“He’s leaving it to me, largely because he knows that I landed these clients and they’re mostly interested in my ideas. Well, that doesn’t have to be true.” Amelia wasn’t winded in the slightest. If I were just listening to her voice and didn’t see her, I wouldn’t have known she was running. “Fritz is devoting more and more of his time to pro bono jobs. A library for an underserved neighborhood. Fine. A homeless shelter. Fine. And he says he finds that more rewarding. But we have a hell of a lot of overhead. Fritz throws up his hands and he says it’s time to downsize. Downsize, my ass. Twenty years ago he was driven. But he’s lost his competitive edge.” Amelia finished the speech and exhaled like it had taken a lot out of her. She sounded defensive and probably felt guilty about her criticism of Fritz. Even so, she really owned her story, perhaps more than anyone I’d ever met. It was intoxicating.

Once we approached the bridge, I looked below and could see the lights on Jane’s Carousel, the century-old merry-go-round, sparkling inside a glass box, and could make out the carved wooden horses, no two exactly alike, and the chariots.

I’d photographed two birthday parties there. It was the most beautiful merry-go-round I’d ever seen. Up close, each horse has a distinct personality and decorative style. The older children prefer the “jumpers” and the littlest children like the “standers.” The babies ride in the chariots.

I recognized this carousel as an original work of art. It differed from Cinderella’s Golden Carousel and everything at Disney, all of which had an eye toward sales in its DNA.

So much talent and skill had gone into the restoration of Jane’s Carousel and the design of the glass pavilion, situated on the East River between the two bridges. It was divine in its concept and execution. And how ironic that the children, the primary consumers, would never fully appreciate it. And neither would the adults. They would trivialize it as an amusement ride.

Amelia must have seen me looking in that direction. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” She paused. “Do you ever take Jasper to the carousel when he’s in town?”

My throat tightened. “Yes, he loves it.”

“Same with Natalie. I used to take her there.”

“How is Natalie?” I hadn’t seen her for a week. She had gone to a friend’s house Friday night, so Amelia hadn’t needed me to babysit.

She paused. “Well … a couple of days ago, she heard us talking about having a baby. You know, I’m very open. I don’t believe in hiding anything.”

“Right.”

“I worry about her. She’s not tough. She doesn’t have grit.”

I thought it possible that Natalie was tougher than Amelia knew, but I didn’t choose to share my opinion.