The maintenance interview took place during the first week of January, on a morning when snow had turned the sidewalks into narrow paths between gray banks of ice. Everett wore the same dark trousers he had used at the hotel and a clean blue shirt that Mrs. Alvarez had insisted on ironing. He checked the bus schedule twice, arrived twenty minutes early, and spent the extra time reading the building safety notices pinned beside the entrance. The foundation's offices were housed in a renovated brick building with simple furnishings and a welcoming area where families could sit without feeling as though they were trespassing.
The facilities supervisor, Daniel Mercer, greeted him with a firm handshake and the unhurried manner of someone who had spent years solving other people's practical emergencies. Daniel was in his fifties, with broad shoulders and a scar across one knuckle from an old workshop injury. Beside him sat a human-resources representative named Priya Shah, who explained the interview structure and took notes as Everett described his previous jobs. There was no mention of Serafina until Everett brought it up himself.
"I want to say at the beginning that I was referred after meeting Ms. Vale at the charity luncheon," he told them. "I don't want that to count as experience I haven't earned."
Daniel nodded. "It doesn't. What counts is whether you can keep buildings safe and work with the people living in them. That's why we're here."
The questions moved from electrical troubleshooting to appliance maintenance, preventive inspections, documentation, and communication with residents. Everett admitted where his training had gaps and described how he would identify problems requiring a licensed specialist rather than trying to handle work outside his qualifications. Daniel appeared more pleased by that honesty than he would have been by bravado. A technician who knew when to call for help, he said, was less likely to create danger while trying to look impressive.
In the practical portion, Everett was shown several pieces of equipment with simulated faults and asked to explain his approach. He checked the available information, described the steps he would take to isolate a problem safely, and identified the likely cause without pretending that every repair could be completed from a glance. At one station he noticed a worn component unrelated to the exercise and pointed it out. Daniel inspected it, made a note, and asked why Everett had mentioned something that was not part of the test.
"Because it might become somebody's problem next week," Everett replied. "I'd rather we know now."
Daniel said nothing for a moment, then smiled. "That's a useful habit."
After the technical assessment, Priya asked how Everett would handle a resident who was angry because a heating repair had been delayed. He described the temptation to answer defensively when a person raised their voice, especially after a long shift. But he said that people living in cold apartments were rarely concerned with whether the technician had worked hard; they wanted to know whether their children would be warm that night.
"I'd tell them what I know, what I don't know, and when I'll contact them again," he answered. "If the repair needs a specialist, I'd arrange that through the proper channel. I wouldn't promise an hour I couldn't deliver just because they're upset."