The Dream Shifter

Chapter 21

"Yeah…four years ago our father died and a year ago our mother." Ayumi's hand shook knocking over the glass in the cupboard. She pulled back retreating her hands close up to her chest with countless thoughts running through her freezing her body.

The rattling of the glasses broke her state drawing her away. Ayumi fumbled to keep the glasses from falling out of the cupboard, but the shaking in her hand was making it difficult to hold still. Momoko walked over placing her hand on Ayumi's wrist for support as she took her other hand to bring down the glasses gently to the counter surface. Ayumi looked up at Momoko surprised to find such a solid woman who had been through such tragedies. She would have expected her to have a similar reaction as her brothers. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry into some so private and so painful."

Momoko returned with a reassuring smile focusing on the glasses and taking them to the table. It was difficult to see, but there was a hint of something hidden behind her eyes. Ayumi nearly missed it buried so well underneath the layers that appeared to be necessary. "Don't worry about it. It's not a secret." She went back to the stove bringing over the food not missing a beat.

Ayumi rushed over to Momoko's side with the aim to carry something over, but found her hands not to be of need. "But still…I shouldn't have…" Her head hung down finding that she was not of use. She realized that she had only been pulled away to speak out of the company of the brothers, but she wanted to do something.

The serving spoon in Momoko's hand began to fill out portions to the plates keeping the rhythm going. "You didn't know. You don't need to apologize for something that's not your fault. Yuki, Ken and Jun are younger and their memories are still recent in their minds. It is only natural that they are still silently grieving."

"But Yuki is so happy and full of life at school. I can't believe he has that weight on him the way he acts."

Momoko came around to the last plate filling it before placing the leftovers on the stove to keep warm. She turned with a pensive look in her eyes towards Yuki, while he remained oblivious. "Yeah, I still don't know about him. He worries me sometimes, especially with the changes that happened to him after our mother died. It's a mystery to me why he is that way now. It's almost a contradiction. And he never talks to me about anything important, so I don't know what's going on in his head."

Ayumi could read the tension in Momoko easily seeing that talking about him was difficult for her. She was not sure if talking would help her or make matters worse. The facts were few and the subject deeply sorrowful for everyone. "What do you mean a contradiction? Was he different from now?"

"Different?" Momoko stared off towards the ceiling forgetting where she was for the moment. She was snapped back suddenly by something internal and met eyes with Ayumi briefly. "Different would be an understatement," she said starting to smile again nearly laughing as memories flooded back to her. "You'd be surprised. Anyway, we better call them before the dinner gets cold."

The dodging of the subject and purposely leaving it vague spoke enough to Ayumi that she knew there was more that she did not understand about this family. They had many secrets and she was going to have to take things slowly if she expected to understand. "I'm sorry for pressing the subject."

Momoko gave the best reassuring smile to Ayumi to let her know that this was not her fault. It was a painful area to touch and it had been a while since she had to explain it to someone. Everyone that knew already had been around when it had happened. Since then it was simply known, but not spoken out loud. She placed her hands on Ayumi's shoulders to combine with her smile for comforting support. "I already told you this is not your fault. I'm just thankful that Saki stuck by his side through it all. I don't know if he would have the strength without her."

'Saki is important to him… I figured that much from lunch, but it seems to be something deeper…' Ayumi quietly ate her meal with the Hayashi family with things not quite returning to normal. The tension that had been created from her questions had made it difficult to even look at each other. Everyone was awkwardly stepping around what had been brought up earlier.

After minutes of silence Momoko acted to change the mood. She cut into Yuki's plate of food stealing some of his meat that he had been ignoring. It dangled from her teeth teasing him as she had displayed a wicked grin and daring eyes.

"Hey! What you think you're doing? That's mine!" The food that he had been attempting to eat stopped before it reached his mouth as he stared in protest at his sister.

She continued to dangle and wiggle the meat in front of him taunting to come after her. "It's not anymore. You've been ignoring it this time. You're loss. Survival of the fittest, you know."

"Survival of the fittest? More like piggiest." He stuffed his food in his mouth that he had been holding out leaving a large lump against his cheek, not chewing it. Once freed of food he attacked Momoko's plate stealing from her with a retaliatory glare.

Ken and Jun were soon caught in the excitement leaving Ayumi staring blankly at the surprising reversal in the entire mood of dinner. She was not sure what to make of this other than being relieved to see things changing. 'Strange family… They might be still in mourning, but they're strong…' Ayumi stared at Yuki trying to look through the layers that were covering him up, but it was not until now that she even knew there were layers. It almost seemed like it was not an act. She was not sure what to make of him. 'He might be the strongest of them all…'

Dinner had been finished and the excitement fell back down to a normal level. Ken and Jun disappeared up stairs at the insistence of Momoko to do their homework. Yuki was left behind being forced to clean the dishes for having lost in their battle at dinner. Momoko pulled Ayumi aside to the front of the house as she was putting on her jacket. "Ayumi, please stay nearby for him."

Ayumi gave her a firm nod of her head along with a determined smile. She had a lot to go through and was not planning on going anywhere until she succeeded. She was going to have to learn who Yuki was with everything peeled away. This could be more challenging than she was planning.

Momoko began to open the door and stood in the threshold looking back towards the kitchen. "I'm going to work!" Yuki appeared around the corner of the kitchen with his hands dripping from the dishwater. "Oh and remember your brothers are upstairs. You two can't make that much noise." She gave the two of them a sly wink.

Yuki's face turned red and then he exploded not caring if his sister was joking or not. "I just met her! How could you think I would even… I can't believe you! She's our guest!" He continued on muttering even after he finished yelling at her. Over at the side near Momoko, Ayumi could only blush remaining quiet completely at the loss for words.

"You two are so easy. Well mind the house. I'll be back late." Momoko was still laughing to herself as the door closed behind her.

Yuki stared at the door still feeling anger at her and then it hit him that Momoko was gone. The mood faded away as he saw Ayumi in the corner recovering. "Sorry about my sister. She can be pretty embarrassing when she tries," Yuki said walking back to the remainder of the dishes running his hand through his hair still feeling uneasy from Momoko's words. It was not until after he had been rubbing his head that he remembered that he had wet soapy hands. "Momoko!" Yuki had sighed softly alone and slouched back to the sink to finish his chore.

Ayumi stepped into the kitchen sitting at the table watching him. She remained quiet developing a distant dullness in her eyes. When Yuki had finished with the dishes he turned around surprised to find her behind him. "She didn't embarrass you too much did she?"

A few second had passed before Ayumi looked clearly at Yuki. "No, I wouldn't be embarrassed by that," she said with her deeper more serious tone.

He took a step back taken off guard by the immediate change, still not used to her doing it. The degree of acting that she was putting into the different personality made him easily forget how different the real girl underneath it all was truly. "No, I guess it wouldn't. Now that we're alone I wanted to thank you for saving my family."

"Hmm? Oh…you shouldn't be thanking me. They got hurt because of you."

Yuki was unbalanced suddenly from the blunt remark. His eyes widened with the realization hitting him having forgot what had happened before. "I-I know… I know it was me. You don't have to remind me." He turned his head away not wanting to look the truth in the eye. The memories were something that he wanted to bury and leave behind. Everything that happened to anyone was his fault for them simply knowing him. "You think I wanted them to be involved? You don't think I wanted to save them? I couldn't do anything. Next time it will be different."

Ayumi grabbed him by the arm pulling back to face him. She looked into his eyes staring down him with her cold green eyes. "Will it? Be different. You hesitated this time. They mean to kill you, if you don't intend to do that same it will happen again."