“Finished enough to hang in the square this afternoon,” Chef Crumbs says. Through the window, the bulletin board waits in a patch of warm light. “We’re welcoming visitors at three. The sign needs to welcome them before they leave.”

“Right. Absolutely.” Glitch raises the pencil toward the sign, then stops. “I should attach the frame first. Unless the frame should match the cart labels, because consistency builds trust. But the labels need their color key, and the key belongs on the board—”

Glitch turns toward the rolling board, notices the portable stand, and changes direction again.

“Although if the stand is nearly done, finishing it would free the frame. Unless I improve the wheel locks while everything is accessible.”

Socks opens his mouth, recognizes the familiar terrain, and closes it again.

Glitch looks across the studio. Every project is clever. Every project is useful. Every project appears one satisfying hour from completion.

“I know what all of these need,” Glitch says more quietly. “I just can’t tell which need gets to be first.”

Mo sets his mug down on the worktable.

“Then we don’t need another idea,” he says. “We need an order.”