A Flower in War

Chapter Forty-Nine: Roller Rink Derby

"Sam is going to kill us if we don't get back out there to help." Cal says, stopping Robby's lips on her own.
"Yeah, but your grandma's staying at the house. This is the only private time we're gonna get." Robby explains with a smile.
"Yeah having the door open all the time is cramping our style a bit." Cal giggles.
"Just a bit." Robby agrees with a chuckle.
"She'll be gone soon. Then we can go back to what we were doing." Cal teases, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I like the sound of that." Robby smirks, leaning down and giving her a soft kiss.

"Hey guys, check it out!" Demetri calls from outside the dojo, making the two teens part with soft smiles.
"Looks like we're on." Cal laughs, standing up from the floor with Robby in tow.
"Hopefully it's not another whining situation." Robby chuckles.
"Hey, he's gotten better!"
Robby holds his hands up in surrender, chuckling, "Fair point flower."

The two exit the dojo finding Demetri holding a small golden star encompassed by a circle.
"Look what I found. It was just sitting in these rocks." Demetri shrugs. Cal's eyes widen before she's standing in front of Demetri.
"That's Mr. Miyagi's medal of Honor!" She exclaims excitedly, gently taking the medal from his hands.
"That's crazy! We looked all over for this." Sam sighs in content, knowing how much that meant to her father.
"Huh. Must have been here the whole time." Robby shrugs.
"No way. We literally redid the entire backyard! There's no way we wouldn't have seen it!" Cal shakes her head.
"Maybe someone else had a change of heart?" Chris offers.
"I wish they would have stayed, but we should take the win nonetheless."
"Agreed." Sam nods with a laugh. That's the first genuine reaction of joy Cal's gotten in a week. Another win in her book.

"Now can I please get some help with warm ups?" Sam chuckles, looking to her sister and Robby.
"Yes! Sorry about that! Let's put the medal inside and then we'll get going."
"On it." Sam nods, taking the medal into the dojo.

"Hey Cal! Your phone!" Sam yells, making Cal do a double take before running back to the dojo, finding Sam with her phone.
"It's my dad, shoot our dad? Dad/uncle? Duncle?"
"It's fine Sam." Cal chuckles taking the phone.
"Hey Uncle Danny, how's the wooing going?"
"Not great. I didn't check the calendar before I went all out and now I'm stuck with enough sushi for an army and matcha tea."
"You can give it to the customers?"
"That's what Amanda said." Daniel sighs.

"Hey have you guys eaten?" He asks hopefully.
"Uh no, but you're supposed to be focusing more on Aunt Amanda and the auto shop, not on us."
"Maybe I can balance the two? I checked the calendar and Amanda's due to have the show room cars detailed, and frankly you kids are the best detailers I know after all your training. Think you could help take something off her plate?" Cal rubs her eyebrows before nodding to herself.
"Okay, we'll be over ten."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you. You're a lifesaver!"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm not drinking that matcha, it tastes like dirt."
Daniel laughs, "Got it." The two hang up and Cal trudges back outside.

"We're going on a field trip!"

-

"All right. Here you go. No. No, Demetri, you know this." Daniel chastises, showing the boy with the rag, "Wax on with the right hand, counter-clockwise with the left." Daniel pats the boy's back as he lets him take over, looking to the other boy detailing the same car, "Watch Demetri. He's got it."
Daniel opens his arms triumphantly as he walks toward Amanda, "Not bad, right?"
"Child labour... that's a bold move. It's crazy no one's ever thought of it." Daniel walks directly up to her, "Ten more minutes of training okay?"
"Wait, no, no, no. It's not training. This is... This is me trying to help. Say I'm sorry. What else can I do, Amanda?"
"It's not a puzzle, Daniel. Look, I don't wanna fight. I just know that this," she gestures to the kids, "is not permanent. Neither is sushi. You can't put a bandaid on an open head wound."
"What, our marriage is an open head wound?"
"Pick whatever analogy you want. You know what I mean." Amanda bites her lower lip, looking to the kids, locking eyes with both Sam and Cal before she leaves.