“Now, what is your plan to bring them to heel?” Turning her sharp gaze from Bridget to me, she awaits our answer with intrigue.
“It’s kind of hard plotting against your son when he’s only just given me access to anything.” My words sound paltry. “Not so much as resisting him, but letting him see how we can be?—”
“Pshaw.” She tsks away my words. “How about you, Bridget?” Frowning when my bestie comes up empty, she gives us both a ‘woe as me’ sigh.
“Powerful men only answer and respect power. You girls are clever. You’ve learned my sons well enough to know what appeals to them. Set your standards high and stick to them. They will not relinquish any control to you without a fight. Fighting them head-on is not the way. Our culture is one that respects the long game. They gave face when they lost you and showed there is nothing they won’t do to keep you. Use that.”
“How do we do that?” I want to know.
“Men hate inattention. They will always react poorly to being ignored.” Her gaze strays behind us.
Bridget and I turn to meet the gazes of our husbands.
“Very insightful, Haha,” Riyu says drily, coming over to where we are sitting.
Both men bow and then go over to their mother, kissing her on the cheek. While we occupy the settee opposite Mrs. Takeda, they decide to take seats on either side of her.
“You were saying?” Takashi queries, but his gaze never leaves my friend. He looks irate. As if she’s orchestrated the entire thing rather than his mother.
“Nothing to concern yourself with.” Okasaan waves him away dismissively.
“No, I want to know what misinformation I need to combat with my beautiful wife.Your influence has been so significant, Haha, surely you want to elaborate more.” He barely uses tatemae to disguise his genuine anger of his mom’s interference.
“Yes, tell them how hard we were to wean, Haha.” Riyu shoots a smirk my way. “I’m sure Ev, wants to know what to expect when she gifts me with child.”
Sputtering, I nearly choke on my tea at his smart-ass remark. I wasn’t ready to share that we’d agreed to maybe try to get pregnant again. We were barely back together. We have a long way to go as far as making our marriage work, let alone bringing an innocent child into this very precarious situation.
“Riyu,” my tone is admonishing. He flicks a cool look my way.
Obviously they think we are in communication with their mother or got in touch with her as soon as we returned to Tokyo, which would have taken some extraordinary planning but being men who regularly do the impossible when it come to business and seeing us do the same with BITE they probably think we arecapable of of using the limited resources and mobility we now have to make miracles out of thin air.
“Your wives are true blessings to this family. Their loyalty to you is unquestionably something that makes me feel awe. Despite my offer of further intervention to appeal to your honor, they have insisted on, how do young people say? Work it out without further assistance from me.” Seeming a little miffed, she pours them tea and offers refreshment to her stunned sons.
Bridget and I both burst into giggles watching them balance their tea, sandwiches and cakes.
“I’m sorry you look ridiculous,” I laugh.
“Totally.” Bridget joins me.
My husband’s smile is the stuff of dreams.
“I’m planning a trip to the opera in a few weeks to see Taylor-chan’s most recent production, based on the her version of Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon. Would you like to join me?” Our mother-in-law smiles in our direction, ignoring the way her sons stiffen.
“We’d love to.” We answer in unison, ignoring the daggers being shot our way.
Waiting for my husband every day as he decides when or if he’s going to fully trust me is not something I look forward to. I can barely breathe as it is. Suffocating under his expectation and waiting for crumbs of attention does not a happy wife make. Haha is right in one respect — we need every avenue open to us to lead our own lives again.
We are not their pets. We are their wives — full stop.
“Wonderful. It’s settled then.” Okasaan clasps her hands in delight, but I don’t miss the calculation in her eyes.
Knowing we have her as an ally emboldens me.
“I’m super excited,” Bridget chimes in. I can tell from her tone she’s just doing it to get a dig at Takashi.
“Be that as it may, our schedules are not our own since Akchiro is handling his family business.” Riyu cuts in, trying to give excuses for us not going.
“If you mean taking care of his pregnant wife, making sure she has everything she needs as she prepares to give birth after having two miscarriages, then yes, it’s family business.” She reminds him primly.
