I go up to my room and lay on my bed. My mom comes and talks to me about tonight. I forgot to call her about the surprise dinner. I apologize but instead of scolding me, she seemed rather happy. She said I was “lost in the excitement.” I just laugh and tell her good night.

She closes the door and I hear my phone’s text alert.  I get up and check my phone.

It’s Yuko.

Thanks for tonight. I almost forgot about it.

I text her back: If you need to get away from it all, you’re welcome to stay with me.

Before I put my phone down, I get an immediate reply: Thank you.

---

It’s become a common practice that whenever Yuko or I want to talk about anything, we go to the cherry blossom tree. Except that spring is over and the pink flowers in the trees are replaced with green leaves. But still, the greens are beautiful against the summer sky.

Yuko’s parents are not getting better. Yuko said the shouting stopped but that’s because her dad doesn’t come home anymore. Her mom has been staying out later. Before she would be home to prepare dinner but now she comes home in the evening. Yuko thinks that she’s talking to a divorce lawyer.

It’s too late to tell her to stop worrying.

“I finished the book,” Yuko said. “If I stay.”

I smile. “I have another book for you. It’s similar but it’s really touching.”

Yuko gets up. “Maybe some other time.”

“All right.” I hold out my hand and Yuko grabs it, lifting me up.

Yuko and I walk to my car. Yuko riding with me also became common practice. I don’t know how it started but it did and I’m glad.

---

After dropping Yuko off, I go straight home. However, my mom tells me we are going out for dinner. She says it’s not just any restaurant but a fancy one.

I run upstairs and lying on my bed is a new dress. I hold it up. I put it on and I turn to the mirror. The black dress seems so perfect. The puffed sleeve that is just a little off my shoulders. The skirt flows away from my waistline like those Lolita dresses you see. Tonight, I look like a lady. The only thing missing is a pearl necklace.

I hear a knock on the door. “Come in!” I say.

My mom opens the door and I see a smile on her face. “You look lovely.”

“Thank you.” I say. I turn to the mirror again, admiring the dress, the reflection, and most of all me. Would the old, hollow Atsuko take notice of this? I smile into the mirror and I realize how beautiful I can be.

“I just want to tell you that we’ll be leaving in five minutes. That’s when your dad will be home.” She says.

“What is the occasion? Why are we going out tonight?”

“It’s our anniversary.” Mom says and I turn around with a wide smile. I didn’t realize how happy hearing the word anniversary would make me.

“I’ll be down in a minute.” I say. My mom smiles and leaves the room. I wish I had make-up. I want to look even more beautiful and my mom doesn’t wear make-up so I can’t ask her. I guess all I can do now is my hair.

I take my mirror and look at my black hair that comes to the end of my chin. I want to curl it. It’ll look special but I don’t even have a curler. I realize that I wasn’t much of a girl. The only thing that probably made me a girl was the books I read since they were marketed to girls my age.

Actually I only read three books like that. Everything else was literary classics and I’m ashamed at how hipster I feel right now.

I pull open a drawer and look for hair accessories. Do I even have those? I scour my drawers for anything that I can put in my hair. Right now, I’ll even use something as plain as a bobby pin and to my luck, I have absolutely nothing I can put in my hair.

I realize that I’m an embarrassment to females when I realize that I don’t even have a pair of heels. So I just wear some old black flats. I look at my room and see the mess I made. I didn’t know I was in Yuko’s room.

“I’m ready.” I walk downstairs and I see my dad giving my mom a bouquet of flowers.

“Happy anniversary, darling.” My dad leans in and kisses my mom on the cheek.

“Happy anniversary to you too.” My mom leans in to kiss my dad. I smile at how romantic my parents are tonight. So perfect, and still so in love.

“Happy anniversary to you two!” I raise both my arms up and my parents smile at me.

I never usually see my parents all lovey dovey. In fact, if you see them together, you might not think that they’re husband and wife. Even if you did know, you’ll think they just exist together. But when they show these signs of love, you know that every smile, hug, and kiss is full of love.

Chapters 11, 12, and 13 were supposed to come out this morning but I had writers block. Sorry, about that.