Chapter 2 #2
I nod. “That’s true.” The initial letdown shifts into a spark of excitement. Alice is right. Orlando isn’t a demotion. Or a lesser role. It’s the first chapter of my adult life.
“Once you’re settled in Florida, I’ll come visit you,” Alice says, brightening. “Art and I are both overdue for a holiday anyway. And who knows, after you’ve been there a couple of months, if you’re not happy, you can always ask about a transfer.”
We wrap up our chat and promise to talk again soon.
I reheat my spaghetti in the microwave. Again. As I watch the plate slowly circle inside, my mind drifts far away, already imagining the rides I might get to help design.
The following day, I sit at my desk with the acceptance email from Excelsior Parks open on my screen. From what I’ve researched, the Orlando office is brand-new. Less than a year old.
I’ll be joining one of its very first teams. That thought sends a little spark through me. Early teams get to build things from the ground up, literally and figuratively.
My fingers hover over the keyboard as I reread what I’ve typed.
To: Mara Banks, Excelsior Parks HR
From: K. Minami
Subject: Acceptance of Offer—Junior Structural Engineer
Dear Ms. Banks,
Thank you so much for offering me the junior engineering position. I am thrilled to accept this role and look forward to joining the company’s Orlando team.
Sincerely,
Kaori Minami
Satisfied, I click Send. This moment feels monumental. I half expect confetti to drop from the ceiling or for the song “Celebrate” to start playing as I watch the message vanish from my outbox, but instead, it’s quiet. All I hear is the hum of the refrigerator and the soft whir of the ceiling fan.
A little while later, my phone buzzes against the desk, rattling beside my elbow. I remove my headphones and pause my music. The caller ID shows a long string of numbers I know by heart, though I haven’t seen it in months. My breath catches. It’s my father.
He almost never calls directly. Normally, it’s his secretary. I swipe across the screen to answer. “Hi, Papa,” I say softly in Japanese.
“Kaori, it’s good to hear your voice,” he says cheerfully. “How is my little cherry blossom?”
“I’m good. Excited to see you and Mama.”
“We are as well. Your mother and I were just saying it’s been almost a decade since we last visited America.”
I stand and stretch the stiffness from my shoulders, wandering toward the kitchen window. The Boston skyline is clear today. “Are you two still able to spend the whole week here?”
Even though my graduation has been on my parents’ calendar for months, their attendance isn’t set in stone. Papa is the Japanese emperor. The head of state. Whenever he travels, it’s never just for pleasure. There needs to be a diplomatic purpose.
In this case, my graduation will coincide with a state visit to the US, and the Imperial Household Agency will be calling the shots for my parents’ schedule, not them.
Almost every minute of their “vacation” will be choreographed by men in dark suits who view my milestone as a convenient window for a photo op rather than a family celebration.
While it would sting if they missed me being able to walk across that stage after four years of hard work, I was raised knowing that duty always comes first. The Chrysanthemum Throne doesn’t pause for a diploma.
“Last time I saw the itinerary, it looked that way,” he replies. “There are a few events planned in New York and the state dinner in Washington from Monday through Wednesday, but after that, we’re all yours.”
“Great!” I say, pacing back toward my desk with a renewed bounce in my step. “I thought maybe on Thursday, after the ceremony, I could give you and Mama a tour of Cambridge. And then on Friday, we could head down to Cape Cod and rent a boat. It’s been ages since we went fishing.”
“I’d like that,” Papa says. I can hear the smile in his voice. Fishing has always been one of his favorite escapes. He pauses, and I can almost picture him shifting the phone to his other hand. “You’re probably wondering why I’m calling.”
“A little,” I admit.
“Your mother and I know you’re busy, but we were hoping we might count on you and your sister to represent us at a few events. It’d be the Japanese-American Cultural Connections luncheon at the Japanese embassy and a visit to see the new Hokusai woodblock exhibit at the National Gallery.”
I nod, though he can’t see me. These events are part of the job, yes, but they’re also how we support one another. If my presence makes things smoother for my parents, and more importantly, my younger, shyer sister, I’m glad to do it.
“Yes, Papa. I’ll do whatever you need.”
“Excellent, I’ll let my secretary know. They’ll email you the arrangements.”
“Sounds good.”
“How has your job search been going? I know you were reluctant the last time I mentioned it, but Mr. Minamoto is always asking about you. I know his company designs cars, but that’s not all that different from roller coasters, is it?”
Poor naive Papa. Comparing designing a luxury sedan to a high-g-force launch coaster is like comparing a stroll in the palace gardens to skydiving. But I don’t correct him.
“Um . . . actually, Papa, I do have some news. I was waiting to share it with you and Mama in person, but . . .” I glance at the Excelsior Parks logo on my screen. “I received and accepted a job offer today.”
The quiet on his end is so complete, I can hear the steady tick of the old pendulum clock in his study. “Kaori, that’s wonderful, congratulations.”
“Thanks.” I choose my next words carefully. “I know you wanted me closer to home, but the firm that hired me, Excelsior Parks, is here in the States. I’ll be starting as an actual engineer and—”
“Slow down, Kaori,” he says. “This is a lot of information to throw at your old papa.”
I can picture him standing in his study with one hand folded behind his back, the other holding the phone as he gazes out the window toward the koi pond. In my mind’s eye, winter light filters through the shoji screens, casting him in soft gold.
“Where is this firm?” he asks. “New York? Somewhere near your school?”
I take a breath, the word feeling heavy on my tongue. “Orlando, Papa. It’s in Florida.”
“And this is what you want to do?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then your mother and I will support you.” Papa chuckles. “We both know you’d never be happy in Tokyo. You’d never be able to escape from the shadow of being my daughter.”
He’s right. It’s why I chose to go to school in America in the first place. “Papa . . . thank you.” I swallow, surprised at how tight my throat feels. “You don’t know how much your support means to me. And I promise I’m not abandoning everything. I’ll continue to fulfill my duties from Florida.”
“We can discuss the specifics when we’re there. For now, focus on graduation and celebrate landing your new job. We’re proud of you. We know how hard you’ve worked to earn this on your own merit.”
We say our goodbyes and end the call. His words—we’re very proud of you—echo in my mind, warming me from the inside out. Papa’s given me his seal of approval.
My new life feels like a blank tapestry waiting for its first colors, but the threads of my old life, like my family and my duties to my home country, are still woven firmly through it.
As I walk into the kitchen and pour myself a glass of water, it hits me that the real challenge ahead isn’t just moving to Orlando. It’s figuring out how to be both things at once, an engineer and a princess, and somehow making these two versions of Kaori feel like the same person.