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A photograph filled the screen. Someone had posted an old family picture where half the people appeared to be squinting directly into the sun.

Patty: Why does Hudson always look like he’s ready to run into a burning building?

Byron: Bc he is.

Three laughing reactions appeared almost instantly.

I squinted, trying to make out the silhouette of the man referred to as Hudson. His hand was blocking the sun while also blocking his face.

A second photo followed.

The same man—presumably Hudson—was standing close to the camera with his back turned and facing a teenager holding what appeared to be an aggressively decorated birdhouse.

Trevor: U NEVER DISPLAYED MY ART

Hudson: It’s literally hanging in my kitchen.

Trevor: prove it

Thirty seconds later a picture of the birdhouse in the kitchen popped up.

Trevor: …

Trevor: acceptable

I actually laughed out loud. It surprised me enough that I looked around as though someone might have witnessed it.

I continued scrolling. The conversation jumped around without warning.

Recipes.

Road trips.

Someone named Karen criticizing someone’s parking.

Someone asking whether the full moon picnic had been moved because of rain.

Mason: WHY DID WE CHANGE APPS??

Byron: Grandma already explained this

Mason: I still don’t get it. The other chat worked fine.

Grandma Ruth: THE OLD CHAT HAD SECURITY LEAKS.

Patty: Like… a lot.

Grandma Ruth: THEY WERE GIVING INFORMATION TO LAW ENFORCEMENT WITHOUT WARRANTS.

Karen: Which I warned everyone about.

Three people reacted with eye-roll emojis.

Grandma Ruth: THE APP IS ENCRYPTED. PERFECT FOR SHIFTERS.

I frowned. Shifters?

My first thought was software developers. Or cybersecurity people. Maybe “shifters” was internet slang I hadn’t encountered yet. The tech world invented new vocabulary every six business days.