Trees (an omori fic)

I'll title this later okay???

The next morning, I text Basil, Kel, and Aubrey again, asking to meet up at the park once more, to plan things for our 4th of July celebration. 

It doesn't take long before I receive texts back from the three of them, and we decide to meet up in the park at lunch time. Basil informs us that he'll bring food, so we shouldn't worry about getting lunch before hand. 

It sounds nice, lovely, like the good old days, before my sister died, before Hero went off to college, before I moved away, before we all fell apart. 

When I finally walk down into the living room in the morning, I find Ai reading on the couch. I sit down on a chair opposite from her, not lingering my gaze on her, not wanting her to notice me, or talk to me.

Unfortunately, she does notice me.

"Good morning Sunny! It's lovely to see you're finally up! Do you want me to make you any food for breakfast?" She asks, voice sweet.

I shake my head.

She sighs and bites her lip, and speaks again, this time slightly more firmly. "Well, you need food, and you have to eat breakfast, and your father is spending the day with friends from work, and I'm in charge of you while he's gone, and I will make sure you eat. So, if you're not having me make something for you for breakfast, what are you eating?"

I shrug. After a few minutes goes by, I open up the app on my phone so I can speak to her. 

"You can make me something. I don't care." It says outloud in the same robotic, monotone voice it always does.

She nods at me, and smiles widely. She gets up off the couch, and starts heading towards the kitchen, saying, "Well, Sunny, your mother is American, and I know your father doesn't really cook much, so I think I might be able to introduce you to something new. Is that okay, or would you like to stick to a food you know you'll like?"

I shrug. I couldn't honestly care less. Besides, if I don't like it, I just won't eat.

"Have you ever had a more traditional Japanese breakfast?" She asks, before pausing and thinking more. "Sunny, what do you usually eat for breakfast?"

I shrug again.

"Eggs? Toast? Bagels? Oatmeal?" She questions further.

Maybe I should give her an answer. 

I open up the app, and let it say, "I hate oatmeal. Eggs are fine. I like toast and Bagels."

She smiles at me. "Do you like rice? Fish? Miso soup? If you're fine with eggs, I could make you tamagoyaki? Does that sound good?"

I'm not entirely sure what tamagoyaki is, and I don't know if I should bother asking her. Entertaining her is not very high on my checklist. I mainly just want to get this over with. 

I shrug once more, hoping she'll stop questioning me. 

"Sunny, have you ever had natto? I know you're a picky eater, and it's more of an aquired taste, but your father and I both like it, so maybe you will. I don't have any in the house right now, so I'll make some today, after I've got you eating breakfast and such. Do you want to help me make natto?"

I shake my head, and let the app say, "I have plans today, I'm meeting up with my friends around lunch." 

She smiles at me, which was not the reaction I expected her to have. "I'm so happy you're spending time with your friends! It brings me joy to see you're doing so well here. Maybe you can even stay here for longer?"

I shrug again.

It is hard to hate this woman when she is so damn cheerful.

"I guess I'll make you tamagoyaki, and then if you don't like it, I'll just make you toast, okay?" She says.