Home and Blood ✔

11

The crew has been sailing for about a couple hours as they were heading back to Japan.

"The waters are getting a little rocky, that might not be a good sign," Shea told Zima who was in a room with her mom. Zima was sitting on a seat next to her mother. They haven't said a word to each other since the boat ride so far.

Zima nodded understanding Shea, "Just try your best to make sure nothing gets out of control." Shea nodded, bowing, and left the room.

Zima turned to her mom who was looking out of the window of the room they were in. Water splashed against the window back and forth from the sea. Zima cleared her throat trying to attempt conversation.

"Are you excited for meeting Aki at least?" Zima asked.

Her mother didn't reply to her, and just kept staring out the window.

"Mom?"

"You have no idea how much I envy you," Femi replied still staring out the window. "When I first saw you again after so long, you looked so much healthier and alive compared to when you first left Kenya. Just from one glance I could tell that your life there was better than anything you had growing up with me and your father." A teared rolled down Femi's face but Zima couldn't see it cause her mom was facing the window.

"The life you have now I'm sorry I couldn't give that to you as a child."

Zima looked down at her feet. She stood up and walked over to her and put her hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to apologize for anything. I understand that dad was the poison to both of us."

Femi wiped the tear off her face before Zima could see. "What is he like?" Femi asked.

"Aki?" Zima smiled thinking about him. "He can be cold when he meets people for the first time, but he'll warm up to you. He going to be definitely surprised when he meets you, cause bringing you with me wasn't part of the plan."

Femi nodded, "I'm surprised you don't have children."

Zima shrugged and went to sit back down in her seat. "He doesn't want any, but I think I'll change his mind about that one day. We have a genuine friendship and understanding of one another. We just easily clicked when we first were together." Zima thought back to her honeymoon as the memory of them being their first genuine connection.

Femi laughed, "I never had anything like that with your father, and I don't think I will ever have anything like that with anyone. Its too late for me to find any love."

Zima looked at her mom with sympathy, "Its never too late for someone to find their true love. Age doesn't define love."

Femi just kept looking out the window and remained silent.

. . .

"So how was it going between them?" Kaito asked, when he saw Shea return to the deck. She had just left the room that Zima was sitting in with her mom.

Shea shrugged sitting across from Kaito and Hino. "Its looks like they haven't said a word to each other."

"Aki is going to lose his shit over this," Hino said sitting back on his chair and looking up at the sky.

"What makes you say that?" Shea asked him.

"Bringing back her mother to live with us was never part of the plan, and you now Aki hates surprises and this is one gigantic surprise," Kaito responded to her.

"Well I kinda like the lady, who knows maybe Aki will warm up to her," Kaito said.

Hino scuffed, "Well see about that."