The pair were not with each other on this particular day.

They'd missed one another terribly, but today was a day where they had to stay with their families.

~~~

"ジョージ、いつその女の子を家に連れて行くの？" ( George, when are you going to bring that girl home? ) George's mother as she cooked her famous fried rice, glancing back at George who was sitting on the other side of the counter behind her.

"どういう意味ですか？彼女はいつも来る、ママ。" ( What do you mean? She comes over all the time, mom. ) George replied, grabbing one of the carrots while she wasn't looking and tossing it in his mouth.

She turned around, the spatula in her hand, pointing it at him threateningly.

She squinted at him.

"私はそれを観た。" ( I saw that. ) she whispered.

George raised his hands in defeat, forever curious on how she always could see him.

The woman really did have eyes in the back of her head.

She turned around, stirring the delicious smelling rice with the spatula again.

"私の言っていることが分かるよね。" ( You know what I mean. ) she said in a low tone.

"No, I don't." he replied, crowing his arms and leaning his elbows on the counter.

He knew what she meant.

"Why have you not asked her out, yet?" his mother prodded.

Even she loved the thought of the two young teens together.

They were so close, and it amazed her.

When she saw them together, it warmed her heart, and it even made her laugh seeing how connected at both the hip and brain they were.

They could finish each others sentences, they could communicate without even speaking, simply by looking at one another, they knew what the other was thinking almost all the time, and the mother knew that Emi sometimes picked up on things that George wasn't even aware of, yet.

There were a few weeks when Emi had gone out of town, and she noticed a drop in mood from her son.

He still held his normal self up, but she could sense his emptiness and sadness without his other half.

George dropped his head down to stare at the counter as his wide eyes stared.

"知りません。" ( I don't know. ) he replied as he sighed.

His mother stared at him for a moment before turning back to the rice and turning off the stove, dishing it into two separate bowls as she served it.

As they ate, his mother sat back, stretching.

"私はその女の子を法律で娘にしたいと思っています。" ( I'd like to have that girl as a daughter in law. ) she smiled.

Joji almost choked on his rice.

"ママ！" ( Mom! ) he shouted, hitting his chest to keep form choking more.

She threw her head back and let out a hardy laugh, patting her son on the back.

"私は真剣です。" ( I'm serious. ) she said while laughing.

~~~

Emi sat at the counter, sketching in her pad as her mother did the dishes.

It was a bit different in her household without her father there.

He'd moved out immediately, and the house felt a little bit empty, despite how it was much more violent before.

Emi and even her mother did not miss the fights, but they missed having that extra life in the home.

Even with the heater on, it was still ever so slightly cold.

"あなたは何を描いていますか？" ( What are you drawing, sweetheart? ) her mother had asked over her shoulder, scrubbing at the dish that was most likely clean by now.

Emi stopped sketching for a moment, biting her lip.

"George," she let out. "I'm drawing George."  she told her mother.

Her mother looked over her shoulder, smiling tiredly at her daughter.

"Really, now?" she asked.

She turned off the water and dried her hands quickly on a hand towel.

She loved George like a son, and she, just like George's mother, wanted the pair of teens to be together.

She knew about the times where Emi would call George, she knew how much she loved him, and she knew, maybe even more so than her daughter, that Emi had feelings for him.

She walked towards Emi.

"そうねぇ！" ( Let me see! ) she cheered.

Emi handed her the unfinished drawing, that was really only a few shades and lines away from being done.

"素晴らしい！" ( Amazing! ) she cheered, gazing over her daughters work, feeling pride.

She was amazed at how every detail captured the boy perfectly, and it amazed her even more that George was not even in the room, Emi had no picture reference.

She knew every detail of George's face by heart.

Every single detail.

"私の女の子はとても才能があります！" ( My girl is so talented! ) her mom gushed, giving her back the drawing and pecking the top of her head.

"その少年を法律上の息子にしたい。" ( I want that boy as a son in law. ) her mother reminded her as she went back to washing dishes.

Emi smiled. "I know, ma." she replied.

She herself loved the idea of marrying George.