Hikaru was positioned so she could see Kiri's mother as she was escorted to the booth where her own mother waited alone. She looked so beautifully poised that Hikaru wondered if that were a style she might achieve someday. She'd never be tiny and cute like her own mother, but Kiri's mother looked composed and beautiful even at breakfasts.

Belatedly she wondered if she ought to have warned Tokiko of her own mother's youth as she watched them greet each other. Surprise wrote itself across both of their faces. Then they sat so that Hikaru could only see Miri's face. She looked overjoyed, but that was common for her lately and Hikaru smiled fondly as she played.

By the time she finished Kaoru had joined the two women with plates of food. Hikaru had sent her mother and uncle each a brief message saying that she'd invited Kiri's mother to eat with them on her way to the restaurant.

She greeted them all and slid into the booth next to Kiri's mother. Kaoru handed her a plate and she dished up while wondering what she ought to say.

"Kiri's mother tells me that he's gone on a business trip for two weeks," Miri said accusingly.

Hikaru looked at her mother and replied quizzically, "Yes?"

Kaoru eyed his sister and then looked at his niece and asked, "Is that going to be usual?"

"I don't know, it depends on which job Kiri takes when he gets back. It might be, it has been," Hikaru explained. "Why?"

Miri said worriedly, "You'll be alone while he's gone."

Hikaru smiled wryly and acknowledged, "After his mother goes home." She nodded to Tokiko. "Why is that a problem?"

"Won't you be lonely? Will you be OK?" Miri asked.

Hikaru shrugged and said, "I'll miss him, but I'll be OK. It's not like I'll starve if he's not there to feed me."

Tokiko asked curiously, "Do you cook?"

Hikaru shrugged again and her uncle and mother spoke in unison, "She's terrible at it." Then they glanced at each other and laughed.

Hikaru grimaced and said a little defensively, "I can cook quick things, or bake simple things just fine. I don't do well with complex things that have to be watched over carefully."

Her family members looked at her so dubiously that she protested, "I've never poisoned anyone!"

"Her omelettes are OK?" Miri said doubtfully.

Kaoru laughed.

Hikaru blushed and told Tokiko, "I just don't like to cook as much as the rest of my family, or Kiri."

Tokiko smiled at her and replied, "Then it's fortunate that my son enjoys cooking."

"Yes," Hikaru agreed happily, "Kiri's cooking is amazing."

Kaoru teased her, "Now we see why you're really with him."

Hikaru blushed and shook her head.

"Oh? Then why?" he asked with a grin.

"I'm curious about that too," Kiri's mother said.

"Don't tease her too much!" protested Miri.

Hikaru looked at her uncle and Kiri's mother's curious faces and down at her plate. After a moment she began, "Um, he's really, I mean he's very," she paused not wanting to start with sexy, then said with more determination, "He's very warm, and he laughs, and he's so cute when…" she trailed off and then looked up. "I can't explain it well, but I love Kiri when he's laughing and when he's serious and when he's angry and when he's happy, and I just want to be there for it all."

"Wow," Kaoru said after a moment. "You've progressed a ways."

Hikaru shrugged and said, "Well, I guess."

Miri grinned at her daughter and told her, "I'm glad."

Tokiko merely smiled a little. "Your mother barely looks older than you are," she commented with a change of subject.

"Sorry, I thought when I saw you come in that I should have warned you since my mother had kids early and you had Kiri late," Hikaru said apologetically.

"Kids?" enquired Tokiko.

"My son Yuki is away at university, he's studying to be a doctor!" Miri exclaimed proudly.

Hikaru and Kaoru nodded.

"Kiri told me the other morning that you're paying part of your brother's tuition, but I'd forgotten," Tokiko admitted.

Hikaru shrugged. "It's OK, Kiri has told me bits about his family too, it sounds like it's really extensive with lots of cousins, besides all his nieces and nephews. I'm sure I haven't remembered everything."

"How many children do you have?" Miri asked Tokiko curiously.

"Four, three daughters, then Kiri after I'd thought we were done," Kiri's mother replied.

"I thought I'd only have the two, but I think I'll wind up with four in the end," Miri said patting her belly.

Hikaru gasped and asked, "Is it twins?"

Miri blushed and said, "No, but Izumi and I have talked about having another after." She looked at Hikaru uncertainly.

"Oh," Hikaru said thoughtfully.

"Do you mind?" Miri asked anxiously.

Hikaru stared at her blankly. "Why would I mind?" she asked after a moment.

"I mind a bit," Kaoru announced. Everyone looked at him in surprise. "You've had a lot of trouble with your health with this pregnancy," he told his sister worriedly.

Miri patted his arm comfortingly and replied, "Not really, I've been fine since I stopped working. They've been watching me carefully, and every pregnancy is different."

Tokiko agreed and she and Miri talked about pregnancy experiences for a little while while Kaoru and Hikaru ate.

"What are your plans this afternoon?" Miri asked Hikaru.

"I thought I'd go look at cabinets or shelves before I go home to work on homework," Hikaru said. "I thought maybe office stores would have that kind of furniture?"

"Why?" Miri asked.

"Kiri's house," she paused and blushed, and then corrected herself, "I mean, our house doesn't have the kind of built in drawers and closets that I had in my room. And Kiri feels worried that I'm not really moved in with things still in boxes."

"Oh, you haven't finished unpacking?" Miri asked with surprise.

Hikaru shrugged uncomfortably. "Things have been busy," she explained. "It should be a little better since the competition is over and we won't have extra practices," she added hopefully.

"How did you do?" Kaoru asked.

Hikaru grinned and said triumphantly, "We came in second!"

Everyone exclaimed over it and they all drank a toast.

When they got ready to leave, Tokiko asked Hikaru a little hesitantly, "Would you enjoy it if I went along while you look for shelves? You needn't do it to be polite."

Hikaru looked at her in surprise and replied, "I don't mind, if you'd like to?"

Tokiko looked at her thoughtfully and said, "My son has told me that I'll either love you or hate you, and that he intends to marry you. I'd like to get to know you a little better."

Hikaru blushed, and touched her earring without thinking about it. When she realized what she was doing she dropped her hand.