“Then we’ll start with safe tools.”

That evening, when I returned him home, Lauren asked whether he had enjoyed himself.

Mason delivered a detailed report, including the fact that I burned one pizza crust and had trouble finding the measuring tape.

She looked at me with a quiet smile.

“You’re learning,” she said.

“Slowly.”

“Slowly is fine.”

After Mason went to bed, she invited me to sit on the porch for a few minutes.