On my way to Solaris, I looked out the plane window at the clouds. Suddenly, I thought of an unexpected person. I hadn’t seen or heard from Atlas since the divorce proceedings concluded. Although he hadn’t called, I somehow felt disappointed.

Still, I kept my distance, not wanting to get too close to him. Despite my efforts, I couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t called or even texted me. Strangely, I saw a missed call from him after turning my phone on when the plane landed.

My mind raced, but I returned the call after some hesitation. Atlas asked, “Where are you?”

"I just landed in Solaris," I replied.

"Alone?"

"Yeah."

"All right, stay safe." His tone was distant, and he didn't seem interested in continuing the conversation. "I'll hang up now."

I was frustrated. Atlas called me, yet he didn’t intend to say much. I was about to ask why he called, but he had already hung up. I sighed and pocketed my phone, feeling conflicted.

When I met Fred this time, he seemed much better.