"Hey," Mathias answers with a grin, stepping away from the door so Neil can get out. So far he doesn't hear any dogs or little girls, which is a good sign, one he feels just a little guilty about. But only a little and he manages to convince himself it's fine to want a day off.

"Ready to go?" he asks. "Ready to laugh at me as I fall off my surfboard over and over again?" He hasn't been in some time and he isn't sure if he's going to be able to do much of anything except fall off repeatedly, but even that Mathias doesn't mind. There's something about surfing that he loves, almost as much as he loves diving.