June worried that knowing another parent meant she would have to move away.

We drew a calendar showing her usual home, the days she went to school, and the visits we had planned.

When the calendar was on the fridge, she stopped asking the same question every night.

Rose simply wanted to know if Nathaniel would come to the school winter concert.

He said yes, then learned his company had scheduled a meeting at the same time.

Five years earlier he would have attended the meeting, sent a gift, and expected everyone to praise his generosity.