Four days have passed and much has happened since the night of the assassins' attacks. Machiko's mother made contact via commlink to ask her to lunch. Machiko could not find any reasonable justification for refusing. One hour lost, just now, would make little difference to Nagato Combine, and it is her duty as both a warrior and a daughter to honor these her parents, a duty no less important than any other. That her parents' delight brings her an intimate warmth is merely a pleasant effect of circumstance. She would honor these two regardless of her own personal emotional responses, for they are the only parents she has ever known. They risked much in accepting her for a child. They have devoted many years and much effort to her upbringing. They have shown her much love and care.