Dominique was waiting for her outside.
He looked tired. His hair was messy, sticking up in places. His hoodie was wrinkled, like he had slept in it. Dark circles hung under his eyes.
"You're here early," she said.
He handed her an envelope. "I couldn't sleep. The ticket haunted me. I dreamed about it. It was floating above my bed, laughing at me."
Bella took the envelope and tucked it into her bag. "I'll give it to someone."
"Thank you, my little baby sister." He rubbed her hair gently. "You have saved my life. My sanity. My soul."
Then he walked away, already on his phone, probably texting Jason.
Bella headed to campus.
The lab was quiet when she arrived.
The morning light was soft, casting long shadows across the workbenches. The robots glinted in the dim glow, their metal limbs still, their lights off. The air smelled of metal and solder.
Winter was already there.
