Surprisingly, I slept hard and quick. Having to travel most of the day away on a train and then having to spend most of the night up and helping Ymir really took a toll.
I had my eyes closed, feeling the late morning sun on my skin, the warmth causing me to squirm away from it— I felt a warm finger against my chin and I jolted awake, slapping the arm away.
"Ouch!" Ymir clicked, drawing her finger into her mouth, sucking on it. "Watch it!"
I found Ymir sitting at the edge of my bed. She had been leaning over me until I smacked her fingers away. Now, she was putting space between us, nursing her finger.
"What were you trying to do?!" I gaped, adjusting my hair and face. Why was she even—
"You have pretty hair," she unabashedly smiled with her finger still in her mouth. "I really like blondes. I just wanted to get a better look. That's all."
I held my jawline where her finger had been crawling.
"You shouldn't do that without asking," I reprimanded her with a glare.
"Says you," Ymir popped her finger out of her mouth, gesturing her own head.
"Now, can we get something to eat? I'm starving. I feel like I haven't ate in years." Ymir jumped up, comically sniffing the air with closed eyes. "I've been smelling bacon and eggs for the past ten minutes."
Grandma.
I sat up and felt my stomach rumble—it really did smell good.
"Grandma doesn't know you're here," I realized and shot a look at Ymir. Grandma was easy going but now that she was older her kindness was seen as vulnerability that people could take advantage of. Worse, that was what my mother staunchly believed, and she would throw a tantrum if she heard I invited a stranger into Grandma's house without asking…
"You live with your grandmother?" Ymir glanced towards the door of my room. "Well, that's okay. I'll just introduce myself!"
She strode across the room, opening the door, and the smell of breakfast that wafted in on the morning breeze was so strong that I even heard my stomach growl.
"Wait. Let me get ready." I got up from the bed, feeling myself crinkle as I stretched. I itched my head as I went to the bathroom.
I stopped in the doorway and looked over my shoulder - Ymir was right behind me.
"I should get ready, too, right?" Ymir asked, curious as I got to the door of the bathroom, barring her from entering. "Huh? What?"
"You can't come in. I'm getting ready." I reminded her.
She clapped her hands together.
"Oh! Right! Can I watch?"
All she got to watch was the door slam in her face.
-x-x-x-
"I am sorry for invading your home last night!" Ymir was folded tightly against the floor in a pleading bow. "Please accept my apology for my rudeness!"
I hadn't ever been witness to someone doing the dogeza before. Well, except on dramatic movies.
Grandmother was sitting on her chair, absently glancing at the ground where she heard Ymir from.
"Excuse me?" She sputtered with a giggle.
"U-um, please!" Ymir crumpled further.
"Oh! Dear, hush, hush," Grandma was laughing, waving away in the air, "I'm glad you came in rather than sat out in that awful storm. It was rather merciless, wasn't it, Historia?"
Her hand wandered towards my direction as I stepped forward, taking it, and squeezing it. I was grateful that she didn't see any wrong in it but I also had to wonder if this was truly something she'd not mind or if she was too old to know better.
"It really was, Gamma. I forgot how bad the storms got here," I agreed, watching Ymir bring herself up out of her bow.
She wasn't a foreigner after all. Just strange. Only strange.
Ymir gave a sheepish smile as her eyes trailed to the kitchen where breakfast was waiting on the table.
I felt my eyebrows raise at her.
Was she being overly polite so she could score on some eggs and bacon?
"You must be awfully hungry," Grandma sensed it like all grandparents could, "how about you join us for breakfast?"
Ymir was more than happy to oblige as she ran into the kitchen, plopping down in a chair and waiting like an excited puppy about to go on a walk.
Grandma giggled as she used my hand to guide herself back in the kitchen. I was completely unaware of it until I saw the burner still on.
"Gamma!" I gasped, quickly releasing her hand and turning it off.
How could I even forget!?
"You're not supposed to cook! You could get hurt… you can't see how you used to!" I felt guilt roll in my stomach as the hairs on the back of my neck stood.
I was so irresponsible. I could almost hear Mother screeching and slamming something.
"Ah, ah, ah," Grandma cooed, "I may be going blind but until then I will do what I can! I won't go starting the day without feeding my grandbaby."
Without me, Grandma sat down in a chair, hearing Ymir's cutlery scrape as she loaded up her plate.
"Oh, also, Ymir, dear, I fed your pet," Grandma smiled, reaching over with a shaky hand and taking a small piece of bacon. "They were pretty skittish but once I put food down they were satisfied."
Ymir stabbed an egg and stuffed it in her mouth as yolk oozed down her chin and on the shirt she was borrowing. She chewed as her eyebrows knitted together thoughtfully.
"My pet?" she wondered.
"Why, yes, he's over on the deck. I gave him some water, too," Grandma nodded, cutting up her bacon with a knife, "Historia, if you'd be so kind, would you make sure he's alright? I did this very early…"
"Yes, Gamma," I gave Ymir a curious glance as I went to the front door and opened it, peeking out on the deck.
Sure enough, there was a bowl of scraps of old lettuce, egg shells, and some chicken. Right by it was the bowl of water and—
I snorted, staring at the little crab that was bathing itself in the water. Its pincher had a piece of lettuce as it held still, cautious of me.
I looked away and took in a good view of outside—there were tree branches strewn about everywhere in the yard and in the koi pond. The ground was wet with mud and puddles. I could hear the very distant sound of people hollering and the incessant rev of a chainsaw cutting through a fallen tree. I peered over the stone fence and saw another storm approaching.
I could even feel it on the wind as it whispered and promised the beginning of the rainy season.
I smiled and pulled away, closing the door behind me and returned to Grandma. Ymir had nearly inhaled all of her food and was reaching for more.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Ymir mindfully asked, stealing the last piece of bacon without shame.
"I'm not too hungry. You can have one of the eggs, too." I sat down, bringing my plate close to the egg platter and sliding one over onto my dish. Ymir skillfully speared it and shoved it into her mouth, relishing every piece.
"Your pet is fine, by the way," I commented, smiling as I poked my egg, watching the yolk bleed out. "He seems to be enjoying the lettuce and water."
"Oh, that's good, I wasn't sure what he was." Grandma chimed in. "I could only hear him scuttling under the fridge. Figured the poor thing was hungry."
I giggled at Grandma's kindness.
Ymir just gave me a suspicious look, sucking her fork for remaining yolk and bacon residue.
"You can give him the leftover bacon grease," Grandma suggested, "he might like that to flavor his food. Fatten him up!"
But Ymir stayed at the table, glancing between me and Grandma until Grandma got up.
"Time for me to watch my soaps," she grinned. "I'm really excited to see what Kimiko will do now that Sosuke moved away."
I got up to help her but she held up a hand.
"It's okay, dear, it's easy to get back to my sewing room. You enjoy your time with your friend," she assured, pattering away.
Ymir was quiet until the moment Gamma closed her door.
"Are you going to pick at your food all day?" Ymir asked intently. I frowned, staring down at my egg.
"I'm not hungry. Did you want it?" I asked, pushing my plate towards her. She exhaled with disappointment as she took it and devoured it in seconds.
"Does your Grandma even know?" Ymir asked.
"Know what?" I responded a little too fast. Scared.
Ymir vaguely gestured to me with a grunt.
I tensed up.
And then I just chuckled. Tired.
"No. It isn't her concern." It was because she was family, but I'd rather didn't.
"It is, though," Ymir argued, pointing her fork at me. "It isn't right—"
"Why?" I shot back. "Because it's not normal?"
Ymir lowered her fork, studying me.
"It's weird, I know, but it isn't hurting anyone," I defended myself. I hoped Ymir would leave once she had her fill. It seemed like her memories were returning.
"But it's hurting you, isn't it?" Her words pierced me in the same way my previous therapist's words did. Before he suggested I visited Mrs. Zoe.
"How about we get you help," I offered like my old therapist did, because I was out of his expertise, "I know someone who can help you find out what happened."
"Really?" Ymir might've not been fooled but at least she was more worried about herself. "Who is this know-it-all?"
"She's a psychiatrist, Doctor Hanji Zoe." I got up, ready to drop Ymir off and out of my hair. Last thing I needed was someone to question all my problems every day.
"Eh…" Ymir didn't seem persuaded.
"She's my doctor now. To help me with…my problems." I added to show that I had some confidence in the woman.
This seemed to be the tipping point of Ymir agreeing with me as she got up, shrugging.
"I mean, if she can help you and your weird stuff," she pointed at me as I felt my heart drop. "Then, she can help my weird ass, too."
