"That was excellent, Ume-san," said Udagawa while he and Hideki handled the dishes. "Do you have the recipe? Yuzu, what do you think about adding it to the branch menus? The gyoza, I mean, not the chikuzenni, although that might not be a bad idea as a seasonal item. Yuzu, what do you think?"
"What," asked Yuzu looking over the couch while Mei and Sho helped Airi make letters for Santa and his reindeer.
"I was thinking about adding gyoza as a regular menu item to your branch and the branch in Akihabara and adding chikuzenni as a seasonal item next year. What do you think?"
Udagawa handed a plate to Hideki, who added it to the pile on the drain board, looking bored with the chores while he waited for the cookies he had in the oven to finish baking.
According to Udagawa, Hideki had prepared the dough earlier that morning. It smelt amazing, filling the house with the scents of cinnamon, ginger, sugar, and something Yuzu couldn't quite place. Still, she knew she wanted to try them.
While Airi directed Sho on how to cut her card, Yuzu turned her attention to the kitchen and said, "That sounds like a good idea. But we also need the recipe for those cookies because they smell amazing. Hideki, where'd you find that recipe."
"I got it from a friend," he said hastily, his ears burning as he nearly dropped a pan on the floor, causing Udagawa to shake his head and Ume to chuckle from her spot on the couch while she sipped at a cup of tea while reading a book. "I don't know how they'll feel about it, but I can ask them."
"That's understandable," sighed Yuzu, climbing onto the couch to rest her back. "We'd pay them for it, but don't worry about asking if you don't think they'll go for it. I don't want to force them. But what about you, Mama? Are you willing to give us your gyoza recipe so we can sell them in the restaurants?"
"I can write it down," Ume set her book down and pointed at the table. "Mei, sweetie, can you please hand me a pen and paper?"
"Here you are, Mother," said Mei, getting up from the floor to hand the items over before taking a seat next to Yuzu while Airi continued directing Sho from her place in his lap.
"How's this, Princess?"
Sho held up a piece of folded paper he cut into an oddly shaped star.
"Do you think Santa or the reindeer will like this?"
"Yeah," said Airi excitedly before setting the paper on the table. "Thanks, Grandpa."
"You're welcome." Sho wrapped his arms around Airi's midsection and watched as she began to color. "You're making a lot of cards, Airi. Are they for all the reindeer?"
"This one's for Santa," said Airi pointing at one already done. "This one is for the reindeer, and then I got one for you and Grandma, Mommy and Mama, Hideki, Honoka-chan, Uncle and Auntie Rena, my cousins, and all my aunties."
"That's a lot of work," said Mei, taking Yuzu's hand while Yuzu talked with Ume about the measurements her mother was using and possible substitutes for the recipe. "And it's almost bedtime, Airi. Do you think you can finish them all? You still need to bathe, and you promised Grandma and Grandpa you'd stay with them tonight in the guest room."
"Do I have to," asked Airi, her lip jutting out as she spoke. "You said I get to stay up late because we're on break, so why can't I stay up?"
"You're already staying up late," added Yuzu while Ume finished some notes on the recipe. "You should have had your bath by now, but we had a late dinner, and we're letting you stay up to play with Grandpa and have some of the cookies Hideki made and prepare them and the treats for the reindeer."
"Why are we leaving out cookies and milk," asked Sho, confused at the types of treats they were leaving out. "I thought chicken and beer would have been more appropriate. I mean, he's flying all night, and we're gonna give him dessert? A man can't run on dessert alone."
"It's what my daddy said they do where he's from," said Airi as she returned to finish the reindeer card, blissfully unaware of the winks and smirks the adults were giving one another. "He said they leave out cookies and milk for Santa; and fruit and veggies for the reindeer."
"And we'll make sure they get them," said Mei, amused by her daughter's excitement but growing agitated that Airi was trying to circumvent her bedtime preparations. "But you need to finish up, Airi; the rest of the cards can wait until the morning."
"But, Mommy," whined Airi, stopping her coloring and turning her gaze to Mei, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she spoke, "I wanted you to get them whenyou woke up."
"You can finish them tomorrow ," said Yuzu sternly after getting the recipe from Ume. "We promise we won't look, but Mommy is right; you need to start getting ready for bed. Finish up your card for Santa, and when you're done with your bath, you can set everything up for him, and then it's bedtime. "
Airi opened her mouth to protest, but the looks from Mei and Yuzu shut it almost immediately and she returned her focus to her card and began coloring a bit slower than she had initially.
This ploy fooled nobody, but Mei and Yuzuu allowed it to happen since she'd had a long day, and they felt like rewarding her a little bit more for doing so well at her concert. But eventually, the card was finished, which meant it was time for bedtime preparations to begin.
"Do you want to have a bath with Grandpa or Grandma," asked Yuzu taking the cards and handing them to Mei, who placed them on the table where they would be set with the treats. "Or do you want me or Mommy to join you?"
"I want Grandma," said Airi, running over to the couch, climbing into Ume's lap, and hugging her tightly.
While Airi's face was buried in Ume's chest, the older woman pumped her fist in victory before hugging Airi close and asking, "You sure you want me? Mommy and Mama said you have to go to bed soon, and if you come with me, we'll keep playing games until the water gets cold."
"What kind of games?" asked Airi, shooting up and staring at Ume expectantly.
"Whatever games you want," chuckled Ume, earning a glare from Yuzu and Mei but ignoring it. "We'll even use your bath markers and draw and make up stories. Does that sound fun?"
"Lots of fun," giggled Airi while Ume tickled her.
"Good." Ume let go of Airi and pointed up the stairs. "Now, let's get your bath stuff and have fun before bed, and if you're really good, we'll watch a movie while in bed."
Airi cheered excitedly and slipped as she tried to climb off Ume and tumble toward the floor. Luckily, Yuzu was nearby, and between her and Ume, they caught Airi before she hit her head on the coffee table.
"Be careful, Airi," sighed Yuzu as she helped Airi to her feet and looked her over, ensuring Airi was okay while she tried to fight back all the thoughts of what could have happened had Airi hit her head. "You need to be careful when you do stuff like that."
"Sorry, Mama." Airi hugged Yuzu's leg and placed her head on her moms' lap. "Are you mad at me? Is Santa still gonna come?"
"I'm not mad at you," said Yuzu, her pulse slowing as she patted Airi on the head while focusing on calming down, "and yes, Santa is still going to come. You don't need to worry about that, sweetheart. But for the rest of the night, you must promise Mama and me that you'll play safely while in the tub with Grandma. Promise?"
"I promise," sniffed Airi, squeezing Yuzu's leg tighter.
"That goes for you too, Mama," Yuzu said pointedly, glaring at Ume. "You need to make sure she doesn't get too wound up in the tub."
"I hear you," said Ume nervously, thrown off by the coldness her daughter had adopted. "You know I'm careful with the kids, Yuzu."
"Yuzu," said Mei, leaning in and touching her wife's shoulder. "Airi will be fine. It was an accident, and Mother helped you protect her; she'll be fine."
"I know," snapped Yuzu making Airi flinch, and everyone else shifted their attention to the couch
Realizing what was happening, Yuzu took a few deep breaths and rubbed Airi's back while Mei did the same to her.
"Do you need to go to the room?" asked Mei, not out of frustration or anger, but concern for her wifes' well-being. "I can take care of things out here if you need a few minutes."
"I'm okay," said Yuzu, relaxing under Mei's touch and concern and Airi's refusal to let her go. "I just need a minute."
While she recomposed herself, Yuzu heard the sound of a timer going off in the kitchen, which caught Airi's attention. She listened to the oven open, and the house soon became flooded with the pungent aroma of the cookies. Yuzu chuckled when she felt Airi shift in anticipation for her dessert but refused to leave her mother's side.
Closing her eyes, Yuzu focused on soothing Airi and calming her nerves while the rest of the family excused themselves, giving her time to calm down. From how the couch shifted, Yuzu could tell her mother had left while Mei remained seated and massaged Yuzu's free hand while Ume quietly talked everything out with the others.
"Are you feeling better, Mama?" asked Airi after a few quiet moments. She still sounded nervous, but her confidence was returning.
"Much better," said Yuzu.
Feeling like a weight had been lifted off her chest, Yuzu pulled Airi into her lap and smiled.
"I'm sorry I got angry," she said, brushing some hair out of her daughter's eyes. "I just got scared because you almost hurt yourself. Getting hit in the head isn't good, and I didn't want anything bad to happen to you."
"Oh." Airi chewed on her lower lip and played with the chain on Yuzu's necklace. "How bad?"
" Very bad," explained Yuzu, not wanting to go into the finer details. "Like going to the hospital bad. So, you need to promise me you'll be more careful when we're on the couch from now on, okay?"
"I promise."
Airi lifted her gaze from Yuzu's necklace and gave her mom a sad smile as she asked, "Can I still take a bath with Grandma and set out the cookies and stuff?"
"Of course, you can," said Yuzu while Mei ruffled Airi's hair.
"We weren't going to stop you from doing those things, Airi," said Mei before tapping her daughter's nose and making her giggle. "Mama just needed some time to focus and feel better, but we weren't going to punish you for that, and we're certainly not going to hold it against Grandma. Right , Yuzu?"
"Right," said Yuzu, not even trying to hide her embarrassment about how she'd treated her mother. "Grandma helped keep you safe; we know she wouldn't hurt you. So yeah, you'll still play with Grandma and then sleep with her and Grandpa for the night."
Airi squealed in excitement at Yuzu's confirmation that she'd still get to play a bit longer before bedtime.
After giving her daughter a tight hug, Mei went into the kitchen to talk to the others while Yuzu walked Airi over to the table where Ume was sitting. It was clear that Ume was still hurt by what Yuzu said, but she did her best to smile when she saw Airi run up to her and tug her arm.
"Come on, Grandma," grunted Airi as she pulled, "Mama said we can take our bath! We gotta hurry 'cus then we gotta get ready for Santa."
"Oh, we do, do we," Ume smirked at Airi's insistence before removing Airi's hand from her arm and holding it. "Are you sure we have enough time to do all that?"
"Of course you do," said Yuzu, smiling at her mother while placing a hand on Airi's head. "Besides, she worked hard on those cards, so it'd be a shame if Santa missed out on them, and if she takes a bath before bed, it might earn her a couple more good girl points, which means Santa might leave her an extra special present."
"Yeah, we gotta hurry," shouted Airi as she tried to run for the stairs, only to get pulled back by Ume, who hugged her, making Airi giggle.
"Grandma, stop hugging me! We gotta take a bath, or else Santa won't come!"
"Are you sure?" asked Ume, the question and her gaze aimed at Yuzu, although Airi didn't know that.
"Yes," sighed Airi, growing limp in Ume's arms in an attempt to slide out of her grandmother's embrace, only to fail and remain captive. "Grandma come on, I wanna play and get ready for Santa."
"You heard the lady," chuckled Yuzu, taking her mother's arm, helping her out of her chair, and gesturing toward the steps. "We don't have a lot of time to get ready, and Santa won't come until we're in bed, so the quicker we get her ready for bed and get the treats ready, the quicker Santa comes."
"Okay, okay," said Ume, smirking at the frustrated Airi, who was still struggling to move Ume toward the stairs. "We'll be down soon, and I'll keep her from bugging you all while you're talking. Just don't take too long; you know she will want to set everything up, and we can't risk disappointing Santa."
"We'll be here," said Yuzu, waving at Airi, who sighed in relief at Ume finally ungluing her feet from the ground. "And Mama, just so you know, you could never disappoint Santa."
Seeing her mother stop at the foot of the stairs, Yuzu watched as Ume's shoulders rose and fell a few times before raising her hand to her face and rubbing it.
"Are you okay, Grandma," asked Airi, tugging on Ume's sleeve. "How come you're crying? Are you sad?"
"No, I'm not sad, Airi," Ume sniffled, but Yuzu heard her laughing and couldn't help smiling. "I'm just happy we're all together. Now come on, if you're careful, I'll race you to the top, and if you win, you get to pick the first game we play."
"Okay!" Shouted Airi letting go of Ume's arm so she could run up the stairs, albeit carefully, as her grandmother suggested. "Grandma, hurry up, or I'm gonna win!"
"That's not fair," laughed Ume climbing the stairs in a mock hurry. "You started before me, you little cheater!"
"You didn't say when we the race started," retorted Airi as her feet stomped up the stairs with Ume's echoing behind her granddaughter's.
Airi's giggle echoed down the stairs, and Yuzu stood at the bottom for a minute, listening to their fake race and Ume's false complaints of Airi cheating while the girl defended her actions.
With her smile still on her face, Yuzu left them to their games and wandered back into the kitchen, where Sho was eating a piping hot cookie that Yuzu recognized as a snickerdoodle while sipping a glass of milk.
"Okay," said Sho after swallowing his bite. "I can see the appeal of leaving these as a treat, but a plate of karaage and a cold beer would be better."
"Then you can make the treats next year," sighed Mei, sipping a cold tea while Hideki did his best to put the subsequent two batches in the oven while Udagawa fiddled with his tablet, trying to get Rena connected. "But Hideki, these are wonderful. Tell your friend thank you for sharing the recipe."
"I will." Hideki's ears burned bright red at the compliment, and he dusted off his hands and began cleaning the bowls he'd stored the dough in that Udagawa had brought with him after returning with the gifts. "Sorry they're not as good as what Reo, Dad, or Mama can make, but it was my first time making them so..."
"So what," chuckled Yuzu, sitting at the table and looking over the bar at Hideki. "Sweetie, you need to stop comparing yourself to us and have a little faith in yourself. We've taught you to cook since you were little, and it's not like this is your first time baking. I screw up recipes I've cooked countless times, your dad too, and we're in the food service industry. Cut yourself a bit of slack, please?"
"That's easy for you to say," muttered Hideki, though Mei and Sho were the only ones to hear it over the sound of the sink running and Udagawa letting out a triumphant cheer at finally getting a connection with Rena.
"Give your mama a break," whispered Sho while Mei glared daggers at her son. "She's trying to be more understanding, and I don't know what's going on, but the attitude won't help your case tonight. So go easy on them, or you and I will have a private discussion, am I clear?"
"Yes, Grandpa," grunted Hideki, knowing that Sho wouldn't be half as hard on him as he was threatening, but it was something Hideki wanted to avoid.
"Good." Sho set his glass in the sink and rinsed his hands before clapping his grandson on the back and saying. "Remember, no one here is against you. We're here to understand and listen, so stay calm and think before you speak and I promise you, this whole thing will go much smoother."
Sho's eyes drifted from Hideki to Mei, who, still looking upset about her son's cheek, softened a little under her father's gaze, knowing full well that his words were meant for her as well as Hideki.
"I'll try," said Hideki, drying his hands, grabbing a few cookies, and setting them on a couple of plates before walking past his mom and to the table, where he started asking Yuzu for tips on how to improve his baking skills.
"Be patient," sighed Sho, grabbing a couple of cookies from the counter and putting them in a napkin before setting them off to the side. "I'm seeing a lot of what you went through in that kid right now, so tread lightly. Not that you have anything to worry about, but better safe than sorry."
"I appreciate the concern," said Mei, smiling faintly as she watched Hideki talk with Udagawa, who had joined Yuzu and Hideki with Rena via the screen on his tablet. "Believe me, I've been preparing myself all day for this, but there are times when I think I know what's going through his head, but then for it to change suddenly."
"Yeah, that's a classic sign he's from the Aihara family." Sho chuckled, walked up to Mei, and touched her head. "Don't worry, though; you did a much better job than me; just follow the advice I gave him, and you guys'll get through this."
"I will," sighed Mei, though she allowed her father to briefly ruffle her hair before removing his hand. "Before you go, do you know what's happening with him? If he made you promise not to tell, I won't push but has he said anything to you or Mother?"
"Only that he's nervous," said Show, snatching up another cookie and biting into it. "I think he's finally figured some stuff out, but he hasn't told me what. So, like I said, just be patient, and everything will turn out fine."
Mei looked her father over for a moment, waiting to see if anything in his expression shifted, but he just stared at her, growing more uncomfortable as the seconds ticked by.
Eventually, Mei accepted that Sho didn't know anything else, nodded, and said, "Thank you for sharing that with me, Father; I appreciate the honesty. Do you intend to stay here and listen, or will you head upstairs and help Mother with Airi?"
"I'm heading upstairs," laughed Sho as he pointed at the others with his thumb. "As much as I'm here to help, this is one conversation I won't stick my nose in. But if you need Ume or me, shout for one of us, and we'll come running. Although it'll probably be me because I don't think you want her to come out given the whole bath...thing..."
"I understand," said Mei, holding up a hand, signaling her father to stop while he chuckled to himself as she gathered her thoughts. Once she felt like she could continue, Mei sighed and said, "Well then, if that's all there is, then I will let you go to Mother and Airi while Yuzu and I deal with this."
"Good luck," said Sho, grabbing the napkin he'd set aside before bidding the rest of the group a pleasant evening before disappearing upstairs.
With her father gone, Mei joined Yuzu at the table, where Yuzu conversed with Rena about something while Hideki and Udagawa talked over something on Hideki's phone.
"So, when can you get me that info?" asked Yuzu as she wrote something down on her phone with a stylus. "I need time to plan stuff and talk it over with a few people before we commit."
"I can get that to you as soon as I get home," answered Rena taking a sip of whiskey from her snifter. "The internet here's been spotty because of the weather, but luckily it's been good lately, and I'm going to apologize in advance if the connection suddenly drops."
"It's all right, Mama Rena," said Hideki, shifting uncomfortably in his seat as Mei sat across from him. "We understand. How are Reo and Hina?"
"I'm fine," shouted Reo from the background, sticking his head into the frame and waving. "Kinda sucks here, though. We haven't been able to do much, though, with all the snow. I mean, yeah, it's fun, but there are only so many snowball fights and stuff you can make out of the snow before it gets boring. How'd everything go with Airi's thing? Did you screw up that cookie recipe Tomoka-chan gave you?"
"Reo," growled Udagawa while Rena reached over and smacked her son on top of the head.
"What'd I do," inquired the thirteen-year-old looking at his mother, then through the screen just in time to see Hideki staring malevolently at him through the screen. "I just wanted to know if the cookies turned out fine. Recipes like that can be tough."
"You don't have to be so rude about it," countered Rena before Udagawa could scold the boy. "I know you're bored and want to go home, but antagonizing your brother will not make time go by faster."
"Maybe not," said Reo mischievously as he stared at his brother. "But it's funny to see how pissed off he gets."
"You won't think it's so funny when you get home and I cram your phone down your..."
"That's enough," said Udagawa, loud enough that even Mei and Yuzu grew surprised at the anger in his voice and Hideki's reaction "Reo, we know what you're doing. You think you're being funny, but you're not. All you're doing is stressing your mother and me out. So can you please stop with the attitude for five minutes?"
"Why," snorted the boy after moving off screen, "doesn't matter what I do; he's just been pissed off at everything lately."
"I wouldn't be so pissed at you if you'd just leave me alone," snapped Hideki, catching Mei and Yuzu off guard. "Every day, it's the same thing with you. Why can't you leave me alone?"
"Okay, that's it." Rena got up from her chair and heard a minor scuffle happen offscreen; she chastised Reo for his behavior while he countered with how unfair they were being.
"It is not unfair. We asked you to give us some space, and you started being a brat, so I don't want to hear it," snapped Rena, getting her sister's attention, who they heard asking what was wrong. "Reo's being a pain right now, so can you please keep him out of here for a while?"
"Sure," said Rena's sister. "Reo, come on. Let's give your parents some space to deal with your brother."
"Why? It's not like he cares," snorted Reo venomously. "It doesn't matter if they talk to him; he's just going to run off to hang out with his girlfriend or Aunt Mei and Aunt Yuzu instead of dealing with it."
"Leave it," sighed Udagawa, pulling his glasses off and rubbing his temples while Rena fought the urge to chase after her middle child. "We'll deal with him later. You know he's doing it for the attention right now."
"Is this how things have been at your place?" asked Yuzu, looking between the screen and Udagawa. At the same time, Hideki sat silently, his face beet red, most likely about Reo's comment about his older brother's attitude and a possible girlfriend.
As much as she wanted to ask Hideki about what Reo said being true, Yuzu bit back that urge and asked, "Is this normal for them? I know it's been a while since we've seen Reo, but this seems strange for both of them to act like this."
"No, it's not normal," sighed Rena, sipping her drink and shaking her head. "It only got like this during the past couple of weeks. We have an idea of what's happening, but the problem is that we can't keep them calm enough to talk it out without worrying about them punching each other."
"What have you been doing to make sure that doesn't happen?" asked Mei, keeping a close eye on her son while doing her best to give Rena her attention, amazed that they'd even consider the possibility of the kids getting into a fistfight.
"We've been having to keep them separated or stay in the room," explained Rena, annoyed by Mei's choice of words but letting it slide as she knew it wasn't intentional. "We've been thinking about taking the route you two have and sending them to counseling, but with Hideki having exams soon, that would delay that plan. We've also delayed because my beloved husband and I have been worrying about how you'd react to us suggesting that course of action, as it was my idea."
"Why would we hold something like that against you," inquired Mei turning her attention from Hideki to Rena. "You know we've always valued your input regarding the children. You're a part of the family Rena, and I think something like that would work so long as the boys were open to the idea."
"I appreciate that, Mei," said Rena, shifting her seat and focusing on Hideki. "I do, and I know that you guys feel that way, but you must admit that I've always been a bit of a third wheel when raising him."
"We've never thought that," said Yuzu, taken aback. "As Mei said, we value your advice, and after everything you've done for us regarding the kids, why would you think that?"
"I don't know." Rena coughed as she grabbed whatever device she used to talk and moved to a couch. "I knew what I was getting into when I learned about the divorce and everything, and you've all been great, especially you, my love. But it's just something I've felt for a long time, and I know it's silly, but I can't help it."
Udagawa's face turned a bright red, and all three women and Hideki smirked at the man's reaction.
"If...," began Udagawa struggling to find the words. "If there was something I did to make you think that, Rena, I apologize. I've never thought that about you, and I don't think Hideki has either."
Hideki nodded in agreement and said, "I never thought about you like that , Mama Rena. If I did something to make you think that, why didn't you tell me?"
"It's not anything you've done," sighed Rena, resting her chin in her hand as she stared at her husband and son. "At least it's nothing anyone has done intentionally. It's complicated with all the history your dad and other moms have. It was a bit of an awkward situation, and I had to step back so they could hash it out, which might be why I feel left out sometimes. At least that's part of it; the rest, I'm not sure about."
"Is it because I use your name instead of just calling you 'Mama' even when I'm at yours and dad's house?" asked Hideki, fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat.
"That might be a part of it." Rena smiled, and Mei and Yuzu could see a longing look on her face as she spoke to him. "I can't say for sure. But it reminds me of something you used to do when you were little. When you first started talking, you used to call all three of us 'Mama,' and the only way we could tell which one you wanted was if you were touching us or looking directly at one of us when you said it and if I'm being honest I kind of miss it."
"Do you want me to start doing that when I'm with you and Dad?" asked Hideki before looking at Yuzu. "Are you okay with that, or would you rather I didn't?"
"Why don't we discuss that later," said Yuzu after thinking it over and giving Rena an apologetic look. "It's getting late, and you said you had something you wanted to tell us. Besides, we have lots to do before we all turn in for the night, so I'll go on record saying I'm not against it, but we'll talk about it in detail later. Is that okay with you, Rena?"
"That's fine with me," answered Rena, knowing full well why Yuzu took so long to reply. "Your Mama is right, it's getting late, and your dad and I still need to deal with your brother, and I think Airi and your grandparents will want to spend some more time with you. So, if it's okay with your mom and dad, are you two fine with postponing this discussion so Hideki can tell us his news?"
"If it's about him having a girlfriend, Reo let that news slip quite a while ago," answered Mei with a cool smirk while Hideki blushed violently. "But if I can offer my opinion, I've never had a problem with what he calls you, Rena. That is a matter between you and Yuzu. But if Yuzu is fine with it, then so am I. If anything, I'm worried you'll both get confused again, but I'll leave you two to sort that out."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," snorted Hideki, still smiling when he saw Yuzu and Rena both look embarrassed at the prospect. "I take it you agree with them then, Dad?"
"Well, I was never part of the conversation, really," chuckled Udagawa as he cleaned his glasses. "Like your moms, I don't remember when you started doing this; I just figured you did it on your own. But if the three of you can work it out, go for it. But right now, like them, I'm concerned with what this news is you have to tell us. Was it that you had a girlfriend? Because I don't think a family meeting would be required for something like that."
"She's not my girlfriend," sighed Hideki, scratching his head. "At least, I don't think she is. We've gone to the movies and stuff, but we go with friends, and that's only when we haven't had practice or had to study for exams."
"What kind of practice?" asked Mei, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms. "Does she go to your school? Did you two know about this?"
"No," said Udagawa, rubbing his temple in frustration that they were again getting off-topic. "We didn't know, at least I didn't. But I have an idea of who it might be."
"I suspected it," offered Rena after she finished her whiskey and took a sip of water. "But I didn't have any proof. As he said, he usually goes out with friends, but she's always been a part of the group, so I'm sure we're thinking of the same girl."
"Yeah, but who is she," asked Yuzu after unfolding Mei's arms and taking her wife's hand. "Just tell us a little about her, and then we will move on."
"Do I have to?" whined Hideki, sounding a lot like Airi did when she got similarly annoyed. "I thought you wanted to hear my news, not talk about a girl who's probably not my girlfriend."
"Just her name," said Mei calmly, as she felt Yuzu's hand massage the space between her forefinger and thumb to help soothe her frustration. "And where you know her from and a little extra information, then you can tell us what you want."
"What kind of information?" asked Hideki growing more frustrated at his parents. "And why is this so important? We haven't done anything, and we're not even really dating, so why do I have to tell you about something that, as far as I know, isn't happening?"
"That's a good point," said Yuzu, shrugging to Mei while Udagawa nodded in agreement and Rena remained quiet on her side of the screen. "If it's nothing serious, do we need to know? If we keep pushing this, Mei, we're just repeating the mistakes we made over the summer."
Taking a deep breath, Mei closed her eyes and exhaled as she contemplated her wife's words and knew Yuzu was right.
It'd been them pressuring Hideki into situations where he felt powerless that had caused him to run to his father and had created the rift between them. She had hoped the time away would have mended it, but when she opened her eyes and saw the stressed look on her son's face, Mei knew that, like with her relationship with Yuzu, it would take time and patience for them to get back to where they had been.
Squeezing Yuzu's hand, Mei relaxed her shoulders and nodded, saying, "If you're okay with just telling me her name and where you know her from, I'll be satisfied with that. We're not asking to be nosy or to control you. We're just curious because you've never told us about a crush before, and if she makes you feel like this, then, in my opinion, she must be special, and I want to know who she is. That's all."
Hideki's ears burned at his mother's words, but they could all see some of the anxiety melt from his body at hearing them.
They all watched as he chewed on his lip and thought over what he would tell them before looking up and asking, "If I didn't tell you, would you get mad at me?"
"I'd be hurt," said Mei quietly, hoping she didn't sound angry. "But, I'd understand. Your Mama and I have not been the most patient with you lately. We know that, and I'm sure she'd agree that we are both sorry for how we acted over the summer too."
"That's right," said Yuzu in agreement. "I shouldn't have acted like I did in Abby's office. We're just worried about you, Sweetie, and between the calls from your teachers and you not telling us anything, the fights, you're acting out; it got to be a little too much, and I shouldn't have dragged you into that situation, and I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too," whispered Hideki, rubbing his eyes. "But yeah, like you said, it got to be too much, and I already told you guys that I should have reacted better. Especially with Abby, she's been understanding, but I think I burned a bridge with her, but at least she's still letting me practice at the studio, even though I can't compete anymore."
"The surgery didn't work?" asked Mei, looking under the table to see that Hideki had extended his leg and rubbed his knee.
"It worked," said Hideki, winching as he felt his knee twinge. "But when the doctors looked me over, they discovered I'd screwed it up more than they thought, so I can't do anything more than basic stuff now. Which after getting my formal rejection from that academy was a big weight off my shoulders. It means I can go back to doing it as a hobby instead of worrying about competing and the judges telling me I'm only good at the technical stuff even after I worked my butt off trying to develop a good routine with my partners."
"That's why they rejected you," asked Rena, annoyed. "Because you weren't good at doing weird interpretive dances? Also, didn't they already tell you you weren't getting in? I could swear they did."
"More like I suck at conveying emotions when I dance," chuckled Hideki, still looking depressed. "All the trophies I got were for technical performance, not interpretive, and I think the school knew that. I thought I was getting better at it, but I guess not. And we did if I remember correctly; I think this was the formal rejection. I already talked to the teacher and stuff, but this was just the actual letter and stuff. I figured it wouldn't happen, but it hits differently when you get a letter trying to sound nice while still telling you you weren't good enough."
"At least they told you," said Udagawa, patting his son's shoulder and squeezing it. "Many places would have left you hanging, so I'll give them points for not forgetting about you. But I don't remember getting a letter in the mail. Did you two get one?"
"We didn't," said Yuzu while Mei shook her head. "But you know how a lot of stuff is these days, it's either email or a phone call, and I'm guessing it was those because a letter from New York to Japan would probably have gotten lost; they might have contacted him directly."
"They did," said Hideki, nodding in agreement with Yuzu. "It was the teacher who was responsible for our group, and they apologized that I got cut because of everything that happened. I wasn't the only one who got rejected. I think we talked about this, but the other person involved got rejected for similar reasons, along with a few others. So it's not like I was alone, but it just sucks. I worked my ass off, and instead of getting into the school, I'm stuck with a bad knee on top of getting told I wasn't good enough."
"Not to mention Abby and me getting on your case while you were stressed out over that didn't help matters," sighed Yuzu, ashamed of her reaction. "Sweetie, I don't know how I will ever make this up to you, but I will try. I should have been more understanding of what you were going through; that wasn't fair."
"It wasn't," said Hideki looking ashamed that he'd said something like that to his mother, but he felt it was better, to be honest. "But, I get why you did it. I gotta grow up, and you and Abby were looking out for me. It just got to be too much, and I lashed out, and I'm sorry I hurt you guys. But I'm going to be honest, after seeing Airi perform today and seeing all the stuff Reo and Hina can do, it just hammered home that I'm the normal one."
"What do you mean," asked Mei, confused, while Rena and Yuzu smirked, and Udagawa gave his son an understanding smile. "What do you mean you're the 'normal' one?"
"Come on, Mom," chuckled Hideki dryly, "you saw Airi. She's six, and she's keeping up with the older kids. She could make it if she wanted to make music for a living. Also, Reo's already a great cook, and he's going to train under Dad to take over a couple of the restaurants, and Hina is talking about how she wants to be like you and Mama Rena. Those three are pretty much set, and if the past few months are any indication, I don't have much going for me unless I choose to study under you, Mama, or Mama Rena. No offense, Dad."
"None taken, but why do you think we'd want you to take over for us," asked Udagawa, shaking his head. "Have we ever indicated that we wanted you to take over for us?"
"Not really," said Hideki, looking nervously at his parents. "But I'm the oldest, I should have all of this stuff figured out right now, but I don't. I have an idea of what I want to do, but I'm worried it might not be a good idea."
"There's nothing wrong with that," said Yuzu understanding her son's hesitance. "When I was in college, I had a rough idea about what I wanted to do, but it wasn't until my second year that I truly figured it out."
"Then why were you and Abby getting on my case so much," asked Hideki, a little more angrily than he intended, but Yuzu shrugged it off.
"Because I just wanted to make sure you had an idea of what you want out of life, Hideki." Yuzu reached over the table, and he allowed her to hold his hand as she spoke. "It's fine if you don't fully know what you want to do, but after everything that happened after I graduated college, I want to make sure you don't have the same thing happen to you."
"You mean how you kept getting fired because of me and Mom?"
"You and your mother were not the reason I kept getting fired," said Yuzu sternly but with enough tenderness to know that she understood that Hideki knew she wasn't mad. "I kept getting fired because my former employers were bigots. But that is only part of why I was so hard on you."
"What's the other part," inquired Hideki, looking expectantly at Yuzu, glad to hear that at least one of his parents hadn't known what they wanted to do as a career.
"The other part," began Yuzu as she shifted in her seat and asked Mei to grab her seat cushion, "was that while in high school, I built part of my future career plans around what I wanted from my relationship with your mom."
When Mei returned with the cushion, Yuzu let out a sigh of relief at the release of pressure and thanked Mei before taking her hand and continuing.
"I don't get it," asked Hideki looking between Mei and Yuzu. "Why would you build your career around your relationship?"
"Lots of reasons," chuckled Yuzu while she squeezed Mei's hand. "There are things like vacations, getting married, planning holidays, date nights, the list is endless. But the big one was that I wanted to help your mom with the school, so I thought it'd be a fun idea to become a teacher so I could see her every day and support her."
"I didn't know that," said Hideki looking at Rena and Udagawa. "Did you guys know that?"
"We didn't," answered Rena turning her attention to Yuzu. "You should have done it, Yuzu; you would have been a great teacher."
"Mei seems to think so, too," chuckled Yuzu, causing Mei to blush when she realized that Yuzu would keep her mentorship a secret for a bit longer. "And thanks for the vote of confidence, Rena, that means a lot. But as much as I wanted it to happen, it didn't, and the sad part is that I had it all planned out. I was going to the same college as Mei, we were gonna get an apartment and do all the couple things I wanted to do, and at the time, I thought your mom wanted it too."
"I did, Yuzu," said Mei quietly. "It might not have been the same as what you wanted, but I wanted those things."
"I know." Yuzu kissed Mei's hand and smiled at her. "But we're doing them now, which makes up for it. But to get us back on track, those plans fell through Hideki because I never told your mom about them or asked her what she wanted. The other reason is that..."
"It's because Mom left," added Hideki, remembering all the stories his family had told him while growing up.
"Yeah," said Yuzu smiling through her tears as she gripped Mei's hand tighter while Mei shifted her attention to the table.
Hideki looked at his dad, hoping to ask him something, but his Udagawa had followed Mei's lead and focused on the table.
Realizing that his birth parents wouldn't help much, Hideki turned his attention to Yuzu and said, "I'm sorry that happened."
"So am I," said Mei and Udagawa in unison, briefly causing the adults to chuckle before allowing Yuzu to continue.
"Thank you, Sweetie," said Yuzu, reaching over and patting her son on the head. "I know you're sorry, and it means a lot, but I'm not telling you this for sympathy. I'm telling you this because I want you to know that if you need to take a while to figure it out, I am okay with it. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do, and if you need the time, then take your time. But I want to know that you have a plan, so we all know you'll be fine if something happens to us."
"I'm of a similar mind," said Mei, after recovering from the onslaught of memories that Yuzu's comment had brought up. "I'm not against it if you need to take a year off to prepare more or using your first year to focus on what you want out of your college experience. I think the other reason your Mama brought that topic up was that she doesn't want you to plan your future around someone else and what you think they might want. I had doubts about my ability to take over for your great-grandfather. I still do. I had a conversation with your grandfather this afternoon about it. However, eventually, I accepted it as something I wanted to do, but on my terms, and one of those terms was that he wasn't to try and coerce you into being my successor."
"I bet he didn't like that," said Hideki, chuckling at the idea of his mother putting his great-grandfather in his place. Hideki had nothing against the man, he'd been strict with Hideki, but according to his parents, he had been much kinder to him than he'd been with Mei.
But at the same time, Hideki was glad his mother had found the confidence to stick up for herself.
"He didn't," said Mei, smirking at the altar where she knew a picture of her grandfather and Yuzu's father rested peacefully. "But I understand why he tried to at least instill a sense of familial obligation into you. He worked hard to ensure our family was always provided for, and we are very fortunate, Hideki, to give you kids the experiences you have."
"I know, Mom," said Hideki with a shrug. "I also know that's why you guys were pushing me so hard to go to New York and to be honest, I was excited to go. I thought that maybe if I went and got in, I'd finally want to do it for a living instead of as a hobby. But I washed out, got injured, and you wasted years of time and money on me."
"Hideki," said Rena, her voice so sharp that it got all the adult's attention while Hideki froze in his seat. While Udagawa glanced nervously at his wife, Mei and Yuzu were surprised to see Rena on the verge of tears, her face red with frustration as she stared at her son through the camera.
"Ye...yeah," asked Hideki, unable to bring himself to look at his mother, knowing he'd said something wrong.
"Look...at...me," ordered Rena through clenched teeth, the pause between each word seeming longer than the last.
Hideki looked to each of his other parents in turn, hoping that they'd stick up for him, but they shook their heads, and he reluctantly looked to Rena and felt his heart clench when he saw tears streaking down her face.
"I'm so..." he began, but Rena held up her finger, and Hideki's mouth closed immediately.
"We need her to teach us how to do that," whispered Yuzu, earning her an elbow from Mei.
Thankfully, Rena hadn't heard that, but Udagawa held a finger up to his lip, and Yuzu nodded while Rena spoke.
"I understand that you're feeling frustrated," she began, occasionally pausing to find her words. "And you're right; your trip cost us a decent amount of money, and we know that you are disappointed that you didn't get in, but you are not a disappointment nor a waste of time and money. You are our son, and while we are sad that these things happened to you, we are still proud of you just as we are proud of your brother and sisters."
"But I didn't get in," said Hideki wiping away some tears. "The point was for me to get in, and I couldn't, and I got hurt and needed surgery and..."
"You got hurt helping someone," said Rena with a smile. "I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but we knew this was possible; you knew it was possible but accepted that and still went through with it. And I get it; you've spent twelve years practicing, sweating, and putting yourself through hell for it to come crashing down. We've all been there somehow, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. I also understand how you're feeling; you know how my family is and how they treat each other."
"I do."
Hideki and everyone at the table grimaced as they remembered some stories about Rena's family and how some of her siblings treated one another that didn't live up to some of the expectations placed on them.
"So believe me," began Rena again after she'd composed herself a little, " when I tell you that we do not regret sending you to audition, my love. We know how much work you put into it. We've seen the bruises, helped you with the broken bones, the blisters, and practically every recital and trip you took. We've been with you since the beginning, Hideki; why on Earth would you think we wouldn't be here now?"
"I don't know," sniffed Hideki as he tried to blink back his tears. "I just got scared that you guys would act like my teacher and start telling me that what I wanted to do was a bad career choice and that I was too important to do something like being a vet and I should follow in Mom's footsteps; that I was stupid for even considering doing stuff like this. And then Mama and Abby got on my case, then Mom and Mama started having problems, and then all this other stuff kept happening, and it just snowballed. So, I thought if I just didn't say anything, you guys would leave me alone, and I could do it without anyone yelling at me or telling me I was a screw-up."
"Which teacher," asked all four parents in unison, causing Hideki to jump in surprise.
"My homeroom teacher," said Hideki looking nervous, "Tanaka-Sensei. He said that someone like me shouldn't worry about taking care of animals or prancing around like some josou in Nichome and focus on getting our family name out of the mud."
"I see."
Mei's eyes narrowed at that phrasing, knowing what the man was implying. She and Yuzu had dealt with him a few times, but while he appeared cordial, Mei knew from her research of the school that the man had a habit of taking an interest in certain students from prominent families so he could call in favors later on.
"Do you want us to talk to him," asked Yuzu from the kitchen, having gotten up to wet cloth for Hideki to clean himself up with. "Because if you do, I have a couple of places I can tell him to shove his advice."
"It'd help," said Hideki, chuckling as Yuzu handed him the cloth. "He and the guidance counselor said that if I didn't have my form for my college preferences brought in after the break, they'd call you guys in for a meeting."
"Do we want to sign the form," asked Rena, watching as Yuzu rubbed Hideki's back while he dabbed his face. "It'll be a few days, but we can sign it when I return or wait for them to call. I'm for either because the last time I talked to him, he said anything involving Hideki didn't concern me as I'm the second wife and his stepmother."
"We've had similar experiences," said Yuzu before taking the rag from Hideki and kissing the top of his head. "But with Hideki graduating soon, signing the form won't do much good, although I'm fine with going in and talking to him and putting him in his place. The guy's an ass, and I'm surprised you'd let something he said affect you like that and, most importantly, not tell us!"
"He's gotten worse since I came back from New York," explained Hideki, looking ashamed. "He said he didn't understand why I'd waste time trying to attend a dance school, and then when I wrote down going to Tokyo University for veterinary science, I got the same speech. And I couldn't tell the counselor because he's hardly there when I have the time to talk to him. But when I finally did, he said he agreed with my homeroom teacher. So I figured nobody could say anything if I waited until it was time to do my exams. I knew I wouldn't get a recommendation or anything, so I didn't think it mattered.
"What were you going to do if they made good on their threats to talk to us," asked Udagawa, his nostrils flaring as he tried to bury his anger long enough to continue the conversation.
"Not only that, but you already applied for your entrance exams and left us worried about you for months," exclaimed Rena, making Hideki's cheeks burn. "What the hell were you thinking? What would you do if you failed your exams and had to wait a year?"
"I didn't think that far ahead," replied Hideki with a shrug and a nervous grin.
Udagawa opened his mouth to say something, but Mei interrupted him, saying, "We should just be thankful that he decided to tell us before that happened. But I agree that he should have told us, and but we know his plan, and we should be happy we finally know."
"Well, I'm still going to talk to this guy and your principal," snorted Udagawa, causing everyone to go nervous. "Bastard sounds exactly like my old man."
"I think that is for the best," said Mei, her voice so cold that even Rena got chills. "But as Yuzu said, Hideki doesn't have much longer at the school, but I'm worried about the next few months and the kids who will follow in his footsteps."
"So we're agreed that we should meet with the principal to discuss this issue?" said Udagawa, his voice uncharacteristically rigid.
Hideki felt a surge of gratitude when he saw his moms all nod and, feeling his chest lighten, looked up at Yuzu and asked, "Are you really okay with me if I go to school to be a vet?"
"I know I am," said Yuzu patting his cheek. "You've always loved animals, and I think you'd be a great vet. But are you sure you can handle it? A job like that can be tough, you're going to have to see a lot of pain, and we know how much it hurt when we had to put Frumpkin down last year."
"I know," said Hideki turning back to the rest of the table. "I've already seen some bad stuff, but I've seen a lot of good stuff too. And Doctor Ota said I could work at the clinic while studying, which would help a lot. But he did worry about me getting into that line of work and that I'd be better off doing what Mom does. Not because he doesn't think I can't do it."
Hideki added the last part hastily to curb his parent's anger before continuing.
"He's just worried because, as Mama said, Doctor Ota knows that if I do go through with this, I'll see worse than I've already seen, but he'd help me out in whatever way he can. He even gave me a project to write up a business proposal since a lot of vets end up running their own clinics. But I wasn't having much luck so I sent it to Miki-san since I didn't want to bug you guys with it."
"Isn't he getting ahead of himself," joked Yuzu while Mei stared curiously at her son.
"A little," chuckled Hideki at the look on his mom's face. "It's nothing like what Mom does, but I think I'm doing okay. But I haven't heard back from Miki-san; I figure it's because she's busy. I'm surprised she said she'd help with all the work Mom has her doing."
"Is this that project," asked Mei, furiously tapping a few buttons on her phone and showing off the paperwork she and her father had just spent much of their evening trying to fix.
"Yeah, it is," said Hideki shocked that his mother had the document. "How'd you get it?"
"Miki sent it to me this afternoon by mistake, it would seem," sighed Mei in frustration as she put away her phone. "She didn't say anything about what it was, so I thought she got it from some random employee, and I spent much of my afternoon trying to decipher it. But as it had information and terminology I wasn't familiar with, I had to ask your grandfather for help, and even he didn't know what to do."
"Oh." Hideki's face turned red at hearing that his mother couldn't figure out what he attempted to do. "Was it that bad?"
"It needs work," answered Mei critically but not unkindly. "But you have a decent start from what I can understand."
"Do you think you can help me with it? I know it's stuff I won't need to know for a while, and there's still a chance I won't get in, but if this pops up on the exam, it'd be a big help."
Mei pulled her phone out again and looked over the document, and was about to offer her assistance when an idea struck her. While it had taken her some time to figure out much of what her son was trying to discuss, Mei knew that there were aspects of it that she would have limited knowledge of and still need help understanding.
So, after some internal deliberation, Mei set her phone down, shook her head, and said solemnly, "I'm sorry, Hideki, but I don't think I'll be much help regarding this. It took your grandfather and me most of this afternoon and a sizable amount of time this evening to understand what was needed, and I fear that any help I give would only set you back."
"Oh." Hideki's body slumped into his chair, but he nodded in understanding. "Okay, that's fine. If you had a tough time, then Miki-san will have a tough time too, so maybe I should just ask Doc to help me out."
"I don't think you need to do that," said Mei as she looked at the tablet. "Rena, you're well-versed in medical terminology and paperwork. Do you think you could help him out with the administrative part of his studies?"
"Me?" asked Rena, nearly choking on her water. "You want me to help him?"
"Is that a bad idea," asked Yuzu, glancing sideways at Mei and smirking when she saw her wife quickly look away.
"I'm not sure," said Rena, chewing on her lip. "I mean, I do have to stay up to date on treatments and equipment, so when we need to purchase equipment, I can make the right choice. But I don't know how that applies to animal treatments. Hideki, send me what you have written, and I'll review it, and we can discuss it when I return."
"Okay," said Hideki, looking excited for the first time in a long time. "I left my phone upstairs in my room. I'll send it right now. Thanks, Mama Rena."
When he was gone, they heard Airi ask if they were done, and when Hideki said almost, Airi cheered loudly, making them all laugh.
When she was sure Hideki wouldn't be coming back down immediately, Rena looked at Mei and asked, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"I was only doing what was right," replied Mei, looking only mildly embarrassed. "You're better equipped than me to help him, and it's good for him to learn different ways to solve problems. Besides, you're as much his mother as I am."
"Thanks," said Rena wiping her eye and smiling.
"You're welcome."
Before anyone could say anything, Rena's phone vibrated offscreen, and she smirked, saying, "Okay, I got the file. Tell Hideki I'll look it over soon. It's getting late, and we still need to deal with Reo, and I'm almost certain the tablet is about to die."
"It is," yawned Udagawa, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "If you two are okay with it, I'm going to borrow the office for a minute so I can charge this while we talk with Reo, and you can finish up with the kids."
"You know where it is," laughed Yuzu waving at Rena. "Bye, Rena, thanks for sitting with us, and sorry for taking up your evening."
"It's fine," laughed Rena as Udagawa got up. "I'll see you guys soon. Have a good night!"
Yuzu and Mei said farewell, and Udagawa shouted up the stairs that they were finished.
Immediately there was the sound of rushing feet, followed by Airi saying, "Bye, Auntie Rena! Tell Reo and Hina hi for me. Night Uncle!"
They heard Rena's muffled voice and Udagawa chuckling as Ume and Sho said good night to him and Rena while Airi appeared in her pajamas with her hair in a brand new royal blue bonnet.
"Hi, Mama! Hi Mommy!"
"Hi," giggled Yuzu as Airi collided with her and hugged her leg. "When'd you get out of the bath."
"A long time ago," laughed Sho, dressed in shorts and a ratty old tee shirt. "We were quiet, so we didn't bug you guys. Did you figure everything out?"
"Most of it," answered Mei as she looked Airi over before nodding in satisfaction. "We have other things to discuss, but the major issues are being resolved. We will tell you everything soon."
"No rush," chuckled Ume as Airi ran into the kitchen and began making a racket with her stool while she looked for a plate to put the cookies on. "Sorry about that; she's excited about leaving the cookies out. Her dad sent us translated stories to read, which got her even more ramped up."
"It's no prob...," began Yuzu, only to hear the familiar sound of glass breaking.
"Mama, I broke a glass," came Airi's voice from the kitchen.
"I'm coming," sighed Yuzu and shaking her head. "I'll be right back."
"Be careful," said Mei, watching Yuzu go into the closet and grab the broom and dustpan before heading into the kitchen. "Airi, get away from the glass and stay out of Mama's way."
"I am," said Airi while Yuzu began sweeping the mess.
"You sure you're okay," asked Ume, placing a hand on Mei's head. "From what we heard, it sounded pretty intense."
"It was a lot," said Mei with a tired sigh. "But we're going to figure it out. Thank you for helping with Airi. Also, where did you get that bonnet? It looks much more comfortable than the shower caps we've been using."
"I asked a friend from the States to send it to me," said Sho, sitting across from Mei while they listened to Yuzu gently scold Airi while they prepared the treats. "I told him about Airi's hair and how I was trying to learn how to care for it, and he said he knew someone. I got a couple more at home I can send to you, and yes, we followed the instructions Yuzu sent us while doing her hair."
"Good," said Mei, hoping her father could hear her appreciation. "That's good, and don't worry about it if it comes off. But thank you for everything tonight and for spending time with her. Are you sure you'll be okay with her sharing your room?"
"We already got the bed ready," chuckled Ume, stretching her arms above her head and yawning. "Along with a movie for her to watch when we get back up there. She was almost asleep until Hideki came up, so I expect her to fall asleep fairly quickly."
"I don't doubt it." Mei looked into the kitchen to watch as Yuzu helped Airi finish her preparations and smiled when she saw Airi and Yuzu share a cookie.
"She's a good kid," chuckled Ume when Airi giggled at Yuzu taking a big bite of the cookie, patting her belly, and nodding her head as if to emphasize just how good the cookie was. "I feel they're both going to be all right."
"I believe you're right," said Mei, smiling as Airi came out, holding a plate in her hands while Yuzu carried another one and a glass of milk.
"Are these for me," asked Mei, looking at the plate and noticing four cookies.
"No," said Airi politely before pointing the plate at the altar. "I was gonna give them to Great-Grandpa and Grandpa Okogi. But if you want them, I can get another plate."
"I can get my own," answered Mei before patting Airi's cheek. "You go give those to your grandfathers."
"Can Grandma come with me?" Airi looked to Ume, whose eyes widened in shock, while Sho grinned.
"Of course, she can," said Sho before pushing his seat out and taking his wife's hand. "I'll come too. We'll light some incense for them as well."
Airi grinned while Ume blushed furiously because Sho was enthusiastic about making the offering.
When she asked him why he didn't object, Sho calmly said, "Because he was important to you and Yuzu, and besides, if it weren't for him, we wouldn't have Yuzu or Airi in our lives. That's reason enough for me to pay my respects."
Ume's face turned almost as red as Airi's concert costume when she heard this, and when Yuzu placed the treats down on the table along with a note, Mei asked, "Do you want to join them?"
"I'll do it tomorrow," said Yuzu as she watched Airi place the plate while Sho and Ume prepared the incense. "Besides, it's Christmas tomorrow, and we'll have plenty of food to leave over there, and we're going to clean up the graves next week, and we can leave some when we pay our respects there. I'm fine with this being a moment for them."
"Okay." Mei shifted her seat a little and patted the one next to her, which Yuzu took.
After sitting down, Mei took Yuzu's hand and kissed it before saying, "I'm sorry we didn't get to have a night out tonight."
"It's okay," whispered Yuzu while Airi recounted her day to the pictures. "We've had plenty of dates, and we're going to have plenty more. Although I wish we could have taken that dinner cruise Abby gave us, that sounded fun, and the food looked amazing!"
"It did," agreed Mei with a sigh. "I was looking forward to it as much as you were, but it wasn't meant to be."
"We'll figure something out," said Yuzu turning to Mei and kissing her cheek. "Besides, you can add it to that promise you made about spoiling me, which I'm looking forward to."
"About that," said Mei nervously as she squeezed Yuzu's hand. "Can we postpone it for a little longer? I want to, but after everything that happened today..."
"Of course," said Yuzu moving closer to Mei and pressing her head to her wife's. "We don't have to rush this, Mei. You can spoil me any way you feel comfortable with. I'm happy with food, gifts, trips, whatever you want to give me, I will accept. If all you wanted to do was sit here holding hands or do what we did this morning when we took some time to be alone and hold each other, I would die happy because it was from you. But if you felt like I was forcing you, I am so sorry."
"It's not that," replied Mei, turning and rubbing her nose against Yuzus before giving her a soft, quick kiss. "Believe me, I'm a little nervous but you did not make me feel forced in any way, Yuzu. It's just that after everything that happened today, I'm worn out and tired, and I don't feel I'd be able to give you the attention you deserve."
"I'll be satisfied with what attention you can give me," said Yuzu, pressing her forehead to Mei's. "As long as you give me that, I'll be content."
"Thank you, Yuzu." Mei sighed and managed a small but satisfied smile. "That means a lot, but are you sure that's all you'll be satisfied with? I did get you a present, although it's been delayed."
"I mean, an extra gift is always nice," said Yuzu smirking as she shifted closer to Mei. "What'd you get me? Can you tell me, or do I have to wait for it to come in the mail?
"I'd appreciate it if you could wait," said Mei, amused by Yuzu's giddiness. "It's not a traditional gift, and to be honest, I'm not sure of the quality of it, but when I saw it, all I could think of was how much you'd like it, so I ordered it. It was supposed to be here yesterday, but I think it got delayed due to the extra mail being sent out. I'm sorry you won't open it today."
"I can wait." Yuzu was beaming at the thought of Mei's present and pressed herself as close as possible to the younger woman. "I'm so excited to see what you got me. But if mine's not getting here for a few days, do you want your present now or when mine arrives so we can exchange."
"I'd like to do the exchange," said Mei, turning almost as red as Ume. "I think that's the part I look forward to the most on days like today."
"Then you'll have to stay away from my side of the closet for a few more days," said Yuzu with a sing-song voice. "It took me forever to pick it out, but I know you'll love it."
"I know I will."
Smiling, Mei leaned in and pressed her lips to Yuzu's again, ignoring the noises and whistles from Sho and Ume and the groans of disgust from Airi and Hideki, who'd just walked downstairs.
Instead, she focused on the scent of Yuzu's perfume, the soft feeling of her lover's lips, how Yuzu's breath grew just a bit heavier, and how tightly Yuzu squeezed her hand as she pushed back to return the kiss.
Warmth flooded through Mei's body, and when she pulled back, she saw Yuzu's cheeks had turned red with embarrassment, but Mei could see the love and appreciation in Yuzu's eyes.
"I love you," whispered Mei as she pressed her forehead to Yuzu's and closed her eyes. "Merry Christmas, Yuzu."
"Merry Christmas, Mei," echoed Yuzu, doing the same as she closed her eyes and focused on Mei's breathing and the warmth of her touch. "I love you too."