PART 19: He asked questions that were genuine rather than conversational. He actually wanted to know what she thought. And she told him in the detailed, enthusiastic…

PART 18: It was the question of a professional who was taking stock. Ethan gave it the honest answer. “Probably,” he said. “If you’d been in a…

PART 17: She sat behind her desk this time, more formal, more managerial. The chair of a person who was now engaging with a personnel matter rather…

PART 16: Sophia answered nine of them directly. The other two she flagged for an in-person conversation, which told him something about how she thought. She knew…

PART 15: People who had gone on to their lives without knowing specifically what had or hadn’t been prevented on their behalf, which was, in the professional…

PART 14: The part that wasn’t analysis was harder to name. He got off two stops early and walked the last stretch home through a neighborhood that…

PART 13: What are the other reasons? He asked. She uncrossed her leg and leaned forward slightly. Elbows on her knees, changed the quality of the conversation…

PART 12: And they’d eaten cereal for dinner because he hadn’t managed to cook anything, and she’d declared cereal a completely acceptable dinner choice. A position he’d…

PART 11: Ms. Reyes, this is Ethan Cross. Tell Ms. Blackwell Thursday works if that’s convenient for her. A brief pause. I’ll confirm and send you the…