The grandma's lunch was as warm as the grandma. It had the familiar feeling of a food made with the person who ate it in mind, just like Ayya's cooking, or Bassena's. Zein had calmed down a bit thanks to the esper, but eating warm food prepared with care further soothed his heart.
Perhaps that was why he could partake in the lighthearted conversation around the table, although it was mostly the grandma and Bassena doing the talking. But it was peaceful; a much-needed peace before he met his mother.
"You're going to see your mother, boy?" the grandma asked after they were done with the scrumptious lunch and Bassena had received the recipes.
Zein liked it that the grandma said it as if Lucia was still alive, and just waiting for Zein somewhere in town. Made it feel less bleak. It felt like the time he visited Bassena's mother. Despite the sadness that the esper displayed the night before, they visited Svadiva's grave as if they were just going to her vacation home.
