A Mothers Secret Chapter 26: New Friend
In the morning, Mei goes to the window with coffee cup in hand. She hears a rumbling noise coming from down the street. She then sees a moving truck slowly making its way down their street followed by a car with three people in it. The truck stops at the gate of the house and a woman with light brown hair gets out and enters the code for the gate. The truck then enters the driveway and comes to a stop.
The driver gets out of the car. He has black hair with gray sprinkled in. He wore glasses. He looked to be in his early to mid-forties. The back door of the car opens and a young woman gets out. She had light brown hair tied up into a ponytail and black-rimmed glasses. Yuzu went up beside Mei as she looked out their window.
"Looks like we got new neighbors huh?" asked Yuzu.
"Looks like we do," replied Mei.
Ian and Neoko looked on at the commotion going on across the street. She hopped on Ian's back and pointed to the new neighbors.
"Onward valiant steed!" she joked.
"Um. Neoko don't you think this might be considered odd to meet people like this?" asked Ian.
"Well...maybe, ok I'll get down." laughed Neoko.
The two teens cross the street to introduce themselves. The young daughter greeted them at the gate."Hello I'm Isako Odaka, that's my father, Chyio and my mother Diane, she's from America." said Isako while gesturing to her parents.
"I'm Neoko and this is Ian. We are from across the street. Did you just come from America yourself?"
"Oh no, I've been in Japan all my life, just my mother is from America."
"Oh right, will you be attending the Academy?"
"I think so, Oh here is my father." Isako then gestured to Ian and Neoko. "Father, this is Ian and Neoko."
Chyio looked at Neoko a little sideways like he was remembering something."I'm glad to meet you both, are you both students from the Academy? I've heard so many good things about it."
"Yes we are, in fact, my mother is the chairman," said Neoko.
Chiyo seemed to get lost in thought then he snapped out of it and called his wife over to meet the teenage pair. Diane walked over, looked at the pair of teens and extended her hand. Ian shook her hand and looked back to the house to see Yuzu and Mei coming. Chyio felt like something went off in his head but he decided to keep it to himself for now. Ian introduced the mothers to the new neighbors.
"This is my mother Yuzu and my other mother Mei," Ian said. Chyio extended his hand to Mei, as she took it his expression turned to suppressed excitement. Mei had almost a stone look about her face but inside she recognized the man. Mei instinctively looked to Neoko then quickly back Chyio as if nothing was amiss. Yuzu was smiling broadly the whole time oblivious as to what was happening.
"You must excuse me, I have to take care of something back at the house," said Mei tugging on Yuzu's arm.
Puzzled, Yuzu said" Um yeah we better go take care of that thing."
Ian and Neoko exchanged puzzled looks and turned to Isako. "We will see you at the Academy and show you around ok."
"Ok you got it!" answered Isako, while waving goodbye.
Chyio pulled his wife, Diane, aside from where Isako couldn't hear them, near the garage of the house.
"It's her Diane, I'm sure of it. It's Mei alright!"
"How can you be sure it is Mei?" asked Diane.
"Those eyes, I would know those eyes anywhere. And the daughter has those same eyes too!"
"And what does that mean?"
"I don't know, It is her daughter for sure, and she looks old enough to be my daughter."
Chiyo thought for what seemed hours, seeming to count years, weeks, and days in his head. His eyes widen as he looked at his wife.
"Do you think I may have another daughter?"