Series: 18 - December 2022

Hi! It’s me! Lily!

It’s DECEMBER!!!

And Sabby’s birthday is nine days away!!!

I have to think of a present!!!

But I don’t know what to get her.

I can’t really do the letter thing again, like I did last year… but I guess it has to be something like that, because I can’t think of anything I could buy her.

You know, I don’t think I ever told you why we don’t meet up with Dave’s parents for holidays.  I mean, they’re alive, they’re somewhere in the country…

They don’t like Sabby.

Remember how I said that Dave is white and Sabby is black?  And how they met, and how she was kind of a… well… whore?  I hate that word but it’s true.  She had a hard childhood and had a lot of boyfriends.  She cleaned up her act when she set her sights on Dave, but… his parents never forgot.  And when they got married, well, that was it.  They didn’t want anything more to do with them.  They didn’t quite disown him, but made it quite clear that as long as Sabby was in the picture, they wouldn’t be.

I’ve never met them.  I don’t think Beth and David have either, but maybe earlier.

It’s sad.

But I don’t want to meet them.

Sabby’s my mother, and has been nothing but nice to me.  I don’t think there’s a mean bone in her body, except for when it comes to protecting her family.  She’s everything I could have ever wanted in a mother, and more.  I love her and if someone doesn’t love her then I don’t want to be around them.

I love her with all my heart.

Anyway…

Otherwise, a busy day.  The dooter is still a bit slow but is picking it up, the sign-waver is really pulling in business (she wants a slightly more revealing costume and a modest raise…  the raise might be warranted but Sabby doesn’t want people coming in just because of a nice set of… ahem).  Sabby came around and is going to hire a baker.  That’s going to be expensive but she does think it’s a good idea to have someone around in case she needs to be somewhere – I can’t right now.

Texas state law – underage employees can’t use mechanized bakery equipment.  I might be able to get away with it because I’m part owner, but neither of us want to test it.

Lunch hours are really busy and there’s a huge demand for corporate events, like I said.  Maybe we should eventually have some light snacks, but one thing at a time.

And I’m getting better at making chocolate!  And candy!!!

Okay.  Gotta go.  Tomorrow’s Friday!!!

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!

It’s FRIYAY!!!

Umm… and I was busy today, as usual.  After I took Beth home from her classes (and had a couple of mine as well), we ate dinner and I went to help Sabby at the store.  Saturdays seem busy, if last week was any indication.  So she baked stuff and I helped take inventory and figure out what we need.

When I came home, all the girls were here to see Beth except for Liz, and I’m really too tired.  So they’re playing games.  To be young again.  Haha!  I bet some of you are saying “You ARE young”, but there’s me young and there’s Beth young.  I’ve got things to do.  Aww.

But we did have a nice dinner, and that was good.  Crystal seems to be doing better.  The light is in her eyes, finally.

After she, well…  her school started to actually pay attention to the bullying, and they finally took care of it.  Some girls were also bullying her on social media too, and, well…  turns out Crystal has a mean punch.  And she’s not afraid to use it.  After clocking one of the bullies, and the school just slapping her on the wrist for it (I think she got two days of detention and the other girl’s parents got involved) things seem better.

Crystal’s got spunk.  It’s just too bad that got squelched for a while.

I hate bullies.  Especially seeing how they treated Jack.

Jack’s doing pretty well.  I’m not sure he really likes school, but he says it’s better than Ohio, and he does like the fact that he’s not walking there in snow.  Yay Texas!!!  He’s made a few friends too.  I want to meet them.  He doesn’t mind, but it’s just never worked out.  He doesn’t do many extracurricular activities, but he’s learning how to play the trombone and maybe will join the band someday.

I told him that’d better make him better at kissing me!!!

He said “what’s wrong with how I kiss you?” and I had to do some fast talking out of that one.  Nothing, actually.  He’s a fine kisser.  But no one’s perfect, right?

Okay, enough babbling about kissing Jack.  I’m looking forward to our date tomorrow night!!!  It’s been a couple of weeks!!!

Oh Emiko and her family are coming over tomorrow to see the store!!!  Yay!!!  Bill’s coming too – he does love Sabby’s cookies.

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!

And there’s a bit of drama today.

So the normal stuff:  We went to church this morning.  I still…  well, you know the drill.  I don’t understand it.  Any of it.  They keep talking about this and that and the other thing, and I just nod and stand up and sit down and sing and it makes no sense.  But I guess they’re nice people.  That’s why I go.  I probably wouldn’t be where I am without them, so…

And we had chocolate pancakes today!  Yum!!!

But…  we got home.  David’s still grounded from games, and, well… he blew up.  I’ve never seen him actually blow up before, but he did.  And the problem is, he wasn’t entirely wrong.

After dinner, He asked Sabby if he could play games.  She said no, he’s grounded.  He started whining and complaining, she said if he would just do his schoolwork then he wouldn’t be in this mess, and that’s when he blew up.

“Do my schoolwork?”, he said.  “All you ever do is give me stuff to do on the computer and then you run off to bake stuff and dad’s doing his work and no one cares if I learn anything or not!  Lily and Beth get to go to college classes and you just leave me alone, and then yell at me when I get bored!  Why don’t you just send me to boarding school to get rid of me, like you did sending me to camp?”  Then before Sabby could go off, he ran upstairs and slammed the door.

Sabby looked, well… both steamed and sad.  Because I think she thought he was right.  At least a little bit.

The thing about Sabby is, she has a strong personality.  She wants what she wants, and she usually gets what she wants.  She wants what’s best for us, but she is kind of a force of nature. Beth’s usually the one to stand up to her and tell her where to shove it, but David’s usually pretty cowed by her and just seethes.  I think this is the first time he’s ever actually blown up at her.

She just looked at me, Dave, and Beth…  then she went upstairs too.  Then we heard the bathtub running.

I just looked at Dave, shrugged, and went to the corner shop to get her a chocolate shake.

When I gave her the shake, she had been crying.  She accepted the shake, and then closed her door again.  She and Dave have been talking for a while, and David hasn’t come out of his room at all.

I don’t think they sent David to camp to get rid of him.  But…  I couldn’t say that for sure.  Maybe David gets to feel how he feels.  Right?

Oh well.  I guess these things happen.  I need to take Marie for a walk.

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!

Last night I was thirsty, so I went downstairs for a glass of water, and I found Sabby already sitting there, just kind of staring into space.  She had a cookie but it was clear she hadn’t eaten much of it.

So I just made a couple of mugs of hot chocolate instead.  I gave her one and sat down across from her.  She sipped it but didn’t say much.

I sat there and sipped mine as well.

“He’s right, you know,” she finally said softly.  I didn’t respond.

“You’re not supposed to have favorite children,” she said after a moment.  “You’re supposed to love your children all the same.  Having favorite children makes you a bad person.”

“You have a favorite child,” I said softly.

She sighed.  “Not really.  But David…  he’s my son.  I love him.  But… but I never really wanted a boy.  Boys… are dirty and smelly and break things.”

I sighed.  “And take advantage of young girls who have foster parents who don’t take care of them.”

She cringed.  I mean, actually winced.  “That hurt.”

I didn’t say anything.  I sipped my hot chocolate.

“But you’re probably right,” she said sadly.  “It’s not fair to him.  I’m hard on him.  I always yell at him and tell him what he’s doing wrong and leave him to do things by himself and then yell at him when he doesn’t do it right.  Or… when he rebels.  And now…  now he’s almost their age.”

“I…  I’m not the nicest to him either,” I said sadly.  “I don’t hate the kid, but…  but he’s not like the girls.  He’s harder to get along with, I guess.”  sip

“You have an excuse,” she said, “though it’s not a good one, really.  He’s your little brother.  That’s what little brothers do.  They annoy their big sisters and maybe grow up to be decent men, and…  I don’t have an excuse.  He’s my son.  He’s not my little brother, or one of my boyfriends.”

“Have you considered a therapist?”

She sighed.  “No.  But…  maybe I should.  Clearly I have some…  resentment.”  She finished her hot chocolate and gave me a hug.  “Don’t ever change, Lily.  You are one of the most gullible and oblivious girls I know… but you understand people better than anyone I know.  That’ll get you far.”

I guess that’s a compliment.  Heh.

She went upstairs, and I washed out the mugs and went upstairs too, and back to sleep.

She went to her shop this morning, Beth and I went to classes, but after dinner Sabby and Dave took David aside and had a very long talk with him.  I don’t know exactly what they said, but I’m pretty sure it was something like “You were out of line, but you were right.”  And Sabby hired an online tutor for David for the rest of the year.  It’ll cost a bit, but at least he’ll get the one on one attention he needs.  Then maybe next year it’s private school.

It’s for the best.

Good for David for standing up for himself.

I think I know what to do for Sabby’s birthday, but I need to talk to everyone.

Love you all!!! ❤

Meow! Meow meow!!! Meowmeow!!!

Hahaaha!!!!

I spoke cat!!!

I’m a silly billy!!!

Woof!  Woof woof!!! Hahahaah!!!! I spoke dog too!!!

I’m lying!!! I spoke politician!!!

HAHAHAHAH!!!!!

I HAD CHOCOLATE!!!!

BUZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!

It was a day.  Just… a day.  I don’t know if David’s happier but he seems to like his tutor so there’s that.  And Sabby thanked me for listening to her.  I said “what’s a daughter for?”  She smirked and said “eating all the chocolate and making me worry about you getting pregnant.”

I blushed.  Sabby’s back to her old self.

“I’m not -”

“I know,” she said quickly.  “But I worry.”

I sighed.  “Sabby, do you know what happened when I got weak and wanted to… you know?”

“What?”

“He refused.  He said he wanted to, but he knew I’d regret it, so he wouldn’t do it.”

Her mouth dropped open.

“Lily?”, she asked.

“What?”

“Marry that boy.  Promise me you’ll marry that boy.”

I blushed.  “Sabby -”

“I know, I know. But that’s rare.  Every boy I knew would have.  Every one.  Marry him and give me lots of grandkids. When it’s time.  Okay?”

I just hugged her.

Ai is really looking forward to coming to visit.  She want to try Texas BBQ and get a cowgirl hat and boots and see some real live horses and cows (I don’t know where to go for that, I don’t even know where to see real live horses and cows).  And she wants to see a rodeo and even go to church.  She wants to see it all!  She’s a good girl, I’m sure she’ll have lots of fun.  I guess Hiroshi’s a little jealous and wants to go to Texas too, but he’s a bit young.

She asked if we made our KFC reservation yet.  I laughed and told her that we don’t do KFC, but she’ll love what we do.  You could hear her bouncing through the headphones.  Haha!!

Meow meow meow!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

It was… a Wednesday.

I told Dave what Sabby said, and he laughed.  Then he turned serious.  Then he said that if I don’t someday end up being his wife he might swear off all other women.

I melted like the chocolate I make.  I don’t know if he’s serious.  I kind of hope he’s not.  Because if he’s serious then he wouldn’t be happy and I want him to be happy.  But that’s the kind of thing you tell a girl when you want her to turn into a puddle of melty goo.

So once I resolidified and made sure no little gooey bits of me were left, I got in the car, drove over to his apartment, gave him a hug and the biggest kiss I could muster, waved at his family, got back in the car, and drove home.

Hahah!  He wasn’t expecting that!!!

He told me he has an idea for what we can do on a date this weekend.  He says it’s the most obvious thing and didn’t know why he didn’t think of it before.  Now I’m curious!!!

I’ve been doing a little research on the Rittenhouses.  I haven’t found anything useful at all.  I actually wonder if I ever will.  But I looked up my name – Yuriko Rittenhouse – and I found a few things.  It looks like that recital I did was not the first one.  Wow.

Oh… did I tell you?  I’ve got a holiday recital coming up!!!  I’m going to be doing some Christmas carols!!! Yes, I don’t talk about it much, but I’m still taking piano lessons!!!

I do lots of things I don’t talk about much!!! It’s a diary, not a captain’s log!  Hahaa!!!

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

There’s been so much drama, I forgot to say that finals are here!!!

So Beth and I have been studying and doing tests!!!

We’re doing alright.

But tomorrow’s the last day of finals!!!

And tomorrow’s also when all the paychecks are due!  So tonight I went to the shop and spent a couple of hours doing payroll!!!  It’s… not fun, but there are computer programs that help with that.  So I printed a check for the dooter, and the catgirl, and even the new baker Sabby found!  I didn’t tell you that!  She.. ummm… makes a lot.  But then, she also, well, makes a lot.  So it all balances out.  Sabby’s spent all this week teaching her the different recipes, and she’s competent, so Sabby’s happy.  She needs a job too, so she’s pretty dependable.  Oh, and Beth gets a check too.  She’s the catgirl sometimes.

We had such a good week that it’s all fine!  We still made a healthy profit!!!

Sabby and I are investors, though, so we don’t get a check.  We talked about it, and we’ll start drawing a salary when things are a little more stable.  I don’t really need the money, and neither does Sabby.  So we’ll reinvest it back.  Probably hire another dooter at some point.  Or better or more equipment.

But it’s all done!  Software makes it easy!!!

Someone told me I was endearing today!  Awww!!!!

Sabby’s birthday is on Saturday, so Jack and I are going out tomorrow night!!!

Okay, Marie wants to be walked!!!

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

So…  neither Sabby nor I expected this, but…  the baker is better than Sabby.  Oh, the baker thought Sabby’s plenty good, but it’s kind of the difference between a film score composer and Mozart.  Once she learned how to make all the stuff, she had a few minor changes to suggest… and the cookies got BETTER.  Can you believe it?  Sabby says she’s worth everything we’re paying her… and it’s a lot.

Something like a specific way to prepare the butter, and mix the flour… the stuff only someone really good could know.

So we’ve got a couple of dooters and a baker, so Sabby can spend a little time away from the shop now.  She’s still there most of the time, but I guess it’s nice not to be stuck there.

Every time the cat girl (or Beth) goes outside to smile and wave the sign and, well, let’s be honest, jiggle a little, sales go up ten percent.  So she’s worth it too.

After the last final (yay!) we went home and I changed into something nice, and Jack picked me up!  But he wouldn’t tell me where we’re going.  And…  HE FOUND A SUSHI PLACE!!!

How did I not know about that sushi place???

It wasn’t just any sushi place.  It was a place with a rotating sushi track and touch screens… just like in Japan!!!

I stuffed myself!!! I mean there may as well have been a track from the actual track right to my mouth, because it went in!!! Even Jack was amused!!!  I do love sushi!!! And this was good sushi!!!

You pick up the plate from the track, eat the fishy goodness on it, then stick the plate in a slot.  It can tell how much to charge you from how many plates you stick in the slot.  Fun!!!

And afterwards… there’s a Japanese bookstore next door!!!

Jack bought me a stuffed Japanese plush!!!

That was fun!!!

And I bought a couple Japanese books, because you can never have enough Japanese books.

So we came back after that, and Jack’s family and I watched a movie.  We didn’t get much time alone, but that’s okay, we still cuddled, and it was nice.  Grace then climbed up on us, and so did Lily, and basically Jack and I were cuddled up with a five year old sprawled across us and a dog trying to get what space was left.  It was cute!

But I’m home now.  Tomorrow’s Sabby’s birthday!!! Oh, I got her something at the Japanese bookstore too!!!

But don’t tell her.  SSSSSHHHHH

Hahah!!

Love you all!!! ❤

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Today is Sabby’s birthday!!!

She won’t tell us how old she is, but it’s probably early 40s.

So she left the store to the baker and the dooters today, and apparently things ran pretty smoothly.  We told them it was Sabby’s birthday, and the baker made her a cake!!! That was nice of her!!!  Even though it was with shop resources, we didn’t care.  We’ll write it off.  It was worth it.  Sabby was a mite bit sore, but I told her to shut up and enjoy the cake.

So remember last week I wrote her a letter?  That was nice and she loved it, but Beth and David were a little but upset with me, and truthfully, maybe I deserved it a bit.  They got her trinkets and I got her a heartfelt letter.  They weren’t too upset, but this year I thought maybe they should be included as well.

But a letter’s been done already, so…  it was kinda hard to figure out what to do.  So…  we sang her a song.

Well, we tried, anyway.

Beth sang, I played piano, and, well, David did some kind of interpretive dance that we’re still recovering from.

We sang “wind beneath my wings”, and at the end, Sabby was crying.  Aww.  But I’m not sure it if was because we were good, or because we were really bad.  Haha!!!  Actually, Beth isn’t too bad a singer.  She surprised me.

We gave her all her gifts (I got her a plush from the Japanese bookstore), gave her a big hug, and then we had cake.

OMG was it a good cake!!!

The baker told me she even used some of that chocolate I made!  Normally I’d be mad, but it was a perfect use for it, so I’m not upset.  I can make more.

She’s happy.  Now she’s up with Dave taking a bath.  Hahaha!!!!  You go girl!!!

Okay!  Marie needs walked!!!

Goodnight!!!

Love you all!!! ❤