Tom remembered finding his mother in the kitchen with two other women from the street, all three slumped on hard-back chairs in tight-lipped silence when he entered the room.

Allam was listening closely. “You have told this story to others?”

“Only Ida, my late wife. There wasn’t much to say. The memory was painful. Is painful.”

“Yes. There would be pain. Our fathers are important.”

“I knew, if we ever had a son, I would be present in his life.”

“You have a son?”

“Yes, in Edmonton. He was here a few weeks ago. Ida and I named him Will, after my mother’s father. My grandfather, William Murray, was an honourable man. He was strong, and he was protective of my mother and me. Every summer, we spent time with him and my grandmother in Nova Scotia. He set an example as a father figure. I was determined that I would do the same when the time came. I knew this from childhood; that’s when I made up my mind. At seven years old, I decided that not only would I find myself a wife when the time came, but I would have a family and be a father. I intended to be a good one. I thought about this for a long time when I was a small child. Even at seven, I was considering how I might find a wife.”

Both men smiled at this.

“You were learning to measure your decisions, Toe-mas. A good sign.”

Allam got up from his chair and wandered about the shop for several minutes. He returned and placed both hands on the desk.

“I have been thinking about an idea. A question I would like to ask.”

“Fire away.”

“What do you do with ordinary items that people use every day? Items that have little value in an antique store such as this.”

“In the shed around back. At the moment, it’s more than half full. Sometimes I’m forced to purchase an entire lot when I’m at an estate sale. A lot of the items are just memorabilia, not antiques. Do you have something in mind?”

“There are newcomers to this city who have not many belongings. Have you thought of donation?”

“I’ve donated in the past. Actually, I’m no longer buying or accepting large furniture because I have only my Jeep, out front. It holds more than you’d think, but not really large items. I used to own a small truck, and that was pretty useful. After I reduced the size of the shop, I had no further need. The Jeep transports pretty much everything.”

“I could tell you of a place where there is a need for ordinary items—what you call memorabilia.”

“If you bring in finds like the old chair over there”—Tom gestured—“I’ll be happy to join you in emptying the shed from time to time. As well as paying a commission when you find such beautiful pieces—if I can sell them. Or if you bring in a buyer. That, too, might happen.”