Ellis sat at the low corner workbench, his small brass pocket compass resting on top of a square pine block beside his small hand tools.

He rubbed his thumb against his jacket seam while he fitted two thin cedar slats together with wood glue.

Caroline walked past the fabric racks on the wall, carrying four heavy wool carpet swatches in shades of sand, slate, and deep moss.

She set them on the oak drafting table beside June’s paint tray and watercolor brushes.

“Which shade works best for a high-traffic library reading room?” Caroline asked, stepping back to let the bright afternoon light fall on the wool samples.

June tilted her head to the left, squinting through the sunlight at the slate wool swatch.