Re: Tandy/Billy/Atticus: the lake
Concentrated on the ferry. Coaxing it around the edge of the island. Nearing the dock. Didn't want to do damage to his one method of getting physical interaction with others. The dock. Not the ferry. Could fix a boat engine if he needed to. Any boat engine. Had his foster father to thank for that. Was careful. Watched the boys. Listened.
Chuckled. "Can be obnoxious," he told Tandy. Was entertained by the kid. "In a story, obnoxious characters are more interesting than innocuous ones." Life was, in many ways, a story. "But prefer lazy for myself. Feel relaxed doesn't entirely cover my impressive reactiveness to life." Was joking, but was also being honest. Had learned a long time ago that kids got lied to a lot. Had also decided his best way to reach them was to be honest. Simple, really, for a man who didn't like the extra work a lie created.
Glanced over at Billy a few times. Would check-in on the kid alone, see what was going on with him. Assumed it was the man Billy was scared of. Would do his best to have a conversation without fighting this time. Had never thought of himself as a person prone to arguing. Maybe the lake was getting to him.
Pulled the ferry smoothly up against the dock and started work tossing the rope and securing it on the cleat. Moved around as he talked. "Cars, boats, cooking, all acquired along the way." Grinned while he worked. "Stubborn, though, my mom always said I was born with. Refused to latch as a baby. All downhill from there." He nodded toward the cabin. "Eat as much as you want. Take the leftovers." A lack of food made him actually get out of bed to cook. Needed reasons these days.