He stared out the window, jaw tight, willing the world to blur faster. Outside the window, the river had come into view. It sparkled under the pale winter sun, snaking past bare trees and crumbling boathouses. A beautiful scene. Wasted on a man trying not to boil over.
Another kick landed. And this time, Daniel didn’t even flinch. He simply… stared ahead. And thought. The quiet car had returned to its usual hush, but inside Daniel, something stayed loud. His thoughts buzzed beneath the surface, looping over the same helpless refrain: You tried. You were polite. And it still didn’t matter.