Of Course It Hurts (Judy/Saya)

[Judith Eastman]

[Judy's Parents' House]

Diane's clothes really illustrated where Judy's fashion sense came from. She had dyed blonde hair down to about her jawline, a dark-colored pantsuit, a pearl necklace, and a large handbag. The mother walked with the same swift gait as her daughter (before the surgery), spoke with a very similar accent, and even employed similar hand gestures.

"Saya, Kyo, meet my mother," Judy introduced. "Mom, meet Saya and Kyo."
"I'm glad to see mini-me has brought some fresh blood," the old woman joked. An earlier text had warned her not to ask about their relationship, because it was complicated and they were both sensitive (by New Yorker standards). "I'm Diane, though her last generation of friends insisted on calling me 'Mrs. Eastman'. Pleased to meet you."

[Ozu Saya]

[Judy's Parents' House]

With an exaggerated solemn look, Kyo stuck out his hand and said, Mrs. Eastman in a grave voice. His eyes showed great humor, however.

Saya hesitated a moment before also offering her hand for Judy's mother to shake, saying quietly, Diane, thank you for your hospitality.

[Judith Eastman]

[Judy's Parents' House]

Kyo's jesting cracked both older women up. Saya's manners didn't sell quite as well, but still impressed Diane.
"Thank you, Saya. I'm glad you think I'm good at something, because I'm a horrible parent," she answered.
Judy had spent decades trying to prove herself to her mother to be worthy; until attaining tenure at the age of 30, she felt inadequate. The fact that now, she could take this sort of joke with a natural laugh rather than a nervous one spoke to how their relationship had matured.

"A horrible parent, truly," Judy echoed. "Letting her baby go off to fight in the trenches and come back like this. Disgraceful."

With her available hand, Judy laid out the food while her mother went into the kitchen to get dishes. She went with more casual plates rather than the fine china, considering the circumstances.
"Speaking of Starfleet, Judy has yet to explain to me how you two met. You're not her usual type of people," Diane addressed Saya.
Judy caught onto the potentially offensive undertones of that question and intervened.
"She means that you're not old and hoity-hoity," the middle-aged woman explained.
"Exactly," Diane accepted. She definitely approved of Judy letting her social circles expand beyond moms and the country club, even if she didn't articulate that very well.

[Ozu Saya]

[Judy's Parents' House]

Saya and Kyo helped Judy lay the food out on the table, and Kyo retrieved their drinks from the living room, handing them over so Saya and Judy could choose their places.

Kyo looked curiously between the two when Diane asked about their first meeting. It wasn't a story he'd heard either.

Saya flushed slightly and glanced at Judy out of the corner of her eye. Mm, Judy and I met aboard the Tempest after our first mission. There was a small impromptu gathering in Ten Forward. We rather got on one another's nerves for the most part. Her face broke into a brief smile. I remember thinking that it was not very likely that we would be able to be friends. I hoped simply for professionalism. I don't really know how we got to this point. She offered a brief shrug.

Kyo laughed. I wish I'd been there to see that. I can just imagine how it might have gone. He nudged Saya teasingly.

[Judith Eastman]

[Judy's Parents' House]

Judy winced as she remembered that evening. It was far from her finest hour, and she didn't love to reminisce about it, but there was no point in lying.
"It was on the tail end of a bad day, in what I'd consider a pretty bad month, and it was me. It's a miracle I wasn't even more offensive," Judy remarked.
Judy took a moment's pause, sat down at her usual seat (looking towards the window), and set her beer down next to her.
Meanwhile, Diane decided to comment again.
"She was miserable until you two got closer; I was worried," the Eastman family matriarch recalled. "I was worried, as any mother would be. Why was my baby, who used to be so outgoing, suddenly so reclusive and grouchy? You really helped bring her back out into what she used to be in her prime."
Judy grew redder with embarrassment as her mom spoke. Was this what she was like to her sons?

[Ozu Saya]

[Judy's Parents' House]

Yes, that mission was quite difficult, Saya said thoughtfully as she took a seat by Judy.

Kyo sat quietly on her other side, listening with interest. Saya had shared some of her experiences aboard Tempest, but this was new information for him.

Neither of us was at our best that evening. But, she added, meeting Diane's gaze. We have both done a great deal for one another. I had not yet grieved for my parents, though it has been several years since their deaths, and Judy helped me to confront my feelings and comforted me when they became too overwhelming. I am grateful for her friendship. Saya dropped her gaze, uncomfortable now that she had revealed so much of herself to a stranger.

[Judith Eastman]

[Judy's Parents' House]

Diane was definitely pleased to hear that. As much as she'd taught her daughter to be ruthless and cynical (a must to get anything done in New York's government), she also taught her kindness; in recent years, it seemed to her like Judy used the cynical side as a shield, to protect herself from being hurt again after her marriage came tumbling down around her. It seemed to Diane that Saya had helped Judy make that last step back onto the top. Here was the woman that helped her finally, fully reclaim her baby. Amazing.

"That sounds like the Judy I raised," she said as she sat down across from her daughter, too stoic to shed a tear of joy but too impressed to keep ribbing her daughter. "Now, eat. You look so skinny."
"Mom, watch it. I've been feeding her," Judy protested in mock offense.
"You especially, young lady," Diane admonished, her humorous spirit surging back again. The family resemblance between the two was definitely evident.

[Ozu Saya]

[Judy's Parents' House]

Actually, Saya responded archly, with another sideways glance at Judy, I have had to replicate larger uniforms since you have been feeding me. I will have to begin a regular exercise regimen to balance it.

Kyo took his life in his hands and chose to comment on the subject, knowing how dangerous discussing a woman's weight could be, but he was in a reckless mood. I haven't noticed any difference.

Saya turned a raised brow to meet his humorous grin and gave him a scathing look, followed by a tiny compression of her lips and rolled eyes. In truth, Kyo hadn't had enough, ahem, physical privileges to be able to tell the difference. It really was visually imperceptible, except perhaps to the most observant, but her uniforms had become uncomfortably snug in a couple of spots. And she'd decided to switch to one of the alternate uniform options at the same time.

[Judith Eastman]

[Judy's Parents' House]

Kyo was clearly a very brave man. Commenting on a lady's weight, for good or bad, was dangerous territory to tread. Not that Judy disagreed with his conclusion, but the act of voicing them warranted some extra attention.
"Kyo, living on the edge," she guffawed. "Very bold of you. Very bold indeed."
Diane was similarly amused by the comment, as she tried to form a concrete opinion of the tall Bajoran.
"A little weight wouldn't hurt either of you," the elder woman teased. "You especially, Kyo. You're like my grandkids; a gust of wind and you'll fall over."

Before letting the tease chain flow further, Judy interrupted.
"Let's run down the meals," she stated. "We have here white rice, some stir-fried veggies, vegetarian egg rolls, and two chicken portions: kung pao chicken, which is spicy, and orange chicken, which is not. On the side, we can have chili sauce or soy sauce, whichever our guests desire."

Diane stood up to serve the food.
"Saya, ladies first, so we'll start with you. What would you like?"

[Ozu Saya]

[Judy's Parents' House]

Kyo shrugged apologetically, his huge grin belying the sentiment. He looked down at himself at Diane's criticism of his weight. You're welcome to try. I'm pretty sure extra food only makes me taller. That's what my mother always claimed anyway. Haven't seen any evidence of it in a few years, but if you want to take the risk. He shrugged again, batting his lashes at the elder Eastman.

Saya opened her mouth to say something logical in response, but closed it as the humor in the statement registered. Instead she said, Yes, I think it would be best to avoid increasing your height any further. We already must crane our necks in order to speak to one another, if you become any taller, I would have to wear stilts to carry on a conversation.

Kyo exploded in laughter, and Saya offered him a small, pleased smile.

Looking over the food choices, Saya made her request, I will have rice and try all of the vegetarian options, please. And both sauces. It all smells delicious.

Kyo leaned in and sniffed as well, agreeing, Mmm, I think I'll make things simple and try some of everything. Both chicken dishes, too.

[Judith Eastman]

[Judy's Parents' House]

Judy laughed at Kyo's joke (she'd raised tall sons, so it rang all too true for her), and even harder at Saya's joke.
"If you think talking to someone that tall is an ordeal, try scolding one," she said with a nostalgic laugh. "I have to sit my sons down first. It's... a sight, really."

As for food, Diane knew what her daughter wanted, so it didn't need to be spoken. Like a spoiled child, Judy received her kung pao chicken surrounded by a ring of rice, with two egg rolls on the side of the plate, and chili sauce on everything. It was the kind of royal treatment she only ever got when she was sick or injured.

Saya and Kyo, whose specific serving arrangements of choice were not known, got hearty portions served to them in sectors of the plate. The food piled up high and wide through the plates, while sauce packets were set on either side for each.

"I would wish you bon appétit, but Judy here would complain about my French pronunciation," Diane joked. "So instead, I'll say, let's dig in."
"Let's," Judy echoed, after what was already her third fork of rice (she couldn't eat it with chopsticks if she tried).

[Ozu Saya]

[Judy's Parents' House]

Kyo was taking a sip of water when Judy commented about scolding her sons and he nearly choked laughing. Once he could breath again, he said, My mother used to do that! I completely forgot. He chuckled. It was always 'Sit down!' before she laid into me. Never occurred to me that it was because I was so tall.

Watching Diane use a pair of long, thin sticks to pick up her food, Kyo picked up one of the packets curiously and examined it. He offered another to Saya with a questioning tilt of his head. Removing the sticks from their sleeve, Kyo pulled them apart as he'd noticed Diane do, then attempted to set them between his fingers. He thought he had it right, but when he tried to pick up a piece of chicken, the sticks simply crossed in his hand and knocked a few grains of rice onto the table. I think I'll stick with a fork for now, so I can actually eat some of this while it's still hot.

Switching utensils, Kyo stabbed a piece of the kung pao chicken and took a bite. Mmm, that's good. Almost as spicy as a good hasparat. He settled into his food, trying the sauces with different things on the plate.

Saya accepted the chopsticks and followed suit in removing them from the sleeve and separating them. After observing Diane for a few moments and experimenting with the feel of them in her own hand, Saya managed to successfully raise pieces of red pepper and and pea pod to her lips without losing them. Hmm, that is good. Slowly, Saya ate with the chopsticks, only occasionally losing bits, the rice being the most difficult challenge.

Kyo gawked and finally asked, Have you used these before? You make it look almost easy?

No, Saya answered with a small smile. But I am an engineer. I'm good with my hands and accustomed to using small tools. These remind me very much of a pair of calipers, a tool I've used often.

Ah, I don't feel so bad then. I'm not bad with my hands either, playing the bassoon, but this takes an entirely different set of muscles.

I can show you, Saya offered, continuing after Kyo's assenting nod. She scooted her seat closer to his and showed him how she was holding her chopsticks, reaching to adjust his in his hand. Hold them like this, well... Saya hesitated realizing, for the first time really, that Kyo was right-handed and she wasn't sure how to demonstrate correctly for him.

[Judith Eastman]

[Judy's Parents' House]

Watching Kyo struggle with chopsticks while she used a fork made Judy feel very much like a child, even more so than her loss of independence and the presence of her mother already did. Her face turned a touch redder, mostly due to the spiciness of the chicken but just a little bit due to awkwardness.

Diane, who had more or less mastered chopsticks in decades past (though she was starting to lose that skill to the slight shakiness that came with her age), was aware of that. She was also aware of how difficult it was for the evidently left-handed Saya to teach the right-handed Kyo. Being herself the right-handed parent of a leftie child, she didn't wish that upon anyone.

"Here, allow me," she said, moving closer to the two guests. "You hold the first one like a pencil, like so, and then put the other one like this. Then, you only move the first one."
As she spoke, she demonstrated with her slightly liver-spotted hands.

"You could always just use a fork," Judy commented from her own seat.
"Indeed. As Judy's currently proving, you're never too old to eat like a child," Diane talked down her daughter.
"Wittle Judy is vewy vewy sowwy," the younger Eastman replied while pouting like a toddler. Her mother cracked up.

[Ozu Saya]

[Judy's Parents' House]

Saya watched closely as Diane helped Kyo, thinking about the possibility that she may have to do for her own children someday.

Kyo narrowed his eyes in concentration as he gripped the slim, wooden sticks the way Judy's mother showed him and moved them experimentally. Or tried to. The first couple of times, the top one slipped as he gripped too hard. Finally, he attempted to raise a piece of chicken to his mouth, only to have it drop back to the plate before reaching halfway. A few more tries got him a bite eventually, but after that success, Kyo set aside the chopsticks. I'll try again another time, but for now, I just want to eat this delicious food before it gets cold. He gave a self-deprecating smile and shrugged.

How long will you be staying, Judy? Saya asked her friend. Kyo and I are going to visit some more tourist attractions while we have the opportunity. I wondered if you might be up to joining us for any. We went to the Central Park Zoo and we are going to Olympic State Park tomorrow to take that hike we planned at your party.

[Judith Eastman]

[Judy's Parents' House]

Judy actually hadn't thought of leaving the house yet. She was content as mommy and daddy's little princess, holding court to entertain a succession of loving guests. And yet, now that she thought of it, living her life again seemed like a much better idea.

"I'm going to be based here for the next couple of weeks, until I can stand on my own and whatnot, but I'd love to go out even today," she answered. "We'll just need to find someplace without a lot of stairs or slopes."

"Or you could wheel her around," Diane suggested, equal parts helpful and teasing. "She has a wheelchair. She just categorically refuses to use it."

"I don't need it," Judy retorted, but she had a feeling any excursion this soon would force her to relent.

"Have you two visited the Statue of Liberty yet?" Diane asked their guests. "You could take Judy, and her wheelchair, over there."

Judy rolled her eyes, but she was resigned to using the damn thing.