Strawberry Wine by Tal

Home Sweet Home

1. Home Sweet Home

“Are you sure you don’t want any more, Kagome?”

Kagome smiled at her mom, gently shaking her head.  “Momma, if I eat any more, I’ll burst.”

From there, good natured teasing on how Kagome could stand to gain a few pounds and how awful her diet was commenced, with Kagome half-heartedly defending her lifestyle.  She knew it wasn’t the greatest, but what could you expect from someone who lived in one of the busiest cities in the world?

“Hmph!  At least we can count ourselves fortunate that she didn’t go off with her high-falutin’ friends.”

“Grampa,” She sighed, even though she could hear the fond exasperation in her tone.  She loved her grandfather… sometimes.

The old man creakily got up from his chair, and then commenced to try and ignore Kagome as she plucked his plate from his hands, carrying it to the sink with her own.  “Hmph.  Girl’s forgotten her duty to her mother and aging grandfather.  Only comes to see us once a year, I tell ya, the girl’s ungrateful!”

Kagome merely rolled her eyes as she handed the plates to her mother, who gave her a smile before setting them in the sink that was filling with soap suds and water.  She reached into one of the lower cupboards and got out a drying towel out of routine, and waited for her mother to wash the dishes before handing them off to her to dry.

“Now now, Father, you know that our Kagome is busy,”  Kagome absent-mindedly dried a plate, even as her mother said her next part in an argument Kagome had heard every time she came home.  “And that she always writes home and sends us money.  Which, I might add, you spend frivolously.” 

Red spread across leathery, wrinkled cheeks as the old man scoffed.  “Frivolous?  Ha!  I invest!”

“Investing in stocks or a business is one thing.  Buying crazy inventions off the internet, however, is not.  What was that crazy thing you bought just last week?  A wine glass holder necklace?”

Well, that was new, Kagome thought, hiding a smile as she dried off the a glass.  As her grandfather leapt to defend his purchase, saying how you never knew when you’d need a good wine glass, and wasn’t it handy he could have one around whenever he wanted it, she exchanged mirthful glances with her mother.

Kagome reached for the next item to dry, when she realized there were no more.  Setting aside her drying towel, she stretched, and made her way to the screen door.

The argument broke off at her movement.  “Kagome?”  Her mother arched an eyebrow.

“I’m just gonna take a walk, Momma.  I’ll be back.”

This, too, was part of the routine every time she visited, although Kagome never saw the glances, far less humorous, that her mother and grandfather exchanged after the screen door closed.

A/N: What can I say, I adore the song "Strawberry Wine" by Deana Carter!  That's the song this fic is based off of, if you can't tell.  If you recognize it, it ain't mine.  So if you see lyrics or, oh, I dunno, Kagome?  Um,  not mine.  And if things are OOC... well, that's why they call it ALTERNATE Universe.  I like to take a bit of creative license with my fics.  I like reviews, if you'd be so kind, and I'll see you next chapter, which should be put up within the next day or two!  Later!