The kitchen smelled delicious. The oven signalled that he was hot enough for the food to put in. I opened the door to be welcomed by a hot breeze. I shove the fish filet marinated in lemon and several of their favourite vegetables and closed the door with my hip.
Getting ready for desert I put everything I needed on the kitchen table and hummed along with the song on the radio. While the dough was getting mixed I decorated the table with our finest cloth and plates. Today was a special day and I sneaked out a little early from school, read half a day, to get ready for it.
I checked the soup that was simmering nicely. I watched the clock seeing that I had a least an hour left to make the desert and untied my apron and hung it back on its hook by the kitchen door. Blow a kiss, fire a gun all we need is somebody to lean on I hummed as the song had ended and switched to a new one. I took out the dough and gave it one last good treatment with the hand and added some lemon peel before I filled the cake pan and put it in the fridge. I chopped the blackberries en blueberries into pieces and blended it together with some sugar and some eggs for the filling. Last step was mixing this with some cottage cheese. As I was doing this the phone rang I rushed to the living room to pick it up.
"Asuna speaking"... "Oh hello, how are you doing...?" "Uhu yes I was just..." "Yes, no class was cancelled" I chuckled to the panicking response "No Uncle Yuuichi I won't sneak out again... Yes, I promise." ..."Yes 8 o'clock is fine, see you then. Bye-bye " I hung up and return to the kitchen to see someone taste testing the soup. With the back in my direction I jumped on the back yelling "DO NOT TOUCH THE FOOD!" I felt 2 arms wrapping around my legs that swung me around one time before putting me back on the ground.
"Why aren't you still in school" I pouted a little. "Well if you hadn't come home this early you wouldn't have known but ...Welcome home" I gave a kiss on my mom's cheek before returning back to my pie filling. Mom stood across of me at the other side of the table looking at how I was filling the cake pan and smooth out the navy blue paste evenly. Leaning on the table and smiling as I was doing what I liked he looked proud but more clearly... hungry. "You have to wait for dad to come home you know, before you dig in." As I looked up I see sparkling blue eyes and wavy brown hair shaped like a wings on the sides of his hair. He chuckled "We are so lucky to get such a great meal on our anniversary." "Oh shut up" I said rolling my eyes. "You know I love to do it and also do it out love for you two." Mom hugged me from across the table which made it a little uncomfortable. "Our little girl is getting so big already."
"Hai Hai, I get it I get it." I heard a door opening which signals that the last person missing in this family has arrived home. Mom sprinted to the hallway and as I hear several things crack and stumble I guess Dad has been held in headlock. I take two bowls and fill them with soup and put them on the table. I relight some of the candles that have been blown out by moms hurry to get past the dinner table. It is then that they come in walking hand in hand laughing happily. Dad let go of moms hand en pulled me close and gave me a kiss on the forehead. "I'm home. It smells here delicious what did you make this time darling?" My face began to beam. I have been so lucky to be adopted by these two men. "Your all time favourite. Dig in since mom is already dying to eat. "
I left them alone to eat since it is today 10 years ago that they got married. Long before I came into their lives. I walked into my room and put some stuff in my duffel bag, since I would be babysitting Kenchi and Yoshiro whom are Uncle Yuuichi's 6 and 3 year old sons, and lay down on my bed. Every time I close my eyes I remember the first time I got to meet my parents. Matsukaze Tenma en Tsurugi Kyousuke, two soccer friends who fell in love and got their happy family ending. Life couldn't be better for us.
Except for the fact that...
"Asuna?" I snapped back to reality when Dad called my name. "Y-yes dad?" I asked. Since the light in the hallway burnt and my room was dark it was hard to see his face. "Do you have a minute" "of course" I sat at the head end and dad turned on the light and sat next to me lazily lay his feet on the bed and resting on his right elbow. "Is something wrong?" I ask carefully. "Did you skip class again this year?" He looked sharply at me but not mad. I felt guilty immediately. He could palm me in that way and he knew way to well how to use it. "Yes I did." I whispered. "You skip this day every year and we don't want you to get into trouble again like last year. So we are very thankful for the delicious meal but you don't have to do this again next year." I laugh since he tells me that every year but it doesn't work and he knows that too but he is just trying to be a good parent.
"Okay" I say playing along. He jumps of the bed and turns around to lend me a hand. "Come we have a surprise for you too." Huh since when did I have to receive anything on their wedding day? This is their day and since I came to live with them 4 years ago I received a lot of presents but not on this day. But for some reason I get really excited. As we get down stairs I see mom sitting on the couch and three damping cups of tea in front of him. On the table there was a small wrapped box. I just looked at the striped wrapping paper. Pacing back and for to mom and dad. I sat on the tip of the couch and take the box in my hands slowly unwrapped the thing and I opened the black box what looked like it came from a jeweller store.
They sat beside me as I took out the beautiful silver necklace decorated with a flying sparrow, whose feathers had been painted blue. The sparrow fits perfectly in the palm of my hand and the belly was one big moon shaped red stone. I began to shake and my cheeks became wet. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.
Two hands wiped away the tears and pulled me in a hug. The necklace fell in my lap as I grabbed their arms and squeezed them closer to me.
"Thank you for being our precious little girl" mom whispered in my ears. "You have completed our life." dad said with a little smile on his face. I cried out loud and didn't let go of them for the rest of the time before uncle arrived with the boys. I played with them till we were exhausted touching the necklace one in a while the entire night.
As we were about to wave goodbye at the backdoor I walked to the front door to get their coats and I saw a glimpse of a figure standing across the street. But as soon as I blinked it was gone.
It must have been my imagination.