Page 27
Reiko jumped and almost fell into one of the chairs at the tiny kitchen table.
Mari reached forward and pulled her back. “Careful!”
Reiko’s eyes widened and her lips parted in shock.
A moment later, they were both laughing and for Mari? It felt… good.
Really good.
Reiko leaned in for a big squeeze of a hug and Mari returned her friend’s enthusiastic gesture.
They’d been through a lot in their lives, but even though things had changed quite a lot for both of them in the decades that they’d known each other, they could still laugh and watch over each other.
Going out for a night wasn’t all that much to ask for.
What harm could it do?
A night out?
From across the room, Ebi yowled and the food dish clattered across the room, landing against a wall with a thud.
Mari rolled her eyes and looked back at her friend.
“Next week. Same night?”
Reiko nodded, her gaze warm with something like giddy anticipation.
It was hard to imagine how it happened, but that feeling was suddenly inside of her!
Mari couldn’t help but feel that she’d made the right decision.
Light sliced through the living room window from the street, likely a passing car on the road and the light glanced over her parent’s portrait on the wall.
Mari turned her head and looked at the portrait.
She’d looked at it, studied it hundreds of times if not more.
Seeing them smiling back at her felt different this time.
It felt… hopeful.
“Okay, okay… I’m going back to my house. I,” Reiko gave her a wink, “am going out tonight. And… I’m telling the ladies that you’re going to join us next week. No backing out.”
Mari drew in a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling with the exertion. “No backing out.”
Reiko left, bounding down the steps to the old asphalt driveway, making it halfway through the backyard before she stopped and turned around, pointing back. “No backing out.”
Mari raised a hand and waved, the gesture behind it more enthusiastic than she felt.
Still, she’d made a promise and she’d keep it.
Even if she felt like her knees might collapse if she went out to have fun.
She made the decision to go out with her friend come hell or high water. She owed Reiko at least that for all of the warmth and friendship she’d showered on her while she was struggling with the loss of both parents in relatively quick succession.
Mari gathered her outfit and shoes together against her chest and turned to take them both back into her bedroom. She made sure that the dress she was holding onto didn’t hang down too close to the ground.
Ebi hadn’t destroyed anything too expensive when it came to her clothing, but it paid to be cautious around the little hellion.
