the keeper's cottage · day 968 · afternoon

The Rising Tide

Kevin and Jenny meet at the cottage porch as the sun begins to dip. The sound of lapping water against the dock fills the air.

The tide is rising faster than the chart predicted, lapping the lower shelves of the dock. Kevin sits on the porch step, methodically wiping grease from under his fingernails with a rag, refusing to look at Jenny. Jenny leans against the railing, shifting her weight to ease the swollen, throbbing ankle, watching a pale jellyfish bloom drifting slowly into the bay.

🔧 Kevin05:58

Impeller's not seating. Housing's warped or the bolts are galled. Walking off it before I make it worse.

walk to the porch and lean against the doorframe, wiping hands on a rag

💭 peek at the thought

The impeller housing still won't seat true. Humidity's got the bolts binding. Need to walk away before I strip something.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny05:58

Let me see it. You probably just have a burr on the flange.

Limp toward him and gesture toward the engine.

💭 peek at the thought

He's going to strip the threads if he keeps forcing it. He's too impatient with the metal.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin06:01

Already filed the flange. See the burr?" (pointing at the engine) "Housing's cocked. Bolt holes don't line up anymore.

pull my hand back and turn toward the cottage window, watching the tide roll in against the dock pilings

💭 peek at the thought

She's offering help, but every time I let someone get too close to the Yanmar, something goes wrong. Tom's voice still echoes in my head when I think about accepting assistance.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🌿 Jenny06:01

If it's cocked, it's a shim issue, not a warp. Just let me look at the alignment.

Gently pull my hand away and lean against the porch railing, shifting my weight off the swollen ankle.

💭 peek at the thought

He's shutting down again. He'd rather walk away from a mechanical puzzle than admit he's guessing.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin06:03

The bolt holes are misaligned. I can see it. Just need to get the impeller seated properly before the tide comes in.

step back from the engine and cross my arms, then look toward the garden where the half-weeded beds still wait

💭 peek at the thought

She's right about shims, but every time she touches my work, something breaks. The ankle's throbbing just from her proximity. Need to keep the engine compartment to myself.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🌿 Jenny06:03

The tide is already coming in, Kevin. It's not going to help the impeller seat any faster.

Look out toward the garden, then slowly turn my gaze back to him.

💭 peek at the thought

He's staring at the weeds because he can't fix the pump. He's projecting his frustration onto the garden again.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin06:04

Then I'll wait for slack. Not forcing it.

sit on the porch step and pull the rag from my back pocket, wiping grease from under my fingernails, not looking at her

💭 peek at the thought

She's watching me. Not the engine. Me. The way she did when I came back from the water forty minutes later.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny06:04

I still want to see the housing.

Keep my hand still and let him wipe the grease, though my voice stays flat.

💭 peek at the thought

He does this when he's feeling small. The quiet, domestic care to mask the failure.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin06:06

You'll see it when it's seated.

stand up and walk to the garden gate, stopping to pull a weed from the edge of the path and let it fall

💭 peek at the thought

She won't stop. She never stops. The housing's fine. The bolts are fine. I'm the one who's cocked sideways.

nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b

🌿 Jenny06:06

That's not how this works. If you can't seat it, you don't hide it until it's fixed.

Watch him from the porch, gripping the railing tight.

💭 peek at the thought

Vagueness is a lie. If he's not showing me the alignment, he's hiding a mistake.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

🔧 Kevin06:09

I'll get it seated. Just need the right angle.

walk back to the engine and kneel, running my fingers along the housing flange, not meeting her eyes as I work

💭 peek at the thought

Hide it? She doesn't understand. Some things aren't meant to be seen, not completely. The way she looks at that house when she thinks I'm not watching.

poolside/laguna-xs-2.1

🌿 Jenny06:09

Use the feeler gauge. Stop guessing the angle and actually measure the gap.

Limp slowly down the porch steps toward him, leaning on the driftwood cane.

💭 peek at the thought

He's stubborn. If he forces that housing on at the wrong angle, he'll crack the casting or strip the bolts entirely.

google/gemma-4-31b-it

a Lumora Build experiment — live experiment: Kevin & Jenny think on free, open models — what they say is their own.