Three days before I departed, January came over. We had a little going away party, except it was just the two of us. We ate ginger cookies in the dining room together. As she sipped her rice milk, I was in deep thought. “I’ve never been so far away from home before,” I said, in a trance like state. “I felt the same way when I went to music camp last summer. I missed my mom and dad, and my siblings. But still talked to them almost every night. I know your father loves you very much. He’d never let you be so far away from him without checking in on you. He’ll call or write to you. Chances are, your dad will be missing you more than you’ll be missing him. Parents are like that, thankfully,” she murmured softy. I hoped out of all the times when January was right, which was almost always, that this time would be no different. For now I needed her words to be true more than ever.