The sky is a cloudless, endless blue. The sun, at its peak, punishes our eyes with its blinding glare and scorches our skin with its relentless heat.

  Even so, we push through these conditions, making our way to the limousine parked in front of the fair, while a few curious masochists gather, eager to see who will step inside.

  “I’m gonna miss you, love.” Jess tilts her head with that familiar, sweet smile, her eyelashes fluttering softly.

  I can’t resist — I pull her into a tight hug. “Call me when you get there. Safe travels, Doll.” I kiss her hair. “I love you.” She squeezes me back, echoing my whisper.

  “Have fun, but don’t get yourself killed in the forest,” she jokes, eyeing the modified pickup waiting behind me.

  “Take care too.” I step back, holding the door open for her.

  We stretch out our goodbye as long as we can before she has to leave, but it’s never enough.

  Soon, we’ll be together again.

  “Anyone would think she’s heading off to war,” Daniel mutters.

  I roll my eyes. “I thought you only stalked Sam.”

  “Zoe follows him around, so Sam ends up with you guys. Which means I end up here, stuck listening to this nonsense.”

  “Don’t you have anything better to do?” Sam, perched on the truck’s tailgate, adjusts his glasses without looking up from the metal box he’s fiddling with.

  “Nope. I can do everything I need from my laptop.” He gestures at the device slouched on the chair, and he drags it around everywhere while tailing us through the festival.

  Bouncing over, Zoe stops in front of Sam. “When are we going? Can I ride in your truck?” She pets the dog lying next to him, pretending Daniel doesn’t exist — she’s picking up Sam’s bad habits fast.

  “Don’t you want to keep me company so I’m not alone?” I suggest.

  “Then Sam would be alone.”

  “I’m used to it. He’s not. Go with him,” Sam says without looking up.

  “No!” Zoe snaps immediately.

  “Sweetheart, he’s your uncle. Show some respect,” Ella scolds.

  Only then does Zoe glance at me, her eyes welling with tears, realizing she might have hurt my feelings.

  “Sorry, Uncle... I... I’ll go with you. It’s just…” She trails off, casting a hesitant glance at Sam before lowering her head. Her voice drops to a murmur, shoulders shrinking in shame. “I just… I know Johan stopped him. He wanted to leave earlier. And if I don’t go with him, I’m afraid he’ll disappear — like he wanted to before — and I’ll never see him again.”

  “You’re a smart girl,” Daniel says with a knowing smile. “Sam’s good at disappearing. He never gives his full name, dodges contact info, no social media — nothing. The only way I can find him is at events like this, and even private investigators can’t track him for long.”

  “Wow, you really have no shame about being a stalker,” I glare at him.

  Honestly, Daniel’s worse than Sam. He’s friendly and sociable — but seriously, this level of obsession can’t be normal. It makes Sam’s antisocial, moody behavior seem downright reasonable.

  At first, I felt bad for Daniel, thinking he was suffering the way Sam made me suffer. But the more Sam shuts him down, the more I think: he deserved it.

  “I told you, I’m only thinking about the company’s future.”

  Zoe crosses her arms. “See? I told you.”

  “Furioso can ride with you guys, right? You wouldn’t leave him behind, would you?” Sam asks, not denying his disappearing habit — waiting for Zoe’s confirmation.

  “Yeah, you wouldn’t leave without Furioso.”

  “I can go without him until we get to camp.”

  “The truck only has two seats. Where do we put this big dog?” I ask. “The cat’s smaller.”

  “Felina stays with me. Long trips make her go crazy and cause accidents.”

  “Better Furioso rides by Zoe’s feet,” Ella suggests, already imagining the chaos.

  “See you later.” Sam stands, handing Zoe a small package from his pocket and signaling Furioso to follow her.

  “I can’t come. I’ve already postponed some meetings and have to get back to my dad. I’ll see you at the competition. Until then,” Daniel says, clearly hoping for a response from Sam.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Sam responds, “Who asked?”

  Feeling the stab, Daniel theatrically places a hand on his chest. “Ouch.”

  “See you then,” Sam mutters.

  Despite his flat tone as he returns to work, there’s a subtle shift — just enough to let Daniel know he isn’t entirely unwelcome. His smile widens, eyes gleaming with hope.

  “Strike first, soften later,” the stalker jokes as he backs away.

  Sam sticks his tongue out, annoyed by the comment, and Daniel laughs with satisfaction before spinning on his heel and disappearing into the crowd.

  “Sorry — sticking out your tongue… is that not allowed in front of kids? I figured flipping the bird or swearing would be worse.”

  “I think the tongue was the right call. Mom only hates bad words.”

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  “Got it. Good thing I didn’t swear.” Sam nods solemnly at Zoe.

  I swear he forgets she’s a kid sometimes — never jokes or changes his tone. He’s so… weird. Just when I think I know what to expect from him, he flips it. The only constant? Never expect him to act like a normal person.

  The second we’re in the truck, Zoe’s phone connects to the radio, and I reconsider letting her tag along.

  She pops open the glove box. “Sam, you there?” she asks into a communicator.

  “Yeah.”

  “Mom?”

  Silence.

  “Open the right corner of the glovebox — there’s a radio. Just hold the side button when you talk,” Sam instructs.

  “Can they hear Sam?”

  “Yep,” Zoe answers as the dog settles on the floor.

  “I’m here,” Ella’s voice crackles through the speaker.

  Zoe grins and clears her throat dramatically before speaking into the mic.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Zoe speaking. We’re ready to head to Bunyip State Park — rugged terrain, and spectacular views. The weather’s perfect, clear skies and pleasant temperatures — ideal for a road trip. It’ll take about an hour to reach our campsite, where we’ll spend the night. Tomorrow: a full day of thrilling adventures. Sit back, enjoy the music, and get ready for some adrenaline. Have a great trip!”

  She turns to me, eyes sparkling. “Was that good?”

  “You planned that whole thing?”

  “As soon as Sam showed me the radio, I planned it. Mom and Dad helped me practice. Was it good?”

  “Yeah — really good.”

  “Nice job, Captain Zoe. Safe travels,” Sam’s voice crackles back, joined by her parents’ praise as we pull out, following Sam’s truck away from the lively festival.

  “Uncle, what did Daniel mean by ‘Strike first, soften later’?” she asks absentmindedly, staring out the window. “And why did Sam get mad about it?”

  I feel her eyes finally land on me, full of curiosity.

  “In this case, Daniel was saying that even though Sam was rude at first, he made up for it in the end. He ‘struck first’ with a harsh remark, then ‘softened later’ by showing a bit of kindness — like a slap followed by a pat on the back.”

  “Why did that make Sam mad?”

  “I don’t know. I guess he doesn’t like it when people notice he’s been kind.”

  “I think you're right.” She smiles shyly.

  “You know, this is going to make your dad jealous.”

  “Jealous of what?”

  “Of you and Sam. He wants to be your hero, your idol. But lately, you only talk about how amazing Sam is — that makes your dad a bit jealous.”

  “Why would he be jealous? Sam really did save us. He is amazing. But my dad will always be my dad.”

  “Your everyday hero. Remember that.”

  “Yeah, my dad is my everyday hero. And Sam is my hero-uncle.”

  “Should I be jealous now?”

  “Uncle, you’ll always be my famous, handsome uncle that everyone envies. And I love that. I love telling my friends my uncle is a big Hollywood actor. My friends are always begging to meet you.”

  “I’m cool too, right? Not just famous and good-looking?”

  “Yes, very cool.”

  “You’re pretty cool too, Zoe.”

  My phone rings — it’s Jess letting me know she's already on the plane. As I listen, Zoe opens a bag and gives some biscuits to the dog. The moment I hang up, she switches the music, looking thoughtful.

  “I just don't like it when you're with Jess. You get bored and follow her around everywhere. You’re like Furioso with Sam — always trailing behind and obeying commands, even the ones she doesn’t say out loud.”

  “Are you saying I’m my girlfriend’s puppy?”

  “Yes. You get annoying.”

  “Know what, I won’t even be embarrassed by that comparison, because I might get more annoying around you, like you said. But I also know that when I’m not visiting here, my life is a lot easier if I just follow her advice. If she is happy, I will be happy too.”

  “Well, now that she's gone, we can have fun again.”

  She leans back in her seat, smiling, completely ignoring my response — just relieved that my girlfriend has left.

  “Unbelievable. A self-proclaimed whipped man.” I hear Sam’s voice through the speaker.

  “Were they listening?”

  “Yep. I left the mic on so it feels like we’re all traveling together.”

  “Please don’t kill our daughter,” Ella says, amusement in her voice.

  “Turn the mic off now! And from now on, every time you turn it on, you’ll tell me first.” I glare at her, making it clear there’s no room for discussion. She nods. “With words!”

  “Got it.”

  “And every time you use the mic, you’ll be clear — using words.”

  “Can I press it again?”

  “No, put it away.”

  She obeys.

  “How much of our conversation did you transmit?”

  “The whole thing, since I picked up the radio.”

  Oh, shit. I feel my cheeks heat up as embarrassment sinks in.

  “Well, at least your dad must be happy you called him your everyday hero.”

  That’s the only upside to them hearing everything. But it adds to another humiliation — this time in front of Sam. I don’t care as much about the others, but being embarrassed in front of a stranger? That stings. Especially when the only version of me he’s seen so far is a complete fool.

  Now I’m my girlfriend’s little puppy, desperate for compliments from my niece, begging her to see me as more than just fame and good looks, and… what else? What a disaster.

  “Johan said they’d take our car to Sydney, but what are we actually doing besides driving there? Where are we going after the first campsite?” Ella asks, probably expecting Sam to say something. But the silence drags on.

  “Grab the radio again,” I tell Zoe. “From there, we could go along the coast to Sydney.”

  “There’s a road that takes us straight there. It’d be quick and easy,” Sam finally responds. “I was already heading to Sydney, and I planned a route with as little road as possible — one that includes scenic lookouts, tourist spots, hiking trails, and camping sites.

  Johan asked me to take you to these places because he thought Ella would enjoy the landscapes, Wally could connect with nature, and Zoe could learn from the experience.”

  “And for JJ to get a feel for the competition in his project,” Ella adds.

  “That doesn’t matter,” Sam says, his tone already dripping with disinterest before he even speaks. “Johan’s opinion on that is irrelevant to me. Ella, let’s focus on planning our trip.” I know he’s smiling to be polite to my cousin, despite his obvious dislike for me.

  “I only know where we’re going today because Johan told me. You disappeared before we could plan anything,” Zoe says.

  “I was working. My original plan was for seven days, but we could do it in three intense days. How much time do you have for the trip?”

  “We have five days before we need to be in Sydney,” Ella answers.

  “Then today we’ll just get there and set up camp. We’ll start with an easy walk so you can get used to hiking and handling off-road vehicles. Once we’re rested, we’ll start the real adventure tourism.”

  “Sounds good to me. Let’s go with your plan,” Ella agrees.

  “I don’t know… ‘real adventure tourism’ sounds like we’re going to suffer,” I mutter to Zoe.

  “You know the mic is still on, right?” Sam asks.

  Shit.

  “Of course, I knew. I was just worried about Zoe — she’s only four.”

  “I wouldn’t suggest anything that a kid couldn’t do. And if you ever want to stop or turn back on a trail, that’s always an option. No one will be forced to finish anything.”

  “I’ll try to keep up. You don’t have to worry about me,” Zoe responds.

  “Alright. Let’s do this,” Ella says excitedly.

  Where the hell is this guy taking us?

  At the very least, he could give us some specifics — actual place names, trail lengths, road conditions, what to expect. That would help us prepare. But it looks like Ella is perfectly fine following him completely blind.