Chapter 1 – Surprises

"Surprise!" Everyone in the office yelled as I walked through the doors.

I was so shocked I almost jumped out of my pants. My boss walks up to me and shakes my hand while congratulating me on my promotion?

Yup he just said I was promoted to director of design! I can't believe this is happening to me; today is the best day ever.

"Congratulations Natsuki, you deserve it," my boss Hiro said to me.

"Wow, thank you so much Hiro-san," I replied to him.

My coworkers each came up one by one to congratulate me. Today makes one year that I have been with this company. It's a shoe company that opened about 3 years ago. I first started off as an intern when it first opened; I was in college at the time.

I first discovered the company in my third year of university. I became an intern for Design and worked under Hiro, who was the manager at that time. When I was in my last year of university Hiro got promoted to director and made me the manager.

Now that I am the director of design Hiro is one of executives and works with the CEO. So I have been with this company since the beginning.

But that all happened yesterday. Today is another story, actually today is the beginning of it all. This is the story on how my life gets turned upside down.

It all started this morning when I woke up.

Flashback

"Good morning mom," I greet my mother as I walk into the kitchen giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Morning dear, how was your sleep?" My mom asked me as she placed a plate of food in front of me at the table.

"It was great, what are we doing today?" I usually spend my weekends with my mom, since I'm always busy during the week days. Usually most 23 year olds would spend there weekend partying but not me. I'm a good daughter and I love my mommy.

"Actually today I want you to meet someone." she says with a blush on her face not meeting my eyes.

"Huh, who? Did you get a new boyfriend?" I asked curiously. I'm perfectly fine with my mom dating other men. After my dad died I was really worried about her to no end.

"No, he's the guy I have been seeing lately." she said finally looking me.

I bet she's happy that I'm not mad, but I do worry about the weirdo's she dates.

"Oh, Kazuki was it?" I ask her in understanding.

"Yeah we've been together for like 6 months now," my mom said slightly angry that I didn't remember him.

"Sorry I guess I've been so busy with work and everything I haven't been paying much attention to you," I place my fork down and walk over to my mom and give her a big hug.

"It's okay I know your busy and tend to forget things easily," I chuckled and give her a kiss on the forehead.

I resume eating and ask her when we're meeting him.

"Tonight, he wants to take us out to dinner, but nothing fancy just casual," she said smiling at me.

I finish my food and give my mom the plate to wash and then I make some tea for us.

As I am preparing the tea, my mom sat at the breakfast table and told me more about her boyfriend.

"You really like this guy, huh?" I teased my mom.

"Of course I do, he's such a gentleman and takes care of me," she says blushing slightly.

"I'd love to meet him, I hope he likes me though," I reply.

"He's going to love you, you're such a sweetheart, and if he doesn't then I'll dump him." she says pouting. My mom is not really that old. She's actually 39 and she acts like a child sometimes, wanting to be spoiled.

Her and my dad met when she was still in high school. He was a college student at the time, and it was love at first sight. Even though he was older than her, he always took good care of her. That's probably why she wants to be spoiled so much.

Neither one of their parents agreed to their relationship, so they ran away together and eloped. My mom's parents actually died a few years after she left, and my dads parents don't want anything to do with us. We're happy though, we have a house I bought and I have a great job to support us.

After my dad died, I felt like I was under so much pressure. My mom was so devastated, she wouldn't eat, talk, move or anything. She just sulked all day, and I was still in high school. I had to take care of my mom, and do well in school.

In the end everything worked out fine though, I got a scholarship to college and began supporting my mother and myself. Eventually I learned how to cook, so I would always leave food for her before I left for school.

My job pays really well, and now that I'm promoted I have even more money. So we're not worried about anything, and since it's just the two of us we just do whatever we want. Actually I just do whatever my mom wants *sigh*. As I said before she loves being spoiled, so whenever I was free I would take my mom out to wherever she wanted to go, even though I bought her a car, she prefers if I go with her. But that's only because she wants me to carry all of her shopping bags...

She's never had a job before, because my dad made enough money for two since he worked in construction. He actually died from an accident at work. He left all of his money for her and my self, and I used it to pay for the rent and our bills.

After I started working at various jobs, I began making enough money for us again. She depends on me a lot, and the least I can do is give her what she wants. It's not easy raising a child on your own, especially after losing the love of your life. She raised me to become the woman I am today, and for that I spoil my mom rotten.

Later That Day

It was almost time for us to leave and my mom is taking 5 years to get dressed. I chose to wear black skinny jeans with a dark blue dress shirt that my girlfriend bought for me.

Yeah I have a girlfriend, she's great. She's actually younger than me and we don't spend much time together but I do love her a lot. I never got the chance to introduce her to my mom because I put my mom before myself.

Mom finally came out of her room and she looked beautiful, this guy better be worth it.

I drove us to the restaurant and took the best parking I could find, just in case this dinner doesn't turn out that well, we can always run away.

We entered the restaurant and see a handsome man along with a girl around my age waiting. He notices us and walks over to my mom and greets her with a kiss. I guess this is him.

"Kazu-kun," my mom says hugging him.

"Saeko-chan," Kazuki says returning the hug.

They seem like a couple of kids. *sigh* mom what am I going to do with you. *cough*

"Good evening Kazuki-san, I'm Natsuki Kuga," I bow as I introduce myself.

"Ah, Natsuki-chan nice to finally meet you!" he says cheerfully giving me a quick hug.

"I'm Kazuki Nakamura, and this is my niece Shizuru Fujino," he says introducing him and the girl that's with him.

"Nice to meet you Saeko-san and Natsuki-san," Shizuru says bowing.

What is she doing here? I thought to myself confused. She's acting like she doesn't even know me.

"Let's all go sit," Kazuki says motioning us to a private room.

Kazuki and Shizuru sat on one side of the small table and my mother and I sat on the opposite.

And so our dinner begins with my mom and Kazuki telling us about how they met. We each told a few things about our selves.

Kazuki is a doctor, and he met my mom through one of their friends when my mom went out one night. That was during the time when I was working overseas at one of the warehouses. When I came back she told me about it, but I was too tired and didn't pay much attention.

His niece Shizuru is 20, she is studying to become a vet. And she also happens to me my girlfriend...awkward...

Dinner went pretty well, we talked, and laughed. Mom seems happy with him, so I am happy for her.

We said our good nights and Kazuki said he wants the four of us to get together again soon. I agree and told him I'm free on the weekends, but tomorrow I'm taking my mom out shopping so we can meet next Saturday. So we made plans to meet up next Saturday, we're going to an amusement park.

When we got home, my mom and I were discussing dinner, and our arrangements for next week.

"He seems like a decent guy, I think he really likes you," I say to my mom and rest on the couch.

"Yeah he's great, by the way you're probably wondering why his niece was there," she says sitting on the couch next to me.

"Yes actually I am wondering why she was there" I'm confused and slightly angry even though I shouldn't be.

"He thinks of her as his own daughter, you see that's his brother's child. Her parents died in a plane crash on there way here from America," my mom says resting her head on my shoulder.

"I see, they seem pretty close, was that his only brother?" I asked curious.

"Yes he's her only other relative left," my mom says sadly.

"Hmm I see, she must have it pretty rough, but you know what she seems very familiar to me." I say vaguely trying to hint that I know Shizuru.

"Really? That's unexpected," she says shocked.

"Mom..."

"Yes?"

"Never mind"

"don't worry about it too much, but I hope you two can get along," she says getting up and walking upstairs to her room.

"I'll do my best," I replied going to my own room.

What should I do? Why is my girlfriend's uncle dating my mom?! Why wasn't I aware of this?

There were so many questions going through my mind right now, but they stopped when I saw my phone ringing.

It was a video call from Shizuru.

*A/N: Hello everyone! This is a new story I wrote one day when I was out with my friends. I actually wrote it on my IPod because the idea just slapped me on my face so I had to write it down somewhere. I hope you all like reading it because I will have fun writing it. Thanks for stopping by and have a nice day! *Bow*

*DancingFireStar~