Saturday- Tora’s Day - 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Compared to Ruki’s early morning escapades, Tora’s day was relatively uneventful. He slept in until eleven, when his alarm buzzed, stirring him from the rather peaceful sleep that had been so rare in the recent months. Before he’d fallen asleep, he’d tossed and turned in sheer excitement. His mind played over hundreds of scenarios involving the company ball, all of them ending with him so confidently whisking Ruki away into his bedroom after a night of dancing and sweet conversation.

When he woke up the next morning, his day dreams started anew. He had no troubles climbing out of bed. In fact, he was quite eager. He started a fresh batch of coffee and ran a quick shower while it brewed in the kitchen. He dressed, his towel-dried hair still damp, and took a cup to go as he headed out the door. His scarf whipped around his tall frame as he skipped down the steps from his porch and through the black wrought-iron gate. With keys in his hand, he hopped into the black car parked against the curb and drove off.

His destinations were already near. It didn’t take long for him to reach the shop where he would be fitted for a tux. He’d called beforehand, but prior to asking Ruki to accompany him, he’d neglected to plan for his outfit. Tora would have to make a quick decision today. The store was full of various types of outfits from classic to just plain weird. As he browsed the racks, he pushed aside outfit after outfit, unable to figure out exactly what he liked and, most importantly, what Ruki would like. He didn’t like the cheesy bow tie. He didn’t want to look like James Bond, either. Soon, a sales clerk caught wind of his confusion and approached to assist. By the end of the hour, they’d settled on a simple black suit. He would wear a white button open and a loose black tie. He didn’t like it tightened up against his throat. It was uncomfortable. The buttons on his jacket were gold, to match the colors Ruki had supplied him. Tora nodded at the final product with a pleased grin. The outfit was paid for and packaged on a hanger in a zip up cover. Now that that was over with, Tora carried the hanger out to his car and hopped inside to scurry off once again.

Tora made his second stop only a few blocks down the street, where he parked in front of a flower shop. Plants and blossoms of every color hung inside the window. He thought of every flower compared to Ruki, but none of them stood a chance. Tora grinned at the thought of his lovely date, Ruki, his own little flower, and stepped out of his car to head inside.

A bell chimed as he stepped in and he was greeted by the shop’s owner, a friendly elder woman. Tora smiled and nodded in greeting. “Hello!” Tora was a very kind man. He always smiled when he spoke to people. “I need some help picking out some flowers for a date.” He explained, and the woman laughed.

“How sweet! I wish young men visited my shop more often. Nobody thinks to buy flowers for their dates, anymore.” The woman skipped gleefully around the counter to meet with Tora, wagging a finger for him to follow. “What’s the occasion?”

Tora walked after the woman, his curious gaze sweeping over every bouquet of colorful flowers they passed. They were gorgeous, but none of them caught his eyes. They weren’t worthy of his flower. “A masquerade. He said he would be wearing black and gold. I don’t want anything too big or gaudy. He should be the spotlight.” He nodded with certainty and the woman grinned again. Tora’s sweet romance made her heart melt.

“Oh, I’ve got just the thing.” She turned, leaving Tora where he stood and returned only a few moments later. She carried in her arms a bouquet of white hydrangeas. Their stems were tied together with a golden ribbon. They were beautiful. Tora smiled as his eyes fell upon them. Perfect. He paid for the flowers and bid the woman adieu with a pleasant wave, then returned to his car for his third and final stop.

This time around, his car did not park in front of a store. Instead, he drove into a neighborhood and parked before a large house, its siding aged and plants overgrowing the white columns. Tora climbed out of his car and paused at the sidewalk. Memories of his child hood came flooding back all at once, bringing another smile to his handsome face. Looking out at the overgrown green yard, he swore he could see the small children that were his brothers running amok. With a low chuckle, he shook his head and headed towards the front door. He bothered not to knock. Instead, he twisted the knob with the key in hand and stepped right inside.

“Maman,” He called, shutting the door behind him and dusting off his muddy boots, “Maman, it’s me!”

A voice answered moments later from another room. “Hello? Julien, is that you?” Tora followed the voice into the warm kitchen and smiled at the plump woman standing behind the oven.

“Maman..” He said, this time in a tone of affection. He met the woman with a loving embrace and hugged her tightly. “Are you all alone?” Tora glanced around. She was baking cookies, as was her habit. His mother had raised six children, and although they had all moved out, she could not break the habit of baking goodies for the children that did not visit.

The mother woman removed the oven mitts and placed them on the counter. “Of course, I am, darling. You know nobody visits Maman anymore, not since your father left us.” She turned from her youngest son and began to scoop the warm cookies onto a cool plate. Tora’s gaze dropped to the floor, as did his heart.

“I do, Maman..” His voice was soft, as though his mentality had returned to that child like innocence he’d long since lost. “They just have a hard time visiting the house without Papa. We’re all getting together tomorrow. You should come, Maman. I’ll pick you up.” The dark-haired man nodded enthusiastically. He worried for his Mother often. Since his father, her husband, had died, she lived alone in the house where they had married and raised their children. He knew it was hard for her to manage all on her own. Whenever a light bulb went out, Tora was there to change it for her. When she needed to clean the gutters, Tora was always there to do it free of charge.

“I know, dear.” She spoke, her voice drifting into the usual nostalgic sadness as she thought of her husband. For a moment, his mother sighed, but soon, a smile came upon her. “That would be nice. I haven’t seen little Sophie in a long time.” She laughed, and so did Tora. His eldest brother, Cain, and his girlfriend had recently carried into the world a baby girl. Her name was Sophie, and she was the only grandchild so far. Other than Tora, Cain was the only one who frequently visited Maman. He did as much as he could, but between work and his family, he scarcely had time.

“Good.” Tora reached for a cookie, an act he knew would cheer both his sweet tooth and his dear Mother up. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow, then. In the mean time, I have good news..” Tora couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

His mother’s eyes widened and she turned quickly on him. “What? What is it?”

“I finally asked him, Maman.” He licked the chocolate off his lips and swallowed the last bite of cookie. “Ruki, the beautiful boy at work..” He could feel his heart fluttering. It was like he could spread wings and fly. “I asked him to go to the ball with me and he said yes, Maman.” Tora laughed in gleeful excitement and took up another cookie, as if in celebration.

“Oh, Julien! That’s wonderful!” His mother laughed along with him before lifting a finger, as though a thought had suddenly occurred to her. “That reminds me. Just one second, dear.” Maman left her son at the oven and disappeared into the house. Tora elevated his brow and blinked curiously, then shrugged and busied himself eating as many cookies as he could stuff into his face. His mother soon returned, with a little box in her hand. It was wooden, stained a beautiful color with intricate designs decorating its planks. Tora recognized it at once. It was the jewelry box his father had made with his own two hands. He’d given it to his wife for their wedding.

“Maman..” He began, but his mother quickly interjected.

“I want you to have it, Julien.” She placed the box on the counter and opened the lid. The inside was lined with a soft red velvet. On the velvet sat an aged gold ring, topped with a beautiful diamond. Little diamonds surrounded the gem, all the way around the band. Next to it were two simple golden bands, one larger than the other. They were his parents wedding bangs. The diamond ring was, of course, his mother’s engagement ring. Maman continued to explain, while Tora stared with his jaw dropped, “I want you to give it to whomever you truly love, Julien. I know this may be your first date and you don’t have to give it to him now, but… maybe some day, Julien…” She trailed off, a soft look overcoming her eyes as she pleaded with her son to take the box.

Tora looked at the rings and sighed. His heart warmed. “Maybe some day..” He repeated, tasting the words for himself, and he believed them. With a smile, he took the box and left his mother with a warm hug, promising to collect her the following evening. It was time he head home to get ready for the evening.