"But I'm already seventeen!"

The discomfort had been looming, now it was here. Izu wished she could melt into the soft brown sofa and disappear. Her best friend, Ren, just turned seventeen yesterday, and had began fighting with her mother since then. Izu wished they would stop, but once Ren got going, it was hard to stop her. And Ren's mother was no different.

"It's not the same out there anymore, you can't just wander off as a teenager! Twenty-one, and that's it."

"Today," Ren's pallor hardened, giving her mother a dead stare.

Her mother's eyes were wild. "Twenty-one, and that's final. I have a lot to do Ren, we'll discuss this later!"

"Sure, right, whatever!" Ren stormed out of the room. Izu could hear her stomping up the stairs. Her bedroom was on the third floor, so she was stomping for quite a while. Only when the door slammed did Kiki, Ren's mother, sigh.

Izu glanced her way and found Kiki looking at her. She almost looked as if she were on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry Izu," Kiki slumped down into the nearest seat.

"I know," Izu replied immediately, hating the tension, hating that she was watching her best friend's relationship with her mother fall apart. "I understand. Just the other day, Marty said he saw a fist fight — between two grown-ups!"

The corner of Kiki's mouth smiled. "You're very kind."

"And I don't want Ren going anywhere, either. At least not without me."

Kiki shook her head. "I think I would feel better if you went with her, wherever she ends up going. It's just a hard world out there. Koruko is like my home village to the rest of the world. It's really very safe here."

"How old were you when you left home?"

"Thirteen," Kiki sighed, shaking her head again. "I don't know how my mother did it. I can't do what she did. Ren is too… she worries me."

"Twenty-one is such a long time from now," Izu said, feeling sorry for her best friend. Ren had been dreaming of her graduation for the past two years now, but school had taken up her time. But now, mid-summer, and the seventeenth birthday come and gone, and no schooling left, Ren was getting really anxious to leave.

"Yes, but she needs to go out there with some money, a little something. I want her to experience a little bit of life here before she goes off on her own. I don't want her feeling what I felt, as wonderful as this city is."

"What happened?"

"Well," Kiki looked forlorn and glanced at the grandfather's clock beside her. "If you can believe it, I had no idea how to function in the real world. I grew up in a farm town, and someone with a car was the most modern thing I'd seen. I'd only seen planes from a distance, and I was hardly ready to be a self-employed witch. I didn't know anything about money, or social etiquette — I knew my manners, and that's what got me through. And good people like your mother, Izu. And I know that the rest of the world is not so quaint." She eyed me at her last statement, in case I was perhaps trying to convince her to let her daughter go.

"But I would've never known," Izu said. "I'll talk to her and try and change her mind. I don't want her leaving, either," she smiled.

"Well don't bother," Kiki declared, pushing up her sleeves and standing up. "I mean, you can check her room, but I doubt she's there."

"Oh," Izu's expression fell. Ren must have flown off in her state of fury.

"I'm sure your mother needs you for help with the festival, don't worry yourself over Ren. You know she'll come back around. I'll leave her a note to go over and help you when she comes back."

"Thanks, Kiki," Izu smiled, feeling rather upset that Ren had just abandoned them both. She was as hot-headed as they came, after all. "I'll see you later."

Izu stood up and let herself out, pausing as soon as her friend's front door closed. She looked up to the top of the home behind her at the third story gable window. It was open, but it could've just been open from the morning. No matter. Mom did need her help and she was sure that Ren would eventually come back around. She just wasn't sure when.

"Izu!" Mom scrambled into the front room of the shop, nearly tripping over herself as soon as Izu walked in, the bell on the door tingling.

Izu was just about to whine but changed her mind as soon as she saw her mother's concerned face.

"Your father —" Mom was out of breath, "He tripped and hurt his leg, I think it's really bad! I need to take him to the doctor!"

A rise of fear and worry swelled up into her chest. "Is it bad?"

"He can't stand up!"

"Oh no," Izu rushed to her mother and they both tripped over each other into the kitchen of the bakery. And, as Mom said, Pop was on the tiled floor, groaning in his reticent way. Izu ran to him and fell her knees, grabbing for his hand. "Are you okay Pop?"

His large frame disguised the common frailty of humans, and he only grit his teeth and nodded once to her.

A sure sign of the pain he was in. She looked down at his feet. They didn't look twisted, but his right foot was held in a stiff manner.

"Come on," Mom was beside them, "help me get him up."

Izu crouched down, doubting her five foot two frame would be of any help. Pop was a full foot taller than her. But Izu tried anyway, taking his arm as Pop struggled to get himself off his elbows.

"Where's Toto and Miki," Izu eeked out as Pop put some of his weight onto Izu's straining arms.

"They're making deliveries," Mom said through her own grit teeth.

Slowly, Pop arose, and the moment he did, the doorbell jingled, signaling that a customer had just walked into the shop.

"Go get that dear," Mom huffed.

Pop leaned his arm out, resting it on the counter as Izu wormed her way out from underneath him.

She was shocked the moment she saw who had just come in. It was Ren!

"Ren!" Izu ran to her. "I thought you left!"

She frowned. "I was waiting for you! What happened?"

"Your mom said you left—"

"Figures," Ren sneered. "But what's going on, you look upset."

"Pop just hurt his ankle or foot or something! Come quick," Izu grabbed Ren's arm and they scurried back into the kitchen.

"Oh no," Ren exclaimed, looking at Izu's parents struggling to keep Pop's balance. "Did you call the ambulance? You can't carry him!"

"No," Mom shook her head, "it'll cost too much."

"But how are you getting him to the hospital?"

"We will manage. Izu, please stay here, then let Toto know we're at Dr. Yenoh's."

Izu nodded.

"And let Miki keep the preparations going for tomorrow, okay?"

"But what about the sheets in the oven, won't it—" Izu was interrupted by the quick-thinking Ren.

"I'll take care of the front," Ren looked at Izu. "You take care of the back."

"Thank you, Ren, thank you so much," Mom exclaimed. "Now, Poppy, let's see how you do."

Pop growled, and leaning as little as he could on Mom, they hobbled toward the front of the shop. Ren, a few inches taller and stronger than Izu, went to help them.

Izu felt helpless, watching them limp out of the room. The festival was tomorrow! Who was going to prepare all the pastries? Miki and herself knew enough, but it wouldn't be the same. And how long before they came back? How bad was it? Pop couldn't put any weight at all on his right foot. The bread! Izu scampered to the ovens and peeked inside of them. They had a bit of waiting. And on the prep table, there were jam mixes and floured tarts. She stirred the jam. Not thick enough.

How were they going to handle this now? And even Mom was out of commission!

A tidal wave of stress overwhelmed her and Izu took a deep inhale, holding it.

The front door bell jingled, and she heard Ren making her way back into the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" Ren stopped beside her, peering into Izu's concerned face.

"I don't know how we're going to do this. This festival is so important."

"You have your brothers — and I'll help."

Izu looked up at her. "You would?"

"Yes!" Ren's brown eyes sparkled back at her. "This is tragic! But you guys will make it. I'll do whatever I can, okay? Just tell me what to do."

I hate telling people what to do, let alone my best friend! "Well, I guess you could help me back here until someone comes in." Izu smiled at her. "Pop keeps a list of everything. Let's see how far along he is."

Ren grinned and together, they went to the cabinet where two sheets of paper were taped to the panel.

They still had quite a lot of work to do!