when i was in tokyo, my sister-in-law riko-san took me out to dinner the day after my birthday. it was one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me. i wrote about that night. we sometimes had to use translation apps to communicate. at one point i told her something was really bothering me. i felt a sadness. she patiently listened to my story. and when i had finished, she spoke into her phone and held it up to me so i could understand her

she’d said this in japanese:

彼女は寂しい。
あなたのことが恋しい。

i nearly cried when i read the english translation beneath it