It had seemed like a good idea a few days ago. After spending seven hours in the bore hole of an old oil rig in the middle of the Caribbean, a night of bowling had seemed like a good, low-key way to decompress. Will had made a point to pick a different bowling alley than the one they'd last gone to. He found one in New City, higher end with plush seating and low lights. It was more intimate, but as they sat waiting for the lane to reset, Will doubted his choice. Magnus wouldn't have agreed to come if she didn't want to, right?
Will sneaked a glance at his companion. His stomach dropped when he saw Magnus' solemn features. Her thoughts weren't with him, in the here and now. They were in the past, centered on a life stolen from her. It didn't feel right, being in an alley without Ashley. Will opened his mouth to suggest grabbing a beer somewhere far elsewhere, but before he could utter a sound Henry found them.
"Hey, sorry I'm late guys. I got lost in traffic—next time I'm definitely going to ride with you guys. I'm glad we decided to do this. It's been way too long! I'm going to go find a ball."
A hand on Will's wrist kept him from stopping the HAP. Will met Magnus' gaze, and accepted the small shake of the head she gave him. "It's all right, Will," she said softly. "He's right. It's good that we're doing this."
"Really?" he countered. "This is supposed to be about lifting your spirits."
Magnus' head bowed, her façade slipping for the first time since they'd been airlifted. Without her shields, there was nothing left but the deep sorrow of an orphaned parent. "I don't think that's going to happen for a while yet."
Henry returned with two bowling balls, one of which was the weight Magnus preferred. He handed it over and she accepted it readily, her mask back in place. She hit the lane first, and no one was surprised when it hit the gutter in the first three feet. Magnus watched the ball until it disappeared into the lane's gaping maw. She turned, her lips cocked in a self-deprecating grin.
A tiny twitch of her shoulders followed, and when she guttered her second roll, she plopped down in her seat like nothing was out of the ordinary. They played until their arms got tired. Neither Will nor Henry said anything when they saw the tears sparkling in Magnus' eyes when she thought they weren't looking. If she noticed that they made an effort to keep one of them with her while the other was bowling, she didn't mention it. The game continued.