Can a quiet table help people talk? At phone-free events, people put their phones away. They sit with strangers, people they do not know. Then they make a puzzle together.
One evening, Mei sits beside a stranger. At first, they say little. Then Mei finds a blue piece. “Is this part of the sky?” she asks. The stranger smiles and helps.
Soon, the picture grows. Their talk grows, too. The phone stays away. The puzzle gives their hands a job. It also helps their words start.
Sometimes, one small piece brings people together.
