This evening, we’re both dressed in our heavy formal silk kimonos, on our way to the state dinner with the American president at the White House. Mine is a deep-indigo,hers a soft-peach. Normally, I love any opportunity to wear it, but right now in this weather, the layers feel more like a cage.
“I don’t know how you’re going to survive living in Florida,” Rei whispers into my ear, her voice breaking through my thoughts. “It’s bad here, but TikTok says Orlando is a literal swamp. There’s huge spiders, alligators, snakes, and did I mention huge spiders?”
I suppress a shiver at the mention of spiders, one of my mortal enemies, a fact Rei knows all too well. “If you’re still trying to talk me out of moving, it isn’t going to work,” I murmur. “I’ve signed my lease and my contract with Excelsior Parks. I’m going no matter what.”
Rei wrinkles her nose. “Butwhy? You can’t tell me it’s your dream. Because I know it’s not. If you were moving to Orlando to work for Disney, that’d be one thing, but you’re not. This isn’t you. You’ve always been dead set on London.”
“I’ve changed,” I say, though my heart stutters. “Right now, it’s important for me to pay my dues. After a couple years, I’ll have the track record and the experience to write my own ticket and go anywhere.”
“What if you had Papa make a call?—”
“No.” I cross my arms. “I haven’t worked my butt off to take a handout.”
Rei sighs.
I turn slightly to study her. She’s grown so much while I’ve been away at college, but she’s still the same kid who used to sneak into my bed during a thunderstorm. “What’s the real reason you’re so upset?” I ask, placing a hand on her shoulder.
She doesn’t look at me. Instead, she glances down at the heavy embroidered sleeve of her kimono,her fingers nervously tracing the silk. “I thought we’d be closer to one another this year,” she admits, her voice small.
A sinking feeling hits my stomach. “Please tell me you didn’t decide to study English in Wales because you thought I’d be in London this fall.”
Her shoulders slump, and the tips of her ears color pink. “Okay, I won’t.”
“Rei-chan.” I groan softly. “You can still change your mind.”
“No, I can’t,” she says, her eyes fixed on the driveway. “Everything’s been arranged.”
The sound of tires on gravel cuts our conversation short. The blacked-out SUV pulls up, the door opened by a white-gloved hand man who bows to us. “Your Highnesses.”
We slide into the car. The door slams shut and we pull away from the curb.
“You’re never stuck. You always have choices.”
She tilts her head. “Like what?”
“Admit to Papa you’ve changed your mind. Sure, it’ll ruffle a few of the Imperial Household Agency’s feathers, but they’ll smooth things over like they always do. If I were in your shoes, I’d use this as a learning opportunity.”
“For what?”
“To find your voice.” I place my hand on top of hers and squeeze it. “We’ve been apart for the last four years while I’ve been in Massachusetts. You didn’t just survive—you thrived. I’ve always been a call or a text away, Rei-chan. A different time zone isn’t going to change that. I am still your sister, even if I’m wearing steel-toed boots and a hard hat instead of a kimono.”
Rei glances out the tinted window, watching the passing monuments of the capital blur into gray streaks. Shedraws a shaky breath, her fingers twisting a loose thread on her silk sleeve. “What if I don’t make any friends, Kaori? What if nobody likes me? I’m not you. Speaking to people is hard. English isn’t easy for me like it is for you.”
So that’s it. She’s afraid.
“Do you think starting a new job and moving to a brand-new city is easy for me?” I ask softly.
She looks back at me, her eyes wide. “No?”
“Exactly. It’s terrifying. I’m moving to a place where I don’t know anyone or the area. But it’s all part of the experience. We can’t grow if we’re always comfortable.”
She returns her gaze to mine and nods, taking in what I’m saying.
“One of the best pieces of advice Papa ever gave me is that you’ll never please everyone. If people don’t like you, you can’t dwell on it. You can’t let their opinion become your reality. All you can do is be yourself and hope that’s enough. And if it isn’t? Then they weren’t your people to begin with.”
Rei takes a deep breath. “Why do you always have to be right?”
“Because I’m older and wiser?” We giggle.
