One Friday afternoon, Daniel stood to leave work at his usual time. Victoria appeared in his doorway holding a file she clearly did not intend to discuss.
"Leaving already?" she asked.
"Yes."
"There's a board meeting in twenty minutes."
"I know. Meera has the presentation, and Marcus has the updated performance notes."
"You're really going?"
"It's Lily's school art show. She made me promise I'd be there before they start taking the pictures down."
Victoria nodded, then looked at the coat in his hand. Daniel hesitated. He had been thinking about the invitation all day, trying to decide whether it was something Lily wanted or merely something he hoped she might welcome.
"You could come," he said. "If you'd like."
Victoria's expression softened. "Me?"
"Lily said she hoped you'd see what she made. Apparently it's the most important art show in the history of elementary education."
"Then I wouldn't want to miss it."
They walked out of the building together, leaving the boardroom prepared, the work delegated, and the company's ordinary problems in the hands of people who knew what to do. Daniel did not feel that he was neglecting an important job. He felt that he was remembering why the job was worth doing. The elementary-school gymnasium was already crowded when Daniel and Victoria arrived.
The air smelled of tempera paint, floor polish, and the sugar cookies a group of parents had arranged beside the entrance. Long tables held clay figures, paper constructions, and carefully labeled experiments disguised as art. Along the walls, children's drawings stood in bright rows beneath signs made from colored construction paper. A hand-lettered banner over the basketball hoop read: WHAT MAKES SOMEONE IMPORTANT?
Daniel stopped beneath it. "That explains Lily's mysterious questions about famous people," he said. Victoria looked at the banner. "What did she ask you?"
"Whether famous people have to do important things. Whether somebody can be important without being famous. Whether a bus driver is more important than the person who owns the bus company."
"What did you tell her?"
"I told her we'd have to talk about what important means." He paused. "Then she asked whether I was avoiding the question."
Victoria laughed. "She knows you well."
The art teacher, Ms. Alvarez, greeted them near the door. She knew Daniel from parent conferences and several volunteer afternoons when he had helped set up tables for school events. Victoria introduced herself simply by her first name.
The teacher indicated the section where Lily's class had displayed its work and thanked them for coming. Daniel noticed several parents still wearing hospital badges, construction boots, and supermarket uniforms. They looked tired and pleased to have arrived, as though leaving one responsibility to honor another was an achievement worth making room for.
Lily saw them before they found her display. She came rushing through the crowd with her ponytail bouncing and nearly collided with Daniel's legs. He caught her, laughing, and she hugged him with both arms before turning toward Victoria.
"You actually came!"