"Mother, are you going to keep holding onto that?" Hana looked back worriedly at her mother in the back seat, who persistently hugged the box containing the blue urn against her chest.
"Yes," the retired guide answered without hesitation.
Ria and Sherri had been holding onto it throughout the journey, although the esper who came to pick them up had offered to secure the box to one of the seats with cords. But no; Ria knew she wouldn't be able to visit Lucia after this--at least not as often--so this journey felt like a farewell.
When Zein called them yesterday morning and asked them to bring Lucia's ash over, they had no hesitation in agreeing. The moment Zein found them, they knew the right over Lucia's remains belonged to Zein, and if the son wanted them to bring his mother's ash over, it was the least they could do.
