That seemed to satisfy him in a way my answer had not.
As he turned away, he looked back.
“Stay out of our way tonight.”
I returned to the next guest.
The sentence was familiar.
What surprised me was how casually he said it.
As if I were blocking a parking space.
At 4:48, Daniel appeared beside my table carrying a sealed Army folder under one arm and a paper coffee cup in the other.
He put the coffee down without drinking it.
“How long has your family been here?”
“Long enough.”
His eyes followed mine toward the VIP lane.
Arthur was speaking with an event coordinator.
Evelyn beside him.
Trevor a few feet away, staring at his phone.
“Was that your father?”
“Yes.”
“Did he know you were assigned here?”