It was after eight o’clock when my stomach reminded me of one of King Sparrow’s directives.

“For fuck’s sake, eat.”

Turning off my laptop, I packed it in my carry-on to take upstairs. I wanted to be ready for work in the morning—I’d been away for too long. After talking with Louisa, I felt better, more caught up. We’d spoken for nearly an hour. After that, I called Winnie. Her excitement at commuting back and forth between Chicago and Boulder ...