Has it really been almost a year already? I remember posting the second chapter of this lil' story in the beginning of April last year, and since then I've been writing on and off on this chapter. Progress has been slow and even halted completely at times, for a variety of reasons. Firstly, I don't always have the time to write. School, work, girlfriend, friends, and other hobbies all take their time, and writing often ends up at the bottom of the priority ladder. Secondly, this was a difficult chapter to write for me, and especially the middle part, which has taken me about five months now to complete. Finally, the day is here where I can post this :-)

Without any more words from me, here is the next chapter of Tough Call, and we finally get to visit Kanade and Yukino's parents. The stage is set for some drama, heart-warming consolidations and some sibling love!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters

Chapter 3: The Talk

"Mom!"

The twins' mother smiled warmly and accepted a happy embrace from the bundle of energy that was her oldest daughter, as Yukino met her in the door to the small house where their parents lived. Behind the caramel-haired teenager, her younger sister and father were still getting the luggage from the trunk of the light blue Toyota. Kanade watched her sister's seemingly endless energy with a small smile, admiring how animated her older twin could be despite the long journey they had just completed.

Kanade trudged up the stone walkway winding its way through the small lawn in front of the house, her dull gray luggage in hand, and was met by her mother, who gave her a warm hug. "It's good to have you two back home," she said, as they separated again. Kanade had grown up with people telling her that she was the striking resemblance of her mother as young, and she could definitely see her own traits in her mother. She was in her mid-forties, with short, dark hair like that of her middle daughter, chestnut eyes, and she was wearing pale yellow summer clothes and an apron. The older woman smiled at her daughters, as she motioned for them to come in with their luggage. "You're just in time for dinner. Take your luggage up to the room and then we'll eat."

Yukino smiled brightly and thanked their mom, before leading her sister up the stairs to the second floor, each carrying their respective luggage. Kanade looked back over her shoulder as they ascended the stairs, noticing her mother standing at the foot of the stairs, looking after them with an unreadable expression in her brown eyes. Kanade's worries immediately returned in full force, remembering both her phone call with their mother and what their father had said during the car ride home.

"Yuki-chan," Kanade spoke up as she closed the door to the bedroom behind herself, leaving herself alone in their old room with her sister. She couldn't keep these worries to herself. She needed assurance, something her sister was very good at. Yukino turned towards her sister, easily noticing the obvious unease in her younger twin's voice, the dark-haired sister's worried face confirming the emotions within her. "I'm worried, Yuki-chan. I know they are going to criticize us." Yukino smiled, and walked over to her sister, pulling her into a gentle embrace.

"It's going to be okay, Kana-chan," Yukino whispered, as her fingers ran slowly through her sister's short, raven hair, soothing and comforting her in a way that few could. Kanade relaxed slightly, calmed by the warmth of her sister's cheek and the feeling of gentle digits running slowly through her hair and over her scalp. "We just need to stand up for ourselves." Kanade nodded her head softly. Yukino was right. They had already discussed this issue a few times before the journey, but Kanade was still uncertain about how they would approach the issue when talking to their parents.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Dinner passed in a serenity that Kanade had not expected. She had been ready for their mother's merciless interrogation about their, in her eyes, unseemly relationship, but the subject was never brought up over the course of the meal. Instead, their parents touched onto every other subject imaginable. They wanted to know how the twins were doing at school, whether they were achieving acceptable grades, whether their economic situation was good enough and so on. Yukino and Kanade answered every question, and they themselves asked some questions too. The twins wondered where their little sister was, and their mother could inform them that Shizuku was sleeping over at a friend's house. Kanade and Yukino exchanged knowing glances at this information, wondering just what their younger sibling was up to. The mood was good throughout the dinner and Kanade was beginning to calm down despite her previous worries. Maybe the subject she had dreaded wouldn't be brought up at all?

With this hope in mind, Kanade helped her mother clear the table after the dinner was finished, while her twin and their father retreated to the living room to watch TV. The two dark-haired women gathered the plates and cutlery from the table and carried it all to the kitchen, where they began doing the dishes together. Kanade stared out of the window above the sink, watching the semi-rural setting that surrounded her childhood home as she absent-mindedly wiped a white dinner plate with a rose-red kitchen towel. She felt calm now, calmer than she had felt in- she didn't even know how long. She had been stressed out ever since the phone call to the woman standing next to her, a few months. Not only had she been hassled about the issue of her relationship with Yukino, but also their exams, their strained economy and the journey home. For the first time in months, she felt relaxed.

Kanade then noticed her mother watching her from the corner of her eyes as the older woman washed the dishes, her chestnut eyes narrowed slightly, scrutinising her daughter, and Kanade's earlier nervousness returned in full force. It was as if the temperature of the room suddenly dropped several degrees. Both women were quiet for several minutes, as they almost mechanically washed and dried the dishes. Kanade just wanted to escape, but she remembered what Yukino had told her. They needed to stand up for themselves. Kanade steeled herself. Yukino had put her faith in her, and she would not disappoint her beloved sister.

"So," The older woman finally broke the heavy silence that hung in the room, as she turned her head to look at her middle daughter. "How are things between the two of you?" The question was generic, but it was obvious to Kanade what her mother was really asking. The dark-haired twin continued staring out the window, not looking at her mother's face as the thoughts raced in her mind. She couldn't think of anything to say. "Good," she finally managed to mumble, though the flat tone with which her reply was delivered said the exact opposite of the word she had chosen.

Her mother sighed softly, as she lowered her eyes to the plate she was currently washing. "Kanade, you know I don't approve of what you two are doing," she said, the words that Kanade had been expecting to hear all along. "It's not right." Not right? Kanade stared at her mother, her mouth slightly open. Not right? How could it not be right if they both felt that way, from the bottom of their hearts?

Kanade felt ire flare hotly within her chest as she stared at her mother. For many years, she had felt ashamed of her feelings for her sister. The few friends she had confided her feelings to had told her that she should suppress her feelings, since it would be impossible to be in a relationship with her sister. Only when she had discovered that Yukino felt the same way about her, had she stopped feeling ashamed of what her heart told her. She would not stand here and accept someone condemning their relationship, even if that someone was their own mother.

"What is right for us is none of your business!" Kanade snapped angrily, her tone perhaps a bit harsher than she had intended, but she was not going to apologize for it. If her mother was insulted by her tone, she didn't show it. She simply put down the plate she had been washing, and turned to face her daughter. "You are my daughters, and that makes it my business," she stated slowly, staring down the younger twin. Kanade stared back, unwilling to back down even under the withering gaze of her mother's chestnut eyes.

"Why do you think you can tell us what we are supposed to feel?" Kanade demanded to know. Her dam had broken down, and now the words were flooding out of her, almost without even thinking what she said. Before her mother could answer, she continued, her voice rising in volume as she spoke. "I did not choose to fall in love with Yuki, and neither did she, but we are not going to hide our feelings just because everyone else can't accept that!"

The older woman seemed taken aback by her daughter's sudden anger, as her hands motioned for Kanade to calm down. "Kanade, I don't think you understand-" she began, but Kanade was not about to relax just yet. The younger twin interrupted her mother halfway through her sentence. "No, it's you who don't understand," she snapped, shutting them both up. For a few moments, there was absolutely silence in the kitchen, as the two women stared at each other. Kanade steadied her breathing, calming down a bit, before she continued. She stared straight at her mother as she spoke, her eyes serious.

"Mom, it's as simple as this; I love Yuki and I'm happy with that, and I don't care what anyone else thinks about it." There, she had said it. She had stood her ground and fought for her own emotions. With what felt like a million butterflies filling her stomach, she awaited her mother's reply.

The two women stared straight at each other for what seemed like several minutes. Kanade's mother stared at her, her expression blank and unreadable. Then she sighed lightly and closed her eyes, shaking her head gently. "I expected you would say something like that, Kanade." She opened her eyes and looked at her middle daughter, the tiniest hint of a smile on her lips. "You always were a stubborn child. Both of you are."

Kanade was surprised when her mother suddenly took a few steps forward and hugged her tight, holding her in a warm and loving embrace. Kanade hugged back, relaxing as she rested her head gently on her mother's shoulder. Everything would be okay, she realised now, as she felt her mother's heartbeat against her chest. They were still mother and daughter; nothing had changed in their relationship. "Kanade, you know I only want what's best for you and Yukino, and that I only want you two to be happy," the older woman whispered, and Kanade nodded against her shoulder. "I know, mom," she whispered, finding an immense comfort in her mother's warm embrace.

Breaking the hug, her mother held Kanade at arm's length, staring straight at her. "What I am most worried about, is for your relationship to eventually cause you two to split apart," the older woman said, as she stared levelly at her daughter. "I've seen it happen to so many young couples, and I don't want it to happen to you two. I know how much you matter for each other." Kanade knew what she meant. It had been on her own mind too, when she and Yukino had first discovered that their feelings for each other were becoming something more than what most siblings had. If it didn't work out between the two of them, Kanade wasn't really sure if they would be able to go back to being just sisters again, after having been something much, much more.

"I will do anything for Yuki. I love her," Kanade assured her mother, and the older woman smiled slightly, as she let go of her daughter's shoulders. "I know that, dear," she said, and got a slight distant look in her eyes. "But it's too bad, I was hoping for grandchildren from one of you in the near future," she said with an amused sideways glance at Kanade, who blushed slightly at the remark. "I guess I'll just have to put my faith in Shizuku, then."

Kanade smiled an encouraging smile to her mother as she mentioned her younger sister. She decided that now was not a good time to tell the truth about Shizuku's sexual orientation. The last time they had visited, Shizuku had shared with them that she had a crush on one of her female classmates. Kanade felt a little sorry for her mother; she knew how much the middle-aged woman wanted grandchildren, and yet fate had decided to gift her with three daughters who all swung the other way. But she didn't need to know that. Not yet, at the very least.

"Just to have it said, I still don't think it is right for the two of you to be together in that way," Kanade's mother said, her tone indicating to her daughter that their conversation was nearing its end. The dark-haired girl was about to open her mouth to say something, but her mother lifted her hand, halting the words from her daughter. "But," she said, with a small smile and eyes that were filled with pride in her daughters. "You have both grown to be adults now, so it is ultimately up to you. Just think about what we've talked about now, okay?" Kanade smiled happily, and hugged her mother again. "I know. Thanks, mom," She felt her mother's arms pull her close, and her lips whisper in her ear. "Don't disappoint us, or yourselves, Kanade."

Kanade smiled happily and nodded her acknowledgement to her mother, realizing there was nothing more that needed to be said at the moment. Leaving the older woman to finish the dishes, Kanade walked through the door that separated the small kitchen from the living room. She intended to find her sister, and tell her about the talk she had just had with their mother, but it seemed Yukino had already found her. As soon as Kanade entered the living room, she found her older twin leaning against the wall next to the kitchen door. Yukino smiled knowingly at her, her reddish-brown eyes glinting with a mix of playfulness and pride. Kanade immediately realised that Yukino must have overheard everything she and their mother had just talked about. A warm blush crept across her cheeks as her sister took her by the shoulder and pulled her close.

Kanade could feel Yukino's warm breath on her neck as the caramel-haired beauty hugged her younger twin. "Thank you for standing up for us, Kana-chan," Yukino whispered, and Kanade thought she could detect a slight tremble in her sister's voice. As the older twin let go of the embrace and pulled back, the dark-haired girl saw moistness in her sister's eyes. But they were happy tears, and they both smiled. Yukino took the chance to place a light kiss on her sister's lips, enjoying the colour of her sister's cheeks as their lips touched briefly. As the concealed kiss ended, the caramel-haired twin gave her sister a playful, even lustful, smile, one that flooded Kanade's brain with all sorts of intimate mental images. "I'll thank you properly later, Kana-chan," Yukino whispered her promise, giggling softly as she watched her sister's cheek rapidly go through several shades of red. Tonight would be very fun for the two of them.

To be Continued...

Well, wasn't that fun? :-D I bet you can all guess what chapter is coming next, which also reminds me that the rating of this story has been raised from T to M, both due to the lemony goodness in the second chapter, and for the upcoming fourth chapter. I also have started planning the fifth and final chapter, which will deal with the future of our two lovebirds ;-)

But enough from me for now. I will try not to take a whole year to update again, but I won't make any promises (because I don't usually manage to keep them). So, for now, please read and review! Your responses encourages me to write faster :-)

Haraio