Chapter 7: Suspicions
Ikuko was concerned. Not enough to be worried or to talk to Kenji about, but enough to make inquiries. Concerned about Rini's pictures, concerned over the girl's inappropriate giggling- over what? Concerned about how Darien automatically started to reprimand Rini- about what? Concerned over what Rini almost said and what Serena did say and how all three reacted. She wasn't entirely fooled by Rini's crying though Kenji had been. For now, she would redirect Rini's activities and gather information, and her first source would be.."Sammy?"
"Yes, Mom," responded the boy as he came into the kitchen, "What do you want?"
"You see Serena and Darien around sometimes, don't you?" she asked as she fixed him a snack.
"Sure I do. Why?" Was it her imagination or did he seem wary?
"I was just wondering what you thought of him or of them going together."
"He's alright, I guess," he said sitting down to eat, "and it's ok that they're dating, but there's something I don't get."
"Oh, what's that?" she asked casually.
"How a cool guy like Darien can let Serena and Rini cling to him and fuss so. It's not too bad when Sere is acting grownup, then they look sorta like a family," Sammy observed, "But then she starts fighting with Rini, and it must be totally embarrassing."
*That's Serena,* Ikuko thought, *half grownup, half still a child.* "Does he seem to mind?" she asked.
"Some, but not too much I guess. He doesn't even mind when Serena dumps Rini with him while she goes off with her friends."
"He baby-sits her?" his mother queried.
"Yeah, I've seen him at the park buying her ice cream while Sere and her friends go do girl stuff." Sammy looked uncomfortable with the conversation. "Um, I have homework to do now. May I go?"
"Yes," she replied, occupied with her thoughts and not liking where they were taking her. *Why would a young man offer to baby-sit a small child? What does he get in return? He is a nice boy and he seems to love Serena. Yet there is something they are hiding from us.*
She approached her next source, "Rini?"
"Yes, Auntie Ikuko?" the little girl answered.
"I've been thinking that you have been spending a lot of time with Serena lately and perhaps you would like to do something with kids your own age, like an art class," she suggested.
"An art class? Yey! I'd like that, Auntie Ikuko," the little girl hugged the woman.
"And I will spend more time with you, too. I can teach you how to bake."
"I'll still be able to see Darien with Serena, won't I?" Rini asked anxiously. She was beginning to feel something wasn't right.
"Well, honey, perhaps it's time we gave them a little space. With his studies and work, he probably doesn't have a lot of free time to spend with a little girl," reasoned Ikuko.
"But I love him! I wanna go see my."
"Love him? What do you mean, Rini?" the woman interrupted.
The little girl held up her fingers and counted on them. "I love Darien an' Serena like I do you and Uncle Kenji and Sammy."
"And your Mother and Father," prompted Ikuko.
"Mommy and Daddy, too. Didn't I say them? Anyways, there's the other girls, too."
"You can still see them sometimes. I want you to make friends your own age to play with, ok?"
The little girl considered this. This is what her real mom and dad wanted her to do, too. "Okay," she agreed.
Ikuko kept her suspicions to herself. Darien was either an almost-to-good- to-be-true prince in disguise, or someone she didn't want to think about giving a name to. And the proof she had could go either way. She had taken steps to protect Rini while she gathered more information.
AN: And you thought she was thinking the truth? Nope, she's thinking like a mother who is afraid of what she might find. Stay tuned. . . Thanx again for the wonderful reviews.
Ikuko was concerned. Not enough to be worried or to talk to Kenji about, but enough to make inquiries. Concerned about Rini's pictures, concerned over the girl's inappropriate giggling- over what? Concerned about how Darien automatically started to reprimand Rini- about what? Concerned over what Rini almost said and what Serena did say and how all three reacted. She wasn't entirely fooled by Rini's crying though Kenji had been. For now, she would redirect Rini's activities and gather information, and her first source would be.."Sammy?"
"Yes, Mom," responded the boy as he came into the kitchen, "What do you want?"
"You see Serena and Darien around sometimes, don't you?" she asked as she fixed him a snack.
"Sure I do. Why?" Was it her imagination or did he seem wary?
"I was just wondering what you thought of him or of them going together."
"He's alright, I guess," he said sitting down to eat, "and it's ok that they're dating, but there's something I don't get."
"Oh, what's that?" she asked casually.
"How a cool guy like Darien can let Serena and Rini cling to him and fuss so. It's not too bad when Sere is acting grownup, then they look sorta like a family," Sammy observed, "But then she starts fighting with Rini, and it must be totally embarrassing."
*That's Serena,* Ikuko thought, *half grownup, half still a child.* "Does he seem to mind?" she asked.
"Some, but not too much I guess. He doesn't even mind when Serena dumps Rini with him while she goes off with her friends."
"He baby-sits her?" his mother queried.
"Yeah, I've seen him at the park buying her ice cream while Sere and her friends go do girl stuff." Sammy looked uncomfortable with the conversation. "Um, I have homework to do now. May I go?"
"Yes," she replied, occupied with her thoughts and not liking where they were taking her. *Why would a young man offer to baby-sit a small child? What does he get in return? He is a nice boy and he seems to love Serena. Yet there is something they are hiding from us.*
She approached her next source, "Rini?"
"Yes, Auntie Ikuko?" the little girl answered.
"I've been thinking that you have been spending a lot of time with Serena lately and perhaps you would like to do something with kids your own age, like an art class," she suggested.
"An art class? Yey! I'd like that, Auntie Ikuko," the little girl hugged the woman.
"And I will spend more time with you, too. I can teach you how to bake."
"I'll still be able to see Darien with Serena, won't I?" Rini asked anxiously. She was beginning to feel something wasn't right.
"Well, honey, perhaps it's time we gave them a little space. With his studies and work, he probably doesn't have a lot of free time to spend with a little girl," reasoned Ikuko.
"But I love him! I wanna go see my."
"Love him? What do you mean, Rini?" the woman interrupted.
The little girl held up her fingers and counted on them. "I love Darien an' Serena like I do you and Uncle Kenji and Sammy."
"And your Mother and Father," prompted Ikuko.
"Mommy and Daddy, too. Didn't I say them? Anyways, there's the other girls, too."
"You can still see them sometimes. I want you to make friends your own age to play with, ok?"
The little girl considered this. This is what her real mom and dad wanted her to do, too. "Okay," she agreed.
Ikuko kept her suspicions to herself. Darien was either an almost-to-good- to-be-true prince in disguise, or someone she didn't want to think about giving a name to. And the proof she had could go either way. She had taken steps to protect Rini while she gathered more information.
AN: And you thought she was thinking the truth? Nope, she's thinking like a mother who is afraid of what she might find. Stay tuned. . . Thanx again for the wonderful reviews.