Part I: Chapter 4
One of Mei's favorite places was the church. She loved the arched double doors at the entrance and the rough, solid stone walls. She loved the beautiful stained glass windows and how they colored the sunshine as it filtered in. She loved getting hugs from the wrinkled old ladies and shaking the weathered hands of old men. She loved her apple-cheeked, cheerful Sunday school teacher and shy Lili who always helped her color in the coloring books while they ate snacks. Most of all, she loved feeling like she belonged.
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Her favorite part about Sunday though was chorus. Her father was in charge of all of the children in chorus and they'd have to leave home early to practice before service. Mei didn't mind though. She loved singing. She always imagined her voice lifting higher higher, beyond the clouds and drifting into the heavens. She once asked Kiku if God could hear her from there. He'd smiled and told her they could.
She hadn't always loved chorus so much though. She'd almost completely given up at one point; she just couldn't seem to match the notes properly. The other children had laughed good-naturedly for awhile, but when she continued to fall behind they grew more annoyed. Humiliated, Mei obstinately flat-out refused to go on more than one occasion. Her father was patient though, like her brother Yao. He was stern, but never got exasperated and doggedly coached her along. Grudgingly, and with her pride a little wounded, Mei practiced and listened as best as she could to her father's advice. Kiku had always been there too, just as he always had. He rarely said anything, but his presence reassured her all the same.
Mei was finally rewarded on the day when, after days of practice, grumpy arguments, and frustrated tears, she was finally able to sing. She wasn't perfect, but it was the joy that bubbled inside of her as she sang that changed everything. When she looked at the front row, she saw a rare, beaming smile stretch wide across her father's weathered face. Mei grinned right back and in that moment she was as radiant as any other angel.
It wasn't until fourth grade though that she realized that she'd never really become a Christian. Accepting Jesus into her life was not a gut-wrenching, tear-jerking experience for her. It was as though someone had simply taken the blindfold off and she was shocked to realize that she'd been blind all the while. She searched for God with a newfound passion and she began getting up in the mornings and reading the Bible with her father in the living room. They'd sit opposite each other on the couch, he with his cup of coffee and she with her cup of tea, wrapped up in the morning quiet. Kiku was often with her- quietly reading over her shoulder and wordlessly pointing out a particular passage every now and then. Sometimes she'd share what she'd read with her father. In all honesty, she'd always been closer to her mother, but those mornings were something special to her and her father and became something they both cherished.
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One of her strongest memories of their conversations was on the morning she started middle school. She fidgeted nervously on the couch, anxiety twisting in her stomach. Despite the bright smiles she wore in front of other people, she got worried quite easily.
"Mei." She jumped slightly and looked up at her father. He had closed his Bible and notebook and was looking at her seriously.
"Yes?"
"I know this is a big step for you." Here it comes, she couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly. Her father was fond of long, stern speeches. "And the other kids might think now that they're in middle school, they're mature enough to start dating."
Oh that? She hadn't seen that coming. She squirmed even more uncomfortably. She suddenly remembered Lovino's little love note scribbled on a piece of paper torn out of his notebook from fourth grade and Gilbert's sneaky kiss on her cheek the last day of fifth grade. Her ears burned. Her father didn't know about that, right?
"I just want you to know that if anyone ever asks you out, I have to meet them first, okay?"
Mei couldn't help but crack a smile at that. Her father would undoubtedly scare the daylights out of any boy she brought home and she'd never be able to have a boyfriend. She thought of Kiku for a moment. She had a feeling that her father would be okay with him. She nodded. "Yes, Papa."
He smiled, she thought he looked rather relieved, and for the first time she noticed the tired crinkles at the corners of his eyes. "I love you, plum blossom."
She grinned at her nickname. He didn't say it often, but whenever he did she was reminded of how much her father really loved her. The butterflies in her stomach dissipated. "I love you too, Papa."
A/N: This whole chapter is just so blah. It took me forever to write because I just couldn't get it right and my writing is all over the place T.T I apologize in advance. I was trying to expand more on Mei's relationship with her father as well as build her character a bit, but it really just feels like a filler and akljflaksdjfls.
Just as a fun side note, Mei's convo with her dad about dating is actually based off of my dad lol (Which is part of the reason why I still don't have a bf aha) Mei's boyfriend would probably have to through Yao, Xiang, and Yong Soo too though. Not that she'd really listen to them. I have a feeling she would just do her own thing xD
Anywho, I hope you enjoy it? Heh. This will be the end of Part I and the everything really starts happening in the next bit :) Hopefully I'll be updating next Saturday ^^