Manuel, she mentioned, had been getting increasingly forgetful.

Carmen, she said, really shouldn’t worry her little head with bills or legal paperwork anymore.

Alvin recognized what he was hearing, though he kept his face pleasant and nodded along.

He was hearing a narrative being constructed, in real time, for his benefit: the story of two declining elderly parents and the devoted younger son and daughter-in-law who had heroically stepped in to manage their affairs.

It was a good story.