“Thank you, David,” I said.

I reached out and touched the cool brass with my index finger, running my thumb along the sharp edge of the nameplate.

“How are you settling into the new apartment on Fifth Street?” David asked.

“The lease is signed and the deposit has cleared,” I said.

“It’s quiet.”

“Some things stay standing just because they were built right from the start,” David said gently.

He adjusted the silver pen in his shirt pocket and stepped back toward the hallway.