I double-checked the address scribbled on the piece of paper my social worker handed me before I left at the airport. I casually just stood there deciding how to present myself to my host family. I make sure my outfit is in order and I clean my glasses for the billionth time. I reach my hand out in a fist ready to knock, but I am cut short.
"Darcy?" I hear my name from behind me and I whip around to a young boy, roughly around my age with tan skin, light brown hair, emerald green eyes, and a cat following close behind him.
"Hi," I say cautiously.
"Oh, let me introduce myself, I'm Makoto Tachibana, my parents are your host parents."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Darcy Hayes, but I'm guessing you know that already," I say.
"My parents have been preparing for you for months, it's been crazy around here," he smiles.
"Sorry about that, I would've been fine with a mat on the ground," I offer.
"No, you're totally fine, I've been excited to have someone else my age in the house. I hope you're fine with little kids, my sister and brother can be a handful," he says.
"I love kids," I say, "I have a lot of siblings myself, and so I am great with them."
"Here, it's cold out here let me grab your bags," he offers and swiftly takes my suitcase, guitar case, and backpack.
"Wait, let me help you!"
"No, it's fine, but as payment you need to play some music tonight," he says.
"I insist, please let me at least grab my backpack," I say as we both enter the house. I notice shoes scattered in the front area.
"It's a Japanese thing," Makoto says as he slips his shoes off, and I do the same.
"Deal," I say and I follow him throughout the house.
"So, our house isn't that big, and well we don't have a separate guest bedroom, and my siblings already share a room, and you have to stay in my room for the term, if that's okay," he says shyly.
"Of course it's fine, like I said I will sleep anywhere, I don't want to intrude on your family while I'm here," I say and we go upstairs to a small room at the end of the hall.
"Sorry if it is a mess, I should've cleaned it more before you came, you see I just got home from practice and I planned to clean up when I got home," he says frantically and sets my things down next to a futon, "You can have my bed if you want."
"No, this is totally fine, thank you so much. You said you had siblings, where are they?"
"My mom went to go get them, and my dad is at work. Can I get you anything?"
"I'm good, can I help with anything?"
"No," he says and we then both awkwardly stand there and I gaze around his room looking for something to talk about until I settle on a pair of jammers stored on top of a clothes pile.
"Wait, are you a swimmer?"
"Yeah, actually I'm president of the Iwatobi Swim Club, how did you know?"
"Your jammers, I've never seen any so long before, they usually cut off after the knee caps. I'm a swimmer also, that's actually partially why I'm here, to focus on my swimming."
"I knew you were a swimmer, I could tell by the shoulders," he laughs.
"Yeah, gotta love these guys," I say and squeeze myself, "So do you ever do open water swim, I love doing it in California."
"I've done it once, wasn't my best experience."
"Ah you can't go just once, maybe we can go together," I offer and he looks down, "Hey, I am CPR certified, if anything happens to you I'll be there."
"CPR? Are you a lifeguard?"
"Yeah, and a swim teacher for little kids, that's also why I'm great with kids," I say.
"That's exactly what I do, I don't lifeguard, but I teach swim lessons down at the swim school. We are a little short on staff, maybe I can get couch to hire you or something."
"Are you serious! That'd be great," I exclaim and I, without thinking, lunge forward and hug Makoto. He stands there for a second and then hugs back.
"Oh my god, what am I thinking we just met," I say and I pull away quickly blushing like a tomato.
"No, it's okay," he says.
"It's just that you remind me a lot like home I guess," I say and I can feel my homesick tears pushing behind my eyes.
"Hey are you okay?" Makoto asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine, could I just have a minute to settle in," I ask and I wipe away any straggling tears.
"Of course, I'll be out in the living room, call if you need me. Bathroom is through that door if you want to shower."
"Thanks," I say and Makoto leaves the room.
I pace back and forth in the small bedroom wondering what I should do first. I decide to unpack some of my clothes and I receive my uniform for school tomorrow. I plug in my computer and cell phone and I grab a beach towel and take it with me to the bathroom.
I let the warm water ease its way into my muscles and I relax every strain or worry in my body. I use some of the Shampoo/Conditioner in the shower and watch the many clumps of hair fall from my scalp from the damage of chlorine. I step out into the freezing air and wrap a towel around my body. I hop back into the room and quickly change into a sports bra, underwear and a pair of yoga pants. I wrap my hair in the towel and slam myself on the futon.
I hear a faint knock on the door as I am in and out of sleep and then I hear a light cough.
"Darcy," and I spring up to see Makoto at the door covering his eyes blushing deep red, " I, uh, came to check on you, please forgive me."
"No, I'm sorry, I am so tired, hold on," I say and I throw on a tank top with a Native American Headdress on it and I unravel my hair in the towel and comb the tangles out with my fingers.
"Makoto! Where is she!" I hear a little girl yell.
"I wanna meet her first!" a little boy screams.
"Hold on you two, let her settle in, she's had a long day," Makoto says as he turns around.
"It's fine. I'm up," I say and I peak over Makoto to see two fraternal twins looking up at me.
"She's tall like you Makoto," the boy says.
"I'm Ran, that's Ren," introduces the girl.
"Hi, I'm Darcy, it's nice to meet you two," I laugh and I crouch down to their level.
"Are you hungry? Mom made a lot of food for you giant woman!" Ren yells.
"Haha, yeah, I am, lead me to the food," I request and both of them take my hands and whisk me to the kitchen.
"Mom! Darcy wants food!" Ran says when we get in the kitchen.
"Hi ma'am, I can wait, don't rush yourself," I say quickly.
"Hi, my name is Akiko, but please call me mom. It's a pleasure to have you here Darcy. Sorry about the whole sleeping arrangements, I wish we had more room," she says.
"No, it's perfect, this place reminds me of my home," I quickly respond.
"That's good to hear, well sit down, dinner is finished," she says and the kids lead me to the dining area.
"I want Darcy to sit next to me!"
"No, me," the twins argue.
"Hey, how about I sit in the middle," I offer and then both nod their heads. I look up to see Makoto smiling down at us, but as I catch him he looks away.
"Dinner, is served," Akiko says and comes in with platters of food and sets it on the table, "Makoto, sit down."
Everyone gathers at the table and begins to dig in, I wait for everyone to grab their food and then I get mine last, due to habit.
"Wow this is really good, I've never had authentic Japanese food, other than store bought sushi," I compliment.
"Thank you, and I guess we'll need to go out for sushi soon," Akiko laughs.
"Where is Mr. Tachibana?" I ask.
"He's working late tonight, he'll be home around midnight or later, so you'll just have to meet him in the morning."
"Oh okay, so how far is the beach from here?" I ask while eating a dumpling.
"Just a few blocks, Makoto can show you tomorrow after school."
"Sounds good to me," I say and I smile at Makoto, who gives me a smile back.
The rest of dinner is eaten in silence and Akiko sends the little ones to do homework from school, which is mainly just coloring and adding. Makoto excuses himself and heads to his room to also do homework.
"That boy, he still has no idea what he's going to do with himself."
"Really, he doesn't act like it, he seems to enjoy working at the swim school," I say.
"Yeah, but I don't know if that's all he wants to do," Akiko sighs and gets up and begins to clear the table
"Mrs. Tachibana, please let me help you clean up," I say as I rise from the ground.
"No, please, go get some rest, you had a long day, and please call me mom dear," she says.
"I insist, please," I beg.
"Okay, you know love, I never read much of your file other than you are Makoto's age and a swimmer, I thought it'd be best if you told me yourself."
"Well my life is pretty complicated honestly, and it's going to take a while for me to explain the whole thing," I say as I clear the table.
"How about we just talk a little tonight while we clean up," she offers.
"Okay, so where do I start. I have lived in foster homes my whole life. I was left at a fire station when I was a baby and sent to live with a good twenty families. My social worker says I broke the record. Its not that I didn't get along with the families, it's just that I couldn't stay in a place for too long, and I'd start to get irritable, but I'd never show it."
"I'm so sorry, excuse me for asking, you don't have to keep talking," Mrs. Tachibana gasps.
"No, I'm fine with talking about it, it's really not that sad to me. I was adopted for three months, but the family realized they weren't ready for a child and sent me back. So, yeah, the beginning of my life has been a mess, but it got better," I say and we clean the final dish, "I think I'm going to go to bed now, thank you again for dinner, and hospitality."
"Of course, good night," Akiko calls and I walk up the stairs and down the hall and I see the door of Makoto's room suddenly shut.
I cautiously walk in, "Hey," I call out and he's hunched over his desk, tapping his pencil on his head.
"Hey," he says and I sit down on the futon and check my phone for messages. I click it off and lay down, pulling the covers over me.
"I can go do my work somewhere else," he offers, still not looking over to me, and I cross my arms behind my head.
"So you heard," I say nonchalantly.
"Yeah," he says and rests his head on his fist.
"You know how I said my life got better, that was when I started swimming. I stopped jumping foster homes, just so I could stay on one team in Fallbrook, California," I say, "It was almost freeing, every time I'd get in the water. I want to feel that sensation again."
"Hey, what is your main stroke?' he asks curiously and turns around in his swivel chair.
"I only swim free," I say and he laughs.
"I have a friend you'll really like."