It had returned in visits that followed the arrangements, in questions answered plainly, in help that could tolerate a no.

There were subjects Karen and I still approached carefully.

We could also laugh about a sock without making that laughter an acquittal of everything before it.

Luna’s gift was a toy teapot with chunky cups.

She tried to push a cup through the spout, frowned, and turned the whole thing upside down.

“That is one method,” Karen said.

Luna appeared satisfied.

She offered the cup to Daniel, took it back, and began serving an imaginary drink to the empty chair beside him.