“No, you know what? Go ahead.” He found a box containing all the pieces for a post office. “Do this one. It just snaps together, I think. Doesn’t need any glue or paint.”

She had it built in twenty minutes. “Do you have any more?”

The third night, Wendell snuck down to the basement before dinner, making some last-minute preparations. Made sure all the electrical connections were good, the engine and cars sitting properly on the track, the throttle plugged in and ready to go. He went to the base of the stairs and called up: “All aboard!”

Nadine appeared at the top of the stairs. “It’s ready?”

“We are good to go.”

He gave her a thumbs-up and she came down the stairs at a gallop. In her enthusiasm, one foot got caught on the other and she tripped.

She let out a scream as she embarked on a headlong plunge down the stairs.

But Wendell was there, and he bolted up the first two steps, held out his arms, and caught her. She flung her arms around his neck.

“Oh my God,” she said, panting. “I could have broken my neck.”

Wendell’s heart was beating as furiously as hers. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. That was close.” And before she unwrapped her arms from around him, she looked into his eyes, put her lips to his, and kissed him. Their stairway embrace lasted for several seconds until Nadine finally loosened her hold on him and said, “Show me your engine, big boy.”

“Which one?” he replied.

They shared a giggle, then he took her hand and led her the rest of the way down the steps. She took a seat while he went to the transformer and eased the throttle ahead.

The locomotive slowly began to move.

Chuff . . . chuff . . . chuff . . . chuff . . .

“I love the sound,” Nadine said.

As Wendell gave the engine more power, its huffing and puffing grew more hurried.

Chuffchuffchuffchuffchuff

Wendell pressed a red button on the transformer.

Woowoo!

“A whistle!” Nadine said. “Does it make any other noises?”

Wendell smiled, pressed another button.

Dingdingding!

Nadine grinned. “I love the engine sound the most. That chuffchuffchuff. There’s something about it. It’s almost . . . soothing, you know?”

“I do,” he said as the train went around and around and around. He put his hand on the throttle and started to slow the train down.

“No,” Nadine said, eyes locked on the train as it made its repetitive journey. “Make it go. Don’t let it stop.”

Wendell powered the train back to its original speed and looked with no small amount of wonder at how transfixed Nadine was.

They’d found something in common, something that brought them together. Something kind of silly, Wendell conceded to himself. Even he was willing to admit toy trains were an odd thing for them to bond over after all these years, but what the hell. For the first time in years, he felt something unfamiliar.