A few weeks later it was Thanksgiving. Sana and Tzuyu took the train to Midvale, along with Mina, Chaeyoung and Wonwoo. Tzuyu was trying to stay calm about meeting Sara. So far she'd gotten along great with Mina and the rest of Sana's friends, but this was Sana's mom. Tzuyu didn't get along great with Tessa, but she knew that Sana loved Sara and she wanted to make a good impression.
Once the train pulled into the station and they all disembarked, Mina, Chaeyoung and Wonwoo piled into a taxi with everyone's luggage, making their way to the Minatozaki's house. Looping her arm through Tzuyu's, Sana started walking. It wasn't a long walk to the house, and Sana got to show Tzuyu some of her favourite places in Midvale as they strolled along.
---
They climbed the porch steps and Tzuyu took a deep breath, steadying herself. Sana smiled, squeezing Tzuyu's hand and gave her a quick kiss before opening the front door. She took Tzuyu's coat and placed it on a hook next to her own, listening to the muffled whispers coming from the living room.
Smiling, Sana dragged Tzuyu into the living room. She wasn't worried, Sara was so open and loving, it would be almost impossible for her to not like Tzuyu.
"Hi sweetie, come give me a hug," Sara smiled, opening her arms as she got up off the sofa. Sana's face lit up as she ran into her arms, squeezing her tightly as she kissed Sara on the cheek. Pulling back slightly Sara studied her youngest daughter's face, smiling as she pulled her in for another quick hug.
Smiling widely, Sana took Sara's hand and pulled her over to Tzuyu, who was lingering in the doorway, looking nervous. Sana picked up Tzuyu's hand too, giving it another quick squeeze before dropping it.
'Mom, this is Tzuyu. Tzuyu this is my mom, Sara'
Sana was smiling widely as she introduced them to each other, her eyes crinkling at the corners. She was so excited to finally introduce Tzuyu to her mom.
"It's lovely to meet you Mrs Minatozaki, thank you for having me," Tzuyu smiled, holding out a hand for Sara to shake. She let out a surprised sound as Sara wrapped her in a hug, kissing her on the cheek.
"You're very welcome Tzuyu, and please call me Sara."
Tzuyu smiled in relief, her nerves calming now that she'd gotten the introduction out of the way. She just hoped the rest of the weekends would go just as smoothly.
"These are for you," Tzuyu said, pulling two bottles of wine out of her bag. Sana rolled her eyes, she'd told Tzuyu she didn't have to bring anything, but of course she hadn't listened.
"Oh, thank you!" Sara exclaimed, giving Tzuyu's arm a gently squeeze before she took the two bottles, "I'll go and put these in the kitchen, make yourself at home, Tzuyu."
Sana beamed at Tzuyu, kissing her forehead before they sat down on the sofa. "You can relax now," Mina smirked at Tzuyu, who let out a nervous laugh.
"That wasn't as bad as I thought," Tzuyu smiled wrapping an arm around Sana's waist.
"Don't worry, I was the same the first time I met Sara," Chaeyoung confessed, flashing Tzuyu a dimpled smile, "and I don't get nervous that often, so that's saying something."
Mina laughed, "out of all the things to get nervous about, it was my mom?" Chaeyoung rolled her eyes, nudging Mina with her elbow.
"But that was before I met her," Chaeyoung argued, "your mom loves me now."
Sana smiled, she loved watching Mina and Chaeyoung. You could see the love in the way that they looked at each other, in their smiles, in their gentle touches. They didn't have to say it, it was just obvious, it's like they were connected by an invisible force.
She turned to smile at Tzuyu, who had turned to talk to Wonwoo. Tzuyu still hadn't said she loved Sana, but it was obvious in the way she had her hand around Sana's waist even though she was turned away from Sana, or the way she always walked Sana home, or the way she woke Sana up with breakfast and a cup of coffee every morning after they stayed at each other's place.
There were a thousand ways to say I love you without using saying the words, and they all meant just as much to Sana, and maybe they even showed Tzuyu's love better than those words ever could.
Sana gave Tzuyu's knee a squeeze as she stood up.
'Does anyone want a drink?' Sana signed as she made her way to the kitchen.
Everyone assured Sana they were fine, before she walked out of the room. The kitchen counters were covered with dozens of bowls, pots and pans. Sara was busy finishing off a chocolate pecan pie. Sana's face lit up, it was her favourite dessert, and the best part about Thanksgiving in her opinion.
"Hey sweetie, can you turn the potatoes off for me please," Sara said, looking up as Sana walked in. She nodded, lifting the big pot off the stove and dumping the potatoes in the strainer. Sana took the pot over to Sara, and started mashing the potatoes as her mom set aside the pie and started peeling carrots.
"So, Tzuyu seems nice," Sara whispered, lowering her voice so the others couldn't hear. Sana smiled at Sara, nodding in agreement, "she's very pretty too," she continued, smiling at Sana as she looked at her out of the corner of her eye. Sana nodded again, her cheeks turning slightly pink.
'She is, she's smart too, and so kind' Sana replied.
"And you love her?" Sara asked, turning to face Sana. She felt her cheeks turn redder as she stared at the pot of potatoes she was mashing, nodding shyly. Sara brushed the hair out of Sana's face, kissing her on the cheek.
"Then I hope she loves you too, and makes you happy," Sara smiled, as Sana looked up at her.
'She makes me happier than she knows' Sana signed, smiling at her mom.
Sara wrapped her in a hug. She was happy that both of her daughters were happy. Sometimes she worried about being so far away from them, she felt like she missed out on so much.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," Tzuyu's voice came from the doorway, she was wringing her hands nervously, "I came to see if you needed any help preparing the rest of the dinner."
Sara and Sana broke apart, smiling over at Tzuyu.
"Oh no sweetheart, it's fine, I'm almost finished here. Why don't you help yourself to a drink and take Sana back in with you," Sara told Tzuyu, smiling at her. She turned to Sana, "go on, I'll be in when I'm done."
Sana poured them both a glass of wine before taking Tzuyu's hand and leading her back into the living room.
---
They all sat around the table, holding hands as they went around and said what they were thankful for. Really what they were all thankful for was each other.
Sana was thankful for her adoptive family, her friends, and most of all, she was thankful for Tzuyu this year.
Tzuyu was thankful for Sana, above anything else, but she was also thankful towards the Minatozakis for making her feel welcome. Sara had shown her what it was like to feel a mother's love and she was more grateful than she could explain.
And Sara was thankful for both of her daughters, and for their girlfriends. Seeing them both so happy and in love made her think about her and Haruto when they were younger. She'd seen Mina and Chaeyoung together dozens of times since they'd started dating, so she was used to seeing them laugh together and finish each other's thoughts.
But tonight, she got to see Sana and Tzuyu together, and she could see how much they loved each other just from the way they gazed at each other. Sana had told Sara all about Tzuyu over the phone. Everything from her company, to her adoptive family, to her wariness when it came to dating. Looking at Tzuyu now though, Sara wasn't worried, she knew Tzuyu adored Sana.
They were so different, yet so similar.
---
After dinner, Tzuyu insisted on helping to wash up, despite Sara's protests. Mina agreed with Tzuyu, and poured Sara a glass of wine and sent her to relax in the living room. Sana placed all the leftovers into Tupperware containers as Wonwoo scraped the rest of the plates and bowls clean. Tzuyu washed the dishes and Mina and Chaeyoung dried and put them away.
They all joined Sara in the living room once they were finished. Chaeyoung bringing in a bottle of wine with her. It wasn't long before they started playing charades, a Minatozaki holiday tradition. Everyone paired up, the girls obviously teaming up, leaving Wonwoo and Sara as a team.
"And no cheating this time, Sana," Mina warned her as Sana prepared to go first. Sana protested, her mouth opened in fake outrage.
"Sana, don't even try and act innocent. I was here last Easter and even I picked up on the sneaky sign language and I sucked at it back then," Chaeyoung laughed, as Sana closed her mouth, giving everyone a sheepish smile as she shrugged.
"I'm sure we won't need to cheat when we're going to beat you all anyway," Tzuyu said, a cocky smile on her face.
Wonwoo let out a whistle, "someone's confident," he remarked.
Tzuyu raised one of her eyebrows as she smiled, "you can't doubt yourself in business, Wonwoo. You either come ready for a fight or you find another job, and I always win. Plus I've only been learning ASL for a few months so a lot of the time it's felt like we've been playing a game of charades."
"Okay, Chou, let's see if you're all talk or if Mina and I can beat you," Chaeyoung laughed, rising to Tzuyu's challenge.
The game went on for hours, as everyone bickered over whether Mina was trying to cheat with sign language to get back at Sana for cheating at Easter, or whether it counted if Wonwoo gave a running commentary as he acted out his film. In the end they all agreed, some begrudgingly, that Sana and Tzuyu won.
As everyone fell into conversation, Sana slipped out of the room. She fetched a pair of scissors from the kitchen and went outside, cutting a few flowers from Sara's garden. She went back inside and hovered in the doorway, watching everyone. Sara and Tzuyu were deep in conversation, they both looked up when they saw Sana stood there, a small smile on her face.
Sara cupped the side of Tzuyu's face, whispering something to her before she nodded her head in Sana's direction. Tzuyu smiled, getting up and walking over to Sana. They both put their coats and shoes on, at Sana's direction, before walking outside.
It was cold out. Sana's breath was visible in front of her as she turned to face Tzuyu. It wouldn't be long before winter arrived. She tucked the flowers under her arm, freeing up her hands.
'I want to take you somewhere, it's a special place,'
Tzuyu nodded, taking Sana's hand in hers. They walked for some time through the quiet town. They sun was fully set by now, the streetlights lighting their way. They passed the orphanage Sana had been at until the Minatozakis had adopted her, but she didn't point it out to Tzuyu. It wasn't important now.
"You're awfully quiet," Tzuyu said to Sana, not realising what she said until Sana raised an eyebrow and waited for Tzuyu to understand.
"Ugh, you know what I mean," Tzuyu sighed, gently nudging Sana with her elbow, "everything okay?" Sana nodded, a half smile pulling up one side of her mouth.
It wasn't until they turned in at a gate that Tzuyu realised where they were going. And probably the reason for Sana's silence on their walk over.
It was a cemetery with thousands of graves stretching into the distance. She quickly looked at Sana, the words not coming out as she tried to say something. Instead she just squeezed her hand.
Sana led them through the cemetery, the twists and turns of the path familiar to her. They stopped in front of a giant tombstone engraved with the names of Sana's parents. She turned to face Tzuyu.
'Sorry if this is weird for you, but I wanted you to meet them'
Turning back to face the tombstone, Sana knelt down, replacing the dead flowers with the fresh ones she carried. Sara came here often with fresh flowers from her garden, when Sana wasn't here to do it.
Tzuyu stood there with her hand on Sana's shoulder as she knelt there. It wasn't until Sana's shoulders started shaking that Tzuyu realised she was crying. She sat down next to Sana, pulling her in her lap and cradling her head against her chest. Sana sobbed into Tzuyu's coat, her tears soaking through the fabric, as Tzuyu held her, gently stroking her hair as she murmured reassurances and apologies.
They stayed that way for a while, alone in the dark. Tzuyu hadn't seen Sana cry before, it hurt her to see her this way, and seeing her heartbreak, it was enough to bring tears to Tzuyu's eyes too.
Once Sana's sobs slowly died down, Tzuyu pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket - because of course she would have one – and pulled away from Sana. She gently tilted Sana's tearstained face up and wiped away the tears, even as more took their place.
'I'm sorry' Sana signed, as she let Tzuyu dab at her face.
"Don't you ever apologise for crying or showing emotion," Tzuyu whispered, taking Sana's face in her hands, "not ever."
Tzuyu handed the handkerchief over to Sana, and wrapped her arms around her as they sat there in front of the grave. She didn't know what to say, she couldn't remember her parents and in some ways that was a relief, but Sana had to deal with twelve years' worth of memories of her parents that would never go away.
Sana stood up, wiping the dirt off her pants. Tzuyu sat there for a second before leaning forward, placing a hand on the tombstone.
"I love your daughter, I'll look after her for you, always," Tzuyu whispered, leaning in, "I promise." She pushed herself up, turning around to face Sana who was staring at her, as surprised look on her face.
"I do you know," Tzuyu confessed, "I do love you."
A small smile pulled up the corners of Sana's mouth as Tzuyu moved forward, cradling the side of Sana's face as she pressed a kiss to the other cheek.
---
They were in Sana's bed, wrapped up in the blankets as Sana lay on Tzuyu's chest. The house was quiet, everyone else had gone to bed too. Tzuyu ran her fingers through Sana's blonde locks, as her other hand stroked her back.
"You know, you told me you love me that night you got really drunk and I walked you home," Tzuyu whispered to Sana, smiling to herself in the dark.
She felt Sana lift her head, and lifted her hand too, tangling her fingers in Sana's curls. In the dim moonlight seeping through the curtains she could tell Sana was looking at her accusingly.
Tzuyu laughed quietly, "I didn't know if you meant it and I didn't want to hold it against you." Sana sighed, and Tzuyu could almost hear her rolling her eyes.
"I knew I loved you then too, but I was too afraid to say it," Tzuyu confessed, "I just want you to know I didn't wait this long because I wasn't sure, I was sure the moment I saw you eat twelve potstickers in a row at the gala," she laughed here, remembering that night, "I just -, I wasn't brave enough to tell you, even when you told me. I was scared but I have never loved you any less even though it took me this long to tell you."
Sana pushed herself up, her hand brushing Tzuyu's cheek as she leant forward, her lips searching for Tzuyu's . She pulled herself on top of Tzuyu, deepening the kiss as she undid the buttons on Tzuyu's pyjamas. Her hands wandered further down, toying with the waistband of Tzuyu's bottoms.
"Sana, I don't want to stop you, but I should probably remind you that your mom, sister, and best friends are separated from us by very thin walls," Tzuyu whispered against Sana's lips, her hand stopping Sana's before she went any lower.
Sana smiled against Tzuyu's lips, sighing as she settled back down onto her chest, listening to Tzuyu's heart race. Sana fell asleep like that, her breathing slowing as she relaxed. Tzuyu lay there a little while longer, tracing patterns across Sana's skin as she stared at the ceiling. It wasn't long before she felt herself drifting off.
She shifted slightly, trying not to wake Sana as she pressed a kiss to the top of her head and removed her glasses for her, before laying back against the pillow.
"I love you," she whispered once more before falling asleep.