A Little SurpriseAi knew something was up even before she woke up.
It didn't take preternatural senses to know this -- the conspicuous lack of a familiar warmth latched to her side sent an alarming jolt through her still groggy mind.
Even then, it took several moments to process the scattered links into a coherent chain of thought. As a rule, Riho rarely if ever woke up before her. Extricating herself from that death grip was something on order of a morning workout, while waking her dear daughter up for breakfast afterwards was a daily ritual. Ai had learnt years ago to ignore the muttered "five more minutes" on a school day, though she
did allow the kid to sleep in when there was nothing pressing to wake up for.
Trying to get Riho to sleep in her own futon was an exercise in futility, as her little girl tended to automatically find her way to wherever Ai happened to be sleeping. Ai had thought that the situation would improve with age, but the only result so far was that
she was the one getting used to things. That said, she didn't really mind having her daughter share her bed. It was normal to be close to your children, and they shared a closer bond than most.
When her half-hearted flailing with one hand failed to detect the presence of her personal remora, it was with more than a mere
frisson of worry that she opened her eyes. Maternal paranoia kicked in full force as she inwardly panicked over what could have happened, until something occurred to her as she took stock of the room she was currently alone in.
It. Was. Spotless.
Now, Ai kept a clean house and spotlessness was not such a rarity. However, having an active kid who hated tidying up after herself tended to sabotage her attempts to make sure everything was scrupulously neat and in their rightful places. It was frequently a source of exasperation for the fastidious Takahashi.
What she was faced with currently, however, could practically be enshrined as a tribute to the altar of Order. Everything, at a glance, was precisely where it was supposed to be. Even the dressing table was meticulously organized and the various objects placed at aesthetic angles. Ai was impressed. Not even she was
that anal.
Yet her mind could not focus on this apparent miracle, since it was occupied with a far more pressing issue: Where. Was. Her. Daughter?
No time like the present to check things out, Ai concluded. Still bemused, she slid out of bed -- and made it out of habit -- before checking quickly in the closets. No Riho. A quick peek into the bathroom yielded the same results.
Where could her daughter be? Fear was starting to creep in. Ai wondered if the last 12 years had been but a mere dream, and she had always been, and always would be, alone...
The hallway was silent as she stepped out. The pale light of false dawn seeped through the light curtains on the far side of the living area, and it was in that direction that Ai went, anxiety gnawing at her innards. All that worrying was making her hover perilously close to tears, and she felt a vast surge of relief when she caught sight of her beloved daughter asleep with her head buried in a pillow of her arms on the dining table.
She was about to launch into an automatic reprimand as she neared her dozing daughter, when suddenly Riho jerked up from her sleep with a wild look in her eye, turning this way and that in panic. Her initial words was garbled and murred by sleep, but Ai heard "Tanaka-san", "I'm not slacking off" and "please don't kill me", which was enough for her to fill in the rest.
Suppressing a chuckle that was half-hysteric from her sheer relief at seeing her daughter safe and sound, Ai reached forward and ruffled the unruly locks of her little girl, who blinked rapidly and craned her neck backwards to level an owlish sort of gaze at her mother. Ai said nothing, though she narrowed her eyes, waiting for an explanation.
"Ahhhh!!!" Riho shrieked in a most unladylike way, then blushed in embarrassment as she sprang from the chair, her hands covering her face. Ai tapped her foot impatiently, though her eyes strayed over to the table, where preparations for breakfast were halfway ready.
It didn't take a genius to put things together. Her daughter was obviously trying to impress her, and Ai only just belatedly remembered that today was Mothers' Day, so that took care of the 'why' of things. She could only hope that the kitchen was not...destroyed...like that one time, three years ago.
"Um, Mama! You just...sit down here first and I'll get everything ready in a bit!" Riho flailed about wildly, ushering (or kind of shoving, really) her bemused mother into her just vacated seat. Deciding to humour her daughter, Ai gave in with little resistance, wondering just what Riho had in store for her this time.
Her daughter always took these things so very seriously. Last year, she had put up a puppet show using the various stuffed animals as props. Her drama background really showed in the various voices she utilized for the characters in the performance. Ai had been heartily amused by it, and touched by the amount of effort her little girl had put in for her sake.
She didn't have to wait long. Riho must have had things all done already before deciding to take a quick nap at the table. Ai was inwardly tickled by the lopsided sausage grin underneath the googly egg yolk eyes on the plate shoved in front of her. It was just so...cute.
Best of all, it wasn't even burnt!
Smiling widely, Ai clapped her hands together with a quick "itadakimasu", her eyes flashing over to the visibly tired but gleeful Riho...who looked like a cat that got the canary. Ai wondered what else the crafty little brat had under her sleeve. Mothers always knew when something was up.
Under the expectant gaze of her daughter, Ai lifted a forkful of breakfast to her mouth, taking care to chew carefully. She was already inordinately proud of how Riho had taken the initiative to do this, and had few expectations for the meal...
...which, actually, tasted surprisingly good. Even if the sausage was a tad overcooked.
"This is good." Ai declared after a moment of contented chewing, which sent an expression of vast relief cascading through her daughter's face. Ai hid a smile at that. No doubt her child had practiced fervently to make up for the culinary accident that one time. Her Riho was a perfectionist, and it showed. Ai could understand. Failure was unacceptable, especially when it was through one's own faults.
Granted, it was kind of difficult to mess up eggs and sausages. Or toast. Unless you're just that inept -- which could happen! Ai only had to remember the fate of her poor frying pan to remind her of the fact. Personally, she was just happy that Riho hadn't burnt the house down in her attempt to fix breakfast this time.
Relieved by the approval, Riho settled down and started wolfing down her share -- elegantly, of course. Ai wasn't sure how her daughter managed to shovel all that food in without breaking her table manners. She knew she had taught the kid well, but really...
Ai tended to take her time with food, so Riho finished well ahead of her. The girl even obediently trotted over to the kitchenette and started washing the plates. Her daughter really was going out of her way to be the model of a perfect child. A warm feeling rose in Ai's chest as she polished off the last of her toast. Now, if only she could put in half the effort shown today on a more regular basis...
"How did you manage to wake up before me?" Ai had to ask as she brought her own plate over to the sink. Riho fidgeted nervously.
"I asked someone to give me a wake up call, actually." Riho admitted. Ai raised an eyebrow. Did Riho have a friend from school help her? That didn't seem likely. Her little girl was always so shy and awkward around new people, and she hadn't yet mentioned making any close friends at her new school yet. It made Ai a little concerned, but she knew she couldn't force the issue. It would happen eventually once Riho began to warm up to her peers.
"And I didn't hear it because...?" Ai might not be a light sleeper, but she didn't sleep like the dead. She was fairly certain she would have heard something that had woken her daughter, who
did sleep like a log.
Sheepishly, Riho held up a bluetooth receiver. Ai's brows rose almost all the way to her hairline. She hadn't bought it for her, and unless Riho bought it herself...
"I borrowed it from Moriya-san. She's PLAY's manager." Riho had managed to involve more than just Reina into her scheme. It spoke volumes about her ability to convince people, even at her age. Then again, maybe it was
because she was so young that they thought it was cute for her to be trying so hard for Mothers' Day.
"Thank you dear, it's very sweet of you to be doing all this for me." Ai said warmly, patting her daughter on the head before pulling her into a spontaneous hug. Riho leaned happily into her Mama's embrace, though she discreetly tried to dry her soapy hands on the nearest dishrag without getting anything else wet.
"Oh! I have something else for you. Hang on!" Riho bolted from the area the moment Ai let her go, and Ai shook her head gently as she dried the rest of the plates and put them back into the cupboard.
"Here it is~" Riho sang out, holding out a squarish object in front of her. Ai blinked before recognizing it as a CD.
"Oh? What did you get for me?" Ai was curious now. It was unmarked, so it couldn't be one of her favorite albums or the like.
"You'll know when you listen to it~" Riho was practically hopping from foot to foot, not quite bouncing but nearly so. Her expression was a mixture of excitement, pride, and a desire for approval. Ai hooked an arm around Riho's shoulders in an one-armed embrace as she headed towards the CD player taking pride of place by the TV on the other side of the room.
Riho was practically brimming with nervous energy, and it showed in how her eyes kept shifting. The fact that her Mama's arm was still around her stilled her a little, but not by much. She desperately hoped that her Mama would like the present. Discreetly, she checked her cellphone. She hoped her other present would not be late.
Riho knew she owed a crapload of favors to one Tanaka Reina right now, since her mentor had helped her so much, and was in fact delivering the last part of her surprise for her Mama right now. Riho had not believed it could be done on such short notice, but Reina had laughed when she heard her fears.
"There's nothing you can't do if you know the right people." Reina winked as she flipped open her cellphone. "And I just happen to know someone..."Riho was eminently grateful. Reina was going to be due a lot of massages. And chocolate. Yes. Debts had to be paid back in full.
Ai instinctively felt herself tearing up as her daughter's voice flooded the room, singing what was obviously a modified version of a song she knew. She couldn't hold it in by the time she hit the chorus, and let the tears run freely. Riho wisely held out a box of tissue. She knew her Mama well enough to anticipate the reaction.
When the song wound to a close, Riho scuttled closer to her Mama on the couch, throwing her arms around her still-emotional mother.
"I love you Mama." Here Riho hesitated, trying to find the words to express her feelings. "That song...was how I really felt. You're the best Mama in the world, and I am so proud to be your daughter."
Ai really lost it then, bawling even harder as she clung to her daughter. Riho awkwardly patted her Mama's back, feeling the truth in her own words. She really was proud to be the daughter of Takahashi Ai. Even if it were just them against the world, Riho had no regrets.
As if on cue, the doorbell rang, and Riho had to extricate herself from the slowly recovering Ai, who was attempting to regain some form of coherency after the touching display. Riho loped over to the door with all the intensity of a panther on the hunt, opening the door to her partner-in-crime who came bearing the box that was the final part of the gift. They shared a mutual, conspiratorial grin before the visitor stepped in.
Riho led the visitor into the house, but not without a warning to not mind her Mama's current state. As Riho put it so very bluntly, "Mama cries at the drop of a hat. At least these are happy tears."
"Mama, look who's here!" Riho announced with all the guile of an innocent child, eager to please. Ai, who was drying her eyes and trying to regain some form of presentability, looked up.
And time stopped.
It might have been years, days, minutes or mere seconds later, but the silence was shattered, had to be shattered, and it was with muted voice and ashen face that Tanaka Reina said, strained.
"Ojamashimasu."
====================================================
For the song Riho sang, look at the
lyrics hereI thought it was appropriate.
Also, the puppet show thing referenced? I totally did that with a friend on Mothers' Day, years ago.
And finally, ReinAi meet. What will happen next? What is Riho's last present (no, it's not Reina). Stay tuned for the next episode of MSF!
Topic: 私のアホ家族(My Stupid Family)[24/6 - Chapter 25: A Series of Unfortunate Events] (Read 94228 times)