After breakfast, Daniel pointed toward the game tables out on the patio. There were card tables and checkerboards set up under the umbrellas.
“We were going to play cards after breakfast,” he said to Liam. “Do you think you can beat us?”
Ben opened his mouth. I could see him getting ready to answer for Liam. Probably to say something like, he’s a little tired, or maybe later.
I held up one finger.
Ben closed his mouth.
“Liam?” I said.
Liam considered the invitation. Very seriously.
“Probably,” he said.
Daniel grinned. “That confident?”
Liam shrugged.
“Vacation rules,” he said.
He beat them at Crazy Eights four games in a row. Maya swears she wasn’t letting him win. I believe her. Liam is very, very good at Crazy Eights.
When we finally headed back inside to pack, Ben walked behind Liam’s chair through the lobby.
Halfway to the elevator, I saw his hand drift up toward the handles on the back of the wheelchair.
And then I saw him stop himself. He pulled his hand back and put it in his pocket.
Liam glanced over his shoulder.
He’d seen it.
“You’re learning,” Liam said.
Ben smiled. A little sheepish.
“Slowly,” he admitted.
“Slow’s okay,” Liam said. “Slow still counts.”
At the elevator, the doors started sliding shut before Liam reached them.
Ben didn’t lunge.
He just watched.
Liam reached out, hit the button, and rolled inside.
He turned his chair around neatly to face us.
“See?” he said.
“I see, buddy,” Ben said quietly. “I see.”
Specialty: Quiet Comebacks & Personal Justice
David Reynolds focuses on stories where underestimated individuals regain control of their lives. His writing centers on measured decisions rather than dramatic outbursts — emphasizing preparation, patience, and the long game. His characters don’t shout; they act.