Throughout the weekend, Ryan was distracted no matter what he did. He kept watching Carl, paying full attention to every detail, hoping he would get inspired, but came up blank. Several times, Carl caught him staring. He would pause mid-task and meet his gaze with a questioning look, as if asking if there was something on his face. Ryan only shook his head quickly, pretending that he had been looking at something else.
But as soon as Carl turned away, Ryan's gaze would return, following the gentle sway of his hands as they flew across his sketchpad, the way he smiled as he watered the plants around the house. Other than insects, Ryan had not focused intensely on anything else, but enjoyed watching him, even though Carl wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary.
