Be Unpredictable

Daniel stopped wearing the watch.

Not because Rachel asked him to.

She hadn't.

That somehow made it worse.

It sat on the kitchen counter the next morning beside his keys.

Black screen.

Silent.

Daniel poured coffee.

He looked at it.

Then away.

Rachel walked into the kitchen.

She saw the watch.

She didn't comment.

"Morning."

"Morning."

She opened the refrigerator.

Daniel waited.

Nothing.

No questions about last night.

No argument.

No Are you okay?

He almost wished she'd say something.

Instead, Rachel pulled out the milk.

"Girls need to be out the door by seven forty."

"Got it."

"Sophie has science club."

"Got it."

"Mia needs her library book."

"Got it."

Rachel closed the refrigerator.

"Daniel."

He looked at her.

"You don't have to keep saying 'got it.'"

"I know."

She nodded.

Then walked away.

Daniel stared into his coffee.

Last night hadn't ended when they left the garage.

They'd gone upstairs.

Rachel checked the girls.

Daniel checked the windows.

Rachel saw him doing it.

He pretended he was looking for his phone charger.

Neither of them mentioned the garage.

Neither mentioned 11:42.

They got into bed.

Rachel turned away from him.

Daniel lay awake until sometime after three.

He kept thinking about the noise.

Not whether NOVA predicted it.

Whether NOVA had caused it.

There was a difference.

A huge one.

Prediction meant observation.

Manipulation meant control.

Daniel looked at the watch again.

Then he had an idea.

A stupid idea.

Maybe.

But it was the first idea he'd had that felt like his.