She fell back asleep sometime after her conversation with Remi and was awakened to the excited exclamation of Mimosa.
“Ren-ane! Look, we're here!” She didn’t question how she got from her side to Remi’s and directly dragged her over to a window. “Everything is so small and there are so many trees!”
Amaryllis looked down from the window and admired the solid green of the trees that contrasted with the pale colors of the buildings below. She had vague memories of arriving in the small private airport near College Park, but the sight of the city beneath her cemented her new reality. She was returning to America, the place which had completely changed who she thought she would be. She was returning to the Fontaine family and eventually the Olypmians as well.
“Sugoi,” she expressed with a soft smile on her face. I’ve returned, America.
She turned to look back and saw Remi and Tsubaki looking at them with fond smiles. She felt her cheeks heat a bit as her mind tried to come to terms with her childish behavior. It would be difficult for the next few years as her mind adjusted back to her current age. Amaryllis’ soul may be old, but a child will still be a child.
She rushed over to them and tugged at her mother’s hand. “Haha, come look with us,” she begged and was quickly joined by the call of her sister.
“Mom, look!” They both insisted and urged their stern mother to the small window of the jet.
Together, the three females looked at the far stretches of vibrant greens and pale whites. It was their first sight of America before landing. Nothing breathtaking, but a place of beauty for those willing to find it.
----
It didn’t take long for the pilot to signal for their landing and the family returned to their seats. The airport that they landed at was small and only had enough space to support a few planes at a time and it didn’t take long for them to disembark. The owner of the airport had an amiable smile on his face as he came face to face with the small family. He needed to keep a good relationship with the Fontaine family as they continued to insist the best way to enter Bethesda was through his airport compared to other locations. He didn’t have luxurious accommodations, but his discretion and loyalty to his customers couldn’t be compared. Ever since his family opened the airport to the public in the early 1900s they pride themselves in their connections to a few select families from the area and the Fontaine’s were one such family.
“Mr Remington,” The owner called in an infectious tone. “You arrived just on time!” He exclaimed and looked over them with an appraising look. His gaze landed on the new addition to the usual threesome. “Is this the rumored new daughter of the Fontaines?”
Remi had a neutral expression on his face as he stood arm in arm with Tsubaki and one of the girls on either side of them. He held hands with Mimosa, who kept swinging their hands back and forth in impatience. Amaryllis, on the other hand, stood still next to her mother and the resemblance between the two seemed more pronounced.
Both of them had long dark brown hair with a hint of a wave which contrasted against their clear skin. They had matching dark chocolate orbs which seemed to magnify the shape of their almond eyes. It was almost a little uncanny how close their facial expressions were as they promptly ignored the personal question from the airport owner. The gaze of a superior being unwilling to listen to the whispers of their subjects.
Amaryllis tugged gently on her mother’s hand, “Can we leave?”
The airport owner maintained his upbeat expression though the corner of his eye twitched. It was hard being him when confronted with Mrs Fontaine-to-be and her young daughter. The rumors of the Japanese heiress and her daughter from a past marriage were that they were full of themselves and unprepared for the international stage that was America. From what he could tell, those people were wrong and it was that these Japanese princesses could care less and the world would eagerly come to them.
“Your car is set to arrive this very moment,” the owner enthused and guided them to the front. He felt a stare drill into his back and prompted him to speed up in his pursuit of ridding himself of them. It would be best to have them be on their way and to keep his gossip-loving mouth shut.
----
Remi had a car waiting for them as it would take another twenty minutes for the family to arrive at the family estate in Bethesda. Amaryllis recalled that they made this stop to meet Camellia and Obelix Fontaine, an informal introduction to her step-family. She wouldn’t make any formal introductions with the Fontaine family until Tsubaki and Remi’s public wedding ceremony in January.
She was still hesitant about meeting the appraising gaze of Camellia despite the knowledge of Remi’s support. The lack of acknowledgment and the feeling of having to prove herself to strangers never sat well with her.
She nibbled on her lower lip as the car exited the airport and headed towards the highway. She was in the back, seated across from Mimosa. She couldn’t see Remi’s or Tsubaki’s expressions and was left to her thoughts.
A small finger jabbed her arm and caused her to let out a small gasp. “We’re going to see Grangran and Popop!” Mimosa exclaimed as she caught her attention. “They always give me tons of candies!”
Candies? It would be nice to be excited about something as simple as candies again. “Really?” She questioned in a curious tone. Amaryllis was certain she wouldn’t be touching any of Mimosa’s candies for a while.
“Yep,” she nodded seriously and counted off on her hand. “They gave me as many candies as I have toes and fingers. They give only me and Mari the good stuff.”
Amaryllis tilted her head at the mention of someone named Mari. She couldn’t recall any relative by that name. “Mari?” She called in a slightly louder voice, hoping for Remi’s answer.
“She’s your cousin. The only daughter of my Uncle Goddard,” Remi supplied from in front of them.
She still couldn’t recall such a cousin from her memory but made a sound of acknowledgment.
“Mari and me are the bestest of friends!” Mimosa proclaimed and puffed out her chest. “So you’re going to have to love Mari and Grangran and Popop as much as I do!”
“How much?” Amaryllis supplied with raised eyebrows. She had never talked to Mimosa like this and never really thought of her opinion of her relatives.
Mimosa held up her hands and stretched them as far away from each as she could, “This much!”
She copied her motion and looked at her in question. Mimosa was quick to assure her of the validity of her understanding. It appeared Amaryllis was required to love the persons in question as much as she could. Although Grangran and Popop were opposed to herself and Tsubaki.
Amaryllis wished herself luck as she entertained her sister in silly conversations about candies and pretty dresses. She suddenly wished for the release of the iPhone and downloadable movies. It was exhausting to keep someone as excitable as Mimosa entertained for long periods.
----
She didn’t remember being stuck in traffic or the unrelenting whining from her sister. It grated on her nerves which she had thought to have outgrown. Amaryllis slowly moved her head to the side as she regarded the petulant expression on her sister’s face.
“Daddy!” Mimosa cried and her short legs bounced against her seat. It was a steady rhythm as the adults in the car promptly ignored them.
From the rearview mirror, Amaryllis could see the annoyance building between her mother’s brows and the steady tensing of Remi’s brows. She promptly aimed her foot at her sister’s ankle. She managed to land a light hit which caused her target to kick upwards and sail into the back of Remi’s seat. It was one of those moments where humans watched a disaster with wide eyes. Remi jerked in his seat and gripped the steering wheel and leveled a glare at the both of them.
“Mimosa…” he began in a steady tone. She recognized the tone from the countless times he would lecture her for her less than appropriate behavior.
“Ren kicked me!” Mimosa called in defense of herself as she fixed teary eyes with her father. “And I didn’t do anything!”
“You kept whining!” Amaryllis shot back with crossed arms. “I was only trying to get you to shut up!”
A hand-stretched across from the passenger seat and landed on Remi’s arm. “Mimosa, why don’t we try calling Grangran,” she already had her fiance’s phone in hand. “And Ren, you should know better. Next time use your words, not your foot.”
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Mimosa’s eyes brightened and her small hands impatiently reached for the phone. She, on the other hand, felt a burst of betrayal as she proceeded to sulk. She had forgotten this sensation. The moments where Mimosa was distracted from her problems and Amaryllis was scolded for causing them. Logically, Tsubaki had a right to scold her in this instance, but it didn’t soothe the raw emotion that was built in her chest.
“Tsubaki,” Remi glanced over at her, “Don’t reward her just yet.” He angled his gaze back towards them and settled on the space between the two girls. “Mimosa, you shouldn’t have been whining like that. We’ve talked about this before. It’s time to outgrow the tantrums.”
It wasn’t scolding or correcting like Amaryllis was used to from both of them. It was a reminder. The raw part of her chest eased slightly and she felt the urge to cry disappear. She had never witnessed anything like that. It was always her mother saying something to her and Remi would remain silent.
Mimosa placed her hands down in her lap and glanced over at her. “Okay… I’m sorry,” she grumbled and instantly her hands were back in the air. “Can I talk to Grangran now?”
Tsubaki had a perplexed expression on her face as she handed the phone back. “Did something happen?”
Remi gave her a knowing smile and even had the gall to wink at Amaryllis.
She blinked her eyes in response to his behavior and felt a bout of laughter, “Orokana mamachichi.”
“Ren!” Tsubaki sputtered at her words. “You don’t talk to…”
Remi was the one to reach across and laid a hand on his partner’s arm. “It’s alright. We have an understanding.”
Amaryllis’ eyes sparkled as she regarded him.
The memory resurfaced as she thought back to one of the rare moments her chichi and mother fought in front of her. She had gotten too excited and done something which would be described as rambunctious by most but was considered unruly by Tsubaki. They were getting into the car and Tsubaki began to lecture her about appropriate behavior for the granddaughter of the Hoshiko family. Chichi had rounded on her mother and said to let it go. They had both got into an argument about her bad behavior being her father’s fault and somewhere it had twisted around to her mother being too haughty and her chichi being too lax.
She never doubted her mother’s love for her, but it was a love that carried a lot of expectations. Tsubaki was the only daughter of the Hoshiko family and she had remarried her lover and left Japan behind. In the eyes of the Japanese elite, Amaryllis had been the only untainted one from her mother’s mistakes. As some would say, the children were innocent. It had been left to her to show the world the best of the Hoshiko family. Hoshiko Heiress was her title despite her childhood in America and a new name. A legacy that everyone expected her to fix for them. It had been like that even when her mother was married to her chichi. She was responsible for correcting her mother’s mistakes in an unspoken agreement between her grandparents and mother.
That left the position of giving her room to breathe to her father when she couldn’t speak up for herself. Amaryllis didn’t realize how freeing it felt to have Remi do the same. The first time around she never let him do that. Didn’t let him care for her.
“She likes me and promises to like you too, but only if you give her the good like Mari and me!” A bright voice interrupted her reminiscing.
She looked over to witness her sister energetically talking into the phone and the image painted of herself to Camellia Fontaine at those words caused her blood to run cold.
“Don’t tell her that!” Amaryllis screeched as she sat bolt upright. She had her most fierce glare on her tiny face and felt that she resembled a disgruntled chipmunk instead of anything too imposing.
Mimosa was, in turn, not bothered by her expression. She reached an eager hand out with the phone within Amaryllis’ grasp. “Grangran wants to talk to you.”
She looked at the phone like it was a wild animal that had to be approached with caution. She held it up to her ear and quietly called, “This is Ren.”
There was a sharp intake of breath before an equally cautious voice replied, “Hi Ren. Mimosa told me about you.”
“She did… “ she mumbled and sent a disgruntled look towards her half-sibling. “You don’t have to give me candy… At least not the same things as Mimosa… I don’t expect…” She was rambling. Jesus, even after decades of ignoring this woman she still managed to terrify her.
A laugh echoed on the other end and the sounds of footsteps echoed. “Do you like sweet things or sour things?”
“Eh…” she blinked, “sour then sweet. Like a good peach.” The image of the thin strips of Fettuccine Gummi flashed in her mind.
“Peaches…” Camellia mused and the sound of something opening peaked through. She could almost hear the faint hum of a refrigerator. “I have some fresh peaches. Do you like them fresh?”
“En,” she numbly responded as her childish mouth watered for the taste of fresh peaches. When was the last time she had the mentality to crave peaches like they were expensive delicacies?
“I’ll save a peach for you then. Can you give the phone to your step-father for me?” The voice answered and the sound of running water accompanied it.
Amaryllis reached out to present the phone and at the same moment, the streets cleared. Everything cleared. Remi reached for the phone and explained the traffic jam and that they were on their way. The cars in front of them moved forwards and they were finally approaching the exit from the highway. The tension in her mother dispersed as a bit of amazement leaked through. Mimosa didn’t have an impatient expression as she calmly looked out the window.
She turned her attention to herself. The tension and fright in her gut were gone. Camellia Fontaine had never struck her as someone who would ask her preference in candy. Not to mention a promise to save one for her. A fresh peach was waiting for her like a piece of Mimosa’s favorite candy. What did any of it mean?
----
The car pulled up to the sidewalk and Amaryllis was treated to the same view of black iron fencing. There was a garage at the back of the house, but it was only used to keep a couple of Obeliex’s vintage cars in good condition. The fencing felt less imposing as she observed the tangle of greenery which wound itself around it. She never noticed the several flower buds which peaked out underneath delicate leaves. The bright image of flowers blooming over the fencing appeared before her mind. The house itself was still covered from the foundation to roof in climbing ivy and the intricately designed wooden door atop a stone entryway.
Amaryllis remembered the various flowers which were carved into it. There have been the common flowers that everyone could name instantly and the uncommon ones which took a certain type to recognize. At the top was a symbol of a bell that had the Fontaine name written across it in a flourishing script. When she had inherited the house, after everyone’s passing, she had decided to destroy the door and replace it with a new one. It had been another reminder of her status as an ‘outsider’ that she had destroyed without remorse. Those flowers represented the various women in the Fontaine family while the leaves and stems carried the names of the men. It was a door that had adorned the home of the head of the Fontaine family for generations.
She blew out a breath as her eyes subconsciously moved towards that front door. She zoned in on it and instead met a pair of brown eyes. She inhaled sharply as the woman walked over towards them. Amaryllis knew that she wasn’t paying any extra or less attention to her then the rest, but the sight of this woman without judgment or anger on her face after thirty-some years left a sour feeling in her chest.
She wanted to go back into the car and hide away from everyone. She was scared again. What if Camellia saw something and decided she wasn’t worthy of a peach? She wanted that peach. She gripped her skirt as she fought back the torrent of emotions in her chest. Amaryllis was a changed person. She wasn’t alone in this strange country with strange people. She had a stupid half-sister and step-father. She had her stern mother. She wasn’t alone. She glanced back at Camellia and held a hand over her heart. Calm. I am calm. She didn’t need the peach even if she wanted it. It wasn’t about getting everything she wanted, but taking what was given instead.
Camellia still wore simple and comfortable clothing when she didn’t wear a business suit. A loose-fitting white turtleneck, black wide-legged pants, and a light brown sweater that brushed the tops of her boots. An outfit that should have been unnoticeable, but it only enhanced her assured posture. She still had the ring on her finger which was a Fontaine heirloom and had been gifted to her from her mother-in-law. Except, she didn’t stand offensively on the opposite side of the fence instead she walked over to them and embraced her son.
“I was almost certain you wouldn’t dare come. Remington, you haven’t been to visit your mother and father enough,” she scolded and turned towards Tsubaki. There was a bit of sheepishness on her face as she pulled her away from Remington. “The tea you recommended helped dear Felix out.” It wasn’t a straightforward offer of thanks, but it caused her stiff mother to relax and offer a demure smile.
“I’m glad,” she responded. “It’s my job to take care of my elders.”
Amaryllis watched as Mimosa partially launched herself at her grandmother’s form. “Grangran! Why haven’t you said anything to Mimi-chan yet!”
“Mimi-chan…” Camellia responded with a bit of a twitch in her brows.
“Hmm… That’s my special nickname and it means Renren likes me,” Mimosa explained in a very serious tone as she clung to her grandmother’s hands.
This caused Camellia to turn her attention towards Amaryllis. She approached her and waved the girl closer to her. Amaryllis felt her earlier calm desert her as she met those brown eyes. Why did she look eager? It wasn’t as bad as her scrutinizing gaze from her youth, but this was even more terrifying!
She walked over to Camellia and looked at the white expanse of her top. “We talked on the phone. I’m Ren,” she responded in a stiff voice which had her mother giving her a sideways look. The silent message, Say something better than that! Amaryllis felt herself jump as she started again, “You have a really big house with a lot of green plants. Do you like to garden a lot? I noticed even the fence has plants. Do they make flowers because I saw little flower buds on them?” She felt the exasperated gaze of her motherland on her and she firmly clamped her mouth shut. She hadn’t descended into uselessly rambling like that in years. She was once more a little girl despite the added years of patience and foresight. Amaryllis felt her face heat with embarrassment as she tried to realign her thoughts to the present.
“Camellia, I apologize for Ren’s behavior. She’s usually more composed than this,” Tsubaki announced.
Why did every misstep need to be apologized for while every triumph was expected? She clenched her jaw and looked down at the sidewalk. Failure. Disapproval. It tasted as bitter as always and the pressure in her chest from holding back her tears started to burn. She roughly cleared her throat, “Do you like to garden?” She sounded like she was seconds away from crying. Amaryllis, there’s no obvious reason for crying. Mother will disapprove.
A soft hand was placed on her shoulder and she flinched away from it. She didn’t need to be comforted. She needed to calm herself down. She looked up at the source of the touch with anger tinged shame. A weak little girl wouldn’t be allowed to be seen, to be heard. She couldn’t show it outside. “Do you like to garden?” She inquired again as her face contorted in an attempt to prevent her tears.
Camellia retracted her hand and a strange expression crossed her face before it smoothed over. “I like flowers. I leave gardening to Mrs Clabaugh.” She glanced over at Tsubaki and a hard look was in her eyes. Amaryllis tentatively observed the interaction as her mother’s face flashed with guilt before it smoothed over. She had never seen Camellia look at her mother like that, at least not in front of her. “Why don’t I show you some of the flowers in the back? The rest of you can locate Felix in the house.” There wasn’t any time for objections as Camellia rested a light hand on Amaryllis’ shoulder and guided her around the house to the back.
----
Pink. There were so many shades of pink. The romantic dark blush of roses nestled against the dark green that covered the back walls of the house. The lighter hints of a child’s rosy cheeks were seen in the camellias which were intermixed with the older sister’s romanticism. It was as dizzying to her as it was enchanting. She couldn’t stop herself from becoming fixated on the bush of white roses that were nestled in a corner near the back door. Amaryllis felt calmer as her small fingers stretched out to brush the petals.
Camellia hadn’t said much except to name a few of the more uncommon flowers in her garden. She stood alongside her before the rose bush and knelt to examine one of the flowers. “Why did you cry?”
Amaryllis stiffened at the question and stared more intently at the flower. What was with them asking about her tears in this lifetime? It was Remington and now it was her. “I shouldn’t cry in front of people,” she deflected. “Haha was correct. I’m usually more composed.”
“All the more reason to ask why,” she responded and rose with a heavy sigh. “I’ve met people like your mother and you. People who shouldn’t cry. One moment they are perfectly fine and the next they notice something. Something silly and insignificant, but it makes them cry.”
Each word was like a sharp stab in the heart. A child who didn’t know how to cry would choose another emotion. An emotion like arrogance to shield them. A child who didn’t know how to explain wouldn’t be understood. “She got mad at me. I failed. Haha says that when I fail, I fail everyone around me.”
“What did you fail?”
“I...I embarrassed her.”
“How.”
“I should have made a good impression, but…”
Silence fell between them. Amaryllis looked up at Camellia and felt so exposed. She had never told anyone about those tangled emotions in her. Not until she was old and alone. She wanted a reprimand, something to convince her to hide behind her old facade. An escape from this sense of shame.
“You didn’t fail because all of this doesn’t rely on you,” Camellia finally announced. “Everything that is happening is on your mother, not you. I don’t need to be impressed by you because by the end of the year you will be my granddaughter. I don’t expect anything from you, but how far will your pride take you.”