When dessert came, Rebecca asked Clarence whether he would let the children help plan the garden he had stopped tending.

He agreed, but requested that they plant peas because Abigail had loved them.

Ben promised to build raised beds low enough for Clarence to reach from a chair.

There was no rush to finish dinner.

Nobody looked at a watch or asked how long the visit would take.

The rain began after dark, tapping softly on the kitchen window.

Clarence listened with his eyes half closed while Amanda described an art project she’d begun at school.

Later, walking him home, I asked whether he had enjoyed the evening.