I showed him the classroom tables and the seedlings lined up beneath the lamps.

He asked how I found students, what the school paid, and whether I needed more shelving.

I realized with a jolt that he had never asked about the business itself before.

“I can build shelves if you need them,” he offered.

I looked at Frank’s oak work and then back at my father.

“Maybe,” I said.

“We could make something together.”

His face softened.