pat

At night she retires to a downstairs guestroom, because if they share a bed Marc will pat her constantly throughout the night to make sure she’s still there.

Bovino patted the agent on the back and said, “Well done.”

And maybe pat yourself on the back, quietly, for spotting it first.

Sure, it was a bit pat, with everyone’s story neatly boxed up like a Thanksgiving pie.

On climate change, California deserves a big pat on the back for at least acknowledging the crisis and responding with big ideas.