At 6 p.m., she heard a car drive in, and she knew it was Lionel. She went into Zion’s room and took his hand, and together they made their way out of the bedroom and into the living room. She let him hold on to the birthday gift bag they got for Nine and Nina, Greg and Diya’s twin girls.

They came outside the house, and they met Lionel beside his car and Ivan standing beside him. Whatever they spoke about didn’t lighten Lionel’s mood or worsen it. He kept a neutral expression, ...