She nodded. “Everything’s fine, yeah. I just wanted to see how you were doing. Haven’t had a chance to talk since you returned,” she said, and smiled.

“Come in.”

Daniel led her toward the kitchen.

As they walked through the living room, Nori realized that Daniel had rearranged some of the furniture, a table moved to a corner, a chair across the room. She had no business being upset by it, but it was a sharp reminder that it wasn’t Mariko’s house anymore. Thankfully, the kitchen was still hers, except for the train set that covered the Formica table. Where does he eat? Nori thought.

“Sorry for the clutter,” he said, following her gaze. “I was trying out the new railcar Uncle Koji gave me.”

His face was that of a young Daniel again, shy and flushed with embarrassment, so different from her boys who had lumbered into and out of rooms, leaving a mess in their wake without so much as a thought.

Nori smiled. “Nonsense. A house should be lived in, yeah? It’s been quiet in here for much too long.”

“Thank you for taking such good care of the house . . . of everything,” he said, and his voice caught.

And there was Mariko in the room with them again.

Nori placed the basket on the counter while he poured her a cup of coffee. “I was happy to come around and check on things, yeah. Made me feel like I was still visiting your mother,” she said.

Daniel smiled. “Shall we sit in the living room?” he asked.

“Can we stay in here?” Nori always wanted to stay where she felt Mariko’s presence strongest.

Daniel nodded. “Of course,” he said.

He placed the plate of coconut tarts in the middle of the Formica table, surrounded by his train set, then pulled out two chairs from the table for them to sit.

“How are you?” she asked. “I’m sorry we haven’t had the chance to really talk. Since the eruption and all . . .”

“I’m fine,” he said, then added, “It’s good to be home.”

“Your mom would be so proud, yeah.”

Daniel looked away from her and simply nodded.

Nori saw a nerve twitch under his left eye, a storm lingering just underneath.

“There wasn’t a single day your mother wasn’t proud of you, and rightly so, yeah. We’re all proud of you—not every day a local boy returns a doctor. Big deal, eh.” Nori finished what she started to say. She hoped he would tell her if something was bothering him. “Everything all right?” she asked.

“Just trying to figure out what to do next,” he finally said.

She watched him for a moment. “You were always the most complicated of the three boys.”

“Is that bad?” Daniel asked.