Summary:

“So,” Ilya cleared his throat, the word sounding too loud in the stillness. “Shane tells me you like New Yorker.” Shane’s dad looked at him from where he was rinsing out a glass in the sink, visibly surprised that Ilya had spoken first. “Oh. Yes,” he said after a beat. “I like to read in the mornings. I love the crossword. Do you read The New Yorker too?” “No.” “Oh.” or While Shane is outside with his mother, Ilya finds unexpected understanding and warmth in a quiet kitchen conversation with the man who helped raised the boy he loves.