Chapter 18 (Emi POV)

We're on the train to Chiba to see Hisao's parents for Christmas.

Hisao is sitting next to me engrossed in a book, and I'm snuggled into his side and trying not to overthink things like I have several times since we became a couple. I've been doing better with it since we had a talk about it, but I still have an irrational concern that I'm somehow going to mess things up between the two of us. I just have so little experience to draw on. I'm really worried about this meeting not going well, and what that might mean for us.

This has been in our plans for several weeks and until now I wasn't too nervous about it. I was mostly looking forward to it, and what it meant. But now that I'm on a train speeding towards Shiba, I can't stop ruminating about how I might mess this up. I'm not the first woman who has been on this trip, and if I knew more about how she fared, maybe I'd feel a little better.

"Did you parents get along with Saki?"

Hisao looks up from his book with raised eyebrows, a little surprised by my question. "Why are you asking that?"

I fidget in my seat, "I'm…getting really nervous the closer we get, and I'm just curious about how it went for her. I'm assuming it probably went well given the outcome, and if I could hear that, I think I would feel a little bit better."

"Actually, it did go quite well. Especially given the circumstances that led to them meeting her the first time."

"Well, that sounds like a story. Care to distract your nervous girlfriend with it?"

I really like it when Hisao talks to me about Saki. I want him to tell me everything, just like he did when we were just friends. For a while he stopped talking about her with me. I think he thought I was going to be jealous or something, but that's not how I feel at all. She was and is a huge part of his life and who he is, and I don't want him to hide that. Ever since my outburst a couple weeks ago, he has been gradually doing it more and more, although I am usually the one to prompt it.

He smiles at me, "Sure. Well, I don't think I've gone deep on this before, but Saki's dad was pretty awful to her for awhile. He thought he knew the best way to handle her ataxia, and he didn't understand her or listen to her about what she wanted or how she felt. He eventually came around, after a lot of effort. But at the time, he was kind of an asshole."

Saki's dad once came to Yamaku and sat in with our class all day, and definitely came off as an asshole. Oh…I just remembered that I was the first one to tell Hisao about that. Funny how things come full circle.

"One of the things he did was reserve her a spot at a really expensive assisted living facility, and he took her to see it and bragged about how great it would be for her once she needed to go there. As you can imagine, this really hurt Saki."

Wow. Her dad was an even bigger asshole than I had imagined. Who does something like that to their daughter?

"She decided she had to get the hell away from him and came to Chiba. It wasn't planned in advance or anything. It was very spur of the moment. So my parents ending up meeting her out of nowhere, and in the midst of all that, which was a really hard time for her. It was a little surprising to me at the time, but they welcomed her with open arms. They supported her in a really hard time."

"Why was that surprising to you?"

"I dunno. My parents never seemed very nurturing with me when I was growing up. So I didn't expect a whole lot from them when Saki arrived in Chiba. But, they were really great with her. And not just at the time, they ended up being very supportive about everything related to her. They were okay with us getting married at 18 because of the circumstances and they were really supportive when it came to her health and her career."

"Wow, they sound like really great people. I guess it doesn't surprise me that much because they sound a lot like you."

"Seeing how they were about all of that definitely made me see them in a different light, and we did get closer. I think you're right, that they were always really great people, I just didn't really know that about them because we spent so little time together, even before I left for Yamaku. Then, when the heart stuff happened, I felt kind of abandoned by them, so I really resented them for a while."

"That's understandable. I'm glad you guys get along better now though."

He smiles at me. "Yeah, me too. Did any of that make you feel a little less nervous?"

"Yeah, it helped some. Hearing how nice they are is good. Makes me feel a little more sure that they're going to like me. I'm also glad your mom isn't one of those 'Don't take my baby boy away from me!' types."

He laughs. "Yeah, she definitely isn't one of those. Get ready to hear her call me 'Hichan" though. I don't think she's ever going to stop."

I giggle. It is going to be a little weird to hear her call him that.

He puts his arm around me and kisses me on the head, and I snuggle closer to him. "I get being nervous. Meeting family is a big deal. I was nervous about meeting your mom and Sho. But trust me, they're going to like you."

I look at up him with a smile, "Okay, but I think I would be a lot less nervous if you kissed me here instead." I say, pointing at my lips.

He laughs and accedes to my request. "Better?"

"Much better."

—-

I am at Hisao's family home. It is the early evening. His parents aren't here yet as they had work today. His mother should be home around 7, and his father around 8. I am thankful that things are so spread out. First, I have time to be at the house and get used to it. Then I will meet his mother, and then his father. All at once might be a little overwhelming.

We are making dinner for his parents. Hisao convinced me to make the sesame soba noodles he loves so much. His parents picked up the ingredients yesterday. Hopefully his parents' tastes are similar to his and I can impress them.

We don't have to start cooking just yet, so Hisao is showing me around the house. I was a little surprised, and very happy, to find out that his parents are fine with us sharing the double bed in the guest room. But I guess we are in our 30s after all, and their son even used to be married. So we're probably at the point where it would be a little weird if they didn't let us sleep together. I know I'm going to be way too nervous to fool around here, but snuggling up at bed-time is pretty amazing too.

There are cute pictures of Hisao and Saki throughout the house, some of which I've seen before in Hisao's apartment. From what he told me on the train, his parents really loved Saki. I'm sure her passing was hard on them too.

After everything I've learned about her, I really wish I had gotten to know her better. I mean, she was in my class. I saw her every day for three years and I didn't really know her. I didn't know what immense strength she held inside of her. I didn't know how wonderful and talented she was. Most important of all, she made Hisao happy, and anyone who can do that is someone I wish I had known better. I wish I could thank her.

Hisao's mom is going to be here soon. We made some gyoza as an appetizer, because we aren't going to eat the main course until after his father gets home. I'm starting to get nervous again, but every time I look over at Hisao he gives me an encouraging smile and I feel a little better.

Not long after 7, we hear the front door open, and before long Hisao's mother is in the kitchen and she has a big smile on her face.

"Hichan! I'm so happy you're home." I'm glad he warned me that she calls him that, otherwise I would have definitely giggled and that wouldn't have been the best first impression. She quickly approaches her son and gives him a quick hug.

She's a woman of average height and build, with dark shoulder-length hair that is more gray than black. She's wearing a black blazer and skirt over a white button up blouse. When Hisao described his parents as "normal" I thought he was being a little mean, but based on appearances, she does look like a stereotypical Japanese career woman in her 60s.

"And we're also very happy you've brought company," she says as she looks over to me.

"I'm happy to be here too, Mrs. Nakai. It is a pleasure to meet you. You have a wonderful home." Who the hell just said that? That's the most formal I've sounded in a long time. Maybe ever, actually. God, I really must be nervous. Hisao must be thinking the same thing because he's got an amused look on his face as he introduces me.

"Mom, this is Emi Ibarazaki, my girlfriend."

His mother smiles warmly at me. "We've heard a lot about you. My husband and I are looking forward to getting to know you a little over the next few days."

"I'm very much looking forward to that as well. Would you like something to drink Mrs. Nakai? Or a bite to eat? There are some gyoza that we can enjoy before dinner."

Well, apparently this is just…how I talk now. Great.

She waves her hand at me and smiles, "Don't be silly dear, you're our guest. I know you're preparing our dinner for the night, but you don't have to wait on me. I'm actually going to go take my bath now, so that we have more time to chat after dinner."

"Have a pleasant bath, Mrs. Nakai."

Wow, I just can't stop, can I?

"I'll be back soon, you two."

After she's upstairs and out of earshot, Hisao comes up to me and whispers, "It is nice you're being so polite, but you might be overdoing it. You sound like a waitress or a hotel concierge. Just be yourself and they'll like you. Promise."

I feel my face flush. "Sorry. I don't know what came over me. Just some nerves. I'll do better."

"Good. Besides, if they think this is who you are, you're going to have to be like this any time we visit." He laughs, "That should be some good motivation, right?"

I cringe at the thought. "It really is. Thank you. Should we get dinner started?"

"Yep, let's do it!"

Hisao has already gotten everything out that I will need to cook, which is nice because this kitchen is new to me. He is also going to take care of preparing the shrimp and chopping up the vegetables. Basically all I'll be doing is the actual cooking. This takes some pressure off of me.

I look over at him while he's hard at work. I guess this is the first time we've cooked together. This is pretty nice.

I put a pot of water on to boil and start heating up the wok.

Before long, everything is assembled and it looks pretty much the same way it does at home. The vegetables are a little less uniform than they would be if I had done them, but that should be fine. I feel a sense of relief, especially after Hisao tastes it and gives me a thumbs up just as his mother comes back downstairs.

She smiles at me and says "That smells lovely. My husband and I are both looking forward to having such a nice meal ready for us at home. I'm afraid we haven't been eating as well as we should be. We are often too tired to cook when we get home from work and just grab something from the convenience store."

Okay Ibarazaki, you can talk to her. Just be yourself.

"That's why we wanted to make this for you. It is Hisao's favorite thing I cook."

"Do you often cook for my son?"

"Pretty often. He cooks a lot for me too, actually. Even before we were dating we sort of had a little lunch club, where we would alternate who made lunch for the other." I giggle "It sounds pretty dorky when I say it out loud, but it was nice. Kind of one of the ways we got to know each other."

She smiles warmly at me, "That sounds like a nice way to get to know one another." She pauses, "I have a million questions I want to ask you dear, but I will save it until my husband gets home so you don't have to repeat yourself." She laughs.

I laugh with her, "Thank you for thinking of me. I'll be happy to answer any questions you two have. I might have some questions of my own." I lean towards her and whisper, covering my mouth so Hisao can't read my lips,."I don't know nearly enough of Hisao's embarrassing childhood stories."

"Oh, there are plenty of those! You're in for a treat."

She pauses for a moment.

"I think I hear my husband." She goes to greet him at the door.

I think I sounded much more like myself this time. Hisao looks over at me and gives me an approving smile, confirming my thoughts.

Hisao's mother now enters the room with his father. I would have guessed he was Hisao's father no matter where I saw him. He's about the same height, has messy hair, and he has the same kind eyes. He has a big smile on his face as he surveys the kitchen. I swear his smile gets even bigger when he looks at me and he starts walking towards me and takes my hand.

"Hi dad, welcome home. This is-"

"Well this must be Ms. Ibarazaki who I've heard so much about. We're very happy to have you here." He looks over at his son and waves a hand at him feigning disinterest, "Oh, hello son. We're very happy you're here too."

This must be where his sense of humor comes from. He does seem genuinely excited to have me here, which is nice.

I laugh at his joke, "It's nice to meet you too Mr. Ibarazaki. Are you hungry? Dinner is ready so we can sit down whenever you're ready."

"I'm looking forward to it. I need to go upstairs but I'll be back in a minute."

After he leaves, we go about setting the table, and by the time he comes back we sit down for dinner.

While Hisao may not want me to be too polite, I do think it's probably a good idea if I don't eat with my usual…gusto. I can at least let them think I'm a little ladylike.

Everyone seems to genuinely enjoy the food, with everyone getting seconds which makes me feel really good about things.

Once we are all finished, Mr. Nakai says "Thank you again for dinner, it was lovely. I know it's late and you guys had a long trip, but do you mind if we stay up and chat a bit? We'd like to take the time we have to get to know you a little."

He is right, I'm tired after everything, but I also want to get to know them. Besides, they're tired too, and I really want them to think I'm good for their son.

"Sure, I'd love to."

"We'll try not to interrogate you too much tonight, since we have a few days," Mr. Nakai says with a wink. "So, how did you two meet?"

I tell them about the first time we met, when I ran into Hisao in the hallway when we were at Yamaku as students. They look surprised when I tell them that. I choose to omit that I ran into him again sixteen years later and that's what led to us rekindling our friendship.

"We didn't know you two had known each other for so long." Hisao's mother is unsure of whether to say something. She opens her mouth, then closes it, then opens it again. "That…must mean you knew Saki too, right?"

I smile, "I did. We were friends. I actually met her before I ever knew Hisao. We were in the same class all three years at Yamaku. She was a great girl."

"Yes, she was."

Both of his parents smile at my answer, especially his mother. I don't know whether that was a test, or just something they wanted to know, but they seem to be happy either way.

His dad asks a question next, "So, you're a runner right? And you've turned our son into one too. Thanks for that by the way, he looks much more fit than he has in a while." Hisao scoffs and his father winks at him.

"What got you so interested in that sport in particular?"

Hisao grabs my hand under the table and I welcome it. He has a slightly concerned look on his face. I want to show him that I can talk about this. Especially to people who are this important. People who I'm starting to hope will become my family some day.

"My father really loved running. I used to do it with him, but I didn't really get passionate about it until he passed away. I'm sure you've noticed my leg situation," I say with a chuckle to add a little levity, and to try to keep myself from tearing up. "He..um, he passed away in the same accident that I lost my legs in. So the first thing I wanted to do when I got better was learn to run again. I have been running ever since."

I notice I have made the mood a little too somber. "Sometimes even running into people." I playfully punch Hisao in the arm and everyone laughs. Damn, that joke would have played even better if I had told them I ran into Hisao again.

Hisao beams at me and squeezes my hand.

"Well, that's really wonderful. Thank you for sharing that. Will you two be getting up early and running while you're here?"

"Yep, I can't have your son slacking off too much on me, can I?"

His parents both chuckle and Hisao rolls his eyes at me.

"Well then, we better let you two get to bed so you can whip him into shape! Don't worry about the dishes, we'll clean them up."

"Are you sure?"

His mother smiles at me, more warmly than she did earlier in the evening, "Yes, dear. You're our guest remember? You've already made us this lovely dinner, that's more than enough. Go get some rest."

"Okay, well it was really nice talking with both of you. See you in the morning."

Hisao takes my hand and leads me up to the guest room.

I'm pretty exhausted once I get there so I crawl on top of the bed and spread out on my stomach. Doing the thing I was anxious about all day made me really tired.

Hisao lays down next to me and puts his hand on my back. "I think that all went really well. You did great. More than great, really."

I exhale. "Really? I thought so but wasn't too sure."

"Yeah, I'm really impressed actually. You didn't have to talk about your dad, you know? You could have given a much more general answer. But you did and it made me really happy. It gives them a lot more insight into who you are too. And you're amazing, so that's a good thing."

I blush at him. "Yeah it was a little hard, but I wanted to do it." I smile and put a hand on his cheek, "Thanks for straightening me out when I was acting like a really polite robot."

He laughs, "No problem." He yawns. "Well, I think we should probably get ready for bed."

I roll on my side, squeeze him tight to keep him from getting up, and give him my best pout. "But that means we would have to moooove."

"I haven't done the math, but yes, I think that's how it works." He gets up and helps me up.

Once we're both standing I hug him and look up at him. "Okay nerd. The math better say there is time for some snuggles after we get ready for bed, though."

He smirks at me for playing along. "I'll have to double check, but I think that's right."

Once we're back in bed there is indeed some time for snuggles.