Page 136 of Beyond Protection
The back door opened again. Mac stood with the bowl cradled in his hands.
"She talk to you?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Did she do the thing where she says something profound and then walks away before you can process it?"
"Very much that."
He smiled. Stepped onto the porch. Held out the pot. "Look at it."
I took it. The ceramic was cool, the gold seams slightly raised. They didn't hide the repairs. They made it the focal point.
"She broke this," Mac said. "I thought it was completely gone."
I nodded. "But she put it back together."
"She showed me it was always meant to break. The collapse wasn't a failure—it was part of the process. The kiln comes after. The gold comes after."
He took the bowl back. Held it carefully.
"I'm keeping this," he said. "Putting it somewhere I'll see it every day."
"That's a good reminder."
"Yeah." He looked at me. "You need one too?"
"Maybe."
"Then here." He pressed the bowl into my hands again. "Hold it. Feel the weight. Remember that we've already survived this much. We'll survive tonight, too."
I held the bowl. Felt the gold seams under my fingertips.
"Okay," I said.
"Okay?"
"Yeah. I'll come home after the raid, and then we'll figure out what we're building."
"With visible seams?"
"With visible seams."
He kissed me. Brief.
"Come on," he said. "It's almost time for dinner."
Seventeen forty-five. Ma had set the table for twelve.
The dining room that had held tactical maps three hours ago now held mismatched plates, silverware, and napkins from a package of holiday-themed paper goods.
Everyone arrived within ten minutes. Marcus and James first, Marcus carrying a pie that smelled like bourbon and burnt sugar. Matthew and Dorian next. Miles and Rowan came through the back door, both of them quiet.
Michael was already there. He stood near the window now, watching the street with tactical eyes that never fully rested. Alex finally pulled himself away from his laptop.
Claire sat in the corner closest to the kitchen, spine straight, hands folded. She'd changed into something darker—a charcoal sweater and black slacks.
Mac moved through the space like water around stones. Helping Ma carry serving dishes and fetch extra chairs.
