Giggling, Izumi darted past her sister, holding the plastic-wrapped garments in her hand high overhead to keep them from dragging on the bar floor. "Look out, Akane!"
Akane nimbly sidestepped as Izumi passed by her, smirking at the brunette. "You girls are gonna be miserable working all night in that getup."
"What's this you girls shit? You're doing it too, 'Kane. We voted." Yui snickered, dodging Izumi as the younger girl pushed through the saloon door with her backside and began ascending the stairs to the apartment that had once been Ranko's. After panning the room with her eyes again, Yui rested her broom on the edge of the bar counter. She headed toward the front door, ducking her head to peer outside below the trapezoidal red logo that had been recently repainted on the glass.
"You waitin' on a delivery or somethin'?" Ranko asked, tossing the empty shell of the peanut she was still chewing into a red plastic basket on the bar. She shivered visibly as Akane passed behind her and dragged her fingertips gently over the redhead's hypersensitive skin through the keyhole in the back of Ranko's white lace dress. "The party isn't even until tomorrow night. I swear, I've never seen you freak out so much about morning prep, even when the health inspector's comin'. What's got into you?"
"Besides Sakura's toys, that is," Akane added with a snicker. She rose from her position bent over table nine, brushing off the front of her black jeans. Scanning the room with her eyes, she confirmed that she had visited every table to ensure that the soy sauce containers were all full.
Crinkling her nose, the girls' adoptive mother laughed. "It's a surprise," Hana said, a wide grin painted across her lips. "Yui, baby, you sure I can't help with anything? You're running around the place like a chicken with its head cut off."
"You…" Yui said, pulling back the sleeve of her gold-colored cardigan and wagging her long, slender finger at her mother as she slipped back behind the bar, "don't work here anymore. Sit your butt down, or I'll start pouring drinks in ya." She reached across the counter, nudging Ranko's shoulder. "You could pitch in a little, though."
Ranko nodded, holding up the thick book in her hand. "I will, promise! Just have a few more chapters of this boring-ass shit to read for school. I just wish you'd tell me why you were stressin' out so much, though! If I didn't know better, I would think you're nervous."
"Nervous?!" Yui laughed dismissively, wiping down the bar counter for at least the fourth time in the past hour. "I don't get nervous!"
A loud cackle rose from behind the service bar. "You? Don't get nervous?! I don't suppose you wanna talk about what happened when you met my parents?" Sakura closed the distance to her partner, wrapping her arms around Yui's waist from behind. "Relax, Yuri. It's gonna be fine."
"Easy for you to say, babe," Yui said, turning in Sakura's arms. She grabbed the lapels of Sakura's pastel green blazer, giving them a little tug to ensure it sat perfectly over the cream-colored satin shirt and matching green slacks she wore. "You're always all put together and shit. Nothing ever phases you."
Sakura shook her head, leaning forward and kissing her lover on the nose. "Need I remind you, I spent three days in bed this week just crying and whining. And who took care of me? You did."
"Periods don't count, blockhead," Yui said with a snicker, nodding to Izumi as she returned from upstairs.
"Okay!" The blonde proprietress clapped her hands sharply, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "What's left to do, girls?"
Akane dusted her hands off, shrugging her shoulders. "All the tables are set and ready. They've been wiped and stocked. Garnishes are prepped, and the glasses are all washed and stacked."
"Service bar's good," Sakura added with a thumbs-up gesture. "Bottles are stocked, wells scrubbed, merch fronted. Ready to rock!"
Izumi grabbed the plastic basket of peanuts from the bar counter, tipping the mostly-empty shells into the trash. "Our outfits are picked up and are hanging up upstairs. All the signs and banners are chillin' up there too. We can hang them up in the morning."
"Ya know, I was eating those, ya little fucker!" Ranko glowered mockingly at Izumi as she swiveled on her stool. "I haven't been doing nothing, ya know. Got the set list for tomorrow night locked in, and made sure everybody in the band is a go. Crash has the sniffles, but he said he was on the upswing, and he promised he wouldn't miss the show."
Nodding, Izumi motioned over her shoulder toward the back rooms with her thumb. "Mei said the kitchen's just about set too. She's doing one last inventory check to make sure we don't need to grab any extra sup-"
"They're HERE!" Mei crashed through the saloon door with enough force to hit Izumi in the backside with it and almost knock her to the floor. She darted between the twin bar counters, her loose blue pigtails trailing behind her emerald green velvet dress.
Ranko turned to face the front door as Mei all but bowled Yui over to reach it, yanking it open hard enough to nearly rip it from its hinges. Mei held the door open, pressing her back against the wall to leave as much room as possible to pass through it. Izumi flitted to the door as well, pulling open the glass door's twin and holding it ajar.
Ranko squinted into the noonday sun, and once her eyes adjusted, she could make out the shape of Ayako's black sedan parked in front of the building. Ayako herself approached the door in a black blazer and matching pencil skirt. She tightly clutched the arm of a severely shriveled old man who was hunched over an aluminum walker. He was nearly bald, with piercing blue-gray eyes, and barely as tall as Mei. He wore a pair of loose khakis and a heavy gray plush sweater. He trembled with his every plodding move, barely lifting his eyes from his brown loafers as he shuffled through the double doors of the Phoenix.
"The hell?" Ranko whispered under her breath as Akane rested a gentle hand on her shoulder.
The old man paused his shambolic entrance just a few meters from the door, straightening his posture without releasing his grasp on the gray rubber handles of his walker. He shot Yui a disgusted scowl, clicking his tongue in dismay and shaking his head. "What's a guy gotta do to get a freakin' beer around this joint?!" he demanded.
Ranko slid off her stool, glancing back at Akane. No words were spoken, but the understanding between them was crystal-clear. Old and decrepit though he may be, no one would speak to Yui Fukawa that way and stick around for long if they had anything to say about it.
"We don't serve your kind around here, you old bastard! Go on, get outta my bar!" Yui waved the back of her hand toward the door before crossing her arms defiantly over her breasts.
The geriatric man stared at Yui for a long moment before the irritation faded entirely from his face. His smile was warm and wide, and he belly-laughed so hard that Ayako had to retighten her grip on his arm to ensure he stayed upright. "Oh, baby. It's so good to see you."
Yui rushed forward, bending down to wrap her arms around the frail man's shoulders. Her hug was returned, the man's wrinkled hands eschewing the reassuring support of his walker to meet behind Yui's back. With a nod of acknowledgement to Ayako that she had taken responsibility for his weight, Yui squeezed just a little tighter around his torso.
As Izumi and Mei huddled in and joined the group hug, Ranko turned to Hana, a mystified stupor painted across her face. She gestured to the group, shrugging her shoulders. "Okay. I'll bite. What gives, Mom?"
Hana clasped one hand on Ranko's shoulder and the other on Akane's, turning both girls to face the newcomer. Her smile was brighter than any Ranko could recall having ever seen on her mother's lips in the nearly three years they had been acquainted.
"Girls, I'd like to introduce you to Ito Ganawa. The original owner of the Phoenix, back when it was still called the Bottle and Brew."
Hana cocked her head gently to the side, an almost unsettlingly demure smile growing on her normally hardened face.
"Your grandfather."
Ranko's eyes were as wide as saucers as her sisters broke off the hug, and she eyed Ito with an entirely new perspective that was somewhere between skepticism and reverence. Gr… grandfather? The only 'grandfather' I've ever known was the old freak. But this dude doesn't give me that creepy lech vibe at all, she thought as she took a tentative step forward. Mom and the girls have told me so many stories about him, and… shit, I just assumed he died ages ago. He's gotta be freakin' ancient.
"You must be Ranko," he said, smiling disarmingly as his hands reached down for his walker again. His voice seemed to project additional strength, as if he were using his reserves of energy to seem more hale and vibrant in his youngest granddaughter's first impression of him. "It's wonderful to finally meet you, honey." He leaned forward, doing his best to bow over the metal frame of his mobility aid. Yui and Ayako hovered nearby, ready to catch him at a moment's notice if they were needed.
Ranko's face went crimson as she bowed as low as she could. "You… you've heard about me?" she stammered, remaining bent forward until her spine was nearly parallel with the floor.
A mirthful, and surprisingly strong, laugh bellowed forth from the frail old man as he straightened his back. "Heard about you?! Oh, sweetheart. I've heard so much about you! I understand you're quite the little handful." He reached forward, resting a tremulous hand on Ranko's shoulder as she rose from her bow.
"Who do you think yourmother calls whenshe needs advice?"
"Mo…" Ranko swallowed hard, glancing over her shoulder at her mother. Her cheeks could have boiled water. Mom needs help… dealing with me? She gets advice?! She's the wisest person I ever met! She doesn't ever get scared or not know what to do, like, ever! The incredulous redhead's shock faded a bit with the calming touch of Akane's fingers sliding down her wrist until her wife's hand rested in her palm.
"Mr. Gan… I'm sorry," Ranko stammered, cringing a bit in embarrassment. You girls really could've warned me about this shit, she thought with a quick glance over Ito's shoulder at Yui. I'm meeting this guy for the first time, and he probably knows every embarrassing thing I've ever said or done around any of you!
"What am I supposed to call you?"
Mei grinned, clapping her hand gently on the old man's shoulder. "The girls and I call him Granddad."
"But you don't have to if you don't want, Ranko," Ito added, raising a weathered hand in an attempt to quell her nerves. "After all, we've just met. I don't want you to feel pressured or anything."
Ranko stole a glance back at her mother, the worry fading from her eyes and a broad smile forming on her lips. It's amazing. I can see where she gets it all from now. And, in turn, all my sisters got it from her. The reddish tinge of a blush again warmed her ever-sensitive flesh. And I guess I did, too, she mentally concluded. He has to be a good guy to have taken care of Mom the way she takes care of us. He just… he has to be.
"I've never had a grandfather before," Ranko said, before releasing Akane's hand and lowering herself into another bow. "I think I'd like to." Not waiting for him to exert himself by returning her gesture of respect, she straightened again and retook Akane's hand in her own. "So, then, G… Granddad," she began, allowing herself a momentary pause to come to terms with the feel of the unfamiliar honorific on her tongue. "I'd like to introduce you to my wife, Akane Tendo."
Akane released Ranko's hand and bowed low with a martial artist's formality. "Mr. Ganawa, it's an honor to meet you, sir," she said.
The old barkeep laughed as he bowed over his walker again as best he could. "You needn't be so formal with me, Akane. After all, if you're part of this family, you're my granddaughter, too."
"I… I am?" Akane rose from her bow, a mien of surprise painting her face. "I didn't think you would… because we're both…"
"Girls?" Ito laughed merrily as he finished Akane's sentence for her. "I swear, Hannie, kids these days think they invented half the shenanigans my friends were up to when they were in their twenties!"
Ranko turned to Akane incredulously, silently mouthing "Hannie?!" to her wife. My mother… Hana Takahashi, the iron lady of the Phoenix… has a cutesy nickname?! Are we in bizzaro world? No fucking way!
"Of course, Akane," Ito continued, his voice a bit weakened after expelling the contents of his lungs with his boisterous laughter. "I don't care a whit about what you're got in your pants. If you love her, and she loves you, then you're family in my book." The kindly old man turned to Yui and her companion with a merry smile, and he wagged a crooked index finger in their direction. "And that goes for you, too, missy. It's Sakura, right? I've always liked that name. It was my wife's name."
Sakura stepped forward, bowing low. "It's such a pleasure to finally meet you, Grandfather Ito. Yur… Yui has been telling me stories all week. She's been bouncing off the walls with excitement ever since you told Mom you were going to try and make it."
"Well, of course I made it!" Ito retorted. "After all, tomorrow's the fortieth anniversary of this place!" He chuckled darkly for a moment. "And something tells me I'm not gonna see fifty, so…" The shadow of his own mortality passed quickly from his face. "The Phoenix, and all of you, are the greatest thing I've ever accomplished in all my life. I just had to come celebrate with you, and meet all of the new members of our family. And, speaking of which…"
Izumi nodded, resting her hand gently on Ito's forearm. "We're all gonna do dinner at Mom's tonight. Kaito's coming as soon as he gets off work, and he's gonna bring the kids."
"Kage, too," Ayako added excitedly. "I can't wait for you to meet Jun, Granddad."
Ito smiled warmly at his eldest granddaughter's promise. "I can't wait either, Ayako. Gosh. Hannie, did you ever think, in your wildest dreams? Four generations of our family, around a table together?!"
Hana stepped forward between Ranko and Akane, nodding sagely to her one-time boss and adoptive father. "All because of you, Papa. It's your legacy." She wrapped her arms tightly around the old man, wincing with regret when he grunted softly into the lapel of her black leather jacket.
"Have you heard from Haruka, Papa?" Hana released her father, letting her touch linger on his shoulder until she was sure he was stable on his feet.
Ito nodded. "Not very often. Last time was… about a year ago now? She's still living in Marseille, last I heard. Pierre was gonna retire from the airline and they were thinking about getting a smaller place closer to Paris."
"Sorry, Mom?" Ranko cocked her head in curiosity. "Hi. Dumb girl here. Who's Haruka?"
Hana turned, a soft smile still lingering on her lips. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, little star. Sometimes I forget how few of my stories I've actually told you. Haruka is my little sister, in the same way you and your sisters are. I never got as close with her as you all are though, because she was only here for… what, Papa, about six months, a year? She met her husband Pierre, an airline pilot, on shift one night, and he whisked her off to Europe just like that." She punctuated the end of her sentence with a snap of her fingers.
"Huh! No shit?" Ranko chuckled. "I have a grandfather and an auntie?! Friggin' crazy!"
"And she lives in France!" Akane bounced on the balls of her feet, hugging Ranko's forearm. "Gods, what I would give to see Paris. It's one of my biggest dreams."
Ranko turned, leaning forward and kissing her wife on the cheek. "I promise, I'm gonna take you there one day. Whether it's the next tour, or just on vacation, you have my word. I'm gonna take you for some fancy… I dunno, cheese and shit, and then I'm gonna kiss you breathless at the top of the Awful Tower. I swear it."
Giggling, Akane let her forehead fall into her palm. "Eiffel, silly girl. Eiffel Tower."
"Whatever," Ranko shot back with a giggle of her own.
Ito turned to Yui, leaning over the right handle of his walker. "So, Miss Fukawa?" he asked expectantly, offering her his elbow as if he were about to escort her to the altar at a wedding. "Are you going to show me around the place or what? I understand it's had its share of changes since I was here last, and that's not even counting the new joint next door."
"Well," Ranko began, cutting Yui off as she was inhaling to begin speaking. She waved her arm behind her to the back wall, beaming with pride. "That's our new stage. Well, for a little while longer anyway. They're gonna tear it out next month when Club Firebird opens. Kind of a shame, though. Lotta good memories up there." She frowned nostalgically for a moment at the thought of it.
Ito nodded, a broad, proud smile on his pale lips. "It's lovely, Ranko. And I can't wait to hear my granddaughter sing from it tomorrow night!" He laughed, clapping the excitable redhead twice on the forearm. "You'd better let your sisters take over the tour from here, though, honey. I understand there's a new pizza oven in the back, and that a certain someone isn't allowed anywhere near it."
Ranko gasped, whirling to face her mother with her cheeks flushed red and her jaw agape. "Mo-oooom?! You told him about THAT?!"