She didn’t look up from her glowing phone as families with bright Mylar balloons walked past her.

Richard checked his coat pockets for his silver car keys.

He held the blue financial folder tightly against his ribs.

I pushed the wheels of my chair forward until I sat right in their path to the exit.

Richard looked up and saw me waiting on the thin lobby carpet.

He stopped and put his hand on Allison’s shoulder to steer her around me.

“We’ll handle the rest of the facility billing through the mail,” Richard said.