“And how much does a flower cost for me?” Nathan asked, sitting down.
“For you? Nothing,” Aiden replied. “You already paid—with dinner the other night.”
They sat quietly for a moment, watching people drift across the square. Ranger laid his head across both their knees, angling for pets, which he received immediately.
“Do you still dream about the woman by the river?” Aiden asked suddenly.
Nathan smiled.
“Not anymore,” he said. “She’s home now. This morning she told me she’s going to teach me how to ‘live slower.’” He shook his head. “Apparently I was always going too fast.”
“You were,” Aiden said with certainty.
“And you?” Nathan asked. “You still want to be a mechanic?”
Aiden shook his head.
“No, sir. I want to be a translator.”
“A translator?” Nathan repeated, amused. “Of languages?”
“Of people,” Aiden said. “Like with you and Mrs. Lauren. You two weren’t hearing the same thing. I think the world needs more people who help others understand each other.”
Nathan looked at him, impressed. Sometimes wisdom showed up in very small packages.
“You’re going to go far, kid,” he said.
He opened his briefcase and pulled out a folder.
“I want to show you something.”