“It’s okay,” he said.

“Nobody’s in trouble.”

She looked relieved.

I wondered what tiny messages children absorbed from adults before adults noticed they were teaching anything.

By the time we left, Rose was asleep against my shoulder.

Nathaniel carried the souvenir bag and asked whether he could attend a preschool event next month.

We agreed to discuss it closer to the date with the teacher and the girls.

The word family had begun to mean something different to me.