She Walked Out, and Ten Years Later She Showed Up With Expensive Gifts at a Twelfth Birthday Dinner

“No company?” she asked, glancing up from the toaster.

“Just family,” I said.

“Family’s plenty.”

She smiled and slid two slices of toast onto the plates.

“Mark said he might bring his buddy from the yard.”

“Mark’s buddy can eat at his own house,” I said.

“Tonight’s for your birthday.”

I spent the early part of the afternoon in the detached woodshop behind the house.