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diff stories/dearsakura-13.txt @ 0:ed1308d04df2 moonlitnights
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date | Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:24:59 -0500 |
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1.1 --- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 1.2 +++ b/stories/dearsakura-13.txt Fri Feb 19 06:24:59 2010 -0500 1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,456 @@ 1.4 +Dear Sakura 1.5 +by Amazoness Duo and G.P. 1.6 +amazonessduo@hotmail.com 1.7 +pearsong1954@yahoo.com 1.8 + 1.9 + 1.10 + Life is a mixture of good and bad. Delightfully joyous 1.11 +circumstances plagued by the most exquisite pain. Biting cold and 1.12 +burning heart. In some ways, the very talons of sorrow and defeat 1.13 +were what made joy taste all the sweeter to the lips, a fruit that 1.14 +one was lucky to find but was gone all too quickly. While in the 1.15 +shadows, waiting and lurking was the despair, eager to reclaim its 1.16 +prize once delight and happiness had all but faded. Happiness was an 1.17 +escape that faded all too quickly in the dim lights that filled one’s 1.18 +life. That was not to say that they were any less spectacular. It 1.19 +served to make them even more treasured in the hearts of those who 1.20 +knew how rare such things really were. How cherished they should be 1.21 +for simply being there. The sweetest joys were often tinged with the 1.22 +bittersweet aftertaste of sadness. And through it all, life continued 1.23 +it’s inexhaustible march forward. As a lone toy designer waited 1.24 +patiently for the giant metal beast she was riding to make its way 1.25 +back to Japan, her thoughts were filled with musings on her own 1.26 +recent joy and pain. 1.27 + Tomoyo found herself staring into the eyes of the teddy bear that 1.28 +Sakura had made her. It was beautiful, if a little messy. But that 1.29 +was something the dark haired woman loved about it. It was obviously 1.30 +Sakura’s doing. She remembered one time when Sakura had made a yukata 1.31 +for Syaoran. She had spent so long working on it, despite her 1.32 +difficulty with sewing. And even if it hadn’t been the best looking 1.33 +yukata, it had been crafted carefully and delicately with Sakura’s 1.34 +warm and loving heart. Tomoyo understood this all too well. After 1.35 +all, every costume she made and all of the outfits she would sew for 1.36 +the brunette came from the bottom of her heart. The level of one’s 1.37 +skill with thread and needle didn’t matter; it was what lay in one’s 1.38 +heart while creating that truly brought out the beauty within. And 1.39 +Tomoyo saw that reflecting back at her through the violet eyes of the 1.40 +teddy bear she was holding. The bear was pink and white with a large 1.41 +purple bow. It was stained with Tomoyo’s tears as she had held it 1.42 +tightly to her, Sakura’s scent still clinging stubbornly to it. 1.43 + Turning the bear over in her hands, the pale heiress ran her 1.44 +fingers over a small dark patch that she had identified as some of 1.45 +Sakura’s blood. She knew very well that Sakura had difficulty with 1.46 +such tasks and the bandages on her fingers had been testament to 1.47 +this. The thought of Sakura pricking herself while making the bear 1.48 +was both sad and heartwarming at the same time. Knowing that Sakura 1.49 +was in pain, physical or emotional, had always hurt Tomoyo infinitely 1.50 +more than her own pain. Seeing Sakura hurting and knowing that she 1.51 +was helpless to stop it dug into her heart. She would give anything 1.52 +to take all of the brunette’s pain for herself, to suffer with all of 1.53 +it if only it meant that Sakura would no longer feel it’s heavy 1.54 +burden. But knowing that despite hurting herself, Sakura had 1.55 +continued to pour her genki heart out into the teddy bear almost left 1.56 +Tomoyo breathless. Surely she wasn’t worthy of such shining devotion. 1.57 +It made the bear in her arms a truly wonderful gift, one that came 1.58 +from the deep spring of love that Tomoyo had nearly tumbled into 1.59 +during her visit. And just like in real water, she couldn’t swim in 1.60 +it. She had found herself floundering, awash in the waves of 1.61 +confusion that kept pushing her under. But that was one sea that she 1.62 +would have been happy to drown in, the deep ocean of Sakura’s love. 1.63 +Her fingers passed once more over the small dried patch of blood, a 1.64 +small sacrifice from Sakura that left itself as a tiny badge on the 1.65 +bear. 1.66 + Sakura. That’s what she had named the bear. The name had flown into 1.67 +her mind the instant she had received it. After all, you were 1.68 +supposed to name your teddy bear after the one you loved. If you were 1.69 +lucky, it meant that they would fall in love with you as well. Tomoyo 1.70 +had explained that to Sakura years earlier. Sakura had been about to 1.71 +make one for Yukito when she asked why Tomoyo wasn’t making a bear 1.72 +for her special someone. The dark haired woman had replied that she 1.73 +only wanted the one she loved to be happy. But she had wanted so 1.74 +dearly to make a bear for Sakura, to give it to her along with her 1.75 +love. Instead, she had sat by while Syaoran made one for Sakura and 1.76 +Sakura eventually gave hers to the Chinese boy. She had never made a 1.77 +bear for anyone and she found herself regretting that. Even if Sakura 1.78 +hadn’t been able to understand, even if she had never known why, 1.79 +Tomoyo wished that she had been able to make one for her beautiful 1.80 +friend. But her love had to be locked away, unable to come forth in 1.81 +such an obvious display. Not that she hadn’t been obvious enough at 1.82 +other times, now that she thought about it, but after explaining the 1.83 +bear in relation to her special someone, even dense Sakura would have 1.84 +been able to figure out that she was the one who held Tomoyo’s heart 1.85 +by strings. And up till now she had never received a teddy bear. Not 1.86 +that she had minded at all. Just like the boys she had turned down in 1.87 +high school when they had asked for dates, it just didn’t matter. Her 1.88 +one, true love was the only one in her heart. She was all right if 1.89 +that meant never getting flowers, or teddy bears, or chocolates as 1.90 +tokens of love. She could be happy as long as she knew her true love 1.91 +was. Even if she wasn’t with her. 1.92 + But now Sakura had gone back and made her a teddy bear, something 1.93 +that Tomoyo had long given up on back in her youth. The gesture had 1.94 +surprised and amazed her. It was supposed to be from her special 1.95 +someone, Sakura had said. It _was_ from her special someone. It was a 1.96 +gift that she had never even allowed herself to hope for. The very 1.97 +thought that Sakura had made it specifically for her, that she had 1.98 +given her such an incredible gift was almost too much to handle. She 1.99 +hoped that Sakura would find her final costume soon after she left. 1.100 +She had left it on the bed in the small room she had occupied. It was 1.101 +still unfinished, but she wanted Sakura to have it regardless. She 1.102 +didn’t think she would make another costume after the wedding dress, 1.103 +so she would leave it unfinished for Sakura to do with as she pleased. 1.104 + Hugging the bear closer, Tomoyo hardly seemed to notice the 1.105 +turbulence that suddenly began to buffet the plane. Such things were 1.106 +trivial and didn’t matter much to her in her current frame of mind. 1.107 +Part of her cried out, hoping that the plane would crash into the 1.108 +waves beneath them, slipping into the rough waters below. It would be 1.109 +a fitting end to her visit. The image of herself still strapped to 1.110 +her chair, eyes closed serenely, her hair fluttering about in the 1.111 +water as she held the bear beneath the waves entered her mind. She 1.112 +took the thoughts in stride, the dark imagery failing to worry her. 1.113 +If she were to die in such a way, then she would be happy. She would 1.114 +have seen her darling Sakura one last time in life and would be ready 1.115 +to fade from her life. But her mother was still waiting for her back 1.116 +home and Sakura would undoubtedly hear about such a disaster. No, she 1.117 +would have to find a quieter way to slip out of Sakura’s life. She 1.118 +knew that she had to fade away. And soon. This trip had been a 1.119 +blessing, but it had frightened her at times. Her continued presence 1.120 +in Sakura’s life could have drastic consequences if Sakura were to 1.121 +ever discover who her special someone was. The love that she had felt 1.122 +from Sakura had been intoxicating, wrapping around her like silk 1.123 +spider webs, unable and unwilling to get free from their hold. But if 1.124 +that love were to continue developing, it could be disastrous not 1.125 +only for Sakura’s marriage, but her entire new life as well. It was 1.126 +too dangerous. And far too painful. Being so close to Sakura, feeling 1.127 +the warmth in her heart, it was maddening for Tomoyo. So close yet so 1.128 +far. She knew that she could never be with the smiling brunette, 1.129 +could never love her the way she wanted to. Being so close was an 1.130 +exquisitely delightful torture, giving her secret thrills at sharing 1.131 +so much with Sakura, but with a heavy undercurrent of frozen icicles 1.132 +of pain slashing mercilessly at her heart. Her masks had become 1.133 +ineffectual, leaving her completely defenseless in Sakura’s presence. 1.134 +Watching Sakura’s marriage so closely, never being able to truly be a 1.135 +part of Sakura’s happiness, it would quickly destroy her. She was 1.136 +already broken. Tomoyo knew that. The cracks were becoming evident in 1.137 +her surface, the underlying structure starting to buckle. She would 1.138 +not last much longer in Sakura’s life, especially after the moments 1.139 +they had shared. The pain, the loneliness would quickly consume her. 1.140 +Watching Sakura and smiling, trying so hard to pretend that she was 1.141 +all right, she couldn’t keep it up anymore. She was tired. Oh, so 1.142 +tired. Her masks lay heavy on her shoulders and she could no longer 1.143 +work up the will to wear them as she once had. Yet she would continue 1.144 +to as well as she could for Sakura’s sake… until she could fade away. 1.145 +She was nothing more than a specter from Sakura’s past. It was about 1.146 +time that she made her exit. 1.147 + Her current train of thought sent fresh tears streaming down her 1.148 +ivory cheeks, falling helplessly to the teddy bear in her arms. She 1.149 +didn’t want to leave Sakura. She didn’t want to fade out of her life. 1.150 +After this trip, all she wanted was to be with her, to hold on to the 1.151 +woman she loved with all of her heart. But she knew she couldn’t. And 1.152 +she wouldn’t last much longer in Sakura’s life. Her pain had built up 1.153 +intensely inside of her for years now, growing steadily as she kept 1.154 +it all inside, never once showing her friend the torment in her 1.155 +heart. And it was rapidly becoming too much for her. Staying in 1.156 +Sakura’s life was making it grow stronger, the longing for Sakura 1.157 +becoming more painful, the pain as she watched Sakura’s marriage even 1.158 +more acute. She had to fade away. For herself and for Sakura. It was 1.159 +the only way. Staying would only bring more heartache and pain. There 1.160 +was still a chance that she could survive with only her memories of 1.161 +Sakura. Her mother had lasted all these years with memories of 1.162 +Nadeshiko. Perhaps she could do the same. The pain would never lessen 1.163 +in her heart and her love would never fade in the slightest, but she 1.164 +would know that Sakura was happy and that she was only a distant 1.165 +memory to her. No matter how much that hurt Tomoyo, she knew it was 1.166 +quickly becoming the only way out. 1.167 + Wiping her tears away with shaking fingers, Tomoyo smiled softly 1.168 +and politely turned down a flight attendants offer of help. Looking 1.169 +out the small window near her seat, the dark haired woman watched the 1.170 +clouds beneath them. The sun gleamed brightly from behind them, 1.171 +coloring the sky in beautiful oranges and pinks as it slowly began to 1.172 +fade away. “The sun is the most beautiful before it disappears,” 1.173 +Tomoyo whispered softly to the teddy bear. “That is what this trip 1.174 +was for. My beautiful memories of Sakura-chan before I fade away. At 1.175 +least we got to be together one last time. I’ll always cherish those 1.176 +memories and the time we spent together.” A soft smile crossed her 1.177 +lips. It was a heartfelt smile. Yes, this would be the last time she 1.178 +would see Sakura, but like the setting sun, it was gorgeous. Tomoyo 1.179 +had no regrets about the trip or her time spent with Sakura. It had 1.180 +been a beautiful gift that was bestowed upon her and she thanked 1.181 +whoever it was that had blessed her with Sakura’s friendship in the 1.182 +first place for the wonderful memories that would always be etched 1.183 +into her soul. Every second with Sakura had reminded her of just how 1.184 +much she loved the brunette. It had shown her once again that all she 1.185 +really wanted was for Sakura to be happy. Each magical moment had 1.186 +been like the sweetest dream, even down to their parting. It had been 1.187 +terribly painful to leave Sakura. Her legs had nearly refused to take 1.188 +her away from the other woman. But even then, Sakura’s gift had 1.189 +shined through the darkness of the moment. It had been as if Sakura 1.190 +had wrapped her battered heart gently in a soft quilt, cradling it 1.191 +from the pain. Yes, she would always treasure this trip and the 1.192 +pieces of Sakura’s heart that she held close to her own. When they 1.193 +were together, it had felt like all of the pieces to the puzzle had 1.194 +been brought together. Sakura had fit all of the missing pieces in 1.195 +her heart and soul. Tomoyo had felt complete. The loneliness was 1.196 +gone, the void in her heart was answered. She felt happy when she was 1.197 +with Sakura. Even if she couldn’t be the one to make Sakura happy, 1.198 +Sakura certainly was the one who made her happy. 1.199 + “I could never thank you enough for this trip, Sakura-chan. It was 1.200 +the most wonderful time of my life. Being with you must be a glimpse 1.201 +of Heaven,” Tomoyo whispered as she held the teddy bear in her lap. 1.202 +For a moment, she saw it as her own child, coming with her on some 1.203 +business trip. Is that what would happen? Would she find herself with 1.204 +a child to ease her loneliness and to try to fill the void in her 1.205 +life as her mother had? She knew that her mother had been happy to 1.206 +have her, Tomoyo’s young life giving her own meaning. The idea was 1.207 +very tempting, to raise a child of her own. Perhaps she could even 1.208 +convince Touya to supply the sperm for the child. She could get a 1.209 +very skilled doctor for the procedure. After all, she didn’t need to 1.210 +be with anyone to have a child. There were other procedures for that. 1.211 +In Vitro-Fertilization. And if half of it was coming from Touya, then 1.212 +it would be very close to the child she and Sakura would have had 1.213 +they been able to conceive one. A faint smile crossed her lips at the 1.214 +thought, images of Sakura in boys’ clothes once again filling her 1.215 +mind. A cute little girl. A child all her own. Yes, she’d have to 1.216 +look into it. She held the teddy bear closer. 1.217 + The entire trip had left her small and relatively weak body 1.218 +exhausted, but sleep seemed light years away. Tomoyo’s mind was far 1.219 +too consumed by the trip itself and it’s implications to worry about 1.220 +such things as sleep. It had fulfilled one of her fondest dreams, to 1.221 +kiss Sakura with all of the love she could muster. And even more 1.222 +surprisingly, Sakura had returned it with a fervor she never would 1.223 +have imagined in the brunette. It had been a magical, fairy tale like 1.224 +kiss and that alone stood out as a symbol in her mind of the 1.225 +affection Sakura had showered upon her during her visit. She still 1.226 +found herself confused by it, but now there was nothing she could do 1.227 +about it. She would soon be back home in Japan, far away from the 1.228 +beautiful bride and her sweet and soul stirring kisses. But it left 1.229 +Tomoyo a little uneasy. Behind the confusion surrounding Sakura’s 1.230 +love, she saw something that resembled her own love remarkably. Like 1.231 +a crystal clear mirror, it seemed to reflect her own love, beaming 1.232 +from within Sakura. As if the Red String of Fate that was heavily 1.233 +knotted around her heart also tugged at Sakura’s. This gave Tomoyo 1.234 +pause, considering Sakura’s words on the night before she left. Even 1.235 +Sakura’s confession had sounded like one confessing a secret love. 1.236 +More than anything, she wanted to take that love and nurture it with 1.237 +her own, delighting in its shimmering radiance. 1.238 + Tomoyo wasn’t used to being confused. In fact, she very rarely was. 1.239 +Her mother loved her dearly, but she was gone often with her work so 1.240 +Tomoyo had relied heavily on her keen perception of people and their 1.241 +hearts for most of her life which is why she was having such a 1.242 +difficult time lying to herself that Sakura’s love was anything else. 1.243 +Tomoyo was a terrible liar, especially to herself. But if it was 1.244 +love, then what could she do? She had already wasted her chance to be 1.245 +with Sakura. Sakura was already married and in a new life. She 1.246 +couldn’t interfere. She just wanted Sakura to be happy and getting 1.247 +involved would just make things difficult for the poor magical girl. 1.248 +Her thoughts were finally interrupted by the pilot announcing their 1.249 +descent into Tokyo. Tomoyo was glad for the distraction. She held her 1.250 +teddy bear close as the plane made its way towards the airport below. 1.251 +“I love you, Sakura-chan,” she said out loud, half hoping that it 1.252 +would be heard and answered from across the sea. 1.253 + 1.254 + Sonomi Daidouji looked down at her watch impatiently. “It’s been 1.255 +half an hour. What if something’s happened to my darling little 1.256 +Tomoyo-chan?” she asked no one in particular. Her voice held a tinge 1.257 +of mania in it, an overprotective quality within her that had only 1.258 +grown stronger since the loss of her beloved Nadeshiko. Her daughter 1.259 +was the only person that mattered in her life anymore and she 1.260 +couldn’t stand the thought of anything happening to the pale girl. “I 1.261 +knew I should have sent the bodyguards with her.” 1.262 + Looking down at her laptop, the businesswoman sighed. She was too 1.263 +flustered to attempt to get any work done. Her mind was concentrating 1.264 +on other things. Her finger lingered over the shut down command, her 1.265 +attention on the picture of Nadeshiko that she used as a background. 1.266 +Though Nadeshiko had been a model for a number of years, this picture 1.267 +was one of a kind. Nadeshiko had sent it explicitly to her around the 1.268 +time she had been pregnant with Tomoyo. It was almost as if she’d 1.269 +known. There was a sweet, simple letter attached. It mentioned 1.270 +nothing of the man Sonomi had come to hate, Nadeshiko’s husband, 1.271 +Fujitaka, or even of the birth of Sakura that must have been near at 1.272 +the time. It was merely a few words that Sonomi had read over and 1.273 +over until the ink had gotten smeared with her fingerprints and even 1.274 +then, they were vivid in her memory. ‘Thank you for always looking 1.275 +out for me, Sonomi-chan. Even if I don’t see you much anymore, I 1.276 +still hear your voice when I’m going about my day. You’ll always be 1.277 +in my heart.’ Three years later, she had died. Sonomi had never 1.278 +gotten to ask her why she had sent the letter. It just hadn’t seemed 1.279 +important while she was in the hospital. Sonomi’s mind had latched 1.280 +onto other things at the time. Her failure to protect Nadeshiko and 1.281 +the knowledge that she would soon lose her dearest cousin in this 1.282 +life was unbearable. It made everything else seem trivial. It was 1.283 +ironic that the only thing able to bring her back to Nadeshiko after 1.284 +the marriage to Fujitaka was her impending death. And she had once 1.285 +again been left without her. 1.286 + But, as Nadeshiko had said, she was always in her heart. The 1.287 +picture that Sonomi kept on her desktop and by her nightstand was not 1.288 +one of Nadeshiko the model, Nadeshiko the mother, or Nadeshiko the 1.289 +bride. It was simply her beloved Nadeshiko, her sweet little cousin. 1.290 +And that was all Sonomi ever really wanted. She had other pictures of 1.291 +Nadeshiko around the house and at her office, but this was her 1.292 +favorite. The words always followed in Nadeshiko’s gentle voice when 1.293 +she would look upon it. “Nadeshiko-chan, please look out for my 1.294 +daughter,” she said softly. 1.295 + Sonomi had spent the entire trip to the mountains in the vacation 1.296 +house plagued by worries and concerns for her daughter. She felt a 1.297 +little ashamed at what Tomoyo would think if she knew she had been 1.298 +smoking the entire time. But she couldn’t help it. Her mind had been 1.299 +in shambles, a hopelessness that had shrouded her soul sneaking up 1.300 +like a curse to strike down her only daughter. It hardly seemed fair. 1.301 +And Sonomi, the athletic and overprotective woman she was, once again 1.302 +failed to save those close to her. Just like she had been unable to 1.303 +protect Nadeshiko from HIM, she was unable to protect Tomoyo from the 1.304 +pain that had enveloped her own life. Her mind had been consumed with 1.305 +thoughts of her poor Tomoyo in Hong Kong, painfully aware of the boy 1.306 +that had married Sakura. She knew that she herself couldn’t have 1.307 +handled seeing Nadeshiko during her marriage to Fujitaka. It must 1.308 +have been terrible for Tomoyo. Which is why she had tried to get 1.309 +Tomoyo to come up with her to the mountains. She only wanted to 1.310 +protect her daughter from the sorrow and the hurt. Her dreams had all 1.311 +been nightmares during her restless sleep at the vacation home, 1.312 +always reliving either Nadeshiko’s wedding or her funeral. She would 1.313 +wake up screaming, tears streaming down her cheeks to an empty 1.314 +vacation home filled with smoke, silent except for the ghost of her 1.315 +daughter’s musical voice playing at the edge of her thoughts. 1.316 + Tomoyo’s return to Japan filled her with a sense of relief, 1.317 +although an afterthought of dread followed it. She really had no idea 1.318 +what had happened during Tomoyo’s trip and was afraid that her 1.319 +daughter had been thoroughly crushed by it all. Knowing she was 1.320 +coming back let her rest a bit easier because now she could once 1.321 +again keep an eye on the younger woman, trying to help however she 1.322 +could. She needed to know that her baby was all right, that she had 1.323 +survived the painful ordeal. “Oh, Tomoyo-chan, I wish you had come 1.324 +with me instead. I can’t stand to know that Sakura-chan is hurting 1.325 +you.” A sigh escaped her. If there was one thing that Sonomi hated 1.326 +(Fujitaka), it was (Fujitaka) not being able to protect the ones 1.327 +dearest to her. It was that feeling of utter helplessness that held 1.328 +her bound while she desperately wanted to make things better. And it 1.329 +had struck first with Nadeshiko and now with her own daughter. It 1.330 +drove her crazy to be unable to keep her darling daughter safe from 1.331 +the pain and torment she had lived through. Her long fingers wrapped 1.332 +around the last cigarette in her purse. She rolled it over between 1.333 +her fingers thoughtfully. No, being self-destructive certainly 1.334 +wouldn’t help Tomoyo. She could almost hear her daughter’s voice 1.335 +asking her politely not to use the little paper stick. Sighing, she 1.336 +tossed it into the nearest trash can. 1.337 + “Okaa-sama?” a tired voice asked behind her. Sonomi whirled around, 1.338 +eyes settling on the visage of her exhausted daughter. Tomoyo had 1.339 +dark bags under her eyes and her body seemed nearly too tired to walk 1.340 +another step. Her smile was soft and sweet, her stormy blue eyes 1.341 +sparkling with a mixture of emotions. Sadness, loss, joy, relief. She 1.342 +seemed far too tired to struggle with her masks, though Sonomi could 1.343 +see through her daughter’s charades easily enough. It looked like the 1.344 +dark haired woman had been crying, her cheeks puffy and red and her 1.345 +eyes bloodshot. She was holding a pink and white teddy bear and one 1.346 +bag she had carried on with her. Sonomi’s arms wrapped around the 1.347 +younger girl, pulling her nearly off her feet. Despite Tomoyo’s 1.348 +exhaustion, the heiress nearly flew into her mother’s arms, 1.349 +collapsing moments afterwards. “Okaa-sama... It’s so good to see 1.350 +you,” she whispered. Her voice was near breaking. 1.351 + “Tomoyo-chan!” Sonomi began smoothing down her daughter’s lavender 1.352 +hair as she held onto the weak figure in her arms. “I was starting to 1.353 +worry. I was starting to think something happened to your plane.” 1.354 +Choking back tears that suddenly threatened the businesswoman, she 1.355 +shook her head, smiling. “I’m just glad to see you, Tomoyo-chan. 1.356 +Here, let the bodyguards get the rest of your bags and we’ll head 1.357 +straight home. You look like you haven’t slept in days. We’ll get you 1.358 +right in bed as soon as we’re home.” Standing back to get a better 1.359 +look at her daughter, Sonomi couldn’t help but smile wider. Her worry 1.360 +seemed to evaporate now that Tomoyo was back in Japan. Now she could 1.361 +protect her again. Now she would be safe. “I’m so glad to have you 1.362 +back, Tomoyo-chan.” Giving her daughter another quick hug, Sonomi 1.363 +finally stepped back. 1.364 + A soft sigh escaped Tomoyo’s lips. She was home now. The whole trip 1.365 +was behind her now. But it still felt fresh and alive in her memory, 1.366 +as if she was reliving it at the very moment. Seeing her mother took 1.367 +away the edge to her pain. It was still there, but much more distant. 1.368 +She always felt safe when her mother was nearby. Her indomitable 1.369 +spirit was something Tomoyo had always admired about her mother, and 1.370 +it always made things feel better when she was there. "Arigato 1.371 +gozaimasu,” Tomoyo said, bowing. One of the darkly dressed women 1.372 +standing behind her mother took her bag, though she held tightly onto 1.373 +the teddy bear. Two others returned with the rest of her luggage. 1.374 + Sonomi led the way towards the limousine, standing very near 1.375 +Tomoyo, half afraid that her daughter would simply collapse. “If 1.376 +you’re too tired, I can carry you the rest of the way,” Sonomi 1.377 +offered, watching her daughter out of the corner of her eyes. “I used 1.378 +to all the time when you were younger, Tomoyo-chan.” A bright smile 1.379 +played across her lips at the memories. Her tiny little daughter 1.380 +asleep in her arms as she would carry her off to bed. She still did 1.381 +that occasionally when she found Tomoyo asleep while watching her 1.382 +videotapes of Sakura. The young woman she saw next to her seemed to 1.383 +be replaced by the tiny daughter of yesteryear, happy to see her 1.384 +mother again after a business trip. But the look in her eyes brought 1.385 +Sonomi back to the present. There was something in those eyes that 1.386 +was far too old for the young woman, an ancient pain and knowledge. 1.387 +She was mature for her years. She always had been. She had always 1.388 +surprised Sonomi, brightening up her otherwise lonely and busy life. 1.389 + Tomoyo smiled at the offer, but shook her head politely. Long dark 1.390 +hair fluttered from side to side. “No, that’s all right, Okaa-sama. I 1.391 +think I can make it on my own.” She was happy to see that her mother 1.392 +was still as sweetly overprotective as ever. It had always been 1.393 +something she could rely on when she was younger. When she was tucked 1.394 +away in bed, she had always known that her mother would keep an eye 1.395 +on her. And that if anything went wrong, Sonomi would be the first to 1.396 +her rescue. It was a comforting thought. Of course, Tomoyo tried 1.397 +extra hard not to worry her mother because of that overprotective 1.398 +nature. In the same way Tomoyo didn’t want Sakura to feel bad because 1.399 +of her, she tried to do the same for her mother. But Sonomi always 1.400 +foiled her attempts by seeing straight through her masks, looking 1.401 +directly into her soul. She still didn’t know how her mother managed 1.402 +it when no one else seemed capable, but the only answer her mother 1.403 +ever supplied was simply that: She was her mother. 1.404 + The two women and their small entourage finally made it to the 1.405 +limousine out in the airport parking lot. One of the bodyguards 1.406 +opened the door for the two of them and they slid inside the 1.407 +comfortable interior. “How was your trip, Tomoyo-chan?” Sonomi asked 1.408 +at last, almost afraid of the answer. To her surprise, Tomoyo giggled 1.409 +softly, smiling brightly in response. 1.410 + “It was wonderful, Okaa-sama. It was absolutely amazing. Seeing 1.411 +Sakura-chan again was like a fairy tale. She was a beautiful 1.412 +princess, capturing me away in a small tower in her heart during my 1.413 +visit. I don’t think I’ve ever had dreams nearly so pleasant. It was 1.414 +perfect, mother. I thought after so long, I would be in the way while 1.415 +I was there, that I should try to distance myself during the trip. 1.416 +But I couldn’t. Not with Sakura-chan. She pulled me out from behind 1.417 +the curtains and wouldn’t let me go. We talked for hours and hours, 1.418 +her voice is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard, and we held 1.419 +onto each other. She did my hair like she used to when we were little 1.420 +girls and we danced late into the night together, all alone amidst 1.421 +the crowd.” Her stormy blue eyes closed as she tilted her head to the 1.422 +side, her cheeks flushing slightly at the memories. “We kissed under 1.423 +the moonlight. She has incredibly soft lips. Sakura-chan is a very 1.424 +good kisser.” 1.425 + Sonomi clasped her hands together, very nearly startling Tomoyo out 1.426 +of her reverie. Her eyes shone like diamonds, an electric thrill 1.427 +coursing up her spine. “Tomoyo-chan, you kissed Sakura-chan?” She 1.428 +couldn’t have been happier if she’d been told that she had kissed 1.429 +Nadeshiko. In fact, it felt almost the same. She saw so much of 1.430 +herself and Nadeshiko in the two girls. These little things between 1.431 +their daughters almost felt like she herself was living through it. 1.432 +For a second, she saw Nadeshiko sitting beside her, a small smile on 1.433 +her lips and beautiful black ribbons in her hair. She looked quite a 1.434 +bit like Tomoyo at that age, actually. And Sakura even resembled 1.435 +herself in some small ways. Sonomi hugged her daughter tightly, 1.436 +delight dancing through her. “Tomoyo-chan, that’s fantastic! You’ll 1.437 +have to tell me every single detail!” 1.438 + Tomoyo giggled softly and nodded. So often she kept her love for 1.439 +Sakura to herself, locked up in her heart. She was very happy to be 1.440 +able to share that with her mother. Her mother was nearly as obsessed 1.441 +with Sakura as she herself was, being Nadeshiko’s daughter and all, 1.442 +and it was wonderful to have someone to talk about it with. If anyone 1.443 +understood her love for Sakura, it was her mother who had gone 1.444 +through much the same thing with Nadeshiko. Smiling happily, Tomoyo 1.445 +added, “And I have plenty of videotape from the trip. Not as much as 1.446 +I would have liked, but I have some nice footage.” 1.447 + “I can’t wait to see it all, Tomoyo-chan,” Sonomi said eagerly. She 1.448 +felt delightfully giddy at the prospects of what had happened during 1.449 +Tomoyo’s trip. There was even a trill of hope in her heart, one she 1.450 +hadn’t felt in an incredibly long time. In a way, her hopes and 1.451 +dreams had been passed on to Tomoyo. She knew that Tomoyo obviously 1.452 +wasn’t with Sakura, but the idea of a kiss was a gripping thought. 1.453 +"But first, you’re going to get some sleep. Then you can tell me all 1.454 +about it.” 1.455 + “I would like that very much, mother,” Tomoyo replied, hugging the 1.456 +bear named Sakura to her chest. Yawning tiredly, she felt her mother 1.457 +pull her closer. Before long, she was asleep with her head on 1.458 +Sonomi’s shoulder. 1.459 +