My Missing Mom

Lunch

"So," Shen asked during lunch, "What's life like in this city?"

Ikki swallowed, then paused. "Fast-moving," she said. "Never a dull moment."

"It's crazy!" Pema, their six-year-old daughter, screamed. "We got trains all the time! And there's cars and they go like zoom! But you can't go to them when they're moving or you go splat! Pancake!"

"Shh, we're all right here," Haru smiled.

I remember pictures of Haru growing up. All he ever had on his face was this frown, like he didn't care about anything. Ikki was always grinning, though. Mom says that before, he'd always be grumpy, until he dated Ikki, and he started to lighten up.

She just has that effect on people - I even saw Toph Beifong smile when she was around her. Which reminded me, what was Toph up to? She lived in this swamp, and I only visited once, because she's not sociable, as Mother says. But I'm like Mom, I just call her a cranky old lady.

I'm smart like Mother, childish like Mom, and badass like both. That's how Bolin describes me, anyways.

"Why don't we take a walk around, let you see for yourself?" Amber said.

Shen grinned. "We'll call it a double date."

My face reddened. "Don't -"

"Okay," Ikki said, "I had to watch this with Kai and Jinora. If you two won't say it, I will. Jaei, you like Akemi, Akemi, you like Jaei, therefore, Jaei and Akemi, you're dating."

Jaei gulped. "Ooookayy," he said slowly.

Ikki shrugged. "My sister and her husband were going back and forth for seven years before he asked her out on an official date. But if you ask me, they were dating after half a year."

I laughed. "What are they up to, anyways?"

"Jinora's just got another batch of teens who moved up in training. And Kai is stuck with the little kids."

"They love him, don't they?" Amber smiled.

"Yeah, because he just messes around with them instead of teaching them," Haru chuckled.

Shen shrugged. "Better a bad teacher than no teacher at all," she said.

"What, you didn't have one?" Ikki asked.

"No, I grew up on the streets. Had to teach myself, and I think my sister's a bender, but she's hardly two so it's still a bit early to tell."

Haru raised a brow. Ikki just sighed. I know they both hated that Shen and her siblings lived on the street, but they'd never take charity. (This is why I snuck bronze peices into their stuff) But I'd told them not to offer anything to help, because Shen was a bit .. touchy, Mother would say.

"Anyway, we're off!" I said.