The sun was low on the horizon, and birds returned from around the creek to their nests. Sparrows, blackbirds, and other nesting birds fly home when the light begins to fade. An exception seemed to be a woodpecker perched on a nearby cedar tree, tapping away. A group of mallards floated home on the still waters. Yet, it would be a couple of hours before sunset. The clouds gathered in the afternoon had dissipated, and it was still bright.

Kento sat on the pier's edge, with his feet ...