Twenty-nine

Maya awoke the next morning to discover that Zuko was not beside her. She sat up quickly, wondering if he was sleep-walking or something due to his fever dreams, but then he came out of the wash room, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He was, seemingly, back to normal. She couldn't help but stare at him, wondering if he were about to fall over with fever again, or say something incoherent; but when he brought his hands back to his sides and looked at her, he smiled and said, "Good morning."

She opened her mouth, more to stare at him than to actually reply to him, but he'd already moved on from her, stepping into the living area and right up to Uncle. Maya quickly followed, not quite believing that Zuko was suddenly better. He sniffed the air with a face that was somewhere between disgust and interest. "What's that smell?" he asked, staring down at a pot on the stove, full of what looked like glop.

Uncle, who seemed completely unfazed by Zuko's sudden return to normalcy, replied, "It's jūk. I'm sure you wouldn't like it…" The old man watched as his nephew leaned forward and took a deep sniff of the rice porridge.

"Actually, it smells delicious," Zuko said, smiling. "I'd love a bowl, Uncle."

Maya, meanwhile, was still sitting on the couch, staring at her boyfriend in obvious shock. When Uncle had told him that he would go through a metamorphosis, Maya had not been sure what he'd meant, but this couldn't be it, could it? Had her surly, sour-faced, angry boyfriend been replaced with this polite, smiling boy overnight? (Well, over a few nights, really, of pain and fever)? Surely, he would go back to himself soon. Although, if she was being honest with herself, she wasn't sure she wanted him to go back to "normal." Sure, it would be a little weird if he were nice like this all the time, but that had to be a good thing, right?

Uncle was looking at Zuko the same way Maya was, squinting at the boy as if he'd never met him before. He turned and ladled some porridge into Zuko's bowl. "Now that your fever is gone, you seem different somehow."

"It's a new day," Zuko said, going to sit at the table beside the windows. "We've got a new apartment, new furniture, and today's the grand opening of your new tea shop." He turned and looked out the window, still smiling. "Things are looking up, Uncle." He took a sip of the jūk and then turned and looked over at Maya, who was still, to her embarrassment, staring at him as if he were some foreign creature she had never seen before. "Are you going to have breakfast, Maya? It's good."

"Oh — uhhh, yeah!" Maya laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck, and stood up. She went over to the stove and Uncle ladled her some jūk too. Then they both sat down to eat breakfast together. "How are you feeling?" she asked Zuko after a few moments of just eating.

"Great!" he said, smiling at her. He leaned forward, kissed her for a second, and then went back to his breakfast.

She stared at him, blinked, shook her head, and ate the rest of her breakfast in silence. This was weird.


Maya, Zuko, and Uncle stood at one end of the Jasmine Dragon tea shop, staring down the aisle of tables towards the entrance. Maya couldn't wipe the smile off of her face as she looked around the place. Uncle had decorated it exactly to his liking and she had to admit that he had great skill in interior design. In fact, she couldn't stop staring at the gorgeous dark green rug on the floor with the golden dragon splayed across it. It was her favorite part of the shop — besides the tea, of course.

"Who thought when we came to this city as refugees that I'd ending owning my own tea shop?" Uncle asked. It was rhetorical question, one that left the tree of them smiling even wider. "Follow your passion, Zuko," Iroh continued, "and life will reward you."

"Congratulations, Uncle," Zuko said, and his voice sounded genuine.

"I'm very thankful."

"You deserve it. The Jasmine Dragon will be the best tea shop in the city!"

"No," Uncle said, smiling and looking downwards. "I'm thankful because you decided to share this special day with me. You and Maya." Here he looked around his nephew and smiled at her. He placed a hand on Zuko's arm. "It means more than you two know."

Zuko suddenly hugged his uncle, much to Maya's and Iroh's surprise. Iroh showed obvious shock on his face, but quickly smiled and returned his nephew's gesture. Then Zuko turned and hugged Maya as well. He pulled back from her, caressed her cheek for a moment, and said, "Now, let's make these people some tea!"

"Yes!" Uncle replied, with gusto. "Let's make some tea!"

"Let's go!" Maya chimed in, feeling that their excitement was contagious.


It had been a long and busy, but fulfilling first day. Maya was currently in the back, putting away all the cups and plates she had just cleaned. When she finished, she stepped out into the main area and found Zuko towards the entrance, sweeping the rug she so loved. Smiling, she went over to him and hugged him from behind. He stopped sweeping for a moment to touch her hand, and then she released him and he continued sweeping.

A man approached the tea shop, a man wearing very fancy clothing and carrying a scroll with him. Uncle Iroh came forward to greet him and the man placed the scroll in his hand, bowed, and said, "A message from the royal palace."

Maya, worried a bit now, fell still and watched Uncle's face as he unrolled the letter and read it. His expression was unreadable.

"I…" he began, and his tone frightened her for a moment. "I can't believe it."

"What is it, Uncle?" Zuko asked, also sounding worried. He came forward and tried to read the scroll upside down.

"Great news!" Uncle exclaimed, smiling broadly. "We've been invited to serve tea to the Earth King!" He held the scroll up in the air as if it were some prophetic item of legend, and then ran off to the back room, probably to prepare.

Maya couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The tension had been real for a moment there. She smiled at Zuko, who smiled in return and then went back to sweeping the rug.

"I can't believe Uncle's so popular already!" Maya said, turning to look outside at the night sky. "We've only been open for a day!"

"I know! Isn't it great? I'm so happy for him. He deserves this." Zuko stopped sweeping and came closer to Maya to put an arm around her shoulders. Together, they stood and watched the sky, each thinking about how good their future looked.

But all good things must come to an end.