“I’m just having a short meeting in the office while you’re in morning reading time.”

She reached into her lap and picked up her red plush rabbit with the squashed left ear.

The seam near its left back leg had a loose white thread where I had tucked the spare brass pantry key into the cotton stuffing three days earlier.

“Can Barnaby stay in my bag tomorrow?” she asked.

“Barnaby goes right in the outside pocket,” I said.

I reached for her blue canvas backpack leaning against the kitchen wall and unzipped the front pocket.