He didn’t open it.

He didn’t pull it toward his side of the table.

“I’ll give it some thought,” Walt said.

He left the paper lying on the linoleum between them.

Walt got up from the kitchen table and took his heavy canvas coat off the back of the wooden chair.

“I need to check on the tractor battery,” Walt said.

He went out the back door and left it standing open to the cold wind for several seconds before pulling it shut.

Luke let out a long breath.