Paige held a little frame steady while he tightened a corner.

They discussed wood glue and old photographs, then paused when Paige asked whether he remembered meeting Rose.

He told her about a broken-down car, a terrible joke Rose had made about engine grease, and the way she always thanked the workers nobody else noticed.

“Did she ever meet you as a dad?” Paige asked.

“No,” he said.

“But I like to think she would have been glad you had people who loved you.”

Paige thought about that.