Kael
Liora was wrapping a spare grip when I asked to speak with her.
She looked at my arm first.
"If you reopened it again, start with that."
"I haven't."
"Then wait until I finish this end."
I waited.
She pulled the binding tight, checked that it sat flat and tucked the loose end where it would not catch against the inside of the case. The work took less than a minute. I spent most of it deciding which opening sentence would make the next few minutes easier.
None of them improved with rehearsal.
The binding lay flat under her thumb. She checked the edge, pulled once more and stopped when the end sat where she wanted it.
I watched because it was easier than deciding how to begin. Liora noticed the attention and kept working.
She had asked for a minute to finish. I could give her that without using the silence as an invitation to start halfway through the task.
