It bothered her.
It bothered her in a way she'd be hard pressed to speak of if you asked. Even if you'd won the ability to tease it out from her, it would sting like an old wound. Then knowing what had been uncovered, it could linger on as regret. Much in the same way a sprained back felt as paralyzing as a twisted vertebrae, she found herself planted in her seat. Her mind turned over that feeling till it became a smooth stone. Across the table, her parents warmly chatted and thumbed their menus. She mimicked them by flipping through absentmindedly.
The options were almost identical to last year's. The font was neat times new roman, the item section titles were in flowing cursive. Like usual, the prices could buy two whole semesters at a school like Tsuji's; wherein if you were lucky to graduate you'd make food worth the same. The longer she found herself staring, the further the prospect of it clawed her brain. She looked up from the steak entrees (cooked as authentic juicy Kobe and Wagyu beef of course) and saw her father speaking with a smile to her mother. They were sharing a joke by the way their shoulders rose and fell; by the wind chime that was her mother's laugh and her father's easygoing smile.
She didn't hate them. She couldn't. There wasn't a moment that came to mind where they'd ever hit her, or screamed for her mistakes, or pushed aside her interests nor used it to elevate themselves. She had never been called stupid, not in the obvious ways. It'd come in the small things, the frequent hugs and praises sung with true enthusiasm. It washed over her in the knowledge either was a phone call or room away. It was as quiet as when one or both rescued her from doubt or indecision.
Her eyes fell back on the menu with disinterest, then onto her hands. They were nothing special or distinct save from softness without toil. The sight made her heart twinge. In that moment she felt her profound smallness burn like sliding over broken glass. Her mouth pulled into a frown. That was her first mistake.
"Are you alright Nonna?"
She found her father's eyes, mirrored after her likeness, searching her with alarming efficiency and increasing fear. It drew her to pity.
"I'm fine; it's just hard to choose one thing."
"Well don't worry about any of the cost, pick as much as you'd like. It's what a birthday girl deserves." Her mother quickly followed with.
She smiled politely in response and they soon fell to their places. Though they no longer stared at each other, she still knew the weight of her father's face imprinted on her memory. She swallowed her nerve. Her blood ran hot until it scorched and burst as she lifted her head.
"Actually, there is something I wanted to tell you…"
A/N 5/13/2020: Coming back to add that as the CEO of her realtor company Nozomi becomes a billionaire by her late 20s before Nonna was born in her early 30s. As such they can afford some of the ridiculously expensive things I mention. They put Maki's family to shame with how long their bank deposits are; Maki looks like her parents are only traveling door to door salesmen selling Avon products for a 1% commission in comparison.
Also Nozomi's car by this point is an initially white later repainted silver 1987 Porsche 959 that can go 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds, only 337 were ever made, and was once illegal in the US, among other cool facts. I love the look a lot next to the 1993 Nissan Skyline GTS.