“Last time I saw the itinerary, it looked that way,” he replies. “There are a few events planned in New York and the state dinner in Washington from Monday through Wednesday, but after that, we’re all yours.”
“Great!” I say, pacing back toward my desk with a renewed bounce in my step. “I thought maybe on Thursday, after the ceremony, I could give you and Mama a tour of Cambridge. And then on Friday, we could head down to Cape Cod and rent a boat. It’s been ages since we went fishing.”
“I’d like that,” Papa says. I can hear the smile in his voice. Fishing has always been one of his favorite escapes. He pauses, and I can almost picture him shifting the phone to his other hand. “You’re probably wondering why I’m calling.”
“A little,” I admit.
“Your mother and I know you’re busy, but we were hoping we might count on you and your sister to represent us at a few events. It’d be the Japanese-American Cultural Connections luncheon at the Japanese embassy and a visit to see the new Hokusai woodblock exhibit at the National Gallery.”
I nod, though he can’t see me. These events are part of the job, yes, but they’re also how we support one another. If my presence makes things smoother for my parents, and more importantly, my younger, shyer sister, I’m glad to do it.
“Yes, Papa. I’ll do whatever you need.”
“Excellent, I’ll let my secretary know. They’ll email you the arrangements.”
“Sounds good.”
“How has your job search been going? I know you were reluctant the last time I mentioned it, but Mr. Minamoto is always asking about you. I know his company designs cars, but that’s not all that different from roller coasters, is it?”
Poor naive Papa. Comparing designing a luxury sedan to a high-g-force launch coaster is like comparing a stroll in the palace gardens to skydiving. But I don’t correct him.
“Um... actually, Papa, I do have some news. I was waiting to share it with you and Mama in person, but...” I glance at the Excelsior Parks logo on my screen. “I received and accepted a job offer today.”
The quiet on his end is so complete, I can hear the steady tick of the old pendulum clock in his study. “Kaori, that’s wonderful, congratulations.”
“Thanks.” I choose my next words carefully. “I know you wanted me closer to home, but the firm that hired me, Excelsior Parks, is here in the States. I’ll be starting as an actual engineer and?—”
“Slow down, Kaori,” he says. “This is a lot of information to throw at your old papa.”
I can picture him standing in his study with one hand folded behind his back, the other holding the phone as he gazes out the window toward the koi pond. In my mind’s eye, winter light filters through the shoji screens, casting him in soft gold.
“Where is this firm?” he asks. “New York? Somewhere near your school?”
I take a breath, the word feeling heavy on my tongue. “Orlando, Papa. It’s in Florida.”
“And this is what you want to do?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then your mother and I will support you.” Papa chuckles. “We both know you’d never be happy in Tokyo.You’d never be able to escape from the shadow of being my daughter.”
He’s right. It’s why I chose to go to school in America in the first place. “Papa... thank you.” I swallow, surprised at how tight my throat feels. “You don’t know how much your support means to me. And I promise I’m not abandoning everything. I’ll continue to fulfill my duties from Florida.”
“We can discuss the specifics when we’re there. For now, focus on graduation and celebrate landing your new job. We’re proud of you. We know how hard you’ve worked to earn this on your own merit.”
We say our goodbyes and end the call. His words—we’re very proud of you—echo in my mind, warming me from the inside out. Papa’s given me his seal of approval.
My new life feels like a blank tapestry waiting for its first colors, but the threads of my old life, like my family and my duties to my home country, are still woven firmly through it.
As I walk into the kitchen and pour myself a glass of water, it hits me that the real challenge ahead isn’t just moving to Orlando. It’s figuring out how to be both things at once, an engineer and a princess, and somehow making these two versions of Kaori feel like the same person.
Three
The marble steps of the Japanese ambassador’s residence in Washington DC are blinding under the late-afternoon sun. I stand perfectly still, praying I don’t sweat through my makeup as my younger sister, Rei, and I wait for our car.
Rei and I are five years apart. I’m twenty-two, she’s seventeen. Physically, we look alike. She’s about two inches taller than me, standing a graceful five-six, with the same dark eyes and jet-black hair. But that’s where the similarities end.
Rei is shy and soft-spoken and prefers literature, while I’ve always been the outgoing one, far more comfortable with the logic of a calculus equation than the nuances of a poem. I have two left feet on a dance floor; she’s a gifted swimmer who moves through water like it’s her natural element. But despite our differences, or perhaps because of them, she remains one of my best friends.
