Lady Shiki looked at her son in her hand held mirror. He had offered to brush her hair for her and she had accepted. Looking at Senri did strange things to her broken psyche. She loved her son with all her heart even if she couldn't always show it properly but…he looked too much like his father now a days.
No 'father' was the wrong word. A father wouldn't have caused her mental breakdown. A father wouldn't have left his son and told him to be docile while he was away. It wasn't fair how she saw him in her son's eyes. She only wanted to see Senri and no one else. He had his father's dark gaze- the one that always hid what he was thinking.
She hated his father will everything she had but…because of him she had Senri and deep down in her broken heart she was thankful. Especially when she saw the faintest smile on his lips. Lady Shiki didn't know whether her mind was just playing tricks on her anymore yet she was happy. And it reminded her of another time she had been happy with a man she loved brushing her hair like this…
Rido Kuran ran the brush through her thick hair once more. It was one of the many things he liked about her. She had a pretty face, a good sense of humor, and a wonderful acting ability. And he never let it show but his favorite thing-or one of his favorite things to do- when he was with her was to brush her long beautiful hair. If he was being cruel he would say it was because it reminded him of Juri…and if he was being honest he would say it was because it didn't.
Whether Lady Shiki was a woman for him to love or not was of no concern to him. There were times he thought he did and others he just wasn't sure. He looked up and saw she was watching him through her little hand held mirror. She looked very happy to see him. She must have thought he wasn't coming to the show that night but he had and he came to see her in her dressing room as well. He wanted a midnight romp with her and her blood yet…he found he almost preferred this. She was a woman he could show his real face to. He could show her his broken heart and for whatever reason she had worked to piece it back together for him. Lady Shiki held a special place in his heart and she most likely would forever.
But Rido had plans and his plans did not include her. He was cruel to say she was only his lover and nothing more but Rido knew he was cruel. What made him insane was he caused the breakdown of the woman he loved when he found out she was pregnant.
The future was bleak for Lady Shiki and Rido Kuran but at that moment they had each other with her leaning back and him holding her. And neither of them needed anything more…
Lady Shiki looked back up into her son's eyes. Yes he had his father's dark eyes but what Senri had that Rido didn't have was a kind and loving heart. She turned around and embraced her son around the waist holding him close.
She wasn't the mother she should have been because she couldn't be anymore. But that didn't mean she didn't love her son-her Senri- and it didn't mean she wasn't blessed to have him…