Dearest Shuichi
4. A Place to Sleep in the Storm
Dearest Shuichi—
Since I've gotten better, I've given you more freedom. Partly because I know you did a brilliant job on your own when I was away, partly because you're getting older, and partly because I get the feeling that you'll disobey me if I don't. I'm not afraid of you, son—I don't believe you'd ever willingly hurt me—but I do know you, and if you truly need to go somewhere for a few days or take care of some business, you'll do it whether I give you permission for not. And I also know that you'll feel bad about it later (that seems like a more intrinsic quality than the previous one for you) and I'd rather spare us both that discomfort. So I'll draw the line somewhere, but not yet. For now I like being around you. I don't like it when you're gone; you could be getting into something dangerous, and I won't know until the day you don't come home. But until that day, I want more than anything to give you a warm place to sleep in the storm. I feel there are many of them coming.
Signed,
Your mother.