Ruth shook her head before I could finish the sentence.

“She wants work that isn’t connected to you,” she said.

“You can’t be the gatekeeper of every good thing in her life.”

I looked at the playground, where Mason was trying to climb a low slide backward.

“Does she need childcare?”

“She has a plan.

If she asks for help with something, help with that.

Don’t buy the whole world and call it listening.”