2020-11-26 Better Late Than Never
Better Late Than Never
Location: Jinny's Family Home
Date and Time: November 26, 2020 Dinner
Summary: The Penultimate Story, The Ultimate Friends
Mood Music: Girl in Red - "We Fell in Love in October"
Jinny hadn’t slept.
The nervousness about the day wouldn’t let her. She had gone out painting the night before, working on a mural near Skid Row that represented the people striking back against the faceless troops of Endron, and a couple of hours of meditation like that usually causes her to collapse after a hot shower into dreamland. But this time? It didn’t work. She gave up trying to sleep around 4:00am and started getting ready and once she got finished, she thought she looked pretty good. Raiding Luu’s shoes for a pair of Manolo Blahnik flats, she studied herself in the mirror before heading downstairs. Despite strong coffee, a very hot shower, and a couple of hours in front of the mirror with some of Luu’s makeup, the bags under her eyes weren’t going anywhere. Perhaps she could convince her family that it was the newest look she was trying to cultivate - a smoky-eyed allure that would make her hazel eyes look a little bit larger - but convincing Luu of that would be almost impossible.
*Thud* Sitting in the front seat of her Datsun that’s been parked in front of the Foreboding Jacobean, white knuckled, Jinny’s head rests on the steering wheel. With a groan, her head rocks back about an inch and then falls forward, her forehead impacting lightly against the leather-wrapped steering wheel. “I can do this.” she says, trying to reassure herself, using the term as a mantra to help center herself. “I have to do this.” She knows what to expect, after all. Every time she’s gone home for Thanksgiving after returning from her sabbatical, a nice boy from Church, a mechanic from her father’s shop, the professor from one of the classes one of her grandparents took or, most recently, the assistant manager from the Whole Foods down the road has inevitably ended up invited to dinner and gets placed right next to Jinny at the table in a ham-fisted attempt to get past the Lesbianism set her up with a nice boy. It’s happened the last four years that she’s gone to Thanksgiving, and thanks to her Dad sending a text message that warned her of what to expect, it seems that this year is not going to be any different.
“Bring whatever you want.” the invitation said. Well, she’s going to bring a few things most certainly, Luu being one of them. Hopefully this year, with her support and closeness, she can put an end to this familial strife and get to simply be who she is, not who her parents want her to be. She had spent the day or two before working on some documentation, hopefully giving Luu a bit of a primer on who’s who in the family. The fruits of her labor were on the seat next to her, with pictures of the family, their names, their position in the family, and, perhaps, most importantly, whether or not they were pro or anti Jinny getting into a relationship with a nice boy. She felt like she was that crazy man from that one TV show meme, trying to diagram out the relationships, the beliefs, and how things kind of worked in the family. The dossier has been laid on the passenger seat, ready for review.
The hatchback has been loaded with a couple of things for the dinner; soft pretzels in all sorts of flavors that were inspired by their trip to the dead mall, a couple of bottles of wine and an extra-healthy cheesecake that has almost a pound and a half of cream cheese and sugar in a crust that’s half graham cracker, half Oreo cookie, giving people the chance of having a little chocolate with their cheesecake or not. At least when she inevitably heads home this evening, packed with leftovers, there’ll be cheesecake to soothe the sting of the embarrassment of what’s about to happen. She looks to the door, waiting for Luu to emerge, taking a deep breath to try and center herself. They might as well get this over with. She honks the horn twice, leaning over to roll down the window, calling out towards the front door. “Come on, Luu!”
Misery loves company, after all.
Eventually, with enough consistent honking, Luu emerges from the front door of Winters’ Retreat, still pulling a thin overcoat over a fluffy somewhat oversized greige-ish sweater, which has been paired with tight black slacks, spiked black boots, and her iconic Celine frames. She only makes it about ten steps forward, before her blonde hair flips as she dashes back into the house. Re-emerging carrying a stuffed black grocery bag, Luu once more begins making her way to the car, the jacket now almost on. This time she makes it a dozen steps before turning around once more, and remembering to lock the house. Heading to the car again, she pauses, looks from the house to Jinny, as if trying to remember if there was something she was forgetting, but in the end the car horn convinces her that whatever it might be, it is probably not worth her life.
Opening the passenger side door, Luu pops in, placing the grocery bag down by her feet. Pulling the door closed, she leans to the side towards Jinny. With the door now closed, and her head resting against Jinny’s shoulders, Luu smacks her lips lightly, and says, “five more minutes?” Gently, she paws at Jinny with one hand, as if she was making her way back into a bed to sleep.
“Ok!” she exclaims, pulling her head up, suddenly now willing or at least able to be awake. “It’s your family home,” she says, “so I’m pretty sure you got the directions. I /thiiiiiiink/ we’ve got all the food and drinks loaded up in the car, and … “ Leaning forward, Luu grabs her cellular phone from the grocery bag, pressing at it for a few moments, before Prince suddenly appears on the stereo. “... there’s the music,” Luu adds, as she pulls the seatbelt across her chest and clicks it into place.
Five more minutes. God, isn’t that tempting? Five minutes back inside could easly stretch to ten, then to twenty, and finally to ‘oh gosh, we just forgot, let’s get Chinese.’ It might be less insane for Jinny, too, and for a moment, she really does consider it before coming to her senses, the weight of Luu’s head on her shoulder. She does look wonderful today, though. Luu looks wonderful to Jinny every day, even with a mismash of hair going all directions when she’s staggering to the bathroom after waking up, but today she’s gone all out. “I love you, you know.” Jinny says earnestly, patting Luu’s cheek affectionately after she straightens. Squaring her shoulders, she revs the engine of the car and, and when the cheerfulness expressed by Luu finally sinks in, along with the organ of Let’s Go Crazy, Jinny can’t help but feel a little better. Putting the Datsun into gear, she starts driving down the gravel driveway and into the winding roads of Laurel Canyon and, beyond? Family time. “Let’s do it.”
The trip there, surprisingly, doesn’t take very long. Were this somewhere Jinny wanted to go desperately, like Disneyland or Raging Waters, there would be red lights, construction, and traffic at a standstill, but today there isn’t any of that. Aside from a small snarl of traffic turning off of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Sunset, the roads are fairly deserted. Everyone seems to be where they need to be for Thanksgiving, and driving at ten in the morning on a weekday means that most people went the night before. The trip, a few twists and turns aside, takes them directly down Sunset Boulevard, Jinny pointing out the sights as they go, like the Whiskey a Go Go and the Comedy Store. They make it almost to UCLA where she points out her father’s garage on a corner, the Ferrari sign on the pole outside, the lettering declaring it to be ‘Jacinto Exotic Repairs,’ with a fairly expensive wedge-shaped car behind the large glass windows of the shop. That was deliberately done when Jinny was six, specifically to give people a place where they can look in to see the exotics and, yes, take personal pictures that, over time, have transitioned into Instagram stories. It’s probably why the place’s instagram handle is right where it’ll show up in every picture taken. Probably Jinny’s doing, that.
Taking a right on Stone Canyon and then, after another few minutes of driving, another right on Ottone Way, Jinny pulls into a driveway with a fairly modern-looking house in white. A space in front of the garage door has been left open and she pulls carefully into it, pulling the parking brake and turning off the engine, looking over at Luu. “I can’t thank you enough for coming with me on this. I owe you so much more than another mannequin.” She leans over and actually hugs Luu tightly for a few moments before composing herself and unbuckling her seat belt, taking a deep breath. “Okay.” She says, opening the door. “Let’s do it.”
“Jinnya!” Comes a call from the deck above the garage, a cheerful face peering down, a hand waving in greeting. “Jiinya’s here everyone!”
Jinny sighs and waves back. “Hola, Papi!” she calls back, returning the wave, looking to Luu, almost forlorn. “And here we go…”
Riding along in the passenger seat of the Datsun, Luu seems to be in good spirits. Part of that is not really knowing what to expect, the idea of Thanksgivings and large family gatherings being so foreign to her upbringing. For some, a long string of family disasters and fights at such gatherings have traumatized their minds and steeled their nerves. Luu on the other hand is going into all of this a bit like a wide-eyed innocent. Sure, she’s heard from Jinny what the likely problem will be, after all, that’s a large part of why she suggested coming along on this family adventure. There’s still a difference between hearing about potential family drama, and experiencing actual family drama for the nth year in a row. There’s a difference between having a family, and understanding the concept of one.
As they round the corner, Luu presses her face against the window, checking out the neon signage bearing the same name as her homosexual life partner. There’s almost an urge to point this sign out to Jinny, but something tells Luu that the other Angeleno is already well aware. After all, Jinny did say something about her father being involved with cars, it would be too weird of a coincidence to pass by another ‘Jacinto’ based automotive shop that Jinny is not aware of or related to.
“Of course,” Luu says with a smile, as the car gets parked and Jinny thanks her for coming along. “I mean, it sounded like you could use some support,” Luu notes, “and I’m happy to be here to support you. Really, though, I’m sure it will be fine, right? I mean, a little bit of awkwardness to dodge, but really just a quiet family holiday dinner.” Getting out the passenger side door, it seems that Luu might actually believe that’s what is in store for her this evening.
Oh, if only it was a quiet holiday dinner. From the look Jinny gives Luu, it’s obvious that quiet is definitely not what’s going to happen at any point in time today. Maybe during the moment of silence before dinner, but even then, that’ll just be a short intermission to the craziness that’s about to spring forth, fully formed, like Athena from Zeus’s forehead. Jinny’s Father, Mike, leans against the railing on the deck, peering over at his daughter as she gets out of the car, taking a sip from a bottle of beer with the label peeled off. When Luu climbs out, though? The man grins and calls out towards the house in a language that’s a strange mixture of Spanish, Japanese, Gaelic, English, and Navajo(!) that’s been cobbled together over decades of living with all four languages in the same house. “<<Izzy! Guadalupe! Tex! Annie! Jinny’s here, and she brought a guest!>>”
“<<A guest? Let me see.>>”
The voice sounds surprised and a bit distant, but it’s coming closer. There’s the sound of chanclas slapping against stained deck planks heading toward the railing, a younger-looking dark-haired woman looking down. At first glance, she bears a striking resemblance to Jinny, but little things are different. The eyes, for one, and the mouth. The shape of Jinny’s face apparently came from her father, and her ears. Izzy would be Jinny if Jinny were distilled to be 100% hispanic/irish mix. Her father? 100% native american and Japanese mix.
“<<Hi Ama.>>” Jinny says in that pastiche of languages, trying to sound nonchalant while she glances at Luu, then back up to her Mother and Father. “<<Thank you for inviting me. I…I mean we.>>” Jinny corrects herself. “<<We brought pretzels and cheesecake for appetizers and dessert.>>”
Izzy, Jinny’s mom, straightens, the pastiche of languages switching over to a strangely accented English to include Luu. After all, not everyone is well versed in the family dialect! “Well, welcome home, my wayward daughter.” She clicks her tongue, shaking her head in displeasure, but not for the reason Luu may think. “Look at you! You’re just skin and bones, mija. Don’t you eat when you’re doing your art? Ay dios mio…”. “Come in, come in, the both of you. Dinner will be ready…” She looks over her shoulder, catching sight of something and shouts, switching back effortlessly to the family dialect. “<<CONNOR! You put that dumpling down! That’s for dinner! Go help your sister and her friend bring things in!>>” Izzy hurries back into the kitchen to defend dinner from her prowling sons, her arrival in the kitchen heralding the sound of frantic scrambling towards the staircase in the garage. A motor starts and, after a second, the garage door lifts, one of Jinny’s brothers standing there with a grin.
“<<Very brave, sis. Bringing a girl to dinner?>>” He chuckles. “<<That’s going to make 3/4ths of the grandparents hit the ceiling.>>”. He's talking in that language to Jinny, probably about Luu.
“Louie….” Jinny shakes her head in the negative, sticking to English right now. “Be nice. This is Luu, my best friend.” She looks towards her elegant-looking chantrymate. “She was alone for Thanksgiving and I brought her along so she wouldn’t be alone and that’s it.” He fixes the young man with a steely gaze learned from her interactions with spirits, brooking no argument from the young man. It was not to needle her parents and grandparents or to deflect the attempts to set her up with someone else. How much does she wish that there were other reasons to bring Luu along with her to meet her family…
“Okay, okay, Jin, cool it, cool it.” Louie lifts his hands, settling into English, moving around to give her a kiss on the cheek and then continuing around to the back of the car, popping it open to retrieve the things inside. “It’s good to see you, Jin. And it’s nice to meet you, Luu. Jinny’s told us nothing about you.” He needles Jinny briefly like a big brother does, watching her bristle at the implication as he loads himself up with dessert and pretzels, heading up the stairs to the main room, fully expecting Jinny and Luu to follow.
Jinny closes the hatch of the Datsun and walks around to Luu’s side of the car, hidden beneath the edge of the deck, mostly out of sight. “Thank you for all this.” she says quietly, taking Luu’s hands in hers. “And I’m sorry for whatever happens over the next couple of hours.” Then, steeling herself, Jinny squares her shoulders and heads in.
Getting out of the car, Luu gives a friendly, but slightly shy smile to the first in the parade of Jinny’s relatives. That she raises her right hand instead of her left to wave, so as not to immediately show off her Hello Kitty tattoo, seems to indicate that she’s definitely working hard to make the right impressions. Despite being a social combat veteran fashionista, family on Thanksgiving seems to be something that has her slightly overwhelmed and out of her element, which still has her handling the situation better than most people would. She’s definitely had practice pretending to be Jinny’s girlfriend, but it’s a bit different when Jinny is aware of and encouraging this fantasy.
“<Hi, I’m Luule, nice to meet you and Happy Thanksgiving,>” she responds, seeming to have managed to piece together the familial language pastiche without really thinking about it. If one didn’t know Luu, they might expect that she spent a day in front of a mirror practicing that opening line, and wouldn’t have more than a blank stare if there was a response. “<<I didn’t make the pretzels or cheesecake,>>” Luu reassures them, as if they might have known to be worried about such a thing. Her method of fitting in is a sort of effortless and not fully noticed awkwardness that might catch some people off guard, for better or worse. Another small right-handed wave is given to a new family member presenting themselves.
Looking to Jinny for guidance, Luu doesn’t seem to know what to do about responding to Louie’s comment. She has no problem following Jinny’s lead, but that she needed to follow a lead on this might make a brother think that Jinny’s hiding something from the family, or that Luu’s hiding something from Jinny; and in reality it’s all that and more complicated. If Jinny thought having part of her family try to set her up with a boy during Thanksgiving dinner, just wait for when that coincides with the other half trying to set her up with a girl; and not just a girl, but Luu.
Once more following Jinny’s lead, Luu walks along with her as they enter the familial Thunderdome, together, but not, but kinda. Uh oh.
Jinny’s brother looks Luu over, impressed with the smattering of the family tongue. “You been giving lessons, Jin?” he teases in English, giving Luu a flattering smile before running up the stairs two at a time, leaving Jinny and Luu at the bottom. From there the pair can definitely hear Louie telling the family that Jinny brought someone with her and she speaks the family language pretty good. <<Yeah, a couple of mistakes.>> is all he manages to get out before Ama and her chancla persuade him to stop talking and go somewhere else.
The trek up the carpeted stairs to the kitchen doesn’t take long; only a few dozen muted footfalls that herald the arrival of the just-in-time guests. Jinny planned it that way, of course; to prevent any kind of before dinner conversation where she could be stuck on a couch, surrounded by overbearing parents and grandparents and the inevitable boy that just happened to be visiting from somewhere. That steely spine that Luu may recognize in Jinny starts to slowly bend as they get closer to the top and, at those last few steps, seem to drain out of the bottom of Jinny’s borrowed shoes and into the carpet at the first cheerful greeting from her family.
It’s not a bad batch of hellos, of course. The cheerful greetings in multiple languages filter in from all corners of the house, and one older woman with the height and broadness of a fire plug and the red hair to match waddles up to give Jinny a proper hug, lifting the red-headed woman off the ground effortlessly before setting her down again. “Yae should come visset more often, pet.” she says, reaching up to tap Jinny on the nose, her voice a light irish brogue “Yae are missed, yae kno.”
“I know, Granny Annie, I know. I’m just so busy with my art, and you all are so busy doing all the things you do….” Jinny trails off, nervously brushing her hair behind her ear, looking down, looking sheepish, almost, the personalities of the family around her so bright that the glow she normally exhibits seems to be fading.
“Come on then. Come say hallo to the rest of the family. We’ll be eating in a wee bit, and I think you’ll enjoy thae company.” Granny Annie shuffles to stand next to Jinny, a hand on the small of her back, and glances up at Luu before gesturing to the living room proper where the grandparents all sit in conversation. “And bring yer friend.” At the gesture from Annie, pretty much the entire room’s attention swivels to look at Jinny and Luu. She waddles away, leaving the pair standing at the landing, the kitchen on their left, the living room on the right.
The living room is a modern style, if modern were stuck in the 90’s, with lots of white walls and high ceilings and flat, rounded planes that would have been painted in drab grays and whites. However, in the time that the family has called this house home, the family has very much made an impression on the space. Concrete floors have been polished, stained, and textured, giving them the same look as hardwood while several large rugs - oriental with tufted ends - extend here and there, muffling footsteps and loud voices. The furniture is a riot of styles, picked up at garage sales, thrift stores, and in one case, off the corner when someone was throwing it out. Jinny was /so/ embarrassed when she was told to throw it in the truck but she did as she was told and, after a little cleaning and stripping and replacement of varnish, plus a new red cushion for the seat, it sat, proudly as Tex’s chair - still worn but very comfortable. There’s a large rug in front of the fireplace, surrounded by chairs and couches, and another in a smaller sitting alcove with a pair of nicer chairs. The walls do show a little of their gray here and there, but have been painted over in a riot of pastels with a large space near the bedroom hallway still decorated with some of Jinny’s early art in marker and paint pen. It was that spot that gave her the bravery to step out into the world, knowing that something of hers would be home when she returned. The rest of the walls are covered in closely packed family photos, chronicling the family’s strange journey that found them all here in the middle of California, proving that the adage of the melting pot taught in 8th grade Civics class still held true, from time to time. The ancestors - the oldest photos of the family - are set behind a small ofrenda with a few incense sticks burning in a small Shinto censer, their smoky scent subtle, but definitely enough to get your attention if you were to walk closer.
The spirits here, if one were to see, are comfortable and wild and very much pleased with the chaos that goes on here every day. They dance and cavort, make meals taste a little bit better, dreams a little more interesting, and the familial ties just a little bit stronger. A perfect blend of cultures that condensed, somehow, to make three very interesting children.
“Luu…” Jinny fights the urge to hold Luu’s hand. “Um…this is everyone. Everyone? This is Luu. Don’t everyone rush her at once….”
<<Jinny!>> A call comes from the kitchen.
Jinny flushes cutely at the call, hanging her head and looking away sheepishly before leaning towards the kitchen and replying. <<Yes Mama?>>
<<Come help your Abuelita and me. The tamales are coming out, and the shrimp won’t shell themselves. Your friend will be fine!>>
Deer in the headlights time. Ohshit. Panic. <<Can Luu come?>>
<<”Ai dios mio, chica, she’s a GUEST. She doesn’t do work!>>.
Jinny very nearly says something snarky but manages to keep it inside “Um, Okay…names….” Jinny points out each grandparent and gives their name, as well as her father and her brothers; here’s hoping Luu paid attention to the pamphlet! And then she’s dragged off to the kitchen to shell shrimp!
Leaving Luu to the tender mercies of Jinny’s family.
“Don’t worry, miss Luu. We don’t bite.” Jinny’s father says from his seat. “Come on over. Talk with us. Tell us a little bit about yourself? You must trust my daughter very much to accept an invitation to this madhouse.”
Near the door to the home, Luu pauses for one last moment, closing her eyes just slightly as she takes in a deep and centering breath. The nervousness she feels about meeting Jinny’s family she works to dispel by vibrating love and light, something that seems to serve her well.
Sitting on a porch, Luu has a notebook and pen in her lap, various notes and sigils and formulae recorded on the pages, notes to herself and others that might find them useful in their navigations. Even with her iconic Celine shades on, the blueness of the skies is unmistakable, reflecting off the lake just slightly down the hill in front of her. A gentle breeze moves the warm air across her skin, holding her in a gentle embrace and reminding her that all is one. Along with the gentle sensation of touch comes the calls of several birds, a language just like or part of their movements in the sky. A scent of fresh grass comes to her, with only a hint of the animals she can see across the lake on the other side of the valley; mostly cows grazing, but certainly not all there is over there, and the fluffy cloud that looks just like a sheep seems like it should definitely count. Whether it is lost or free, it is hard to tell, but she keeps it in her mind in case the distinction becomes important, but she seems little need to worry in such an idyllic landscape.
Thinking she heard a small creak of a wooden board, Luu looks through the screen door to see if it was Jinny that she heard. As she does so, her mind spins off in fractals, imagining beautiful homes and all the people or families or perhaps couples that live in them. Certainly not all perfect, but hardly what this is about, that’s someone else’s job. All the scenarios flow back into Luu’s mind in the oscillations of the light and love that she is projecting, as the screen door opens and she sees Jinny arriving with cool iced tea. She can’t help but smile. It relaxes her and gives her the strength to approach the unknown. Maybe through this experience she’ll not just meet Jinny’s family, but come to better know Jinny, to better know herself, and maybe one day she’ll really know just what family can mean.
It takes her a moment to realize that it is in fact her that has gone through the door, and that she is now in Jinny’s home. The relaxation and confidence remain, the lenses she wears here are a bit different, but better able to see things in the light of this situation.
<<”Hi, I’m Luule, but most people just call me Luu,”>> she responds to the family, speaking their native tongue. <<”I’m a fashion designer, a little bit of an artist too, but I can’t really compare myself to Jinny when it comes to that,”>> she continues, <<”I’m a bit of a polyglot, in case that wasn’t obvious. I didn’t have anything to do for Thanksgiving, or anyone to be with. Jinny suggested I come along with her for Thanksgiving, to not be alone, and to meet her family. She said she wouldn’t mind the company either, and maybe she was just being nice so I felt welcomed, but I think she really meant it.”>> A bright smile is offered as she says, <<”I don’t know family well enough to say that I fully understand what a madhouse I might have gotten myself into, but I have the feeling this is the good kind of madness.”>> Glancing over to the kitchen for a moment, Luu looks back to Jinny’s family, and adds, <”But yeah, I trust Jinny, and thanks for having me over, I hope that’s ok. You raised an amazing daughter, and I’m looking forward to getting to know the rest of you.”>
There’s a popular TV show on one of the major networks called Shark Tank. In it, small business owners, inventors, and people with passion for certain projects pitch their ideas to the Sharks, a group of investors in an attempt to get them to invest in whatever it is they’re pitching. Sometimes it works and the people move on to fame and fortune as their product is marketed to the masses. Other times it doesn’t and there’s nothing but cringing and stammering; stuff that ostensibly makes ‘good television.’ Shows like that aren’t something that Jinny watches, of course - when she watches TV, it’s nature documentaries, 80’s movies, and concert films instead of Reality TV, but if she did? This Thanksgiving meal would be the ideal setup for any number of shows. A new person visiting a big, multicultural family with differing viewpoints? Let’s sit down and watch the sparks fly!
This dinner that Luu’s been invited to? It’s probably something that would fit perfectly into that storyline.
When Luu speaks, there’s a murmur of amazement shared between the family members, Louie looking positively pleased as they look back and forth, a shit-eating grin saying, without saying with words, “See, I told you she talked good.”
<<Well, Louie. You were right..>> Tex said. A stern-looking man that appeared to be chiseled out of mahogany, his white hair was ornately plaited into a braid with a feather at the end that matched the colorful shirt he was wearing. One might think it was Hawiian, but looking closer, it had dancing Gods hand-stitched into the fabric across the chest, a small pair peering out of the pockets along with a pair of reading glasses and a couple of pens. His attention moves from his grandson to Luu, holding her in a stern, yet curious gaze, the man one of few words. When he does speak, it’s with a nod. <<It is very impressive that you are able to speak so clearly in our tongue. Most white people give up long before they can even say their name or ask about the weather.>> Granny Annie gives him a smack and a ‘look’ that translates across cultures and Tex responds with a well-practiced eye-roll. Now we know where Jinny gets that trait from. <<Well anyway.>> He finally says, offering a nod. <<Welcome to our home, Miss Luule.>>
On closer examination, Tex seems to be the eldest, followed closely by Kenji who sits in a chair close by, sipping from a bottle of Mexican beer with a straw. The other grandparents fall into ages ranging from sixty to seventy, but knowing how some cultures age, they could be less than that or far, far older. They amuse themselves as they chat, with knitting or embroidery or, in the case of Tex and Kenji, sitting silently and watching the goings on, only to comment now and again when the mood strikes them. Usually that’s once per hour, if that. Louie has vanished upstairs somewhere, and judging from the sound of video games coming from the other room, that’s probably where Connor is, shooting imaginary dinosaurs with a bow and arrow while saving the world from a mechanical apocalypse.
Jinny’s father, the one who spoke when Luu and Jinny first arrived, gets up from his seat and moves to sit near Luu, looking up at her from the chair he chose. <<If you do not know how to be in a family very well, you will learn very, very quickly visiting here for a holiday.>> He chuckles. <<Izzy always tries to put those signs up around the house that you find at the big box stores. ‘This home we love and make mistakes and say I’m sorry.’ You know, stuff like that in black font on white backgrounds that looks like it belongs in a movie. But it turns out it really does work. So just be the best you that you can be and you’ll be welcome here, day or night.>> He does smile at the compliment, a brilliant, white smile. <<Thank you. I’ll be sure to tell her mother that. We all worked very hard for her to be the best Jiinya she could be by giving her the right tools to shape herself and the world around her.>>
There’s a clang from the kitchen and a splash followed by a string of curses. The Hispanic Grandmother, Guadalupe, leans over to whisper something to Tex at that moment and gets to her feet, going in to help wrangle tamales with Jinny and Izzy.
“So, Miss Luu.” Jinny’s father leans forward once his mother has vacated the room, switching to a lighty accented English without a hiccup, his voice quiet, almost conspiratorial. “If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you and Jinny been in a relationship?”
Insert record scratch here.
The remaining three grandparents listen expectantly, seeing how the woman will answer.
Inside the kitchen, oblivious to the question that was just asked due to the noise of cooking, Jinny has found an apron and rolled up her sleeves. Luu’s shoes were set aside so nothing got on them while she cooked. The food that they brought had been distributed so cold things stay cold, warm things are warmed, and everything is the height of freshness. They all start to set out the food, buffet-style, along a long table in the center of the dining room, moving from plates, forks, and knives to salad, then protein, then starches, vegetables, breads, and finally, desserts on a separate folding table near the sliding glass door. <<So, Mija,>> Izzy drains the pot of water from the tamales, a delectable scent rising from them that isn’t the normal beef or pork, but something different. <<How is your work? I has seen some of your arts driving down Sunset. One by the Gucci store, even.>> the woman actually sounds proud of that. <<You’re being careful, yes? You’re wearing your cross and saying your prayers to Saint Owen so you can get away?>>
<<Sometimes, Ama.>> Jinny carefully lays out bits of sushi on a platter using chopsticks to arrange them, looking over at her mother now and again. <<Only when I need to, though. I’ve started to feel like the city is watching over me, keeping me safe, leading me on the right paths, like a priestess in her temple.>>. She takes a few moments to arrange some salmon. <<I have been doing other things, though. Regular art in a studio. It's starting to bear fruit, too. I’ve got a dinner set up with some people on New Year’s Eve about selling some of my art in Europe to some very influential people.>>
<<You mean selling to rich white people.>>
Jinny snickers. <<Well, yeah. There are a lot of them, after all, and it’s how Papi got this house and me through school. Working on their fancy cars..>>
Izzy looks over to Guadalupe, who’s carefully stirring something simmering in a pot that smells chocolatey and beefy all at the same time, then back to Jinny. <<Mija? Me and Abuelita wanted to talk to you about something important.>>
Here it comes. Jinny sighs and steels herself for the inevitable introduction.
In this situation Luu should probably be nervous, and perhaps part of her is, but that part of her is not being consulted right now. The strength she receives is because of her understanding that what she is doing is not something that is not just for her, but rather to help someone else. She has come along in order to be protection for Jinny, and perhaps to help with healing wounds in this family, and through that maybe heal herself as well. <<”I think the difference,”>> Luu begins to say over why she is able to speak this tongue, <<”might be in the reasons it is approached. I think that is probably true of a lot of things, actually. There is much that is possible, perhaps even all is possible, but it is the motivation in our hearts that ultimately separates the possible from the impossible. A genuine desire to connect and communicate will often be rewarded.”>> A beat before she adds with a polite smile, <<”Thank you for having me in your home.”>> Somewhere in her mind, Luu curtsies.
<<”It does seem like this might be the right place to at least begin to understand family,”>> Luu says as she looks around at the multi-generation and multi-ethnic household. <<”I just hope you’ll forgive any beginner mistakes that I make,”>> she tells them, <<”my heart is in the right place, but understanding family is generally something one is taught while young by their family. Having not had the proper lessons, I’ll do my best to not embarrass myself or offend others.”>> Looking towards one of the signs, Luu keeps her eyes on it, studying it as if it contained depths beyond just the words on display. <<”I don’t doubt that they work,”>> she says to them, <<”the right energy and the right intention can do wonders for effecting change in this world.">>
With her eyes still on the sign, Luu pauses for a moment, as the big question gets asked. This was a subject that was going to come up at some point, and in fact it is part of the reason that Luu volunteered to come along, but the way in which it would come up was still to be determined, at least until a moment ago. Perhaps Luu thought that Jinny would be there for it, but perhaps she would have been silly to think that. With the confidence she draws from helping Jinny, and her expertise in social dances, Luu turns back to Jinny’s family and prepares her response. They like to play matchmaker? Time to get them to play matchmaker.
<<”Oh, we’re not,”>> Luu responds, giving just a slight hesitation in her voice as she says this. <<”Jinny and I are just really good friends,”>> she begins to explain, her words saying one thing, while just under the surface different interests can be vaguely sensed. <<”We work on art projects together,”>> she continues with a small smile, <<”and I did put some of my clothing in storage in order to let Jinny have a room in my house, so I do see her very often. She inspires me – “>> Tucking some hair behind her ears, Luu leans in to show off a pair of lapis lazuli and silver earrings featuring hyperbolic triangles. <<” – just one of many creations that only became possible thanks to Jinny’s creativity,”>> Luu adds, <<”and when I was all sick and injured, she cared for me, really going above and beyond what would be necessary, but as you know, you raised a wonderful Jiinya. We have all sorts of adventures together, and I try to do my best to bring to her life as much as she brings to mine, but we’re not in a relationship – “>> Luu pauses and gives a quick glance into the kitchen, stealing a look at Jinny, before turning back to the room and explaining with a smile, <<” – Jinny’s just the girl that steals my shoes, and I’m happy she’s in my life.”>> Looking around for a moment, Luu asks, “Which way is your restroom?” There’s a slight hint given in this question, and how it drops to English, that Luu might need a moment to compose herself after that explanation.
Luu is certainly hitting all of the right buttons with Jinny’s family. Certain things are universal to all people, specifically politeness to family elders, and Luu’s talent with people translates quite well. Even potential faux pas are headed off with Luu’s willingness to admit that she is unfamiliar with families and how they work. It’s amazing how much slack someone will give when you admit that you do not know something or that something is unfamiliar to you. It works in the fashion world a great deal of the time, so it’s no wonder that it works in this family, too. There’s another murmured conversation between a couple of the grandparents, the elderly Japanese man hiding a smile with his hand as he whispers something to the other grandfather, nodding. The words “I Mana” can be heard, barely, a comment on Luu’s good manners, the men straightening when they are thanked for welcoming her into their home.
<<You are quite welcome, Miss Luu.>> Ever polite, Kenji is, the man sitting ramrod straight with his hands cupped in each other in his lap, palms up. He moves them to his sides and, rising briefly, he bends slightly forward in a welcoming, polite bow that stops at the appropriate fifteen degrees, retaking his seat. <<Our language is one that came about on its own, organically over time. It was easier to learn common names of things, whether they were in Japanese or Spanish or Gaelic or Navajo.>> He chuckles faintly, leaning over to peer into the kitchen where Guadalupe and Izzy seem to be working, with Jinny in the middle of them all, her back to the living room, shoulders hunched.
Kenji straightens from his lean and turns his attention back to Luu. <<I admit, I do still have trouble with some of the pronunciations of a few of Annie’s words, even today, but a family is not nothing if not helpful and understanding, ready to assist with any difficulty one may have. I stand with my wife and daughter and her husband at all times. Family is simply that - the willingness to simply be. To endure along with the other that you have chosen to be with. To provide joy in times of darkness, comfort in times of sickness or pain, and to help ensure that your children…”>> He nods towards his son. <<“And their children continue to work the gardens that your parents and grandparents and great grandparents started long before you started on this journey.>>
<<Aye.>> Annie adds, patting Tex’s hand, linking her fingers with his. <<Family dinnae care about what others think. They just act as parts of a single living thing towards some hopeful future, whatever it is. It may be children. It may be knowledge. It may even be a story carried on the lips of the world. Whatever it is? When you find it, you hold on to it. It's nae easy, even with this big guy here.>>. She teases. <<Fulfilling, yes. Most certainly. I woodnae had a baby with him if I didn't sense that spark in him.>>
When the question is answered, there's really not much of a reaction. <<Yea see? Jin’s not with this lovely lass. We can still find her a nice boy….>> Annie says, almost pleading, before Tex shakes his head in the negative.
<<We talked about this, Nizhoni. Jinny’s life is hers. Whatever path she chooses, we will walk with her. After all, we don't want a repeat of Thanksgiving two years ago when she ran out.>> Tex’s voice is quiet, yet stern, brooking no argument.
<<Two years ago, my mother brought home a boy from the local Catholic Church for Jinny to date.>> Papi Mike says from his seat. << She thought he was a good boy, and in the old world sense he was, but he had some views that didn't work too well with Jiinya’s. They dated, I think, for six months months just to get Guadalupe and Izzy off her back and then, for some reason, he quit coming around.>> Mike takes a sip of his drink, chuckling.
Annie clicks her tongue. <<You cannae just not tell her the story.>> she shifts in her seat to tell the rest of the tale. <<It turns out Guadalupe’s taste in men is very different from Jinny’s. The boy asked her to marry him at a Fourth of July party we had at the shop and well….>> she blows a low whistle. <<Jinny can take advantage of a situation when it calls for it. She told him no and when he wouldn't take it as the final answer, she knocked the crap out of him with a torque wrench. Nearly broke his cheek.>> She pauses to let that sink on. <<In fairness, he did try to grab her and drag her off to talk some sense into her. We could have told him that wouldn't work.>> she giggles merrily at the memory, composing herself again once it's passed. She'll be good, promise.
No more setting up from this part of the family, it seems. Luu's request for a restroom is granted with Mike’s direction down the hall, second door on the right. Looks are shared between the family members as Luu goes.
Right next to the room with the wooden sign on the door that says ‘Jinny’s Room.’
Back in the living room, there's a meeting of the minds once Luu is out of earshot. <<I like her. Better than those boys Guadalupe keeps trying to set her up with.>> Tex says, looking at the others.
<<She has good manners. Very polite. I would not mind seeing her more.>> Kenji adds his two cents.
Annie rocks in her seat. <<Yeh know ah want a great grandchild at some point. She's so nurturing. Ah know she'd make a perfect mother but….>> coming to an uncomfortable realization. <<Ah’d druther Jiinya be happy than anything. Besides, we’ve got her brothers.>>
They all turn to look at the kitchen. At Guadalupe and Izzy. At Jinny. And the kitchen is quiet aside from cooking sounds. Just cooking sounds. No conversation.
Just ominous cooking sounds.
In the bathroom, Luu pulls a chain to turn on the lights, and catches sight of something she didn’t expect. The face in the mirror is one that she recognizes well, and this is what bothers her. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, alone in the crowded familial house, Luu sees the sadness in her own eyes.
Leaning forward, she gently presses her fingers against the mirror. A flood of memories that are not her own rushes through her. Before her eyes, she watches Jinny grow up. The push-and-pull of family as an invisible organism is something she finally appreciates; an absence in her life filled with the understanding of one that would never be hers; neither Jinny’s family nor Jinny.
Cool water pours from the faucet into Luu’s cupped hands, before she splashes her face, careful not to wet the clothes she is wearing. The words she had spoken moments before were meant for Jinny’s family as part of the protection she is providing, but they came from her and she knows that. A slow deep breath is taken as she gently pats her face dry with a towel, her eyes locking on her own in the mirror, trying not to cry and wondering why she isn’t crying.
Family, she gets it now, and what she gets is that she doesn’t have one.
That can all be dealt with later. She is here for Jinny, not herself. Taking a quick breath, Luu regains her smile; arms and armor, but not amour. Turning off the light in the bathroom, Luu rejoins the family, ready to give thanks.
When Luu returns, the family is pretty much as she left them. The men are engrossed in some college football game (Ol’ Miss vs. Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl) on an old TV in the corner, Guadalupe and Izzy are in the kitchen along with Jinny, still cooking, the brothers are up in their rooms playing some video game, and Annie is sitting in her chair knitting a shawl with a pair of fairly decent sized needles. She glances up, now and again, the tick, tick, tick of a knot being made, being pushed down the needle followed by another and another, well-worn, well-practiced hands making a complicated pattern - a stockinette and garter pattern - seem extremely simple. <<Aye, you’re back.>> She calls out once Luu has emerged from the hallway, motioning her over. <<Come sit and unwind yarn while I work. If I have someone helping me, I can go twice as fast, and dinner will be ready before ye know it.>>
Whatever Luu’s choice happens to be - to help or to watch football or to simply listen and be with the family - within the half hour a call goes out for all interested parties to wash their hands and come to the table. The TV goes off with a click and everyone - Annie included, once she sets down her knitting - migrates to the bathroom in a line, washes their hands, and comes back out, making a beeline towards the kitchen. Jinny’s brothers come along afterward too, their games forgotten. “Who’s she?” the older one murmurs to the younger, earning a sharp elbow to the shoulder in response. <<Jinny’s friend, stupid. Come downstairs for once and visit!>> Louie admonishes his brother as they traipse to the kitchen. It’s not them being hateful or disrespectful to each other; it’s just brothers being brothers.
The dining room is the source of all the wonderful smells and, when Luu enters, she sees all sorts of wonderful things are laid out, buffet style, ready to be shared. The variety of foods on offer rival that of some buffets in Las Vegas, each homemade and each heralding from one of the cultures that makes up this eclectic family. Pit-roasted Barbacoa. Turkey. Pan-seared fish. Sushi. Roasted Corn. Squash blossoms stuffed with blue corn mush. Roasted root vegetables. Rice. Fresh fruits and green salads. Bread and rolls. Desserts of all types. These are all scattered along a long buffet along the back wall with no sense of cultural organization. Just like the family, it’s all in one giant table mixed among itself. Trying a little bit of everything would almost certainly end up with them trapped in the throes of a food coma but, this being Thanksgiving or a reasonable facsimile, it’s to be expected. There will be leftovers.
Rhode will be /so/ pleased when they come home.
The table itself is a long trestled affair covered in an embroidered tablecloth that is obviously homemade. Not the cloth itself, but the embroidery, with every inch covered in art from the culture. Cranes and cherry blossoms fly alongside dancing Navajo gods who step alongside and through gaelic patterns that criss-cross the entire cloth, from edge to edge. There are even lines of Oaxacan art that come from Guadalupe’s great great grandmother’s hometown that, according to the stories, are the embodiment of the creator’s wisdom and dreams made reality. It’s something that almost certainly took several years to get together that’s only brought out on the most special of occasions. Apparently the family getting together is one of those. Place settings are distributed evenly on either side of the table, four chairs to a side and one at each end, giving plenty of space to eat and converse. The plates, cups, and bowls sit at the end of the buffet in a riot of colors, the silverware (and chopsticks) ready in cups to be taken to the table. A centerpiece rests in the middle of the table, made of flowers and stalks of wheat tied artfully with a length of silk.
This family couldn’t be more multicultural if it tried and most importantly? There’s not another chair. Who’s here are the only people eating, it seems.
<<Since you’re a guest, Miss Luu?>> Mike says as he gestures to the table. <<Please go first. Your seat is at the end of the table, just there.>> He pauses and points, then clarifies. <<Next to Jinny.>>
Jinny is standing quietly with her hands crossed and head down, a little smile dancing over her lips as she goes over something that happened while in the kitchen, motioning for Luu to go on, bouncing on her toes a little, almost gleeful. Happy, most definitely, but not saying anything just yet.
If Jinny’s family was impressed with the way Luu learned their language, just wait until they see her unwind yarn. Returning from the restroom, slightly dazed, but not showing it, Luu takes a seat next to Annie. Her attention goes to the television, trying to figure out what it is the family is watching and what’s going on. As she does this, she absently brings the yarn into her lap and begins to go to work on it. While Annie likely has been doing this for sometime and has some interesting tricks to teach Luu, it is Luu that is the professional; this doesn’t necessarily mean better, it just means she knows how to move fast and at scale. As she tries to figure out the football game on TV, Luu’s fingers deal with unwinding the yarn at a rapid clip.
“Where’s the next pile?” Luu asks as she turns to Annie. While Luu has succeeded in dealing with all of the yarn in record time, she’s still expecting there to be plenty more. Before she can get an answer, she sees Jinny’s brothers coming down the stairs. <<”I”m Jinny’s friend, Luule,”>> she says, <<”but most everyone just calls me Luu. Nice to meet you and Happy Thanksgiving. Thanks for having me over.”>>
With the delicious aroma of home cooked Thanksgiving dinner tickling everyone’s nose, and lifting them up, Luu finds herself with Jinny’s family in the dining room. <<”This looks great,”>> Luu says enthusiastically as she looks over the spread, <<”If I attempted something like this we’d probably be outside huddled together under a blanket watching firemen attempt to put out a blaze. What I mean to say is that I’m impressed and thank you.”>> A glance is given to Jinny, but nothing said, just enough to check in with her Chantrymate and convey that things are going well for her and the family. At least she thinks they are. Taking a seat, Luu looks around to Jinny’s family, giving them a warm smile, and beginning to understand what the holiday is all about.
This being a buffet-style meal, it was expected that each person would get what they wanted to eat and bring it back to sit, which is exactly what happened. After suffering through a remarkably short welcoming speech by the elders of the family, the grandparents shuffled through the buffet, choosing what they wanted to eat before sitting, followed by Jinny, who motioned Luu to follow. “It’s one of the benefits of bringing a guest. Even an unexpected one.” she whispered gleefully as they made it through the line. “You get to go nearly first.” For this family, and this amount of food, worrying about not getting enough is probably unnecessary at this point, but old habits do die hard, and Jinny does seem pleased about exploiting a loophole in the rules to go before her brothers.
The meal, as meals go, was fairly unremarkable in the regards to the conversations that went on. Politics were touched upon, as was sport and news of the day. Mike’s business was brought up, too, with an update on a couple of cars he was working on for resale that, once finished, would keep the family in the black for the next year, and the brothers bragged a bit about their football prowess, with the hope that their team would go all the way to the state finals that year if they were able to defeat John Marshall High school next week. The food, of course, was spectacular and ran the gamut of cuisines, with each culture represented in some way at the table. Things that shouldn’t go together actually did, and other flavors - like curry potato skins - were a mixture of flavors and cultures that weren’t even represented at the table. It was like the family was a filter that took what it needed from whatever culture it encountered and made it their own.
The subject eventually turned to Jinny and her guest, with Mike sitting a little straighter as he spoke. <<Well, everyone, I don’t know if you all know, but we’ve finally decided.>>
<<Decided what, dad?>> Louie asked, about to take a bite of a turkey leg.
Mike looked over to his son for a moment, then to Jinny and Luu. <<We’ve decided that we’ve made a great mistake these past few years, trying to set Jinny up with different boys.>> He’s speaking for the family at this point since he, personally, didn’t care whether or not Jinny got married or had kids, but as her father, he had a bit of say in this. <<Who she chooses to be with is her decision, and, as a family, we wish her to simply be happy with whoever she chooses and hope that she will bring them by to visit.>>
Annie wipes her mouth, glances to her husband, and then looks right at Jinny. <<Pet, ahm sorrieh fer doin’ that to yeh fer so long. Ah never thot….>> She sniffles. <<Ah’m sorry.>> Her husband wraps an arm around her shoulder and gives her a tight squeeze, speaking up. <<If you decide to be with someone, Jinny, I hope that you’ll bring them to visit us one day. I can’t say we won’t say something embarrassing or out of place, but our hearts are good and we only want the best for you.>>
Under the table, Jinny’s hand reaches over to pat Luu’s leg lightly, the girl looking over with a blushing smile, her shoulders forward, her head down slightly. She’s a little embarrassed, it seems, to be the center of things, but being accepted by her family, finally, seems to be a major hurdle that was just overcome.
<<So, miss Luu.>> Guadalupe asked. <<I saw you with Annie and her yarn. Do you do crafts at home?>> An innocent sounding question that almost certainly would open the floodgates. Jinny looked over and laughed, taking a bite of her food and waiting for the deluge.
Some time later….
Dinner was done, leftovers were portioned into tupperware to send home with Jinny, the dishes were running through the dishwasher, and people had escaped to their various spots in the house. The grandparents and parents were on their seats reading, watching football, or knitting, while the brothers went back upstairs to do whatever it is boys do in their rooms when they have a lot of free time. Jinny, on the other hand, took Luu by the hand and led her to the small bedroom next to the bathroom, ushering her inside and closing the door behind them, leaning against the wooden panels with her hands behind her back. “Oh my goodness…” she managed to finally stammer out, the first real thing of consequence she’s said since sitting down for dinner. “It’s like a ten ton weight has been taken off my shoulders.”
Her room is small, with a twin bed, a nightstand with a lamp, a desk, and a closet. The floor is covered in a plush blue carpet with a tight burbur weave. It’s probably the smallest room in the house but it’s well organized and clean, with various art posters strewn across the walls, little hanging mementos of various class trips and activities she’s done, including one of her at age twelve in track gear, smiling next to her coach while holding a small golden trophy and another of her with another girl in a one-piece swimsuit at the beach. There are even a couple of anime posters, too, kind of hidden behind the door, of girls in short skirts doing various awesome poses with wands, their hair multicolored and luxurious, just like Luu’s. The windowsill has been converted to a small bookshelf, with various art and fashion books stacked there haphazardly where they can be easily grabbed from the bed. She takes two steps into the room and sits at the foot of the bed, patting the blanket next to her as an invitation for Luu to sit.
“I can’t thank you enough for being here.” Jinny smooths down her skirt in a nervous motion. “I know you probably feel like you’re just bouncing along like a stick caught in the rapids, but it’s really, really good that you’re here, with me.”
Hand-in-hand with Jinny, Luu dashes down the hallway, feeling giddy; almost drunken, and yet without a drop. This maneuvering could have been many things, from escaping the police, to speed-running the Louvre, but tonight it was about new beginnings; at least for Jinny.
In the new room together, Luu lets out an excited giggle, bringing her hand to cover her nose anticipating a dorky snort that never comes. “I’m so happy for you,” Luu says, giving Jinny a big hug, and resisting the urge to ask her if there’s anyone she might have her eye on now. Sometimes the things that one wants to know can be so tied up with things that one doesn't want to know, that it just makes sense not to ask anything; a slowly developing Gordian knot in the stomach.
“Speaking of a ton of weight,” Luu adds as she pulls back from the hug, pats what really should not be allowed to be called a belly, and flops backwards onto the bed. “I’m happy to have helped,” she adds, taking a moment to just lay down, “though I hardly think any of this was my doing. Perhaps your family’s incorrect assumptions about what it is I *am* doing here, made it a bit easier to say certain things, but it seemed like they had planned to take that fork in the river no matter what.” A beat as she adds, “really, if anything has me spun around, it’s the food, which was awesome. I know that my parents weren’t always professionals, but I still have a hard time imagining them cooking.” Can’t even really imagine a family much larger than them, though they only just count as family themselves, and besides, all this goes unsaid.
“Sooo …” Luu starts as she pats the sides of the bed and then gives herself the momentum to sit up, “ … what’s the plan now?” She had meant it like dessert, or smoking cigars with uncles on the porch, or perhaps being enlisted to make new outfits for family members, but as her eyes connect with Jinny’s, she realizes all the other ways she could have meant this, and perhaps where her subconscious had been conspiring with the threads of fate.
Jinny almost floated down the hall to her room, the sign clattering on the door when she closed it behind them and before she realized she was hugging Luu tightly. She might have held it just a bit too long before it was released, moving to sit on the bed and taking a moment or two to look down at Luu’s ‘not really a belly’ belly, trying to put all that just happened into context. It’s dizzying, the freedom that she feels. Her family accepting her as she is without complaint or question is something that she never thought she’d experience while she was in her 20’s. Sure, eventually the ‘old guard’ would disappear into the annals of history and attitudes would change and, eventually, her mother might accept it like her father did, as well as whichever grandparent happened to still be alive, but for them all to finally release those bindings willingly, without conflict, argument, or gnashing of teeth, was a wonder that she didn’t think she’d ever taste. It was a long, hard fought battle, but she finally came through successfully.
A chink in her chrysalis, allowing more of the real Jinny to shine forth.
It may be a new night for Jinny but, strangely enough, it’s the start of a new journey for the both of them, even though they probably don’t realize it. She offers a hand and helps Luu to a sitting position, her head tilting to study the collection of art that takes up a good portion of the walls in her room. Sketches, spray paint, and even a few photos are scattered here and there. People, the city, landscapes, the sky all vie for attention amidst tribal patterns interspersed between. It’s almost like their Node, except done in modern styles. It’s no wonder the place spoke to her as loudly as it did. Spending time studying this would almost certainly give insight into the forces that shaped Jinny into the woman she is today, but there may not be enough time for that. “Well, what now is…well…dessert, I suppose. Dishes. And then a family photo in front of the fire. Mahjong if you feel like a game or two with my grandparents, spades if you want to play with my dad over beers, but he’s really good and will be distracted thanks to the football game. Your earrings might actually help with keeping him focused on the game, but that might be a negative if you’re wanting to actually win the game.”
She blushes faintly. “As far as the plan for me? I’m sure that someone special will make themselves known, now that I’m not tied down to getting married right out of the gate to some guy.” Her hand brushes lightly against Luu’s, remaining there as she leans forward impulsively, her lips nearly reaching Luu’s when….
**Knock Knock Knock** “Jinny! C’mon. It’s halftime and we need to do the picture!” Jinny freezes, as if struck by lightning and straightens, hands going to her lap, scooting slightly away. Nope, wasn’t going to Kiss Luu. There’s nothing like that happening here. The door opens and her younger brother peers in, motioning for them to follow.
“What do you say?” Jinny asks, getting to her feet. “You’re already so much a part of things, might as well make it official.” Her brother shakes his head and ducks out.
Jinny offers Luu a hand. “Come on. They’ll have a spot ready for us.”
And they do.
