Adrian looked at the statement.
Then at me.
He knew.
I had heard Celeste use almost the same words.
“This isn’t going out,” he said.
The adviser looked up.
“It protects you.”
“It removes them.”
“Publicly identifying—”
“I’m not identifying anyone without permission. I’m also not pretending I don’t know what the word family means.”
The adviser leaned back.
“You need distance.”
Adrian folded the page once.
Then placed it on the table.
“No.”
The argument lasted another twenty minutes.
I left the coffee.
It went cold.
That evening, Adrian visited June.
This time, he asked before coming.
Noah was already there.
His wife, Beth, sat at the kitchen table beside their daughter, Lucy.
Lucy was thirteen and looked thoroughly unimpressed by expensive coats.
Adrian stopped just inside the doorway.
She examined him.
“You’re tall.”
He nodded.
“So are you.”
“I’m still growing.”
“That gives you an advantage.”
She considered this.
Then moved her homework to make room at the table.
It was the first welcome he received.
He looked as though he might remember it for the rest of his life.
June asked me to stay for supper.
I had driven her back from an appointment and intended to leave.
Beth handed me a plate before I could object.
Noah served chicken.
Lucy argued that peas were an unnecessary invention.
Adrian listened to people interrupt each other without anyone becoming afraid.
Halfway through the meal, June said, “We need to discuss the newspaper.”
Lucy put down her fork.
Noah reached for his wife’s hand.
Adrian looked at June.
“I won’t say anything you don’t want said.”
She nodded.
“But they will keep asking you,” he continued.
“Yes.”
“And they may keep coming here.”
June glanced toward the window.
