Charles took a sip of coffee and set the cup down even with the edge of his notebook.

“People are loudest,” he said, “when they don’t know what quiet is worth.”

Derek swung his chair around to face us.

“What was that, Charles?

You writing a book over there?”

“Just keeping count,” Charles said.

He slid the thick rubber band up onto his wrist.

I ate the soggy tater tots off the top of the casserole one row at a time, like a grid.