Twenty-six years ago:
Driving along Highway 101 in Oregon
The morning rain cleared as his grandfather drove over the Oregon state line into Northern California. Asahi looked up at the sky, squinting when the clouds parted, and the sun temporarily blinded him. He grabbed a pair of sunglasses that had belonged to his dad. As he slipped them on, Asahi had an idle thought that it was as if Baba’s tears couldn’t follow them into their new life. Even the sky proclaimed that it would be different now. He didn’t believe it though. His mind and heart were still aching from the loss of his beloved grandmother and his father. Aiko’s decision to leave everything behind as if it never existed made the pain worse for Asahi.
His grandfather had been silent throughout the morning drive, so it was a sur
