the woman they knew. "I know. That's why I'm saying it while I still
have the chance."
The sentence hung in the air for a heartbeat longer than it should have.
Aunt Lan seemed to notice it too, because she immediately changed the
subject and asked whether Lili was still with them. Mother Yan told her
that the child was safe, that she was learning to help around the
apartment, and that she had started treating Bai as the person
responsible for every repair in the world. Aunt Lan made a quiet,
affectionate remark about how children always knew who would take them
seriously.
Bai found herself smiling at the floor. The call belonged to Mother Yan
and Aunt Lan, and she did not want to intrude on it. Yet she could hear
the affection between them, the way Aunt Lan softened whenever Mother
Yan mentioned a small detail, and the way Mother Yan's voice became
warmer whenever she remembered an old joke. It was not merely the
