“Gibs?” “Yeah, lad?” “Don’t go home yet, okay?” He paused on the ladder, hands clasping the wooden frame, and I watched as a multitude of emotions flashed across his features. Finally, he climbed back up and reclaimed the space beside me. “You know, if you wanted to watch the sun come up with me, you only had to say, lad,” he mused, nudging my shoulder with his. “Yeah.” I choked out a hollow laugh. “That’s what it is.”
