"Laura, you're our guest-" A friend of Diego's, more than welcome in their home- but a good hostess doesn't make her guests work while they're visiting. A proper hostess takes care of them like they're family. And yet Lara is as comfortable in the house as anyone that lives here, and offers so kindly. consistently. It's become easy to allow little moments of assistance.

The kids, after all, set the table on occasion. When they were older. When structure could be flexible.

"But if you insist." And she does. Grace beams as she hands off a bowl of fruit yet to be sliced. "Hull the strawberries for me?"