Ethan and I became better acquainted.
He helped me replace the loose boards on the back step.
We talked about architecture, his work, and how little I understood about modern building materials.
He discovered I was better with tools than he expected.
I discovered he couldn’t bake bread without producing something resembling a paving brick.
Ruth found this delightful.
“Architect,” she said, examining one loaf.
“You’d think structure would be his specialty.”
Ethan laughed.
“I walked into that one.”
He was kind.
Still.
But I didn’t turn him into the hero of our family story.
He had recognized something wrong at the wedding and asked difficult questions.