Volume 17 - Like Family, Chapter 133 - Clearing Skies

After giving her mother a tour of the property, Yuisu excused herself to prepare dinner. The girls were all capable of cooking for themselves, for the most part, but Yuisu felt obligated to be a proper host for her mother. And she was actually looking forward to having some time to herself while she cooked.

As she prepared a large and varied meal, with offerings for vegetarians and carnivores, she tried to think of ways to repair her relationship with her mother. If she really does want to reconnect with me, maybe all we have to do is talk things through… without digging up the same old drama again. She paused in the middle of chopping a huge pile of veggies, then thought, Easier said than done. The last time we spoke on the phone, I barely got two sentences in before she brought up college again and the fighting started.

Hoping that things would go better this time, Yuisu went back to cooking, tossing the chopped vegetables into one of two large woks on the stove. Then Rem offered to help out with dinner, since she was still on the clock and the reduced guest-count meant she'd quickly finished her maid work, but Yuisu declined. Instead, as Rem's last duty for the day, Yuisu asked her to go fetch Kazumi, who had been relaxing in her cabin.

"You got it, Boss," the cheerful gremlin replied as she scampered out of the kitchen and down the hall to the back door. Once outside, Rem darted from tree to tree to avoid the rain, her triangular ears twitching in time with the tune she was humming. For the return trip, she hoped to borrow some protection from Kazumi's umbrella. After all, if Yuisu's mom was anything like Yuisu, she'd be incredibly kind and welcoming.

Rem's assumption was at least partially true. Kazumi smiled and welcomed Rem inside the cabin, but she wasn't in a mood for any further pleasantries; she appeared to be preoccupied with her thoughts. When Rem invited her to dinner, Kazumi just nodded and wordlessly grabbed an umbrella.

With one foot out the door, Kazumi stopped and peered down at Rem. "Um, would you like to join me under my umbrella?"

Rem beamed up at her. "That'd be great. Though it might be best if you carry me so I'm not underfoot, especially on the wet trail."

Kazumi smiled again and it looked far more genuine this time. It seemed she'd pulled free of her heavy thoughts. "Alright. I thought about offering that, but I wasn't sure whether gremlins were opposed to being held, the way some small liminals are." As she spoke, she crouched down and offered a flat palm for Rem to climb on.

Rem hopped up, then said, "Thanks! Though I'm a bit surprised you recognized that I'm a gremlin. We're not very well known."

Kazumi stood upright and stepped out of the cabin. As she awkwardly closed the door with the same hand that was holding her umbrella, she said, "I met one once at my work. I'm a receptionist for a multi-business building, so I see a fair number of liminals. And I get a close look at the smallest ones, since they usually stand on the desk to talk to me."

"Ohh, that makes sense. And did you meet someone that didn't like to be carried?"

"Yes, a pooka, a rabbit-eared woman smaller than you. She became really upset at the man she was meeting for just offering to pick her up. She tore into him about it for a couple minutes, until she got distracted by the smartwatch he was wearing."

As she rode on Kazumi's hand, Rem mused aloud, "So pookas don't like to be carried, and they love technology?"

Kazumi shrugged. "Maybe, or maybe those were just her own personal quirks."

Rem felt like she could understand that, given her own very personal issue with being treated like a doll. As she wondered whether it had been bigoted to assume that all pookas were the same, they arrived at the back porch and went inside. The delicious scent of food blew other thoughts away.

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Dinner was… tense. Everyone was on their very best behavior for Kazumi, but it was obviously forced. Mara fought to keep from wiggling or talking too loudly, which made her look uncharacteristically shy and distressed, and the other girls weren't doing much better. Everyone was stiff and quiet and unnaturally polite.

"How are you liking the inn, Miss Nakahara?" Chione asked. She was just as polite as always, but the atmosphere had stifled her bubbly personality.

Kazumi answered, "It's very nice. The cabin is really comfy, and I love the little park area." She glanced around at the other women at the large table and added, "I heard you all built that shrine?"

Hakuto raised a furry white paw, then gestured to her right. "Actually, Mara and Tsuen made it all by themselves. I'm very thankful to them for that."

Mara and Tsuen gave little nods, then busied themselves with their meals, since they didn't know where to direct the conversation next.

All the girls were also very careful not to mention their relationships or sexuality, since they weren't sure how much to reveal to Yuisu's mother. Of course, Aluru would normally have broken the ice by blurting out something blunt and lewd, but she was still withdrawn and wilted from the lack of sunlight.

Thankfully, Yuisu took the plunge. She looked at her mom, seated to her left at the head of the table, and straightforwardly said, "Oh, I should introduce everyone. Haru was my first Interspecies Exchange Program homestay, starting in January of last year, and we're dating now."

After that abrupt reveal, she continued, "Other than Rem, who works here as a maid, the other girls are also homestays. And they were assigned here because of their sexuality, so that they could find a home where their species and sexuality could be accepted."

Yuisu went on to introduce the other women, but Kazumi barely registered it; she was focused on the first bit, the part about the woman in her daughter's life. "You're dating, hmm?" she muttered as she looked Haru over with piercing eyes.

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Haru was never one to shy away from a challenging situation, so she sat up perfectly straight, met Kazumi's gaze, and introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you properly, Miss Nakahara. In addition to what Yuisu already said, I was a military police officer for the Harpy Nation before I joined the Exchange Program. Now I work at the butcher shop in town, and help out around the inn where I can."

Kazumi nodded impassively. She was actually a bit unnerved by Haru's obvious strength and intense background, but she was also glad that Yuisu had someone strong and dependable in her life.

Then she said, "I've heard that Exchange Program homestays typically last one to two years. With the two year mark coming up, what are your plans?"

Yuisu and Haru both flinched. They hadn't expected that question, though perhaps they should have. Yuisu scrambled to come up with a reply, thinking, That really is coming up soon, isn't it? Just over two months away, and then Haru either has to graduate or ask for an extension. And what will happen to us if she graduates before we get married?

Haru was the first to recover from the shock and respond. She answered, "I'll be wrapping up the last few requirements in the next month or so. I'm on track to be ready to graduate before the deadline. Yuisu and I will have to talk about how that affects our relationship."

Yuisu noticed the particular way Haru had phrased that. She said she'd be ready to graduate, but not that she would go through with it. Like Yuisu, Haru must have been worried about graduating and potentially needing to leave Yuisu behind.

Come to think of it, Mara and Tsuen's two-year marks are approaching too… Yuisu thought, We've all been so caught up with relationships and work that we've been putting off the whole reason they're here. We'll need to sit down and plan this out soon.

While Yuisu was lost in thought, Haru added, "Oh, and I won't be the first of Yuisu's homestays to graduate. Two of her previous homestays graduated early, got married, and bought a house in town together." Haru wanted to make sure Kazumi knew about Yuisu's impressive accomplishments and all the good she did as an Exchange Program host.

Mara, having given up on acting reserved, chipped in, "Don't forget about their adorable kid, Pwess! She's kinda the reason they graduated early."

Yuisu coughed in surprise. She had hoped that Pwess's pre-marital birth wouldn't come up in conversation, because she had no idea how her mother would handle it. Yuisu's father had bailed before Yuisu was born, and it changed Kazumi's life forever. Yuisu had always assumed that marriage was a touchy subject for her mother, so she never brought it up.

Yuisu watched her mother closely, but she didn't react the way Yuisu expected.

"Ah, to be young and in love…" Kazumi said wistfully, a slight smile on her face.

Mara grinned wide. "Actually, they aren't young at all. I got the impression that Quess was around your age, and her wife Iormu is super old, like literally ancient."

Kazumi's smile melted into a puzzled look. It wasn't clear whether her confusion stemmed from Iormu's age or the unusual phrase 'her wife' and everything it implied, such as the fact that two women had somehow had an accidental child. In any case, she was very lost.

Tsuen raised a hand and said, "If you'd like, I could explain everything from the beginning."

Kazumi looked visibly relieved as she said, "Yes, I'd appreciate that."

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The next day was a quiet one, other than the constant patter of rain on the roof of the inn. Yuisu and Kazumi were sitting in the living room, sipping hot tea and watching the rain through the large window next to the crackling fireplace. The two women were seated on opposite ends of the couch, with an obvious stretch of space between them.

Kazumi took a small sip of green tea, then broke the silence. "I know you haven't met him, but did I ever mention Mitsuhiro to you?"

Yuisu shook her head. She'd never heard the name before.

"I suppose not. You and I weren't talking, after all." Kazumi took a breath and continued, "Well, I met Mitsuhiro through work, and we started dating about two years ago. He used to travel all the time for his job, but now he's settled down."

After a long pause, she said, "I really thought it was going to work out." She looked down at her teacup. "We broke up three weeks ago."

"Ah." It was all Yuisu could think to say. She'd never been through a serious breakup herself, and she was especially inexperienced at consoling her mother. Ever since Yuisu's teenage years, they just couldn't seem to get along, like oil and water.

Thankfully, Kazumi didn't seem to expect anything more from Yuisu. She resumed speaking, her voice quiet and a bit unsure. "I know this sounds selfish, but that's the main reason I came to visit."

"Because you broke up?" Yuisu wasn't sure how the two things were related.

"Because I'm lonely, Yuisu, and I want to reconnect with you." Kazumi turned and looked at Yuisu with a hopeful expression. "I want to have a family again. Do you?"

Yuisu felt a bitter temptation to make a spiteful remark about how Kazumi used to have a family, before she abandoned Yuisu and Ichiro. But she held her tongue. She thought of how Haru asked her to give Kazumi a chance. She remembered the way Haru had prayed in Hakuto's shrine, most likely for this to work out.

Instead, Yuisu said, "I found a new family here, but… I wouldn't mind having a mother again." Yuisu set her tea aside and scooted to her mother's side, and put a hand on her knee.

"Thank you for giving me a second chance, Yuisu," Kazumi said with tears forming in her eyes. "And thank you for being there for Ichiro. I never wanted him to be alone, but I was so afraid that you were missing out on your only chance to be successful."

She swallowed a mouthful of tea, and her pride. She set the teacup down on the end table, then said, "I see now that you were successful despite coming here to live with Ichiro, or more likely because of that. This was a better path for you than college." Then she pulled Yuisu into a hug, holding her daughter for the first time in years.

Yuisu nodded in agreement, at least as much as the tight hug would allow. She whispered, "This inn, and my new family… I only have them because of Uncle Ichiro." She didn't need to say that Ichiro had been a wonderful and amazingly kind man. They both knew that.

Surprisingly, Kazumi shook her head. "No, most of this was your doing. You always put your all into the things you care about, and you've accomplished so much. I'm sorry for ever doubting you, Yuisu."

For over an hour, they sat side by side, chatting and enjoying the warmth of their tea, the fireplace, and each other. Then the rain finally stopped. Sunbeams broke through the clouds and the droplet-covered trees sparkled in the light.

"Now that the weather's clear, I guess I should be going," Kazumi said, referring to Yuisu's offer to stay just until the weather cleared.

Yuisu shook her head and said, "That was just me being a brat. You don't have to leave."

Kazumi smiled. "I do have a life of my own to get back to, even if it is just being a receptionist."

Yuisu grabbed her mom's hand. She didn't want her to go. They'd only just been reunited. "At least stay tonight. Now that it's not raining, we can visit the hot spring, and the stars might even be visible. They're really beautiful up here."

"Hmm…" Kazumi acted conflicted for several seconds before answering, "I suppose I can stay one more night, just to see the stars. And I'll visit again soon."

Yuisu said, "For, uh, various reasons, unexpected arrivals drive me crazy. So, when would you like to visit next? Christmas is booked up, but I can get you a room basically any other time."

Kazumi put an arm around Yuisu's shoulder as they continued to look out the window. Side by side, their resemblance was undeniable. Yuisu had her mother's vibrant green eyes, straight black hair, and her slightly mischievous smile. "How about December 2nd?"

Yuisu smiled wide with tears in her eyes. The 2nd was Ichiro's birthday, and she could think of no better way to celebrate it than spending it with family. "That sounds wonderful, mom."