I think our family house in the Philippines is angry at me. Tiles break, pipes burst, roof leaks. I may have hurt its feelings years ago when I told my mother to sell it because I was not going to live in it, which made her cry. I was a carefree, single girl working in Singapore back then. I returned home two years ago from Dubai, after my mother died, pregnant with my son. This house, like my mother, provides us refuge. I’ll show my gratitude by making small repairs and, in so doing, strengthening the bond with my mom. — Charlet Quitoriano