Memories of Lemongrass

by Autumn Win-Dow

Letter Series #3

Dear Kaoru,

Do you remember what you made me promise before you left? That I'd send you a letter about how our family was faring? Well, after much brooding, I finally decided to start writing to you. I don't like breaking promises, and we all know that I really wouldn't dare break a promise to you… no one would, even Natsume. He may be a bit rebellious, but there's no one he'll listen to more than his mother. Please teach me your ways!

Speaking of which, thanks for telling me about his secret love for cranberries – I've never seen him so happy about food ever since. I'm sure that there's more weaknesses which I could exploit – if only you could tell me. I can only wish.

Well, you wanted to know about our life, right? Well, the things you know first. We live not too far from the city, but it's a nice place to raise our twins. There's a park in front of our house, and the neighbour's a really friendly person – he gardens for a living, you see, and there's always this fresh lemongrass scent whenever we leave the house. It sounds worthless, but it's really comfortable. Although he won't admit it, Natsume prefers our home over the city where he works.

He never really liked admitting such things, after all. I wish he did, though. You named him after tea! I'm named after a tangerine, and I love tangerines, and everyone around us loves the idea of it. But he just downs tea like water. And beer.

Well, at least he isn't named after beer.

The twins are growing – they have black hair, like their father, and Natsume's already claiming that they're inheriting his looks. He says it like it's a good thing. Should I be offended?

Well, the story of my parents says that while a child inherits one's looks, they inherit the other's personality. I don't think Natsume's realized it yet, but I know myself. And I hope that the twins will turn out like me.

Maybe Natsume will finally come out of his shell because of it.

But on another note, why is it when he used to be so reclusive, that he's so good with kids?!

I guess I overplayed his taming of Yoichi a few years back, but I feel like the kids love him more than they love me. I'm happy he's getting along with them – well, he is their father – but sometimes, it makes me feel a little sad. Were you good with kids before you had Natsume?

If only you could reply.

You would really love the twins. They're playful, and they love everyone. I know that you'd be good with them. I can already imagine it, but it saddens me that a chance like that would probably never come to us. I had a grandfather – he wasn't blood related, but a grandfather, nonetheless – and I'm not sure if I could survive if I didn't have him. Losing my parents at a young age left a gaping hole in my life in itself. Perhaps I wouldn't be here today if I didn't have Grandpa.

Would I be happy? Would I have met Natsume?

I want the twins to have as many happy memories as possible. They have uncles and aunts – not just Aoi, but Ruka, Hotaru, and even Koko and Sumire. Though Sumire gets into childish fights with them, and Koko doesn't get the gist of youthful innocence, I'm glad that they have people to look up to. They have each other – siblings are the closest to you not only in blood, but experience, and I think that bond is really unbreakable. And I'm going to make sure that they'll always have us, throughout their childhood.

I finally understand how it feels, being a mother.

Natsume misses you. He really does. Aoi also misses you. And Ruka. And I really, really, really, miss you, and I must admit I'm tearing up as I write. To think that you're probably not going to even lay eyes on this letter of mine, that it's just going to sit on a concrete block for a few months before it disintegrates, it makes me sad.

But still, I promised. I can't break a promise.

I have a picture of you on my desk. I work as an interior decorator, and it's fun, I suppose. I've redesigned all but one room in the house. I remember when you came to the house to stay once, and you completely rearranged the room to meet your tastes for one week. You never returned it to its original state, but that's fine. I didn't touch the room at all. It's as if you're still here, looking over us and the kids, and I can't bring myself to change it in any way. It's your room, and it always has been.

It's been a year since you've left. I hope it's all going well for you. We're doing well, but we've never forgotten you.

And you look beautiful in the picture I have of you. The twins will be amazed that their grandmother was such a wonderful, charming woman. When they get older, they'll know how their father was raised, how their grandparents were, as people, and I'm sure that they'll be proud to call you their grandmother.

Because I'm definitely sure that I'm proud of having you as my mother-in-law.

Yours sincerely,

Mikan.

P.S. I remember telling you to 'just call me' when you made me promise a year ago. Looks like that's no longer an option. So... did you know that this was going to happen?

A/N: The last instalment of the Letter Series! Yay! I'm done!

And oh yeah, besides the letters to the in-laws, can you find the other recurring motif in the three instalments? ;)