Astrid rushed in. “Is everything all right?”

Shizuka nodded.

“It’s okay. No harm done,” said Shizuka.

“Good. Then I’ll bring out breakfast.”

Today’s breakfast was seaweed soup, rice, some grilled fish, and picked vegetables.

“Why do you always sit way on the corner like that?” Shizuka asked.

“It’s where I can get the best Wi-Fi signal.”

“Wi-Fi?”

Katrina lowered her head. “It’s fine.”

The seaweed soup and fish were delicious, but for once Katrina barely seemed to notice. Shizuka remembered that Kiana would pout this way when she had her heart set on something but did not know how to ask.

“If you need a Wi-Fi, we can get a Wi-Fi. Right, Astrid?”

“Of course, Miss Satomi.”

“Really? We could get Wi-Fi?” Katrina’s face was a mix of gratitude and disbelief.

Her expression reminded Shizuka of what Tremon had said. She felt slightly nauseated with herself.

“I can look up some data plans and providers around here, if you like.” Katrina continued excitedly. “And once I get online, I can post videos, so I can pay for the connection.”

“Oh? Those must be wonderful videos,” Astrid said.

Katrina made a peculiar face, but before Shizuka could probe further, her phone rang.

“Hello? Lan?”

Legacy.

Lucy Matía’s grandfather had located here in El Monte right after the war. Here was a place close enough for his clients, yet far enough that he could, as he said, hear the instruments breathe.

Here just a few miles southeast of downtown, was a place where no one really cared about the film you were in or the screenplay you had optioned. Many people here wouldn’t be able to read it anyway, unless it was in Spanish or Vietnamese, or some Chinese dialect or another.

Here were families with grandparents and young children. Senior classes were being held yet again at the aquatic center. Next summer as usual, kids would line up for another turn in the batting cage.

And, of course, here was the Big Donut.

The new owners had fit in perfectly. The family was friendly; the kids were cute. The new owner didn’t look worried or grab her cell phone when she saw a family of Mexicans walk in the door. And sometimes customers would notice they’d been given an extra old-fashioned or bear claw for free.

But it was more than their attitude. Lucy remembered a discussion she had shared with Mrs. Thamavuong. She had been ecstatic about the new owners, not only because they were going to keep Starrgate a donut shop, but because they wanted to preserve its legacy, as well.

She had told Lucy that she and her husband were eager to meet the family and spend time to train them. They wanted the new family to have not only their recipes, but also their exact ingredients, equipment settings, and secret cooking techniques.