Useful Depending

Have you replied to her yet? asks Belle.

Not yet, says Denis. I'm still thinking.

Don't overthink it, says Belle. 

How long do we have now? asks Gaius.

Depends if our flight's been delayed further, says Belle.

I'll go and check, says Gaius.

He goes off to check the departures.

What if she meant us? says Denis. Her and me.

As in, asking if you wanted to progress your relationship? says Belle. 

Yes, says Denis. 

And do you? asks Belle.

That depends, says Denis.

There's your answer, says Belle.

I can't answer 'that depends', says Denis.

Yes, you can, says Belle. It shows you understood the ambivalence of the question.

I suppose it does, says Denis. You're right. I must be getting rusty. 

Rusty, says Terence, looking up from his drawing. He was my friend.

I remember him, says Belle. He was golden. And something happened to his toes.

An otter ate them, says Terence.

What's this about? asks Denis.

He was in a museum, says Belle. A golden cherub on a model boat. Terence made friends with him.

We called him Rusty because he was gold, says Terence.

Denis is too preoccupied with his 'that depends' dilemma  to question the enigma.

Go on, send it, says Belle. She'll reply, I guarantee it.

Denis types 'That depends', and presses send.

Done, says Denis.

Gaius returns, with new information.

We can go to the boarding gate now, says Gaius.

Yay! says Terence. 

They all head to the boarding gate.

The seats are all taken, so they have to stand.

I can't draw standing up, says Terence.

You can sit on my lap, says a kind-looking woman.

Okay, says Terence.

What are you drawing? asks the kind-looking woman.

An egg box, for cuttlefish eggs, says Terence. These are the holes they go into and inside they've got private cabins.

Why do cuttlefish eggs need private cabins? asks the kind-looking woman. 

To stop them falling back out of the holes, says Terence.

But how will that stop them? asks the kind-looking woman.

They'll have doors, says Terence.

They'll need to be very tiny, says the kind-looking woman. Will they have hinges?

Terence doesn't know what hinges are.

That depends, says Terence.

The kind-looking woman looks happy enough with the answer.