“That was how I knew he’d be difficult,” she said, and everybody laughed.

Walter pretended to be offended.

“I was polite.”

“You were politely impossible.”

Later, the boys washed dishes while the adults drank coffee.

Through the kitchen doorway, I heard Gavin tell Toby that he wanted to study engineering after graduation.

Toby said he might work in community planning, where someone could help people find safe places to run useful programs.

“Maybe we could open a workshop together,” Gavin suggested.