New York City, April 2, 2017

★★★★ The boys kept their coats on inside the church, but right afterward the sun outside was fully warm. The video ads on the bus shelters were faded like forgotten out-of-date posters. Cars and taxis were mostly too unwashed to be blinding. Adults imparted lessons to children about exponents or Starbucks as they strolled. Little white shreds and puffs of cloud floated over the afternoon. Walking down the long slope toward the river, the five-year-old in his track pants and athletic hoodie tried to claim it was as hot as summer. That was absurd, but the walk back uphill in the sun was more than a grownup’s light sweater and light jacket were really suited for. The tiny clouds below the wash of sunset were neatly half purple and half pink.