Belarus should have realized her mistake immediately. Even with exhaustion wearing down her mind – courtesy of travel delays that had her flight arriving at well past one in the morning – there was absolutely no reason to think that snow was falling in Washington, DC in late March. So, if the white flakes blanketing the ground outside the hotel was not snow, then what was it?
Curiosity drove her outside and across the wide streets. Along the edge of the water she found the source. Pausing under a tree bursting with flowers tinted the faintest blush of pink, Belarus turned her face to the sky and breathed in their scent, sweet and intoxicating. Petals brushed against her cheek as they drifted down, like the most gentle of kisses. She'd seen nothing like this before. It was—
"Beautiful, right?"
Startled, she spun around to find America smiling broadly at her, blue eyes twinkling with delight. "Cherry blossoms," he explained as he drew close, his shoulder nearly touching her own as he joined her in staring up at the pale pink canopy above them.
"There's just so much that I love about this country. Beer and cheese festivals in Wisconsin. The world's largest hamburger. So good…" he sighed dreamily, a gentle curve to his mouth. Then he blinked and seemed to return to himself. "But this?" He threw his arm out, indicating the petals dancing through the air around them. "Breathtaking." He leaned in, voice dropping into a confidential whisper. "Don't tell anyone, but I think the cherry blossoms in Japan might be a touch prettier. Just a touch though."
Suddenly, a loud chirp sounded from inside his suit jacket. Rolling his eyes, he said, "Must be England letting me know that I'm late for the afternoon session." He tilted his head towards the hotel they'd just left. "You coming?"
Belarus found that she was strangely reluctant to leave, as if the flowers themselves had enchanted her. "Soon," she replied softly, plucking a petal off her sleeve and rubbing it between her fingers.
He nodded. "I get it. Gotta enjoy them while they're here, ya know?" With a jaunty wave of his hand, he turned around and strolled away, leaving her to savor this new and wondrous experience.
And contemplate this side of America she'd not seen before.
###
A week later Belarus received the usual email outlining the details for the next world conference. Quickly she scanned the contents. No change in agenda from the last one she noted, nose wrinkling in slight dismay. She had half a mind to skip this meeting. Her presence wasn't needed anyway (a small part of her whispered that it might not even be wanted).
She scrolled back up to make a note of the location and date. A tiny gasp of surprise fell from her lips.
Japan. More specifically the city of Sapporo. The first week of May, just in time to catch the last of the cherry blossoms, as she'd discovered when she returned to her hotel room and investigated America's claim.
It couldn't be a mere coincidence; this had America's handiwork written all over it. However, she couldn't be sure until she personally extracted that information from him. Perhaps over dinner and several cups of sake.
Smiling to herself, Belarus opened another browser window and began to plan out her trip.