Hansen Ruiz greeted his mother and then walked past her toward the interior. As he passed by, his seemingly gentle eyes sharply and swiftly glanced at his mother's hands. Seeing them clean and without any sign of recent work, he felt even more certain of his guess.
Rachel Bailey came out of the kitchen, holding a steamed carp. Seeing Hansen Ruiz had returned, she gently placed the fish on the rectangular table covered with a white tablecloth. Then, wiping her hands on the apron tied around her chest, she walked out of the small dining room to meet Hansen Ruiz. Her face lifted into a gentle smile, like any wife at home cooking for her husband, as she said, "You're back."
When Hansen Ruiz reached her, she took the coat he had just removed. She noticed he still wore two layers of clothing underneath, one of which was a sweater she had knitted for him herself. Confident that the room temperature wouldn't make him cold, she said nothing more.
