Nathan’s face fell. He stared at the mess, then at Sarah, his lower lip trembling. “Uh-oh…” He swallowed hard, then forced a wobbly smile. “It’s okay! I can fix it!”

Before she could stop him, panic flickered across Nathan’s face. He lunged for a napkin and began dabbing at her shoe—smearing sticky, melted ice cream deeper into the fabric.

Sarah exhaled through her nose, her patience wearing thin.

He froze, his wide eyes darting up to her face. He could tell—she was tired ...