CHAPTER 16
What Changed
The next morning, Elena arrived at the field station twelve minutes early.
She immediately regretted it.
Not because she had anything better to do.
Because Naia was already there.
She stood beside the equipment table, checking the radios.
Their eyes met.
"Morning."
"Morning."
That was it.
Elena looked down at her tablet.
Naia looked back at the radio.
Nothing had happened.
That was the problem.
Something had happened.
They both knew it.
Neither knew what to do with it.
Sofía noticed the silence before breakfast.
She didn't comment.
She simply watched Elena organize three identical instrument cables for nearly a minute.
"You know those are the same cables."
Elena looked down.
"I know."
"You've arranged them by length."
"They're not exactly the same."
Sofía glanced at Naia across the room.
Naia was pretending not to listen.
"Right."
Elena ignored her.
"We'll take the lower access route first."
Naia nodded.
"Okay."
Elena waited.
Normally, Naia would have made some dry remark.
Today she didn't.
Elena cleared her throat.
"The route should take approximately—"
She stopped.
Naia looked at her.
"Approximately?"
Elena stared at the map.
"Never mind."
Naia's mouth twitched.
"Okay."
The word somehow made Elena more uncomfortable.
Outside, the mountain remained active.
The previous night's swarm had not disappeared completely.
Small tremors continued at irregular intervals, enough to keep the instruments busy and the emergency office attentive.
Ilava stood near the monitoring vehicle, reviewing the latest readings.
"How's the upper route?"
"Restricted for now," Naia said.
Ilava nodded.
"Good."
Elena glanced toward her.
Naia was looking at the mountain.
Not at Elena.
That was probably better.
Except Elena found herself wanting Naia to look at her.
Which was decidedly not better.
She walked over.
"We'll need to recalibrate the gas monitor before we go."
Naia reached for it.
"I'll do it."
"I can—"
Elena stopped.
She had been about to explain exactly how to recalibrate a device Naia had used for years.
"Never mind."
Naia looked at her.
A small silence.
"You were going to tell me how to use it."
"No."
"You were."
Elena exhaled.
"Maybe."
Naia smiled faintly.
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."
Elena almost laughed.
Almost.
Then Ilava called from the vehicle.
"Elena."
She turned.
The moment ended.
They worked carefully that morning.
Too carefully.
Elena noticed every time Naia stepped near her.
Naia noticed every time Elena avoided standing too close.
When their hands reached for the same equipment case, both pulled back at once.
"Sorry."
They said it simultaneously.
They looked at each other.
Then away.
From across the station yard, Sofía watched.
She said nothing.
At the lower monitoring point, Elena finally stopped.
Naia looked at her.
"What?"
Elena looked toward the mountain.
"Nothing."
Naia gave her a look.
"You've stolen my line."
"Apparently."
Another small tremor passed beneath their feet.
This time neither reacted dramatically.
They simply waited.
When it stopped, Naia looked at Elena.
"Still want the reading?"
Elena nodded.
"Yes."
Naia handed her the instrument.
Their fingers touched.
Both froze.
Not for long.
Just long enough.
Elena looked at their hands.
Then at Naia.
Naia's expression was unreadable.
Elena withdrew first.
"Thanks."
"Sure."
They returned to work.
But something had changed.
Not the mountain.
Not the instruments.
Them.
The previous night had created a question neither woman was ready to ask.
And so, for now, they did what they were both best at.
They worked.
They measured.
They watched.
They pretended the distance between them was exactly where it had always been.
It wasn't.
And Sofía, watching from the station later that afternoon, knew it.