The heavy tension of the briefing had vanished, replaced by the quiet, awkward energy of two grown men looking like kids waiting for their mother to tell them they could leave the table.
Jamie looked between them, his eyes wide. Seeing the two imposing men he knew reduced to sheepish schoolboys was more intimidating than the training itself.
He leaned slightly toward Dominic and whispered, “Uncle Dominic, I think I’ll stick with codes and encryption too.”
His voice was soft, but just loud enough for those nearby to catch.
Maya let out a small, amused chuckle and shook her head, the tension on her shoulders easing.
She caught herself smiling, realizing how much lighter it felt to see the adults she respected in such human, fallible moments—and how, this world didn’t feel quite so dist
