As he neared the house, he found himself slowing down as he always did, remembering the times he’d pushed Prem’s bicycle down this open street, noticing the big oak tree in Mrs. Gustafson’s corner yard that Karina used to climb. Jaya casually talked about selling the house after Karina left for college, but Keith had insisted she keep it. It was the one thing connecting them all to the life they’d once had.

* * *

From her bedroom, Karina heard the low growl of Dad’s car pulling into the driveway and called out to her mother as she ran down the stairs to meet him. She was determined to make this a good day, the first full day the three of them had spent together in years—probably the last full day they’d have together for who knew how long. The thought launched shivers of excitement and fear down her arms.

When Dad leaned down to embrace her, Karina lingered in his strong arms for a moment. He kissed her on the forehead and stepped back. “Hi, darling. Ready?”

“Yup! It was quite a puzzle getting everything to fit in the car.” She gestured across the driveway to the new VW Jetta he’d bought for her, its rear seat filled to the roof. “Can’t open the trunk till we get there, because it might all come bursting out.”

“Oh, I could have helped you with that. Why didn’t you tell me?” Dad removed his sunglasses and perched them on his head. “I can put some stuff in my car.”

Karina detected the familiar note of regret in his voice. He always wanted to be told when he was needed, not understanding that it didn’t work that way. To assuage him, she cocked her head and laughed. “Dad. Really? In that thing?” She looked pointedly at his two-seater Porsche 911, which housed its engine in the rear and had a small storage compartment under the front hood.

“What? You know, it can fit six—”

“Yes, six bushels of apples in the front compartment. You’ve told me.” She laughed again. “I’d like to know how many Porsche drivers have apple farms. Actually, you can take all the food Mom’s packing for me. I told her not to bother, but she’s afraid I’ll never eat again.”

“Well, she worries about you.” Dad tousled her hair and pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her one more time. “Come on, let’s go see what your mother’s cooked up for you.”

* * *

Jaya looked in the mandir room and saw that the diya flame and incense were still alight. She couldn’t leave the house until they were finished, and she wouldn’t risk the bad luck of extinguishing them early, not today. This morning, she had woken before dawn to begin her prayers for the momentous occasion. She prayed to Saraswati, the goddess of learning, to guide her daughter’s education, and Durga, the mother goddess, to watch over her child. But Jaya found that her mind and her prayers this morning were repeatedly drawn back to Prem. The prospect of letting her firstborn go into the world reminded her inescapably of the child who had left her unnaturally four years ago.