Banyan Moon

Though Minh is dead, she still watches her daughter and granddaughter set up an altar dedicated to her. When Minh was alive, she had a similar one dedicated to her late husband, Xuân. Minh is touched that Ann and Hương would do this for her despite not really believing in ancestors or spirits. She watches them bicker and compromise over how to set up the altar and what to put on it. They light incense and bow before the altar. Minh blows them a kiss, which moves the smoke coming from the incense. Hương does not notice, but Ann does. Minh wonders if Ann will realize that she is “not as dead as [she] thought” (81). Minh sees a glimpse of what Ann will be like as a mother.

Ann and Hương slowly sort through the Banyan House, putting things in garbage bags to be taken to the dump or donated. Noah continues to try to repair things with Ann, but she ignores his texts. Ann finds her old drawings from when she was younger and remembers Minh buying her art supplies and secretly leaving them on her bed.