Derek paid his half without being asked, which a year ago would have been a revolution and was now simply a Tuesday.

He did not look at me to check whether it was all right.

He did not make a show of it to earn credit.

He put his card down beside mine the way a partner does, and the two cards sat there together in the little folder, and the sight of them side by side did something to my throat that I had not expected and had to blink hard against.

His father watched the whole operation from the head of the table.