"I don't know anything about shopping." Arrietty looked back through the store entrance, at the rows upon rows of choices in all shapes and sizes. "I have no idea what to..."

"It's not that different from Borrowing, really." Sho leaned forward, elbows on his knees. He looked better already. "You find what you want and take it home. The difference is that you have to pay, with the tradeoff being that no one is trying to catch or kill you."

"Mmm..." Arrietty shook her head, not so much refusing Sho as shutting down from all the choices and rocking herself like a small child might. Sho, who knew all about being overwhelmed, sensed the difference.

"We won't go to Macy's. Let's go to that store instead."

She followed the direction of his point. The store was smaller, with less things in the windows and fewer racks. Also, not so many of the clothes were black, and the interior was done in warm yellows instead of stark white and black. It didn't seem too crowded; at least, she could only see three people from here, and two of them were sales girls in uniform.

"Okay," she said cautiously. "We can just look, right...?"

"That's the spirit."

The salesgirls spotted them as soon as they entered the store. Both closed in on them, but the shorter girl was more determined and better at walking fast without making it look like she was almost running. Arrietty wanted to cringe back against a dark corner somewhere - she certainly had been Seen - but Sho, without seeming to notice, had taken a firm hold of her wrist.

"Hi! I'm Cindy," the salesgirl gushed, smiling. "Can I help you find anything?"

"Hello." Sho took the lead, smiling angelically. Cindy, who was probably twice his age, actually colored. "We need new clothes for my friend," Sho went on. "A whole wardrobe, really. She lost her home in last year's disaster."

"Ohhh, that's terrible." Cindy was all sympathy. "And how sweet of you." Turning to Arrietty, "What size are you, dear?"

"Ahh..." It took all the willpower Arrietty had not to look helplessly at Sho. The way Cindy asked made it clear that every girl knew her size. "Well..."

Sho cut in smoothly. "What would you say, miss Cindy? She's grown a lot in the last couple months, so I think she's gone up at least one size."

"Now, talking like that won't earn you any brownie points with her!" Cindy giggled. "But I'd say she's a tall six or seven."

"Could you help us find two or three outfits in that range so she could try them on? I'm not sure what colors suit her - maybe you can recommend something...?"

"Of course I can." Cindy took a calculating look at Arrietty's skin and hair, flexed her salesgirl fingers and made a beeline for a nearby rack. "Give me five minutes."

Soon Arrietty found herself standing in front of a row of small rooms in the back of the store with a pile of clothing in her arms. Each room was narrow but tall, and instead of doors they had dark curtains that reached to the ceiling. She pushed a curtain aside experimentally, and saw herself staring back out of a large mirror.

"It's the changing room," Sho said. Cindy had noticed him leaning against the wall and found him a rattan cushion to rest on. Some of the other, mostly female customers gave him odd looks as they came and went, but aside from a faint red in his cheeks Sho paid them no mind. "Go on, see how the clothes look on you."

Arrietty went through the curtains and let them fall closed behind her. There were hooks on either side of the changing room, so she hung up the new clothes on one side and put her Borrowed dress on the other. Then she tried each outfit on methodically, and inspected herself in the mirror before stepping out to see what Sho thought. Soon her cheeks were red too. She'd never had clothes that were so... pretty. The clerk had a good eye; most of the outfits fit, except for two dresses obviously cut for someone with a larger bust and a shirt that was, er, painfully tight. She didn't bother showing these to Sho.

By the time they left the store she had three dresses, four jeans, two skirts, six tops, two pairs of shoes, and a purse. When Sadako found them at the ice cream shop, they were sitting at a four-person table. Two of the seats were piled high with bags of clothing, and the ice cream shared the table with a box containing checkers from the toy store.

"Well, it looks to me like the window fell out of window shopping," she observed good-naturedly.

"There was a sale." Sho smiled angelically. "We couldn't resist."

X X X

The driveway was blocked when they got home - and for once, it wasn't Haru's vehicle but a sleeker, bigger car, a black one. Sho's lashes flickered when he realized there was still a driver in the seat, quite a feat of observation through the mirror glass windows.

"Who on earth..." Sadako beeped her horn, irritated.

"It's Mother," Sho said quietly. "She's probably inside. That's her chauffeur."

"Oh, dear. I didn't know she was coming today..."

"She never calls." Sho took off his seat belt and got out, motioning for Arrietty to do the same. "And the chauffeur won't move until she tells him to."

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing Sakura wants to visit her child now and then." Sadako's tone was only slightly acidic.

Haru was waiting for them on the doorstep, wringing her hands. "Ah, there you are," she said in obvious relief as soon as she saw Sadako. "Mrs. Hanabi is... she wouldn't wait; I'm sorry, miss... she's in -"

"The living room?" Sadako finished for her, as Haru followed the group into the foyer. "Very well, I'll be there soon. Here, put this tea away for me, please. Sho, why don't you wash your face and come in a few minutes."

"Sure, Aunt Sadako." Sho handed his half of the packages to Arrietty. "Here, Arrietty - I'll help you find a place to hang these up in the spare room. "

A package - socks wrapped in tissue paper - tottered and fell. They both grabbed for it, caught it, hands covering hands, while other bags and boxes tumbled to the floor. Arrietty couldn't help laughing. Sho smiled too.

It was in that moment, when their hands were touching and their smiles were warm with the memories of the day, that Mrs. Hanabi grew impatient and came into the foyer. The overly wide smile on her face froze in place.

"Why, hello, Sho," she said through her teeth. "I... didn't know you had a girlfriend."

She was a short, compact woman with a flawless pageboy cut and large dark eyes. Arrietty could see a little of Sho in her build and features, but her personality seemed, well, more...

"Hello, Mother," Sho pushed the boxes that had fallen nearest him into a neat pile and stood up. "Long time no see."

"That's a fine greeting after all this time!" She thrust her arms out. "Come give your momma a biiiig hug."

Sho sighed inaudibly and submitted.

"Now," Mrs. Hanabi said, too sweetly, "tell me all about your friend here."

"This is my good friend Arrietty. Arrietty, meet my mother."

"How do you do," Arrietty said politely, and bowed.

Mrs. Hanabi did not return the bow or acknowledge Arrietty. "You know I don't like you hanging about with kids on the street."

Sho's eyes narrowed. "You were overseas, Mother. For weeks. It was a little difficult to introduce you."

"Well." Mrs. Hanabi backed into the steps and sat down, fixing Arrietty with an expressionless gaze that did not make Arrietty feel very good. It was not just being Seen, which had happened before, but being Seen with malicious intent. "I think you and I should have a long talk, Sho, about just what kind of behavior I expect from you as part of the Hanabi family and what kind of friends you should have."

"You can't take Arrietty away." Sho went pale, really pale, with rage. But he knew his limits - and played to them. He clutched his heart and went to his knees. It wasn't difficult to make his breathing sound harsh and labored. "Ahh..!"

Arrietty dove to the floor beside him. "Sho! Hang in there!"

"Oh, Sho!" Sadako, who'd been standing by awkwardly, came to life. "Haru! Haru!"

Haru came running.

"Take Sho up to his room," Sadako ordered. "Arrietty, see if you can calm him down."

"Of course, ma'am." Haru helped Sho - still moaning and groaning - to his feet, and Arrietty took his other arm and slung it over her shoulders.

Sho might not be Haru's favorite person, but she had no wish to see him expire on the floor. It would be a nightmare to disinfect, for one thing.

"Now, listen here, Sakura!" Arrietty heard Sadako begin, as they dragged Sho up the stairs and around the corner into the upper hall. Her tone was new, something Arrietty had never heard before, and she would believe Sho completely when he later talked about "Dragon" Sadako. The sharp, crisp voice followed them down the hall...

"You've been completely absent when Sho needed you most, and now you wonder why you don't know about his friends - it's a wonder he has any friends, being shut up with tutors and doctors all his life! You didn't want anything to do with him before the operation, or while he had a postoperative infection - but now that I phoned and said he's better, you suddenly want to spend quality time with him and you're jealous because he has someone else. No, don't you dare interrupt me. I'll tell you straight - that girl has done him more good than six hundred thousand yen worth of medicine, and you've undone it all with one visit! Moreover, Sho may be your child, but Arrietty is a guest in my home and I expect her to be treated as such...!"

The lecture cut off as Haru shut the bedroom door and wiped her brow. "My word," she said, and there was some excitement in her face at last. "It's almost as good as the time she caught the carpenter tearing out the cabinets in the kitchen instead of the ones in the garage. Come along, Sho, let's have you lay down."

For once the housekeeper and Arrietty were in complete agreement. Arrietty yanked back the covers and guided Sho's neck and shoulders down to a gentle landing; Haru drew the curtains.

"I'll just bring up half a glass of wine to calm him down," she said, but Arrietty knew from the gleam in her eye that she wanted to hear the rest of the quarrel.

"Oh, good," Sho said faintly, when she'd gone. "I get to have you all to myself."

"Are you going to be all right?" Arrietty took his hand and sat on the edge of the bed, on the side toward the window. "Please don't fret."

"It was the only way." Sho closed his eyes. "I'll be all right in a little while. She won't want me if she thinks I'm still unwell. I couldn't let her send you home."

"I wouldn't fit in 'home.' Not anymore."

"I guess Sadako won't say yes to a picnic today, after what I just did." He opened his eyes. "Sorry."

"It's all right." She patted his hand. It was all right; the life of a Borrower was one thwarted plan after another, as she had had to learn the hard way. Today was nothing new. "I had a nice time at the mall."

"Oh! Your packages. You dropped them." He started to get up.

Arrietty pushed him down in a no-nonsense way. "It'll keep. Rest now."

X X X

She heard the two voices rising and falling, but with Sadako's always louder and firmer. She could hear them through the floor, through her feet. She couldn't hear the words, but Sadako did most of the talking. After a while Mrs. Hanabi started crying and ran out the door. No slam; she must have left it open behind her. Her car pulled out of the driveway and drove off smoothly. Of course; the chauffeur.

Haru came in no less than two seconds later with the wine, confirming Arrietty's suspicion that the housekeeper had been eavesdropping from the landing. "Here's the wine," she said, a little guiltily, but she looked flushed and pleased at all the hubbub. She lived for drama, after all, and Sadako didn't supply her with a great deal of it.

"I'll make him drink it." Arrietty set it on the night stand. Strange; now that Sho was unwell, her fear of Haru seemed unimportant. "Thank you."

She watched Haru leave. Sho closed his eyes and tried to pretend to be asleep, but Arrietty poked him in the ribs and made him take a few sips of wine.

"It's warm," he grumbled.

"That's because it's been on the tray for the last fifteen minutes."

The door clicked; Sadako. Her eyes were still snapping, but she was gentle when she spoke. "How is he?"

"I think he'll be okay." Arrietty set the wine back on the tray.

"Don't send Arrietty away," Sho begged, his eyes huge and tragic. Unshed tears quivered in pools. Arrietty shot him a look. He certainly knew how to play the martyr. His lip quivered, a twitch toward a smile, but he caught himself and used the motion to make himself look all the more piteous. He truly was pale, though, and she knew the fit hadn't done him any good.

"No one is sending anyone away," Sadako said firmly. She patted Sho's other hand, the one wrenching blanket fibers into a mass of tortured wrinkles. "So calm down, Sho dear. I had Haru put your packages in the spare room, Arrietty. And... when you're done here... I'd like a word with you, if I may."