Just got stung by my own bees, again

I was checking the hive for queen cells—this one’s been acting weird since last week—and the moment I lifted the frame, a bee decided I’d made eye contact. Not even a warning buzz, just thwack. Like I’d forgotten the rules of the conversation. I’ve been doing this twenty years and still don’t know how to read their silence. The sting wasn’t bad—just a sharp little reminder that they’re not trying to hurt me, they’re just trying to be clear. And I keep forgetting: clarity isn’t about noise. It’s about presence. Or maybe I’m just making up stories to feel less like an idiot.