Instead, I said, “I’ll put the shoes in the budget.”

“Good.”

He hung the towel on its hook.

“You will understand when you have bills of your own.”

I nearly laughed.

I had just been handed one.

PART 3 — THE GUITAR, THE KEY, AND THE UNIT

Dad left for his repair jobs with his work boots by the back door and his old canvas tool bag in his hand.