My mom and I were eating a late night snack in the living room. The TV was on low as always, and it was a late night drama on. Neither of us knew what was happening, the series was so advanced in its airing, so my mom was making up the story as we went along.

"Ah-ah, this is the sister. I know it. I bet she's cheating on her husband. You watch. I know I am right."

I played along. "I bet this is the brother. Up to no good, a gambler. He's draining the family of money, so they're all fighting."

"Yes, that's a good one. I bet he's always been a scoundrel."

We watched seriously to see if we were right. I silently cracked a nut between my fingers and put the shell in a bowl on the other side of me. The nut went into my mouth as I watched, and my mom started laughing.

"What?" I asked, chewing and trying to laugh. My head was so close to Sana's, who was sleeping. My back was against the couch. His breathing was in my ear, I was paying attention.

"I think you might be right."

"Oh, am I right?!" Too loud. My hand went over my chewing mouth, and my eyes slid to the side to check on Sana. His breathing hadn't changed.

She took my cue, and laughed a little quieter. "Yes. They're talking about money."

We watched a little more, enjoying together. After about twenty minutes, the episode was over. A show came on that we both didn't care about. Somehow, we started talking about my dancing, with how Lyra and I had been practicing.

"I wanted to go see you," my mom said, much more serious now. She was leaning over her chair towards me. "But, I didn't want to disturb your practice. I know how important it is. You haven't danced for a long time, too, so it must take a bit to get into the swing of things. Still, I bet it was beautiful. I've always loved your dancing. Speaking as an appreciator and enthusiast, the way you express yourself always moves me."

The way she was speaking was home to me. Her warmth. Knowing now that she accepted and loved me for who I am and always has... It was hitting me in a place that I couldn't identify. Something so deep inside, that it doesn't have a name. Her loving my dance.

"I want you to come see it. Please come tomorrow." My hand was over my heart, saying this so sincerely.

"Really?" She asked. Almost disbelief. Why? She was my mom. Of course she could come and see.

I nodded. "Oh, but." Ah, this. It had been dragging on me for a while. My fingers picked at the carpet as I stared at it, something I used to do as a child. A bad habit. A nervousness.

"Hmm? What is it?"

I looked back up at her, and there was love there. Adoring me. I gave a small smile. "A couple of days ago, Keitaro revealed a little bit of what my costume might be. None of us know what our costumes are, but I have to practice in something that resembles mine, so I asked him. He said it's a kimono and an uchikake." I sighed. "I wish... I wish I had an uchikake. I want to practice in it. That way, I could show you the best dance."

My mom was smiling at me. She tilted her head in thought, her finger going to the middle of her chin as her eyes went up to the ceiling. Her smile widened.

"What?" I asked.

She broke into a grin. "Wait here." She got up from her chair so fast.

"Huh?" I was caught off guard. She bounded out of the room happily. I almost got up to follow her, but I heard Sana breathing in my ear. No way I'd leave him alone. I turned to him as I listened to her heavily go up the stairs. He was sleeping deeply, a small crinkle across the bridge of his nose. I wanted to poke it.

In no time, I heard a door upstairs close. Her slow rumble came back, the noise getting louder and louder. Excitement in me was growing as I heard her get closer. What was she doing? My hands gripped my knees, then eased, due to the delicate silk of this kimono that I was wearing. I couldn't be that rough with it.

But, when she rounded the corner into the room, my hands gripped my knees so hard in surprise.

"Ta da!" She whispered loudly, so in excitement. It was a large, flat, bright red plastic box, fastened at the corners. She made her way over to me carefully. I rolled over onto my knees, getting on all fours as she met me, putting the box between us. I scooted over, and she sat in seiza position, formally sitting before it. What was in this box that would command such respect? I matched her, my hands on my thighs. I needed to respect it, too.

"Well," she began. Her deft fingers began to unlatch the top of it with steady clicks. But, she didn't have to say a single word more as she lifted the lid off. My hands went to my mouth as I stared at the object inside. Her hands went to it, and she carefully lifted some of it out.

Unfolded before me was an elaborate uchikake. White and black, red and orange, purple and blue, every color. Cranes taking flight, a scene of celebration on gold. Expert embroidery, shining threads. A delicate, fine, old silk. Red lining inside, luxurious. But most of all, I knew this old friend.

My hands floated over it, daring not to touch it. I couldn't.

"Mom..." I gasped slowly in awe. "This is grandma's wedding uchikake. I know it from the pictures of her wedding."

My mom nodded. "I still feel bad that I didn't wear it, too. But, I wanted a western wedding. She understood that. She left it to me. She said she wanted-" She stopped speaking, staring at it now. I saw her pause, and I gave her respect, waiting for her. My grandmother's face was filling my memory. Her kind, round face. That gentle smile. Her large hands, always large to me, because I was so small. Her when she was young, wearing this kimono, her whole life ahead of her in those pictures.

My mom gestured the kimono to me, and my heart jumped. My mouth parted a little, recognizing her intention.

"It's yours. She wanted you to give it to your bride, to welcome her into the family. But, I know that's not appropriate. You're marrying a groom. So, I thought... You need an uchikake to practice with. Take it. She'd want you to. She'd be so...so proud of you." Her face was getting red, her eyes swelling in her emotion. She was going to cry.

I was already crying. "Oh, mom... I can't... It's too precious. I can't dance with this. What if I ruin it? What if I step on it, and... Oh, mom, I can't take this."

"No, it's okay. I want you to."

My hand finally touched it. The gold shone around my fingers as I made indentations. As I did, such a profoundness came over me. A knowing. My fingers went down it, seeing it shine like spun gold. I sniffled and looked back up at her. Determination replaced any unsureness.

"I'll take it, but," I weighed the weight of this in my mouth before I said it. The gravity of this. How much this meant. My hand went over my heart again, wanting her to know how much it meant to me, too. "I want to give it to Sana on our wedding day instead. I think that's the best use. That's what grandma wanted."

The tears that were threatening to spill over my mom's eyes did. "Oh," she said quietly.

"Now that I know that, how can I not do it? It makes the most sense. Sana is becoming a part of our family. We're his family. He'll know that if I give him this. He already has grandma's ring."

She sniffled, too. "Yes, he does." So quiet, uncharacteristic of her.

"He'll wear this. He'll look so beautiful. I'll welcome him into the family with this."

She nodded, draping the kimono back into the box. Before I knew it, her arms were around me, hugging me so hard. Her face was over my shoulder, her cheek pressed to my ear. My arms went around her, too, the box between us preciously.

We hugged for a long time, and she began rocking me side to side gently, like she used to when I was a kid. It was reminding me of such old times, almost forgotten. It was like this was fate, something my grandmother had long planned. She'd passed away when I was six years old. Did she know from so long ago?

"I'm so glad you found him," my mom started to say, surprising me. I listened, emotional. I was hugging her too hard, but her body was hardy and could take it. Clinging to her like a child. "You're so different, but in a good way. He's matured you. Taught you how to take care of someone else. There's so many little things that are different. The way you speak, the ways you move. You're always looking over your shoulder for him. I saw that the first time you brought him over. You two couldn't take your eyes off each other, especially you. Always checking on him. Small wanderings of the eye. I was watching you so closely. I knew he was the one. I knew it back then. I don't know how or why you were brought together."

As she held me, it hit me. The significance of this. How we were brought together.

I breathed inward hard as I remembered. This long forgotten thing, so many other important problems and worries, joys and laughter.

My message, from so long ago it seemed now. That early October, when I'd gotten sick. That blog post.

"Grandma played a hand in this," I said, quiet now, even more so that my mom was. Almost a whisper, in awe of it.

"Oh?" My mom was surprised. "How so?"

I swallowed hard, trying to say it. Having to. "My blog post. He contacted me because of a blog post. He couldn't stop himself. It's because... Oh, mom... I can't believe this."

"What? What is it?" She parted a little, looking me in the face now. Too curious.

Tears came out of my eyes, unable to stop them. How could it be so? This. It couldn't be coincidence. My hands wiped my eyes, too many tears. I sniffled hard. "I said in my post that I wanted my grandma's miso soup. I was sick, and I wanted grandma's miso soup. So, he wrote that he can make pretty good miso soup. He came over and made me miso soup. Mom... Grandma brought us together. He came over, because I wrote about missing her. He..."

"Ohhh, Te-chan..." My mom was in complete tears now. No holding back.

"Now I get to give her kimono to him on our wedding day. It's fate. It- it's fate." I embraced her again, needing her.

"It is. It's fate." My mom held me, truly believing as I did.

"Mom..." My voice was high, starting to sob in my happiness. This bliss.

She rocked me back and forth, loving me, as we took in this love. This fate.