Teresa refilled his cup and went to help another customer.

Nathaniel looked out at the window, thinking of the last ten dollars Hannah had once counted and of the many choices that had followed.

He had not become a father, and Hannah had not suddenly acquired a perfect life.

They had become something less tidy and far more real: people who could call each other, rely on one another, and continue growing in their own directions.

Nathaniel lifted his coffee and smiled to himself.