.

“I’ll be up in ten minutes.”

He went back up the steps without saying anything to anybody else.

Daniel watched him go.

“Which one was that?”

“Mine,” she said.