‘Will you come next week?’

‘Yes.

I’ll be home by Thursday, and I’ll confirm the plan with Mom.’

They ended the call awkwardly.

Preston spent the evening in a hotel room looking at photographs of the boys, resisting the urge to send an expensive package as an apology.

The next morning Naomi sent him a picture of their homemade cardboard spaceship.

The caption said, They asked whether you could help install the windows next weekend.

He arrived the next Saturday on time, carrying nothing but a roll of clear tape and paper stars.