rlm@0: Dear Sakura
rlm@0: by Amazoness Duo and G.P.
rlm@0: amazonessduo@hotmail.com
rlm@0: pearsong1954@yahoo.com
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	Life is a mixture of good and bad. Delightfully joyous
rlm@0: circumstances plagued by the most exquisite pain. Biting cold and
rlm@0: burning heart. In some ways, the very talons of sorrow and defeat
rlm@0: were what made joy taste all the sweeter to the lips, a fruit that
rlm@0: one was lucky to find but was gone all too quickly. While in the
rlm@0: shadows, waiting and lurking was the despair, eager to reclaim its
rlm@0: prize once delight and happiness had all but faded. Happiness was an
rlm@0: escape that faded all too quickly in the dim lights that filled one’s
rlm@0: life. That was not to say that they were any less spectacular. It
rlm@0: served to make them even more treasured in the hearts of those who
rlm@0: knew how rare such things really were. How cherished they should be
rlm@0: for simply being there. The sweetest joys were often tinged with the
rlm@0: bittersweet aftertaste of sadness. And through it all, life continued
rlm@0: it’s inexhaustible march forward. As a lone toy designer waited
rlm@0: patiently for the giant metal beast she was riding to make its way
rlm@0: back to Japan, her thoughts were filled with musings on her own
rlm@0: recent joy and pain.
rlm@0: 	 Tomoyo found herself staring into the eyes of the teddy bear that
rlm@0: Sakura had made her. It was beautiful, if a little messy. But that
rlm@0: was something the dark haired woman loved about it. It was obviously
rlm@0: Sakura’s doing. She remembered one time when Sakura had made a yukata
rlm@0: for Syaoran. She had spent so long working on it, despite her
rlm@0: difficulty with sewing. And even if it hadn’t been the best looking
rlm@0: yukata, it had been crafted carefully and delicately with Sakura’s
rlm@0: warm and loving heart. Tomoyo understood this all too well. After
rlm@0: all, every costume she made and all of the outfits she would sew for
rlm@0: the brunette came from the bottom of her heart. The level of one’s
rlm@0: skill with thread and needle didn’t matter; it was what lay in one’s
rlm@0: heart while creating that truly brought out the beauty within. And
rlm@0: Tomoyo saw that reflecting back at her through the violet eyes of the
rlm@0: teddy bear she was holding. The bear was pink and white with a large
rlm@0: purple bow. It was stained with Tomoyo’s tears as she had held it
rlm@0: tightly to her, Sakura’s scent still clinging stubbornly to it. 
rlm@0: 	Turning the bear over in her hands, the pale heiress ran her
rlm@0: fingers over a small dark patch that she had identified as some of
rlm@0: Sakura’s blood. She knew very well that Sakura had difficulty with
rlm@0: such tasks and the bandages on her fingers had been testament to
rlm@0: this. The thought of Sakura pricking herself while making the bear
rlm@0: was both sad and heartwarming at the same time. Knowing that Sakura
rlm@0: was in pain, physical or emotional, had always hurt Tomoyo infinitely
rlm@0: more than her own pain. Seeing Sakura hurting and knowing that she
rlm@0: was helpless to stop it dug into her heart. She would give anything
rlm@0: to take all of the brunette’s pain for herself, to suffer with all of
rlm@0: it if only it meant that Sakura would no longer feel it’s heavy
rlm@0: burden. But knowing that despite hurting herself, Sakura had
rlm@0: continued to pour her genki heart out into the teddy bear almost left
rlm@0: Tomoyo breathless. Surely she wasn’t worthy of such shining devotion.
rlm@0: It made the bear in her arms a truly wonderful gift, one that came
rlm@0: from the deep spring of love that Tomoyo had nearly tumbled into
rlm@0: during her visit. And just like in real water, she couldn’t swim in
rlm@0: it. She had found herself floundering, awash in the waves of
rlm@0: confusion that kept pushing her under. But that was one sea that she
rlm@0: would have been happy to drown in, the deep ocean of Sakura’s love.
rlm@0: Her fingers passed once more over the small dried patch of blood, a
rlm@0: small sacrifice from Sakura that left itself as a tiny badge on the
rlm@0: bear.
rlm@0: 	Sakura. That’s what she had named the bear. The name had flown into
rlm@0: her mind the instant she had received it. After all, you were
rlm@0: supposed to name your teddy bear after the one you loved. If you were
rlm@0: lucky, it meant that they would fall in love with you as well. Tomoyo
rlm@0: had explained that to Sakura years earlier. Sakura had been about to
rlm@0: make one for Yukito when she asked why Tomoyo wasn’t making a bear
rlm@0: for her special someone.  The dark haired woman had replied that she
rlm@0: only wanted the one she loved to be happy. But she had wanted so
rlm@0: dearly to make a bear for Sakura, to give it to her along with her
rlm@0: love. Instead, she had sat by while Syaoran made one for Sakura and
rlm@0: Sakura eventually gave hers to the Chinese boy. She had never made a
rlm@0: bear for anyone and she found herself regretting that. Even if Sakura
rlm@0: hadn’t been able to understand, even if she had never known why,
rlm@0: Tomoyo wished that she had been able to make one for her beautiful
rlm@0: friend. But her love had to be locked away, unable to come forth in
rlm@0: such an obvious display. Not that she hadn’t been obvious enough at
rlm@0: other times, now that she thought about it, but after explaining the
rlm@0: bear in relation to her special someone, even dense Sakura would have
rlm@0: been able to figure out that she was the one who held Tomoyo’s heart
rlm@0: by strings. And up till now she had never received a teddy bear. Not
rlm@0: that she had minded at all. Just like the boys she had turned down in
rlm@0: high school when they had asked for dates, it just didn’t matter. Her
rlm@0: one, true love was the only one in her heart. She was all right if
rlm@0: that meant never getting flowers, or teddy bears, or chocolates as
rlm@0: tokens of love. She could be happy as long as she knew her true love
rlm@0: was. Even if she wasn’t with her.
rlm@0: 	But now Sakura had gone back and made her a teddy bear, something
rlm@0: that Tomoyo had long given up on back in her youth. The gesture had
rlm@0: surprised and amazed her. It was supposed to be from her special
rlm@0: someone, Sakura had said. It _was_ from her special someone. It was a
rlm@0: gift that she had never even allowed herself to hope for. The very
rlm@0: thought that Sakura had made it specifically for her, that she had
rlm@0: given her such an incredible gift was almost too much to handle. She
rlm@0: hoped that Sakura would find her final costume soon after she left.
rlm@0: She had left it on the bed in the small room she had occupied. It was
rlm@0: still unfinished, but she wanted Sakura to have it regardless. She
rlm@0: didn’t think she would make another costume after the wedding dress,
rlm@0: so she would leave it unfinished for Sakura to do with as she pleased.
rlm@0: 	Hugging the bear closer, Tomoyo hardly seemed to notice the
rlm@0: turbulence that suddenly began to buffet the plane. Such things were
rlm@0: trivial and didn’t matter much to her in her current frame of mind.
rlm@0: Part of her cried out, hoping that the plane would crash into the
rlm@0: waves beneath them, slipping into the rough waters below. It would be
rlm@0: a fitting end to her visit. The image of herself still strapped to
rlm@0: her chair, eyes closed serenely, her hair fluttering about in the
rlm@0: water as she held the bear beneath the waves entered her mind. She
rlm@0: took the thoughts in stride, the dark imagery failing to worry her.
rlm@0: If she were to die in such a way, then she would be happy. She would
rlm@0: have seen her darling Sakura one last time in life and would be ready
rlm@0: to fade from her life. But her mother was still waiting for her back
rlm@0: home and Sakura would undoubtedly hear about such a disaster. No, she
rlm@0: would have to find a quieter way to slip out of Sakura’s life. She
rlm@0: knew that she had to fade away. And soon. This trip had been a
rlm@0: blessing, but it had frightened her at times. Her continued presence
rlm@0: in Sakura’s life could have drastic consequences if Sakura were to
rlm@0: ever discover who her special someone was. The love that she had felt
rlm@0: from Sakura had been intoxicating, wrapping around her like silk
rlm@0: spider webs, unable and unwilling to get free from their hold. But if
rlm@0: that love were to continue developing, it could be disastrous not
rlm@0: only for Sakura’s marriage, but her entire new life as well. It was
rlm@0: too dangerous. And far too painful. Being so close to Sakura, feeling
rlm@0: the warmth in her heart, it was maddening for Tomoyo. So close yet so
rlm@0: far. She knew that she could never be with the smiling brunette,
rlm@0: could never love her the way she wanted to. Being so close was an
rlm@0: exquisitely delightful torture, giving her secret thrills at sharing
rlm@0: so much with Sakura, but with a heavy undercurrent of frozen icicles
rlm@0: of pain slashing mercilessly at her heart. Her masks had become
rlm@0: ineffectual, leaving her completely defenseless in Sakura’s presence.
rlm@0: Watching Sakura’s marriage so closely, never being able to truly be a
rlm@0: part of Sakura’s happiness, it would quickly destroy her. She was
rlm@0: already broken. Tomoyo knew that. The cracks were becoming evident in
rlm@0: her surface, the underlying structure starting to buckle. She would
rlm@0: not last much longer in Sakura’s life, especially after the moments
rlm@0: they had shared. The pain, the loneliness would quickly consume her.
rlm@0: Watching Sakura and smiling, trying so hard to pretend that she was
rlm@0: all right, she couldn’t keep it up anymore. She was tired. Oh, so
rlm@0: tired. Her masks lay heavy on her shoulders and she could no longer
rlm@0: work up the will to wear them as she once had. Yet she would continue
rlm@0: to as well as she could for Sakura’s sake… until she could fade away.
rlm@0: She was nothing more than a specter from Sakura’s past. It was about
rlm@0: time that she made her exit. 
rlm@0: 	Her current train of thought sent fresh tears streaming down her
rlm@0: ivory cheeks, falling helplessly to the teddy bear in her arms. She
rlm@0: didn’t want to leave Sakura. She didn’t want to fade out of her life.
rlm@0: After this trip, all she wanted was to be with her, to hold on to the
rlm@0: woman she loved with all of her heart. But she knew she couldn’t. And
rlm@0: she wouldn’t last much longer in Sakura’s life. Her pain had built up
rlm@0: intensely inside of her for years now, growing steadily as she kept
rlm@0: it all inside, never once showing her friend the torment in her
rlm@0: heart. And it was rapidly becoming too much for her. Staying in
rlm@0: Sakura’s life was making it grow stronger, the longing for Sakura
rlm@0: becoming more painful, the pain as she watched Sakura’s marriage even
rlm@0: more acute. She had to fade away. For herself and for Sakura. It was
rlm@0: the only way. Staying would only bring more heartache and pain. There
rlm@0: was still a chance that she could survive with only her memories of
rlm@0: Sakura. Her mother had lasted all these years with memories of
rlm@0: Nadeshiko. Perhaps she could do the same. The pain would never lessen
rlm@0: in her heart and her love would never fade in the slightest, but she
rlm@0: would know that Sakura was happy and that she was only a distant
rlm@0: memory to her. No matter how much that hurt Tomoyo, she knew it was
rlm@0: quickly becoming the only way out. 
rlm@0: 	Wiping her tears away with shaking fingers, Tomoyo smiled softly
rlm@0: and politely turned down a flight attendants offer of help. Looking
rlm@0: out the small window near her seat, the dark haired woman watched the
rlm@0: clouds beneath them. The sun gleamed brightly from behind them,
rlm@0: coloring the sky in beautiful oranges and pinks as it slowly began to
rlm@0: fade away. “The sun is the most beautiful before it disappears,”
rlm@0: Tomoyo whispered softly to the teddy bear. “That is what this trip
rlm@0: was for. My beautiful memories of Sakura-chan before I fade away. At
rlm@0: least we got to be together one last time. I’ll always cherish those
rlm@0: memories and the time we spent together.” A soft smile crossed her
rlm@0: lips. It was a heartfelt smile. Yes, this would be the last time she
rlm@0: would see Sakura, but like the setting sun, it was gorgeous. Tomoyo
rlm@0: had no regrets about the trip or her time spent with Sakura. It had
rlm@0: been a beautiful gift that was bestowed upon her and she thanked
rlm@0: whoever it was that had blessed her with Sakura’s friendship in the
rlm@0: first place for the wonderful memories that would always be etched
rlm@0: into her soul. Every second with Sakura had reminded her of just how
rlm@0: much she loved the brunette. It had shown her once again that all she
rlm@0: really wanted was for Sakura to be happy. Each magical moment had
rlm@0: been like the sweetest dream, even down to their parting. It had been
rlm@0: terribly painful to leave Sakura. Her legs had nearly refused to take
rlm@0: her away from the other woman. But even then, Sakura’s gift had
rlm@0: shined through the darkness of the moment. It had been as if Sakura
rlm@0: had wrapped her battered heart gently in a soft quilt, cradling it
rlm@0: from the pain. Yes, she would always treasure this trip and the
rlm@0: pieces of Sakura’s heart that she held close to her own. When they
rlm@0: were together, it had felt like all of the pieces to the puzzle had
rlm@0: been brought together. Sakura had fit all of the missing pieces in
rlm@0: her heart and soul. Tomoyo had felt complete. The loneliness was
rlm@0: gone, the void in her heart was answered. She felt happy when she was
rlm@0: with Sakura. Even if she couldn’t be the one to make Sakura happy,
rlm@0: Sakura certainly was the one who made her happy. 
rlm@0: 	“I could never thank you enough for this trip, Sakura-chan. It was
rlm@0: the most wonderful time of my life. Being with you must be a glimpse
rlm@0: of Heaven,” Tomoyo whispered as she held the teddy bear in her lap.
rlm@0: For a moment, she saw it as her own child, coming with her on some
rlm@0: business trip. Is that what would happen? Would she find herself with
rlm@0: a child to ease her loneliness and to try to fill the void in her
rlm@0: life as her mother had? She knew that her mother had been happy to
rlm@0: have her, Tomoyo’s young life giving her own meaning. The idea was
rlm@0: very tempting, to raise a child of her own. Perhaps she could even
rlm@0: convince Touya to supply the sperm for the child. She could get a
rlm@0: very skilled doctor for the procedure. After all, she didn’t need to
rlm@0: be with anyone to have a child. There were other procedures for that.
rlm@0: In Vitro-Fertilization. And if half of it was coming from Touya, then
rlm@0: it would be very close to the child she and Sakura would have had
rlm@0: they been able to conceive one. A faint smile crossed her lips at the
rlm@0: thought, images of Sakura in boys’ clothes once again filling her
rlm@0: mind. A cute little girl. A child all her own. Yes, she’d have to
rlm@0: look into it. She held the teddy bear closer. 
rlm@0: 	 The entire trip had left her small and relatively weak body
rlm@0: exhausted, but sleep seemed light years away. Tomoyo’s mind was far
rlm@0: too consumed by the trip itself and it’s implications to worry about
rlm@0: such things as sleep. It had fulfilled one of her fondest dreams, to
rlm@0: kiss Sakura with all of the love she could muster. And even more
rlm@0: surprisingly, Sakura had returned it with a fervor she never would
rlm@0: have imagined in the brunette. It had been a magical, fairy tale like
rlm@0: kiss and that alone stood out as a symbol in her mind of the
rlm@0: affection Sakura had showered upon her during her visit. She still
rlm@0: found herself confused by it, but now there was nothing she could do
rlm@0: about it. She would soon be back home in Japan, far away from the
rlm@0: beautiful bride and her sweet and soul stirring kisses. But it left
rlm@0: Tomoyo a little uneasy. Behind the confusion surrounding Sakura’s
rlm@0: love, she saw something that resembled her own love remarkably. Like
rlm@0: a crystal clear mirror, it seemed to reflect her own love, beaming
rlm@0: from within Sakura. As if the Red String of Fate that was heavily
rlm@0: knotted around her heart also tugged at Sakura’s. This gave Tomoyo
rlm@0: pause, considering Sakura’s words on the night before she left. Even
rlm@0: Sakura’s confession had sounded like one confessing a secret love.
rlm@0: More than anything, she wanted to take that love and nurture it with
rlm@0: her own, delighting in its shimmering radiance. 
rlm@0: 	Tomoyo wasn’t used to being confused. In fact, she very rarely was.
rlm@0: Her mother loved her dearly, but she was gone often with her work so
rlm@0: Tomoyo had relied heavily on her keen perception of people and their
rlm@0: hearts for most of her life which is why she was having such a
rlm@0: difficult time lying to herself that Sakura’s love was anything else.
rlm@0: Tomoyo was a terrible liar, especially to herself. But if it was
rlm@0: love, then what could she do? She had already wasted her chance to be
rlm@0: with Sakura. Sakura was already married and in a new life. She
rlm@0: couldn’t interfere. She just wanted Sakura to be happy and getting
rlm@0: involved would just make things difficult for the poor magical girl.
rlm@0: Her thoughts were finally interrupted by the pilot announcing their
rlm@0: descent into Tokyo. Tomoyo was glad for the distraction. She held her
rlm@0: teddy bear close as the plane made its way towards the airport below.
rlm@0: “I love you, Sakura-chan,” she said out loud, half hoping that it
rlm@0: would be heard and answered from across the sea.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 	Sonomi Daidouji looked down at her watch impatiently. “It’s been
rlm@0: half an hour. What if something’s happened to my darling little
rlm@0: Tomoyo-chan?” she asked no one in particular. Her voice held a tinge
rlm@0: of mania in it, an overprotective quality within her that had only
rlm@0: grown stronger since the loss of her beloved Nadeshiko. Her daughter
rlm@0: was the only person that mattered in her life anymore and she
rlm@0: couldn’t stand the thought of anything happening to the pale girl. “I
rlm@0: knew I should have sent the bodyguards with her.” 
rlm@0: 	Looking down at her laptop, the businesswoman sighed. She was too
rlm@0: flustered to attempt to get any work done. Her mind was concentrating
rlm@0: on other things. Her finger lingered over the shut down command, her
rlm@0: attention on the picture of Nadeshiko that she used as a background.
rlm@0: Though Nadeshiko had been a model for a number of years, this picture
rlm@0: was one of a kind. Nadeshiko had sent it explicitly to her around the
rlm@0: time she had been pregnant with Tomoyo. It was almost as if she’d
rlm@0: known. There was a sweet, simple letter attached.  It mentioned
rlm@0: nothing of the man Sonomi had come to hate, Nadeshiko’s husband,
rlm@0: Fujitaka, or even of the birth of Sakura that must have been near at
rlm@0: the time. It was merely a few words that Sonomi had read over and
rlm@0: over until the ink had gotten smeared with her fingerprints and even
rlm@0: then, they were vivid in her memory. ‘Thank you for always looking
rlm@0: out for me, Sonomi-chan. Even if I don’t see you much anymore, I
rlm@0: still hear your voice when I’m going about my day. You’ll always be
rlm@0: in my heart.’ Three years later, she had died. Sonomi had never
rlm@0: gotten to ask her why she had sent the letter. It just hadn’t seemed
rlm@0: important while she was in the hospital. Sonomi’s mind had latched
rlm@0: onto other things at the time. Her failure to protect Nadeshiko and
rlm@0: the knowledge that she would soon lose her dearest cousin in this
rlm@0: life was unbearable. It made everything else seem trivial. It was
rlm@0: ironic that the only thing able to bring her back to Nadeshiko after
rlm@0: the marriage to Fujitaka was her impending death. And she had once
rlm@0: again been left without her. 
rlm@0: 	But, as Nadeshiko had said, she was always in her heart. The
rlm@0: picture that Sonomi kept on her desktop and by her nightstand was not
rlm@0: one of Nadeshiko the model, Nadeshiko the mother, or Nadeshiko the
rlm@0: bride. It was simply her beloved Nadeshiko, her sweet little cousin.
rlm@0: And that was all Sonomi ever really wanted. She had other pictures of
rlm@0: Nadeshiko around the house and at her office, but this was her
rlm@0: favorite. The words always followed in Nadeshiko’s gentle voice when
rlm@0: she would look upon it. “Nadeshiko-chan, please look out for my
rlm@0: daughter,” she said softly. 
rlm@0: 	Sonomi had spent the entire trip to the mountains in the vacation
rlm@0: house plagued by worries and concerns for her daughter. She felt a
rlm@0: little ashamed at what Tomoyo would think if she knew she had been
rlm@0: smoking the entire time. But she couldn’t help it. Her mind had been
rlm@0: in shambles, a hopelessness that had shrouded her soul sneaking up
rlm@0: like a curse to strike down her only daughter. It hardly seemed fair.
rlm@0: And Sonomi, the athletic and overprotective woman she was, once again
rlm@0: failed to save those close to her. Just like she had been unable to
rlm@0: protect Nadeshiko from HIM, she was unable to protect Tomoyo from the
rlm@0: pain that had enveloped her own life. Her mind had been consumed with
rlm@0: thoughts of her poor Tomoyo in Hong Kong, painfully aware of the boy
rlm@0: that had married Sakura. She knew that she herself couldn’t have
rlm@0: handled seeing Nadeshiko during her marriage to Fujitaka. It must
rlm@0: have been terrible for Tomoyo. Which is why she had tried to get
rlm@0: Tomoyo to come up with her to the mountains. She only wanted to
rlm@0: protect her daughter from the sorrow and the hurt. Her dreams had all
rlm@0: been nightmares during her restless sleep at the vacation home,
rlm@0: always reliving either Nadeshiko’s wedding or her funeral. She would
rlm@0: wake up screaming, tears streaming down her cheeks to an empty
rlm@0: vacation home filled with smoke, silent except for the ghost of her
rlm@0: daughter’s musical voice playing at the edge of her thoughts. 
rlm@0: 	Tomoyo’s return to Japan filled her with a sense of relief,
rlm@0: although an afterthought of dread followed it. She really had no idea
rlm@0: what had happened during Tomoyo’s trip and was afraid that her
rlm@0: daughter had been thoroughly crushed by it all. Knowing she was
rlm@0: coming back let her rest a bit easier because now she could once
rlm@0: again keep an eye on the younger woman, trying to help however she
rlm@0: could. She needed to know that her baby was all right, that she had
rlm@0: survived the painful ordeal. “Oh, Tomoyo-chan, I wish you had come
rlm@0: with me instead. I can’t stand to know that Sakura-chan is hurting
rlm@0: you.” A sigh escaped her. If there was one thing that Sonomi hated
rlm@0: (Fujitaka), it was (Fujitaka) not being able to protect the ones
rlm@0: dearest to her. It was that feeling of utter helplessness that held
rlm@0: her bound while she desperately wanted to make things better.  And it
rlm@0: had struck first with Nadeshiko and now with her own daughter. It
rlm@0: drove her crazy to be unable to keep her darling daughter safe from
rlm@0: the pain and torment she had lived through. Her long fingers wrapped
rlm@0: around the last cigarette in her purse. She rolled it over between
rlm@0: her fingers thoughtfully. No, being self-destructive certainly
rlm@0: wouldn’t help Tomoyo. She could almost hear her daughter’s voice
rlm@0: asking her politely not to use the little paper stick. Sighing, she
rlm@0: tossed it into the nearest trash can. 
rlm@0: 	“Okaa-sama?” a tired voice asked behind her. Sonomi whirled around,
rlm@0: eyes settling on the visage of her exhausted daughter. Tomoyo had
rlm@0: dark bags under her eyes and her body seemed nearly too tired to walk
rlm@0: another step. Her smile was soft and sweet, her stormy blue eyes
rlm@0: sparkling with a mixture of emotions. Sadness, loss, joy, relief. She
rlm@0: seemed far too tired to struggle with her masks, though Sonomi could
rlm@0: see through her daughter’s charades easily enough. It looked like the
rlm@0: dark haired woman had been crying, her cheeks puffy and red and her
rlm@0: eyes bloodshot. She was holding a pink and white teddy bear and one
rlm@0: bag she had carried on with her. Sonomi’s arms wrapped around the
rlm@0: younger girl, pulling her nearly off her feet. Despite Tomoyo’s
rlm@0: exhaustion, the heiress nearly flew into her mother’s arms,
rlm@0: collapsing moments afterwards. “Okaa-sama... It’s so good to see
rlm@0: you,” she whispered. Her voice was near breaking. 
rlm@0: 	“Tomoyo-chan!” Sonomi began smoothing down her daughter’s lavender
rlm@0: hair as she held onto the weak figure in her arms. “I was starting to
rlm@0: worry. I was starting to think something happened to your plane.”
rlm@0: Choking back tears that suddenly threatened the businesswoman, she
rlm@0: shook her head, smiling. “I’m just glad to see you, Tomoyo-chan.
rlm@0: Here, let the bodyguards get the rest of your bags and we’ll head
rlm@0: straight home. You look like you haven’t slept in days. We’ll get you
rlm@0: right in bed as soon as we’re home.” Standing back to get a better
rlm@0: look at her daughter, Sonomi couldn’t help but smile wider. Her worry
rlm@0: seemed to evaporate now that Tomoyo was back in Japan. Now she could
rlm@0: protect her again. Now she would be safe. “I’m so glad to have you
rlm@0: back, Tomoyo-chan.” Giving her daughter another quick hug, Sonomi
rlm@0: finally stepped back. 
rlm@0: 	A soft sigh escaped Tomoyo’s lips. She was home now. The whole trip
rlm@0: was behind her now. But it still felt fresh and alive in her memory,
rlm@0: as if she was reliving it at the very moment. Seeing her mother took
rlm@0: away the edge to her pain. It was still there, but much more distant.
rlm@0: She always felt safe when her mother was nearby. Her indomitable
rlm@0: spirit was something Tomoyo had always admired about her mother, and
rlm@0: it always made things feel better when she was there. "Arigato
rlm@0: gozaimasu,” Tomoyo said, bowing. One of the darkly dressed women
rlm@0: standing behind her mother took her bag, though she held tightly onto
rlm@0: the teddy bear. Two others returned with the rest of her luggage. 
rlm@0: 	Sonomi led the way towards the limousine, standing very near
rlm@0: Tomoyo, half afraid that her daughter would simply collapse. “If
rlm@0: you’re too tired, I can carry you the rest of the way,” Sonomi
rlm@0: offered, watching her daughter out of the corner of her eyes. “I used
rlm@0: to all the time when you were younger, Tomoyo-chan.” A bright smile
rlm@0: played across her lips at the memories. Her tiny little daughter
rlm@0: asleep in her arms as she would carry her off to bed. She still did
rlm@0: that occasionally when she found Tomoyo asleep while watching her
rlm@0: videotapes of Sakura. The young woman she saw next to her seemed to
rlm@0: be replaced by the tiny daughter of yesteryear, happy to see her
rlm@0: mother again after a business trip. But the look in her eyes brought
rlm@0: Sonomi back to the present. There was something in those eyes that
rlm@0: was far too old for the young woman, an ancient pain and knowledge.
rlm@0: She was mature for her years.  She always had been. She had always
rlm@0: surprised Sonomi, brightening up her otherwise lonely and busy life. 
rlm@0: 	Tomoyo smiled at the offer, but shook her head politely. Long dark
rlm@0: hair fluttered from side to side. “No, that’s all right, Okaa-sama. I
rlm@0: think I can make it on my own.” She was happy to see that her mother
rlm@0: was still as sweetly overprotective as ever. It had always been
rlm@0: something she could rely on when she was younger. When she was tucked
rlm@0: away in bed, she had always known that her mother would keep an eye
rlm@0: on her. And that if anything went wrong, Sonomi would be the first to
rlm@0: her rescue. It was a comforting thought. Of course, Tomoyo tried
rlm@0: extra hard not to worry her mother because of that overprotective
rlm@0: nature. In the same way Tomoyo didn’t want Sakura to feel bad because
rlm@0: of her, she tried to do the same for her mother. But Sonomi always
rlm@0: foiled her attempts by seeing straight through her masks, looking
rlm@0: directly into her soul. She still didn’t know how her mother managed
rlm@0: it when no one else seemed capable, but the only answer her mother
rlm@0: ever supplied was simply that: She was her mother. 
rlm@0: 	The two women and their small entourage finally made it to the
rlm@0: limousine out in the airport parking lot. One of the bodyguards
rlm@0: opened the door for the two of them and they slid inside the
rlm@0: comfortable interior. “How was your trip, Tomoyo-chan?” Sonomi asked
rlm@0: at last, almost afraid of the answer. To her surprise, Tomoyo giggled
rlm@0: softly, smiling brightly in response. 
rlm@0: 	“It was wonderful, Okaa-sama. It was absolutely amazing. Seeing
rlm@0: Sakura-chan again was like a fairy tale. She was a beautiful
rlm@0: princess, capturing me away in a small tower in her heart during my
rlm@0: visit. I don’t think I’ve ever had dreams nearly so pleasant. It was
rlm@0: perfect, mother. I thought after so long, I would be in the way while
rlm@0: I was there, that I should try to distance myself during the trip.
rlm@0: But I couldn’t. Not with Sakura-chan. She pulled me out from behind
rlm@0: the curtains and wouldn’t let me go. We talked for hours and hours,
rlm@0: her voice is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard, and we held
rlm@0: onto each other. She did my hair like she used to when we were little
rlm@0: girls and we danced late into the night together, all alone amidst
rlm@0: the crowd.” Her stormy blue eyes closed as she tilted her head to the
rlm@0: side, her cheeks flushing slightly at the memories. “We kissed under
rlm@0: the moonlight. She has incredibly soft lips. Sakura-chan is a very
rlm@0: good kisser.”
rlm@0: 	Sonomi clasped her hands together, very nearly startling Tomoyo out
rlm@0: of her reverie. Her eyes shone like diamonds, an electric thrill
rlm@0: coursing up her spine. “Tomoyo-chan, you kissed Sakura-chan?” She
rlm@0: couldn’t have been happier if she’d been told that she had kissed
rlm@0: Nadeshiko. In fact, it felt almost the same. She saw so much of
rlm@0: herself and Nadeshiko in the two girls. These little things between
rlm@0: their daughters almost felt like she herself was living through it.
rlm@0: For a second, she saw Nadeshiko sitting beside her, a small smile on
rlm@0: her lips and beautiful black ribbons in her hair. She looked quite a
rlm@0: bit like Tomoyo at that age, actually. And Sakura even resembled
rlm@0: herself in some small ways. Sonomi hugged her daughter tightly,
rlm@0: delight dancing through her. “Tomoyo-chan, that’s fantastic! You’ll
rlm@0: have to tell me every single detail!”
rlm@0: 	Tomoyo giggled softly and nodded. So often she kept her love for
rlm@0: Sakura to herself, locked up in her heart. She was very happy to be
rlm@0: able to share that with her mother. Her mother was nearly as obsessed
rlm@0: with Sakura as she herself was, being Nadeshiko’s daughter and all,
rlm@0: and it was wonderful to have someone to talk about it with. If anyone
rlm@0: understood her love for Sakura, it was her mother who had gone
rlm@0: through much the same thing with Nadeshiko. Smiling happily, Tomoyo
rlm@0: added, “And I have plenty of videotape from the trip. Not as much as
rlm@0: I would have liked, but I have some nice footage.” 
rlm@0: 	“I can’t wait to see it all, Tomoyo-chan,” Sonomi said eagerly. She
rlm@0: felt delightfully giddy at the prospects of what had happened during
rlm@0: Tomoyo’s trip. There was even a trill of hope in her heart, one she
rlm@0: hadn’t felt in an incredibly long time. In a way, her hopes and
rlm@0: dreams had been passed on to Tomoyo. She knew that Tomoyo obviously
rlm@0: wasn’t with Sakura, but the idea of a kiss was a gripping thought.
rlm@0: "But first, you’re going to get some sleep. Then you can tell me all
rlm@0: about it.”
rlm@0: 	“I would like that very much, mother,” Tomoyo replied, hugging the
rlm@0: bear named Sakura to her chest. Yawning tiredly, she felt her mother
rlm@0: pull her closer. Before long, she was asleep with her head on
rlm@0: Sonomi’s shoulder.
rlm@0: