The evening after the cleanup, the park emptied slowly. The professional crews had arrived with their machinery, and the omegas, tired began to drift away in small groups, heading home to baths and early dinners.
Soren, as the leader of the effort, had to be the last to leave. There were final checks with the foreman, a list of notes to be transferred, a dozen last-minute questions only he could answer. Jamie and I leaned against Jamie's car, waiting for him as the sunset painted the scarred park in shades of orange and deep purple.
"He worries so much" Jamie grumbled affectionately, watching Soren point emphatically at a map with a serious-looking beta in a hard hat.
"Says the guy who packed three different types of antiseptic wipes today," I teased.
Jamie shoved my shoulder, laughing. "You never know! Ash is alkaline! It could have been a chemical burn situation!"
