Page 24 of Blossoms of the Heart
“It looks amazing.”
“I guess it’s my attempt at least for a Rukia welcoming.” He nodded, salt and pepper moustache lifting with his smile.
When he set the tray down, I gave him a big hug for the sentiment. Rukia was his late wife, and more like a mother to me.
There was always a feast waiting for us when we arrived in the summers of the past, when she was alive.
God, I could taste her cakes now.
Rich and delicious with everything amazing. Magical and delightful, that was how I remembered both her and the food.
“Thank you so much. That means a lot to me.”
It did. As we pulled apart I noticed the shine on his dark eyes. It was understandable that he still got teared up at the mention of her. The woman was an angel and it was clear as day that she was his soul mate.
We lost her to cancer when I was fifteen.
It was one of the saddest times I could remember. The summer of that year had been awful. She died two weeks before we arrived, so it was as if we were coming over for her funeral.
I cried so much, but… something else happened that summer that I would remember. It was the moment when Tai and I first got close.
He comforted me.
Prior to that summer visiting Japan saw me swooning over him and his gorgeousness, sneaking off to spy on him while he hung out with his friends—the older, cooler kids and of course the prettiest girls imaginable—and him terrorizing me.
He’d either scare me half to death with his ghost stories about damn evil yokai or he’d make fun of me in some way.
Didn’t stop me from crushing on him, though, much to my mother’s great annoyance. She couldn’t believe that I’d go for someone like Tai. It just confirmed that she’d emerged from under a rock after the dinosaurs because what woman didn’t like a badass, panty-melting guy who could make you think of every sinful thought under the sun with one look?
Her, that’s who. Although I was certain she’d had her day before Dad.
“You’re dressed up?” Akito tilted his head to the side and gave me a quizzical look.
“Mitsuke, blame her. She won’t allow me to rest so I can be fresh for work tomorrow.”
He laughed and sat down on the wicker chair near the dressing table. I sat on the edge of my bed.
“I can’t say that I’m surprised but I was hoping to catch up with you.”
“We can catch up, I have a feeling I’ll be out for a while. But rest assured I will be a hundred percent tomorrow.”
He waved me off with a flick of his large burly hands. “No, Phoebe, to be real honest I didn’t expect you to start this week. The time difference alone is going to catch up with you at some point and you must be exhausted.”
I nodded. “I am but it’s exciting right? Japan.”
“Sweetie, I live here. The novelty’s worn off on me but I know what you mean. Don’t leave it too long next time. I love having my daughters around.” He always looked after me like I was his own and when Mitsuke visited me in Chicago, Dad would be the same with her.
I liked that they were like that. It was a good way to live.
“I love being here. Especially here.”
“I know you do.” He chuckled.
Akito lived in a eight bedroom two story house in Kanagawa. It was an hour away from Tokyo so perfect for travel to work and perfect to get a healthy dose of what Japan had to offer.
The house was impressive with its blend of modern architecture and the traditional Japanese style of houses. However it was complimented by acres of land with a lake running around it and five gardens.
There were two smaller cottages at either end of the grounds, which was where I used to stay with my family when we visited years ago. Tai and his family would either have the other or stay in the main house depending on how many of them came.
