It had been the most auspicious day of his life. Koji was supposed to meet Franklin at Mariko’s house, and he arrived to find her picking mangoes off the lower branches of the tree, which stood more than fifteen feet tall. His throat tightened at the sight of her. She had already filled a basket full of mangoes and was looking hot and sweaty on that muggy day in late July when he walked up the driveway. At the time, Mariko and Franklin had been going steady for almost a year, so she must have known that Franklin was late to everything, stopping to talk to friends or getting pulled into card games or dice games, and later making it up to her with his sweet talk and flowers that he’d most likely picked from someone’s yard. Koji had lost count of all the times Franklin had shown up late, or not at all, while he and Razor waited for him at the train station. He could see it plain as day. Why couldn’t she?

“You’re late again!” Mariko yelled, standing up and turning around only to see that it wasn’t Franklin walking up the drive, but him. Koji was wearing pants cut off below the knees and carried a bat and glove. He saw the glint of disappointment in her eyes, which quickly turned to recognition and a smile.

“I’m supposed to meet Franklin here for a game,” Koji said, looking down at the stack of baskets next to her.

“Franklin said he’d help me pick mangoes this morning, so where is he?” Mariko asked, an edge of anger pushing through.

Koji was startled for a moment but then caught himself. She wasn’t mad at him. “He sent me instead,” he teased. He didn’t quite know where the words had come from, but she simply shook her head.

“You’ll do,” she finally said with a smile. Mariko pointed to a wood ladder lying on the ground. “Can you pick the mangoes that are higher up?”

“I can manage, yeah,” he said.

Koji raised the ladder and propped it against the tree. He quickly climbed up and began picking the mangoes, placing them gently into a waiting basket. He reached to the left and felt her gazing up at him.

“When did you see Franklin?” she asked.

“Last weekend,” Koji answered. “He told me to meet him here.”

Mariko paused. “I guess I’m lucky, eh, the mangoes will be picked after all,” she said.

“You are lucky,” Koji said, smiling down at her. “Don’t worry,” he added. “Franklin will show up soon.”