“You have a London passport!” she argued. “And, if Hana didn’t look up to her brother so much, she would have kept her beautiful dark hair.”
“I do not have a U.K. passport, just permanent residency. And, it’s very trendy for young people to lighten their hair.” Reno defended his sister, even though he knew his mom was probably right. “When will they be home? Maybe they can video call so I can see this blonde Hana.”
“Ah, Himari will be home after work, she got a job at the fashion store nearby. I think she is off after dinner. Hana will be back after classes in a few hours.”
He would be dead asleep by then so he said, “I’m so happy they are living with you, still.”
His mother said a string of surprisingly vulgar curses, “I can’t get rid of them. They are leeches! They eat so much, all day! They use all my electricity! Spends my money on hair dye. Both as bad as you were in school!”
“I wasn’t coloring my hair in school.” Reno took another drink and set the can aside to rub his hands together to warm them up. “They wouldn’t have let me graduate.”
“Maybe I can tell Hana they won’t lethergraduate if she keeps ruining her brain cells with bleach.”
“University doesn’t care, you know that.” Reno felt himself smiling and changed the topic. “I met someone.”
“Oh?” she gasped and Reno heard something clatter in the background. “Please, not a musician.”
“No, no worries. Not a musician. An artist, actually.”
“Hikaru, no!” His mother scolded him. “You do not need a starving artist. Tell me all about her.”
“Heis not a starving artist. He works for a bank.”
His mother was silent for a while. When she spoke again, she sounded more reserved. “A sensible job, at least. Won’t use you for your money.”
“Correct,” Reno said, feeling his chest warm. He was incredibly lucky to have a parent who accepted him so easily. “He would like to do art all the time, but is responsible. He lives here in the States.”
“That is far," his mom said. “How will that work?”
“I call you every night, don’t I?”
“I am your mother!” she replied. “This man is not your family. Do you think he would pick up if you called every day?”
Reno finished his drink and set it to the side then tipped his head up to look at the sky. The moon was rising, half full.
“I don’t know. We are still getting to know each other.”
“You didn’t tell me about that girl all that time ago. What has changed?”
“I’m ten years older?” Reno said. “It feels different. Intentional. I want to take care of him. I want to choose to be with him.”
“Does he feel this way?” His mother always asked the important questions. When Reno didn’t respond right away she sighed, “You haven’t asked, have you?”
“No.”
“Reckless," she said. “When you liked that girl, did it feel like a choice?”
“Not really," Reno answered honestly. “It really felt like I was tossed into it, a whirlwind. Next thing I knew she was in my life and bed and I wasn’t sure how I got there.”
“Don’t say those filthy things to your mother.” She made a disgusted noise. “I do not need to know who is in your bed.”
“Sorry.” Reno felt himself crack a small smile again. “Is it wrong that I don’t feel that way this time? I am still excited, but it doesn’t feel like, um, what is the way to say it?”
“A whirlwind is the word you used.”
“Yeah, it’s not that. Is that wrong?”
His mother scoffed. “It is bad if it is a whirlwind. Love shouldn’t be out of your control. That kind of love will crash and burn. Good love will pick to be present every day, like your father and I did. If we had married because we were swept up in crazy feelings then we would have divorced and certainly we would not have had you and your sisters.”
