Everything has to be perfect today. I find myself in such a giddy mood I know that it is affecting everyone in my home. Today Io will be coming for dinner to meet my parents. I have had the servants pick flowers from my mother’s gardens and set them around the house to give it a sweet aroma. I also had the chef prepare some of the smoked meats with rice and vegetables. For dessert we will be having a variety of mochi sweets. As I look at the position of the sun outside the window my stomach churns with nervous energy that she will be arriving any moment.

I head to the dining room to check on the placements and ensure everything is ready. When I am satisfied with what is done I see my parents coming down the stairs in matching kimonos. They have decided to wear the kimonos that symbolized the water that my mother uses to heal. Both of them are draped with lines of gold to show our wealth. I chose to wear a simple dark blue kimono with the family crest in gold over my right pectoral