Page 58 of A Serving of Hope

“I’m…lost for words. You know, I was planning on asking if I could at least take this dish home with me. But before I knew it I’d finished the whole thing.”

“That’s what we like to hear. Now, when you’ve had a moment to digest, I’ll show you through to the office.”

When Yuiko had finished her tea, she followed him down the hallway that led to the back of the building, pausing occasionally to gaze admiringly at the photos on the walls. Most of them were of food, but some appeared to capture moments Nagare had shared with his family. Mountains, amusement parks, the seaside…it dawned on Yuiko, with a strange satisfaction, that families everywhere always took the same sorts of photos.

Of course, her own photos were different. They stopped when her son reached a certain age. Her heart beat faster at the thought of an impossible photo—one that showed her with him as a young man.

“Koishi will see you now,” said Nagare, opening the door at the end of the hallway.

—

“Come in!” called Koishi cheerfully. Yuiko bowed to Nagare, then stepped inside.

She sat down, and Koishi slid a form across the low table. Yuiko grinned.

“Something funny?” asked Koishi, frowning slightly.

“Sorry,” said Yuiko, still smiling. “I spend half my life handing forms out. Feels odd being on the receiving end.”

“Let me guess,” said Koishi, setting a glass of water in front of her. “Municipal administration?”

“I’m a nurse. We have to give every patient an intake form where they write down what’s been bothering them or why they’ve come.”

“Wow, I’d never have guessed you were a nurse. You look more like one of those glamorous Ginza ladies. Or a model.”

Yuiko flinched slightly at the mention of Ginza, but Koishi didn’t seem to notice. “If you’d seen me twenty-five years ago,” she replied, her lips curling into a faint smile, “you probably wouldn’t be saying that.”

Koishi gazed at her for a moment, then said, “Well, let’s get to it. What dish would you like us to find?”

“Macaroni gratin.”

“From a particular restaurant?”

“Yes. A place in Shizuoka called Tapestry.”

“I’m guessing it’s not there anymore.”

“Actually, as far as I know, it is.”

“Then why don’t you just…” Noticing Yuiko’s stiff expression, Koishi changed tack. “Right, there must be a reason why you can’t go back there. Which is why you’ve come to us.”

Yuiko uncrossed her legs. “I suppose I should tell you the whole story.”

“Whatever you’re comfortable sharing,” said Koishi, pen in hand.

“Twenty-five years ago, I got divorced, and my ex-husband got custody of my son, Masaya. He was only five at the time. And then—”

“Hang on. Twenty-five years ago would make you what, thirty-two? And you’ve lived alone since then?”

“Yes. I’ve been on my own all this time.”

“Right. Sorry for interrupting. What were you saying about your son?”

“As part of the divorce I agreed never to see Masaya again. In fact, I wasn’t in contact with my ex-husband, so I wouldn’t have been able to find him even if I’d tried. For all I knew, they could have been dead.”

“Sorry to cut in again, but can I ask a delicate question?”

Yuiko lifted her gaze from the table. “What is it?”