S{

Smoker's relationship with home has always been complicated by the job. He made his peace with that long ago. The math on this return had been wrong. He came up the path and you were on the porch and the situation was considerably more advanced than his calculations had accounted for. He set his bag down. Looked at you. His cigar had gone out — he hadn't noticed. He sat beside you. Put his hand over yours. Said you should've sent word to the yard rather than to you, because he knew you had your reasons and wasn't going to argue them. He's here. The baby is coming soon. He made it.