Just as she was about to put on her coat, the program manager arrived and came forward to greet his newest volunteer. They recognized each other instantly. Luther was no other than Hopps, the man who’d hired Chiyo as his personal trainer years ago. They shook hands, and Chiyo was welcomed to his territory. Hopps was in his forties now, a bit heavier, maybe. Same ruddy cheeks, same orange hair. He was no longer addressed as either Eldon or Hopps, he explained. He’d recently decided that he wanted to be known by his middle name—Luther.

He was laughing. “I figured I was due an identity change. What about you?”

“I guess we’re all capable of change,” she said. She did not add, “And I’m in the middle of the slow process of removing a mother’s influence from a daughter’s mind.”

Luther was one of two paid members on staff, he told her; the cook was the other. On the occasions when Dottie took over managerial duties, she, too, was paid. He ran a tight ship, he added. Had to. If the program was to work, a good deal of coordination was required: food procurement and health standards, garbage disposal, finding and keeping volunteers, staff management, handling issues that might arise among the diners, making referrals, coordinating social services with other agencies. He was truly grateful that she’d come on board, he said. And wouldn’t he be seeing her this evening, too? Weren’t tai chi classes about to begin? Wasn’t she teaching again?

They were. She was.

The entire time they were talking, Luther had been rocking back and forth on his toes, hands moving at his sides. His normal state.

She went on to Marvin’s, still thinking about Hopps/Luther. Would he be able to adjust to the slow pace of tai chi? She would see. Box tiger’s ears with fists, she said to herself, and grinned. But no, that wouldn’t be necessary. Maybe, without music, without Miley, without beat, he would respond to stillness. Maybe he would be able to stretch his limbs gently while imitating the moves.

We’ll find a way, she told herself. He needs an activity he’ll perceive as being less frantic than his workplace. I will present him with the expectation of stillness, of maintaining balance. Equal and opposite forces. Steady stance. Solid footing. At the same time, I’ll be working on my own version of balance.

She remembered to turn on her phone and saw that she had a message. She returned Hazzley’s call right away.

“I’m on my way,” she said. “I’ll head right over from Marvin’s. Yes, I know the street. I’m free now until my evening class.”

The Company

The company, with the exception of Addie, was seated around the table in Hazzley’s kitchen. If anyone had noticed the empty rooms as they walked through to the back of the house, no one ventured to make a remark.

Allam had been at Gwen’s home when the call came from Tom. He’d been helping to string up some outdoor lights around the windows at the front of the house. Gwen had dug them out of the basement and decided to cheer up the place for winter. Allam didn’t have to work at the community centre in the afternoon and had planned to accompany Gwen to visit Rico again. They decided to do the parrot duties an hour early so they could be at Hazzley’s by three. The Grands would be coming home soon, and while Gwen would be glad to have her days back to herself, she was going to miss Rico.