He recorded me flipping a pancake badly.

It folded in half and landed crookedly in the pan.

We laughed so hard the dog woke up.

For the next few minutes, the video showed nothing important by courtroom standards: batter on a spoon, a child singing off-key, sunlight breaking through the clouds.

It was the most precious recording I had seen in years.

Later, Noah asked whether I was still angry with his father.

I answered carefully.