The officer smiled. “You got through. That’s what mattered.” Caleb nodded. He didn’t trust his voice. Later, after the officers left, Caleb sat at his small table and watched the snow fall outside. His coffee had gone cold. Again. But he didn’t care.
Somewhere out there, a walrus and its calf were alive—free—because he’d followed a creature most people would’ve run from. Because he’d listened. Because he hadn’t turned away. He leaned back in his chair, letting the quiet settle in. For the first time in a long while, the silence didn’t feel empty.