I learned to braid Elodie’s hair for kindergarten, badly at first — the first few came out lopsided, and she wore them proudly anyway.

Chapter 31 — The Machine

The first time I ran our new dishwasher, Elodie stood in front of it for ten minutes, watching the little blue light of the cycle like it was a magic show.

“Does the machine wash all of them by itself, Daddy?”

“Every single one,” I said, kneeling beside her.

“And — I don’t have to stand on the stool anymore?”