Benedict shifted tack. “Do you get tired, caring for an active eight-year-old at your age?”

“Of course I get tired.”

He smiled and half-turned toward the bench, as though he’d won something. “Thank you.”

“My daughter gets tired too,” Martha added, her voice steady. “A lot of loving parents get tired. Being tired doesn’t make a person unfit.”

His smile disappeared. “Wouldn’t Toby be better off in a quiet household where the adults aren’t overwhelmed by work and money?”

Martha paused a moment. “A bigger house with nicer furniture doesn’t make a home any kinder.”