He set June back in her padded seat, hooked her safety harness, and picked up the white plastic receiver on the third ring.

“Hello, Mom,” Ethan said.

I pulled a handful of silverware from the drawer and began setting two woven placemats on the small round table.

Sylvia’s voice came through the receiver, loud and sharp enough to echo off the subway tile backsplash.

“Ethan, I was at the market on Grand Avenue and I saw organic pears on sale,” Sylvia said.

“I thought I would drop off two bags and check June’s forehead myself.”

Ethan leaned back against the edge of the sink, his posture loose and steady.