Warren brought a cake from a bakery, along with a nervous confession that he’d ordered too many.

A neighbor carried lemonade.

Ruth sent a card.

The nurse who had helped me hold Oliver for the first time came for half an hour, delighted to see him walking between two chairs.

Vance joined the celebration for an agreed period.

He brought Oliver a picture book and sat on the grass reading it while the little boy tried to turn all the pages at once.

Celeste came with him, greeted me courteously, and asked before taking a photograph.