When your mom woke up, you already had the coffee brewing, and eggs prepared just like she liked them. You considered doing some pancakes too, but since she hardly ate, and since you had lost your appetite as of late, you decided against that idea.
"Morning, sleepy," she said around a muffled yawn.
You chirp back a peppy, "Good morrow, mother. How is this fine weather we're having?"
She muffled a giggle as she sits and begins to eat. You sit and drink your cup of heavily creamed coffee as you look out the window.
The blue jays sing a happy song, and the chicks chirp hungrily. You see a cat making its way near the tree, but stop and lay in a patch of sunlight surrounded by shade. It makes no sense to you why it'd decide to sun bathe there when it'll have to move later, but you're sure it has its reasons.
When your mom finishes eating, you take her plate and ask her what the plan for the day is.
"Well, you need to finish helping Yuko paint her china today, and I'm going to go see how Akane's burns are doing."
"What happened to Akane?" You question in alarm. She was a sweet little girl who always wore a brilliant red cape wherever she went. The entire town joked that one day she was going to be eaten by a wolf since she was just like Little Red Riding Hood, but you never expected anything to happen to her!
"She tried to make some hot cider yesterday, and she accidentally dropped it on her left arm," your mother responded. She already started packing her medical bag as she told you the plan for the day, so you knew you couldn't keep her long.
You grab your paints and some cured meat, then run along with your mother.
The sun is already pretty high in the sky when you get to Yuko's home, but you really want to go with your mother, just in case...
"(Y.N.), no! I'll be fine. Yuko really needs your help though, so I need you go now."
Without another word, she pushes you onto Yuko's property, then leaves promptly.
Before you can go after her, you hear a small bell ring and turn around in time to see a small cat dash into Yuko's home. In the doorway is the lovely raven-haired woman who paints china for a living.
"Good morning, Ms. Oshiro," you say with a small bow.
She smiles at you before motioning you in. Once inside, you take out the meat and hand it to her. She touches her chin and motions towards you.
'Thank you.'
You tell her "your welcome" with a grin and sit in your usual chair by the window as you set up.
For the next couple of hours, Yuko and you quietly paint flowers, quaint villages, and aquatic images over delicate cups, platters, and tea sets.
It's a leisurely experience. Very different from your usual experiences with your father just a few years prior, but a much more pleasurable experience to be honest.
Yuko gets up and stretches her entire body. She reminds you of a cat as she goes on the tips of her toes and pulls her arms from side to side. The satisfying 'crack' of her joints in the quiet room brings a chill up your spine, and soon you have the urge to crack your own back as well.
Usually when she gets up, it's because she needs to go to the restroom or is hungry. Right now, you know it's time to go eat since she goes to the hall on the right instead of the small room outside to the left. You get up and, after a quick stretch yourself, follow close behind.
"Do you want me to make some tea?" You ask after getting her attention.
She nods and points at the counter.
You bring out some herbs, salt, a vinaigrette, and pepper, and place them next to Yuko. She doesn't question why they are there when she starts to make the sandwiches, but just accepts they are there.
It brings a smile to your face to see her so relaxed and at ease. It's definitely very different than when you started coming to help her. When you had first come, she was very nervous, and would constantly be checking on you, trying to see if you needed help or if there was anything she needed to do. Communicating was also difficult since she was used to most people wanting her to get accustomed to them, so she'd have to learn a new way to talk to people each time. You talked to your mother about this, and she told you she could read lips.
"But why don't you ask her to teach you how to sign too?"
And ask you did. It was slow learning, but you were getting it, bit by bit.
It made you happy to see how happy she would get when you would understand, and also happy that you could make her feel comfortable. It was clear that didn't happen often.
After you finished your sandwich, you looked up at her. She bunched all of her fingers around her thumb on one hand while doing the same with the other, and then tapped the tips together.
'More?'
"Thank you, but I'm good," you respond. You hold your right hand in a fist, and then swipe your left hand over the top of your fist.
She nods as she makes an 'o' shape with her hand, and then flicks her thumb and pointer finger up, and her middle finger out.
'Ok.'
You pick up the plates and the cups from your meal and wash them very quickly. As you dry your hands, you see a familiar figure coming down the road. You stiffen in surprise and fear, and then turn back to Yuko. She's already sitting back in her chair, painting a tea cup with those intricate little squiggles only she can do so perfectly. You lick your lips in nervousness as you try to remember all the signs you need.
You walk in front of her chair and when she looks up, you do your best to sign correctly.
You point to yourself then throw your fingers in an arch forward. Next you hold your left hand in a loosely open position by your face and pull it in and out twice, closing it the way you do when you sign "more" every time you pull your hand away from your face. Next you look at your thumbs as you hold them between your middle and index fingers, with your index finger wrapped around your thumb, and flick your thumbs up.
"I'm going to go outside real quick," you say as you sign.
She touches her forehead and pulls her middle three fingers down as she pulls her hand forward.
'Why?'
You point to yourself again, then hold your left hand flat and facing the wall to your right. With your right hand, you point down to your palm, then flick your finger back around towards her, and then point your finger straight up and move it around in a small circular motion.
You were telling her you were going to check something.
She nods, but she still seems unsure about what you're doing.
You come up blank with what you want to say next, but you look at her earnestly and tell her you'll be back as soon as you can.
She can see the worry in your eyes, and motions for you to go. As soon as she does that, you walk quickly outside, and then rush towards the jet-black haired man smoking besides a tree not far from Yuko's home. You're too far away from her house for her to be able to see what you're saying if she decides to look outside, but you still don't want her to know about Toga.
"Did something happen to my mom?" you ask in a flurry.
He quirks an eyebrow up at you but takes another drag from his cigarette before answering.
"Your mom's fine. I was actually here to see how you were doing..."
He gives you a piercing stare as he looks you over. You get slightly uncomfortable and shift in your spot a bit and decide to look around instead of answer.
"Um," you start hesitantly.
You can see Yuko's back at the window, but it's obvious she had been looking by the way her shoulders are bristled up. You would have laughed at her attempts of being discreet had you not been in front of Toga at the moment, but you were, and you had to answer.
"Well, why wouldn't I be ok?" you ask.
You can see his tongue push against the side of his mouth before he answers.
"I heard that you fought a level E yesterday... Did you get hurt?"
You shake your head, trying to figure out how he would know. Your mom didn't know enough about the monsters to know what they were called. Did she maybe have a suspicion about it, and she told Toga?
'Yeah, that has to be it,' you decide. But still, this was very odd. He never had come out of the blue like this before. And this wasn't your first vamp after all.
He pushes himself off the tree and ruffles your hair. "Well, if you're alright then, I'm going to go back to work then. You nod and start heading back to Yuko's, but when you get half ways across the road, you turn back to Toga.
"Hey, why did you come right now?" you ask over your shoulder. "I mean, you could have asked me later on tonight, couldn't you?"
He stares up blankly before replying.
With a shrug, he states, "He was very insistent that I needed to check up on you now."
"He?" you call out in surprise.
'It couldn't be... I mean, we just...'
"Who is he?" you call out in confusion.
Toga keeps on walking as if he didn't hear you, but before you can go after him to question him further, you hear a little bell scampering your way. Yuko stands in the doorway with a worried look and crossed arms.
'I need to ask Toga later,' you think to yourself as you pick up the kitty you saw come into Yuko's home this morning. It purrs contently in your arms as you walk back, petting it while deep in thought. When you get back to Yuko, she asks you if you're ok, but only one thing comes out of your mouth.
"Why in the world did he want to know if I'm ok?"
End Note: I've been trying to learn how to do sign language recently. It's a beautiful language, but I am by no means fluent at all. For the most part, I used this website ( www . lifeprint asl101/pages-signs) for reference. Hopefully you guys will find it helpful too. And if anyone who knows sign language sees any mistakes, if you would please let me know so I can correct them, I'd greatly appreciate it!