I told him most worthwhile things demanded more planning than they appeared to from the outside.

“Even helping?” he asked.

“Especially helping,” I said.

He looked out the window and grinned.

“Good thing you’ve got that spreadsheet habit.”

“And good thing you’ve got a friend who can fix a bike,” I answered.

It was not a promise that we would never be afraid again.

It was a beginning built on something sturdier than secrets.