Across The Years (CITRUS)

Thirty Five - Wraparound

No One's POV

Christmas in Los Angeles in 2021 and Christmas in the 1860s were two very different things and Mei was becoming very aware of it. So many new traditions, songs, and of course to get used to but Mei was enjoying it.

Things had gone swimmingly well in the first few months of Mei and Yuzu's relationship. Yuzu attended school and Mei took time to volunteer at the library reading to children and slowly learning how to run the business. The manager whose name was Harumi was very patient with Mei and a very valuable help in helping her learn.

Mei changed very little, but one thing she did was to add to the menu the beef stew they used to serve in the old days. It was Mei's mother's recipe and she happened to remember it. It soon became very popular.

Once the semester was done and winter break started, Yuzu decided to take Mei home to meet her parents. They wanted to meet the mysterious English girl that had so quickly and completely captured their daughter's heart.

Yuzu had told them the cover story that Mei had grown up on an isolated island off of Japan and was not around modern things. Yuzu also said Mei's parents were dead.

So they hopped on the plane and Mei took her first plane ride. Mei was very nervous of course, but much to Yuzu's amusement, she worried that Indians may attack the plane.

Mei was still learning and did get things mixed up from time to time.

Yuzu merely said, "Not likely."

They arrived in Los Angeles one week before Christmas. Mei was amazed by the  modern-looking Los Angeles and marveled at its huge size as the cab took them back to Yuzu's parents' home.

As they got into Yuzu's neighborhood, Yuzu would point out things of interest to Mei.

"See that pink house? I egged that house no less than five times."

Looking horrified, Mei asked, "Why would you do that? Did its owner offend you?"

Yuzu smirked. "No, I just hated the house. It's pink. I hate pink."

"I have pink dresses. You say they are pretty. Do you hate them?"

"No, you can wear pink. I make an exception in your case. I love pink on you and only you. Otherwise, I hate it."

Yuzu then perked up. "That brown house there; When I was 13, the boy who lived there that I went to school with, said I was a freak. I punched him in the stomach, right by that bush, for saying that. Good times."

Yuzu then pointed to a red house. "That house there, the girl there hated me and kept sticking her tongue out at me. So one day when she left her Barbies outside, I beheaded them all." Yuzu then smirked. "I still have all the heads, want to see them?"

"NO! Yuzu, that was a horrid thing to do. Did you terrorize the entire neighborhood?"

With a straight face, Yuzu said, "As a matter of fact, I did."

Mei found Yuzu an odd contradiction at times. While loving and very tender with her, the woman was frequently, rude and mean to others. She seemed to have very little patience for anyone that annoyed her. But Mei did feel she was having a positive effect on her. Nowadays she just glared at the people who annoyed her, instead of actually being cruel to them.

A few seconds later the car glided up in front of a large two-story colonial house with tan siding.

"It's a very nice house Yuzu," Mei said as they got out of the car and made sure her yellow dress was presentable. Mei still loved wearing dresses and rarely wore anything else. Yuzu had slowly gotten her to at least a semi-modern style.