Nathaniel, who had joined us for dinner, asked whether there was room on her spaceship for a father who wasn’t very good at directions.

She considered his qualifications.

“Only if you bring snacks.”

He promised he would.

PART 17: The Business I Built

Our studio’s largest project opened the following spring, a mixed-use community building with a public reading room, adaptive classrooms, and spaces designed for families to meet without spending money.

The opening wasn’t glamorous.

There were folding chairs, lemonade in paper cups, and a microphone that squealed whenever someone moved it.