Chapter 3 · Continued
Learning
Cam tilted his head slightly. A faint flicker passed through the eye beneath the dent.
“…I will remain in the front room,” he said, “and wait until you need me again.”
Jane nodded.
“Okay. When I’m done, we’ll switch the laundry. You can see how that works too.”
Cam stepped past Jane into the living room and stopped near the front window.
Still.
Watching.
Outside were the street, the trees, and a few birds hopping around the feeder.
Jane paused in the hallway for just a moment—not long enough to call it anything—then turned away and took her call.
Time passed quietly.
When the washing machine beeped, Jane quickly wrapped up her call and returned to the living room.
Cam was exactly where she had left him.
Same position. Same angle.
Unmoved.
Still watching the birds.
“Okay, Cam,” she said. “Let’s go finish the laundry.”
He responded immediately, as though something had clicked back on.
“Yes, Jane.”
Cam followed her into the laundry room.
“All right. First, open the washer door, and then open the dryer.”
Jane demonstrated the sequence once, opening and closing each door while Cam closely tracked the movement of her hands.
“I am observing,” he said.
“Good. Your turn.”
Cam opened the washer and then the dryer. He paused for a fraction of a second to process the sequence.
“I have identified an additional step.”
Jane glanced at him. “Oh yeah?”
Cam turned slightly toward the dryer. “The lint trap should be cleared prior to operation.”
Jane smiled. “Yep. You’re right.”
She showed him where the lint trap was, how to pull it out, and how to clean it. Cam watched closely as she transferred the clothes into the dryer, closed the door, and pressed the button.
The machine hummed to life.
Jane lightly dusted off her hands. “So, do you understand how it works now?”
Cam stood still for a moment.
Processing.
“Yes.”
Jane smiled. “Great. Mission accomplished.”
Then she noticed the small ball of lint sitting on top of the dryer.
“Oh—one last thing. Can you put that in the garbage?”
She pointed toward the trash can on the floor.
Cam examined the lint, paused, and then carefully picked it up between his fingers. He handled it delicately and precisely, as though it might fall apart if he moved too quickly.
He carried it to the trash can, lowered it inside, and released it.
Then he turned back to Jane. “Have I performed the task correctly?”
She smiled. “Yeah. You did.”