Her face softened.

“Thank you, Lawson.”

Then she was gone, and I stood at the window for a long time watching the city.

By nine the next morning I had learned three things.

One: four six-year-olds can destroy a kitchen faster than a demolition crew.

Two: my apartment contained essentially nothing a child actually needs.

Three: Kelsey still took an absurd amount of cream in her coffee.

I came back with breakfast and found all four boys sitting on the floor eating dry cereal out of imported porcelain.