"Well, you're young. You'll grow out of that." And that's that; Jason sounds as if he'll bear no argument with her, having made his stance on universal happiness clear.

And so for a little bit they don't talk at all, and then Jason's phone rings, the plain ringtone of someone who never bothered to customize it. He lets the screen tell him who it is before getting up rather suddenly.

"Pardon me, Swann. I got to take this call." He leaves a half-finished glass of seltzer water there. "See you around. Don't miss me too much."