[ That actually gets her to smile. ] We each have our own ways of getting our jobs done. Hiding my emotions tends to make my charges suspicious of me. Can't have that, especially when so often, they happen to be parents with children or the occasional recalcitrant teenager.

[ She takes a sip, sets the spoon down.

She might never get another opportunity to do this. ]

Fukuzawa-san, [ a pause, ] thank you. For letting my son drive Hikaru home. [ Looking at him now, earnest. It's about seven years too late a thing to say, but she's a seventy-three year old Reynardi who's made it a point never to forget. ]