Your skills and qualifications were noted as a perfect match for our newest American satellite office in Orlando, Florida.
A small wave of disappointment washes over me, taking my excitement down two notches. Orlando. Florida. Asatellite office. Not London, where all the major flagship projects happen.
I slump back in my chair, picturing the two times I’ve visited Florida. It was hot, humid, and wet. Basically, a Tokyo summer with more alligators. I love warm weather, but I’m not built for the kind of humidity that turns my jet-black hair into a frizzy halo and makes a pantsuit feel like a sauna suit.
Still... this is a real engineering job that anybody else would kill for. And with mydreamcompany, nonetheless. Every great adventure starts with something unexpected, right?
I let out a slow breath. “It’s Orlando. The job is in Orlando.” I tap on the screen and pull the video chat box back up. Alice’s face is filled with a momentary flash of pure disappointment, but she’s a professional optimist. She shifts gears instantly, leaning into the camera to put a positive spin on the news.
“Orlando is still nice. There’s loads of things to be excited about, like Disney World, Universal Studios, and amazing beaches with year-round sun. That’s something you’dneverget here.”
I nod. “That’s true.” The initial letdown shifts into a spark of excitement. Alice is right. Orlando isn’t a demotion. Or a lesser role. It’s the first chapter of my adult life.
“Once you’re settled in Florida, I’ll come visit you,” Alice says, brightening. “Art and I are both overdue for a holiday anyway. And who knows, after you’ve been there a couple of months, if you’re not happy, you can always ask about a transfer.”
We wrap up our chat and promise to talk again soon.
I reheat my spaghetti in the microwave. Again. As Iwatch the plate slowly circle inside, my mind drifts far away, already imagining the rides I might get to help design.
The following day,I sit at my desk with the acceptance email from Excelsior Parks open on my screen. From what I’ve researched, the Orlando office is brand-new. Less than a year old.
I’ll be joining one of its very first teams. That thought sends a little spark through me. Early teams get to build things from the ground up, literally and figuratively.
My fingers hover over the keyboard as I reread what I’ve typed.
To:Mara Banks, Excelsior Parks HR
From:K. Minami
Subject: Acceptance of Offer—Junior Structural Engineer
Dear Ms. Banks,
Thank you so much for offering me the junior engineering position. I am thrilled to accept this role and look forward to joining the company’s Orlando team.
Sincerely,
Kaori Minami
Satisfied,I click Send. This moment feels monumental. I half expect confetti to drop from the ceiling or for the song “Celebrate” to start playing as I watch the message vanish from my outbox, but instead, it’s quiet. All I hear isthe hum of the refrigerator and the soft whir of the ceiling fan.
A little while later, my phone buzzes against the desk, rattling beside my elbow. I remove my headphones and pause my music. The caller ID shows a long string of numbers I know by heart, though I haven’t seen it in months. My breath catches. It’s my father.
He almost never calls directly. Normally, it’s his secretary. I swipe across the screen to answer. “Hi, Papa,” I say softly in Japanese.
“Kaori, it’s good to hear your voice,” he says cheerfully. “How is my little cherry blossom?”
“I’m good. Excited to see you and Mama.”
“We are as well. Your mother and I were just saying it’s been almost a decade since we last visited America.”
I stand and stretch the stiffness from my shoulders, wandering toward the kitchen window. The Boston skyline is clear today. “Are you two still able to spend the whole week here?”
Even though my graduation has been on my parents’ calendar for months, their attendance isn’t set in stone. Papa is the Japanese emperor. The head of state. Whenever he travels, it’s never just for pleasure. There needs to be a diplomatic purpose.
In this case, my graduation will coincide with a state visit to the US, and the Imperial Household Agency will be calling the shots for my parents’ schedule, not them. Almost every minute of their “vacation” will be choreographed by men in dark suits who view my milestone as a convenient window for a photo op rather than a family celebration.
While it would sting if they missed me being able to walk across that stage after four years of hard work, I wasraised knowing that duty always comes first. The Chrysanthemum Throne doesn’t pause for a diploma.
