The time will pass before you know it. [ kaveh says, and then considers tsuruno, ] Well, Alhaitham's exaggerating. I'd only bar people because of the safety hazard, and it's not terribly nice to look at. But if you still wanted to drop by, Tsurunoo, I can make it work. Most of the apartment is habitable anyway, and having you around means I can finally make dishes that take more than two people to eat.

[ kaveh sets the juicer. there's something warm, he thinks, about the portmanteau behind him. tsuruno and alhaitham at the table, kaveh about to join them. the scent of homecooked food. he used to do this too, kaveh thinks, wait for his father and mother to join the table before they ate together.

he's smiling as he brings over three cups of pomegranate juice. three ice-cubes float in bright, cherry liquid strained to startling clarity. he slips a cup in front of tsuruno, and clicks his tongue. ] It's a bit sharp, and it won't be as sweet as the fruit juices they have in the stores. They put far too much sugar in those things.