But at noon Walter arrived carrying a paper bag of homemade biscuits, a card for Gavin, and an old bicycle bell he had polished until it shone.

“This is for the boys,” he said.

“One bell, two boys.

Figure it out.”

Gavin laughed and suggested they put it on a shared demonstration bike at the workshop.

Toby thought that was fair.

They took turns ringing it until Brenda asked them to stop before the neighbors called to complain.

Walter sat beside me while the others set the table.