Hi!!!!!! How is everyone? Hopefully well. Guess what? My writer's block has gone far away…for now anyways. I've been doing a lot of romance reading lately. Debbie Macomber is an author of great romance stories and if you are in the mood for a REALLY good romance novel, read her book called Darling Daughters, which include two great stories of matchmaking daughters. The first of the stories take place in my hometown and the other I have yet to read. I loved her stories with the matchmakers as daughters that I decided to do one of my own.
Anyways, hope you enjoy this story. ^_^
Note: THERE IS NO MAGIC IN THIS STORY! IT'S AN ANOTHER AU!
LiL DreameR~ Hope I don't disappoint you with this story! Personally speaking, I love idea for the story!
Jenna and Mirashi Haku~ Thank you for pre-reading this story and telling me your opinions and thoughts! Means a lot to me! I LOVE YOU GUYS and my the "My Mother Thinks I'm Crazy Club" live on!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything besides the plot and Sakura's daughter. None of the great Cardcaptor Sakura characters are mine. Also, for here on out with this story, the disclaimer will be the same! I hate typing this!
My Daughter, The Matchmaker
Chapter 1
By: Cutie Blossom
"Come on, mom!" Twelve-year-old Kristen Kinomoto yelled from down the hall.
Sakura sighed while she put on her earrings, looking into her bathroom mirror. Her daughter was always so pushy. "Kristen! Hold your horses! I'm coming!"
"We are going to be late!!" Sakura heard Kristen yell.
Sakura looked at her reflection once more before walking out and into her bedroom. She picked up her coat and slipped on her shoes. "It doesn't take thirty flipping minutes to get to the school, Kristen!" she shouted back while walking out her bedroom and walking down the hall to where her daughter was standing at the door leading out to the garage. "It only takes at the most five minutes!"
"Fine!" Kristen said in a teasing tone, handing her mother's purse to her. "Don't complain to me when there are no parking spots or good seats left."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "You act like the whole stinky city of Tokyo is going to be there. Kristen, I don't mean to be mean, but this is a school play. It's not a rock concert to see the Backstreet Boys."
Her daughter hesitated before answering, "Maybe not the whole city, but enough to take up all of the good seats and good parking spots."
Sakura smiled and the two walked into the garage and then got into the car. Sakura started the car and pulled into the street.
"And for the record," her daughter said, "the Backstreet Boys were so last season."
Sakura chuckled as she continued to drive. "You wouldn't had said that just a couple weeks ago."
"Hey did you hear that Judith's cousin is coming to the talent show?" her daughter asked eagerly. "I hear he's pretty cute."
Sakura heaved a sigh. Going into a relationship was not a rode she wanted to go down again. She was a single mom and was never married. Kristen's father just didn't want to be in his daughter's life so Sakura ended up raising Kristen alone. Ever since that experience with Kristen's father, Sakura decided to live her life being single. Her daughter and best friend, Tomoyo Hiiragizawa, had other plans it seemed. They both have been trying to get her to go on a date for ages it has seemed, but they haven't succeed yet and if Sakura could help it, they never will succeed.
Kristen was born in Tomoeda and just after, Sakura moved her to Tokyo to get away from it all. Sakura wanted a fresh start with her baby and never regretted it. Her father and brother, (her mother died when she was young), stayed in Tomoeda, but both of them supported her decision and still get to see lots of Kristen when they came to visit them, which was usually often.
Kristen never really asked about her dad. She knew how painful it was for her mother to talk about him, but every now and then, Sakura could see a part of him in Kristen's dark brown eyes. Other than the eyes, Kristen looked like Sakura's daughter. She had the auburn hair that fell down to her waist (while Sakura's stayed shoulder length) and looked almost like a duplicate of Sakura when she was young.
"I'm sure Judith's cousin is very cute, Kristen," Sakura said with as much excitement as she could, which wasn't very much at all. Deciding for the best, she decided to change the subject. "Are you nervous about the play?"
Kristen shook her head wildly. "Nope because Judith and I have our parts as sisters down."
Judith Vanith was Kristen's best friend and have had been best friends since their first year of schooling and now next year they were going to the same middle school together. Sakura just loved Judith. She was a very sweet girl and shared the same interest as Kristen. Sakura not only loved Judith, she also loved her family. The Vanith family was a very nice family that lived not far away from Kristen and Sakura. Judith was an only child, but had both of her parents. Her mother, Chelsea, and Sakura became good friends right after the girls became friends.
What's happening with the play? Well, Kristen's school was putting on a school play about family life. Sakura didn't know why in the world they were doing it about family life, but they were. Judith and Kristen were to play sisters of the family and were thrilled to be doing so.
"Aren't you at least a little bit curious about Judith's cousin?" Kristen asked.
Sakura groaned. "No! I don't want to know! He's probably some stupid, young, ugly dork head and I have NO interest of meeting this man."
"He's come to live in Tokyo and mom, I've seen a picture of him and he is no ugly dork head. He's far from it! He's thirty years old which is the same age as you."
Sakura tried to concentrate on the road, feeling a headache coming on as her daughter continued to talk.
"And for the stupid part," Kristen continued, "he's coming to Tokyo from Hong Kong. According to Judith, he's coming to be partners with some major company. I can't remember the name of the company at the moment though."
Ignoring the rest of the information about Judith's cousin, Sakura concentrated on driving and drained her daughter's talking from her mind. They arrive at the school not long after. They did arrive early enough to get both good seats and a good parking spot just like Kristen wished. After Sakura was seated in a chair in the front row of the school's auditorium, she wondered how long twenty-five minutes could take. She hated waiting. Wishing she brought a book along, Sakura's mind went back to when she was in elementary school. She had a great childhood. She loved the people around her. She had a great best friend also who never left her side.
Tomoyo Hiiragizawa was living in England with her husband, Eriol Hiiragizawa. They've been married for two years and have a one-year-old baby boy named Yuu. Tomoyo had promised Sakura that in a year or two, they would be moving over to Tokyo. The only thing holding them back from moving was Eriol's job, but he'll be able to move pretty soon.
Sakura couldn't help but envy her best friend. Not because of her son though, Kristen was the best thing in the whole wide world to her, she envied her because of the relationship Tomoyo had with her husband. Even though Sakura vowed that she would be single the rest of her life, she couldn't help not wanting a guy who would take good care of her and Kristen. Of course, she would never tell Kristen or Tomoyo that. She knew she would never hear the end of it.
"Hi Sakura!"
Sakura jerked out of her thoughts. "Hi Chelsea!"
Chelsea Vanith sat down in the seat next to her.
"You're early too?" Chelsea asked.
Sakura sighed. "Kristen is so pushy. She kept on saying that we wouldn't arrive for a good parking spot and good seats."
Chelsea laughed. "Yeah, same with Judith."
Sakura looked behind Chelsea. "Where is your husband and this famous cousin of Judith's I've heard so much about?"
Chelsea sighed. "Zachary got called to work and he took Syaoran with him."
Zachary Vanith was the co owner of a restaurant downtown called "Patsy's." It was very popular to the town of Tokyo as well as most of the world. Sakura had yet to eat there only because it was so expensive. She could barely afford to seat there let alone eat!
Chelsea continued, "Zachary was so mad that he'd miss the play. He so badly wanted to come and watch. Then Syaoran suggested that they should take Judith out for a sundae later when they are finished to make up for both of them missing the play. Isn't that sweet?"
Sakura nodded. "Why did he take the cousin though?"
Chelsea shrugged. "Zachary
said that there was a big mess down there with a client or something and was
having trouble cleaning it up. Syaoran offered to help since he's good with
solving problems and Zachary accepted his offer to help."
"Oh," was all Sakura could say.
Chelsea smiled. "I'll tell you one thing, that Syaoran is really cute. If I didn't have my hunky Zachary, I'd go after him myself. Syaoran's a hard working man. He came to Tokyo to become partners with Tyouo Snimu."
Sakura could feel her mouth drop. "Tyouo Snimu? The man who owns the bank of Tokyo?"
Sakura hadn't seen the man in person, but he was really rich and popular in Tokyo. Who wouldn't be popular when you owned the bank that controls every other bank in Tokyo? Sakura had read the man's name many times in the newspaper and about him joining up with another person, but never gave it up another thought.
Chelsea nodded. "Yep, that's him."—She sighed—"Too bad Syaoran can't get in a good relationship with a nice young women though. He'd make the perfect husband and father. Judith just loves him. He's her favorite cousin in 'whole wide world' or so she says."
"If he's a hard working man, wouldn't he spend most of his time away from home?" Sakura protested. "That wouldn't make the best husband or father for that matter. A father and husband need to spend most of their time home with his family."
Chelsea shook her head. "Syaoran only works hard because he has nothing or no one to go home to. I would be working just like him if I didn't have my family to go home to also."
Sakura sighed. Chelsea did have a point. She was about to say more, but a teacher took her place in front of the crowd that was filled with parents, grandparents, and other family members.
"Welcome everyone," the teacher said, "to the school's spring play. We hope you enjoy it. We have been working hard to perform this for you all." The teacher walked away and the curtains raised. The play ended as soon as it began. Kristen and Judith both did a marvelous job at their parts. They didn't look one bit nervous either. Once the auditorium quieted down a bit and some of the families were leaving, Sakura and Kristen said goodbye to the Vaniths and headed out to the car also.
"You did so great," Sakura praised her daughter.
Her daughter giggled. "You didn't have to tell me that! Judith and I didn't stumble over our lines at all!"
Sakura smiled as she unlocked the car and both of them crawled in.
"Can we get something to eat?" Kristen begged. "I'm starving. Acting made me tired."
Sakura looked at the time on the radio. "But it's nine thirty! You should be getting into bed right now! Can't you get something at home?"
Kristen grumbled. "But there is nothing at home! I ate it all!"
Sakura shook her head. "Fine, fine! We'll stop at the store," she said defeated. "Man you eat like a pig sometimes Kristen, but stay skinny as a rail."
Kristen beamed with pride. "I'll take that as a complement."
"You should take it as a compliment," Sakura mumbled. "Because I'm green."
Kristen eyed her weirdly. "You don't look sick to me."
Sakura laughed. "Green with envy not sickness."
"Oh," Kristen said. "Hey mom?"
"Yes?"
"Have you ever thought of settling down?"
Sakura felt another headache coming. "No…why do you ask?"
Kristen smiled. "I think you should. You could get a great, hunky looking guy still, mom! You still have the great figure."
"Thanks, Kristen," Sakura said.
Her daughter giggled. "No problem."
They stayed silent the rest of the way to the store. Sakura and Kristen walked in together but went in different directions after that. Kristen hit the candy aisle while Sakura went to get more sauce for the spaghetti that she planned on cooking the next night.
"Blast it," Sakura said under her breathe when she saw where the sauce was located. It was on the top shelve, which at the moment seemed pretty high up. Sakura didn't consider herself small, she was about five foot four inches, but that wasn't tall enough to get to the sauce. Sakura sighed before stepping right up to the shelves of food and standing on her tiptoes to try and reach the sauce. Just as she thought, she wasn't tall enough, but that didn't keep her from trying anyways.
"Having trouble?" she heard someone say behind her. The voice sounded like a man owned it.
"No, I like standing on my tiptoes and reaching as high as I can in a grocery story," Sakura said sarcastically.
She heard the man chuckle and say, "Let me help."
Sakura stepped away from the shelf. The man stepped up to it and grabbed a jar of the spaghetti sauce. He backed away and handed it to her. Sakura took the jar from his hands and looked up at his face. Her emerald eyes met a pair of beautiful amber ones. Sakura suddenly felt her mouth dry.
"Thank you very much," was all she could get out before forgetting how to talk completely.
The man smiled and said, "No problem. Glad to help," and walked off.
It took Sakura a couple of seconds to recompose herself.
'He sure was cute,' she thought. 'Get a hold of yourself, Sakura! Don't think like that! If you do get a chance with him, it will only mean trouble…and tears!' Pushing away her thoughts, she walked away with the spaghetti sauce still in her hands.
She found Kristen still in the candy aisle with, what it looked like, the whole candy aisle in her arms.
Sakura groaned. Her daughter had a weakness for sweets. "Kristen, pick out a couple of candy bars or something, but not the whole stinking aisle."
Kristen frowned. "Okay." She put back a lot of the load and decided on a couple of Hershey bars. They were on their way to the check stand when Sakura remembered something they forgot.
"Grasshoppers," she said and Kristen knew what she meant. Not the bug, but the chocolate-coated cookies with the mint flavor inside. The cookies that both her mother and her fought over so many times because they both love them so much. Together, they walked to the cookie aisle to see a couple of people already there.
"Judith!" Kristen shouted and ran to hug her best friend.
Sakura smiled and walked over to the girls who were happily chatting.
"What are you guys doing here?"
Sakura looked up and smiled. "Hey Zachary. Happy to see you too."
The short black haired man chuckled. "Sorry. Nice to see you again, Sakura! What are you guys doing here? Isn't it tad bit late for grocery shopping?"
Sakura nodded and sighed. "Yeah, but Kristen claims that she ate our house clean of food, but I know that she meant that she just ate it clean of the sugar products. How bout you?"
Zachary smiled. "We came here to buy some sundae materials to make at home and Judith wanted to come along."
"Hey Zachary! Found the sprinkles and whip cream!"
Zachary turned around. "Great! I think we're finished with everything, Syaoran. Now we can head on home."
Sakura looked behind Zachary to see another man walking towards them.
Zachary smiled and gestured to Sakura. "Syaoran, this is Sakura Kinomoto, mother to Kristen, Judith's best friend."—He turned to Sakura—"Sakura, this is Syaoran Li."
Sakura gapped at the man. He had the same amber eyes as the man who helped her before.
"It's you!"
Syaoran smiled. "Yes, it's me. Nice to see you again," he said, holding out a hand.
Sakura felt like slapping herself inside. 'Don't fall for another guy,' she told herself inside her mind. 'It will only lead to trouble and for heaven sakes stop staring at him like he's famous or something!'
Sakura reached for his hand and shook it. "You too. Thank you again for your help earlier."
"No problem," he said and then turned to look at Judith and Kristen. He kneeled down near the girls. "So this must be the famous Kristen. I've heard a lot about you from Judith."
Kristen smiled. "And I've heard a lot about you. I've gotta say, I've seen your picture and I think you are a lot cuter in person. Don't you think he's cute, mom?" she asked, turning to look at her mother.
Sakura felt the heat rise to her neck and on her cheeks. Why did her daughter have to ask her that? She put a reminder in her head to have a talk with Kristen later.
"Yes, Kristen dear, he is." She wasn't lying about her answer. It was truthful. In fact, it was very truthful.
Syaoran smiled at her. "I think you are awfully cute also."
Sakura tried to ignore the heart beat that she heard in her ears. She smiled at him and turned to her daughter. "Kristen, dear, grab a couple packages of Grasshoppers so we head on home. We don't want to keep these gentlemen waiting."
Kristen smiled at her mother. "Okay!" She started to walk up the aisle with her best friend in search for the cookies.
Sakura smiled as she watched the two girls. She remembered being like that with Tomoyo except Tomoyo usually had a camera in one of her hands.
"They're really great friends, huh?" Syaoran asked.
Sakura turned and gave him a smile. "They've been best friends since the first grade. They're the best of friends and I have a feeling they always will be best friends."
"I envy them," he said. "I never really had a friend like that."
"I did," Zachary said. "I married her."
Sakura smiled at Zachary. "Chelsea never told me that. She said you were high school sweethearts, but never best friends."
Syaoran snorted. "This is the first time I ever heard of a high school sweetheart marriage that lasted. Usually they don't."
"I think it's great that their love has lasted this long," Sakura said. "It gives a person hope that there are some people that will find a mate that will love them forever. There are so many divorces now that make you think that it's not worth the money to get married because you end up paying another whooping amount to get divorced!"
"Are you divorced?"
Sakura shook her head. She started to wish she kept her big mouth shut. "No I am not."
"I found them, mom," Kristen said, holding four packages of Grasshoppers.
Sakura blinked. "Did I say a couple packages?"
Kristen smiled innocently up at her. "Yeah, but I though I'd do us both a favor and double it."
Sakura smiled and shook her head. Her daughter never failed to surprise or shook her. "Okay."—She turned to the two gentlemen—"Good bye Zachary, Syaoran."
Zachary smiled. "See ya later."
Syaoran gave Sakura another sexy smile that didn't help her heart beat much. "I look forward for us to meet again."
"Me too," Sakura said and ushered her daughter, who was grinning like an idiot, down the aisle and to a check stand. They were both silent until they were in the car and that was when Kristen decided to boast.
"I told you he was cute, mom! Don't you think he's perfect for you?" Kristen asked excitedly.
Sakura sighed and turned to her daughter before starting the car. "Kristen…"
Her daughter rolled her eyes. "I know, I know! You don't want to get into a relationship, but mom, not all men are like my father, whoever he is."
"You've been talking to Tomoyo again, haven't you?"
Kristen nodded. "Yeah, but she didn't have to tell me that. I already knew that part. Mom, I've gotta tell you something though. I would like to have a real family."
Sakura's face fell. "But we are a real family. Just you and I. Two women! We don't need a man in our lives!"
Kristen nodded again. "Yes, we are a family, but I would like to have a father."
Sakura's face fell even more. For twelve years she had tried so hard to play both mother and father, but had just realized that she had failed her daughter…and herself.
"And," her daughter continued, "I always wanted a baby brother or sister."
Sakura gasped. "Kristen!! "
Kristen giggled. "Sorry mom. Guess I never told you that before, did I?"
Sakura turned away so she could start the car and drive home. Even when they were entering their home, Sakura was still in shock. Her daughter wanted a sibling. Not only that, she wanted a father. Two things Sakura vowed not to do. Sakura suddenly felt like she failed her daughter. Was she that bad of a mom? She had tried so hard to always be there for her daughter.
Sakura looked at the clock on her stove when she entered the kitchen. It read a quarter past ten.
"Kristen…!"
"I know mom," came her daughter's voice. Her daughter entered the kitchen and put down a grocery sack on the counter. "I'm going to bed right now!"
Sakura sighed and unpacked the groceries. The telephone rang when she was unloading the last of the groceries, which were the Grasshopper cookies. Sakura laid the three packages of cookies on the counter and went to go answer the phone. Who on earth would be calling her at this time of night? Sakura picked it up by the third ring. "Hello?"
"Sakura! I'm so sorry to be calling this late at night, but I wanted to talk to you."
Sakura smiled. "Hi Tomoyo. It's okay. Kristen just went to bed."
"That's good," Tomoyo said with a sigh of relief. "I was afraid I called you too late."
"Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, it's just that I haven't talked to you for an eternity!"
Sakura blinked. "Tomoyo…you and I talked just a couple days ago."
"…We did?" Tomoyo asked. "It's seemed like an eternity though!"
Sakura laughed. "Tomoyo, some things never change. You always liked to talk."
"So anything new happening?"
Sakura groaned. "I've decided that I should bonk you on the head with my purse."
"Whatever Kristen said, I didn't do it!"
Sakura smiled. "No, you've filled her head with ideas of getting me married."
"What's wrong with that?"
"I don't want to get married, Tomoyo!" Sakura said. "I'm cursed with bad relationships. You know that or should I remind you?"
"Sakura," Tomoyo began, "just because your relationship with Ty ended with you being a single mother doesn't mean that other relationships will!"
Ty was short for Tyler Yumi, Kristen's father. Sakura shivered at the name.
"Tomoyo," Sakura said sadly, "I just don't want to get into a relationship. I'm too scared to even think about it and don't have the time."
"Sakura…"
Tears sprang to Sakura's eyes. "I feel like such a bad mother at the moment. I don't want any ideas about getting into another relationship right now, Tomoyo, so please don't try convincing me."
"Why do you feel like a bad mother? Kristen loves you!"
"She told me in the car that she wanted a father," Sakura sobbed, tears coming down her cheeks. "I thought I was doing good playing both parts, but apparently I wasn't."
"Sakura, you are a single mother. You are not Superwoman or a person with magical powers. You can't do everything for your daughter on your own. Some things can only be taken care of by a male whether you like it or not," Tomoyo said. "Are you understanding me?"
Sakura wiped away a stray tear with the back of her hand. "Yeah, I understand. She also told me she wanted a little brother or sister."
She heard Tomoyo giggle. "That's defiantly one thing a male will have to help you with. I can help you with the clothes though."
Sakura cracked a smile. "Thanks Tomoyo."
Sakura could almost see her best friend smiling over in England. "No problem. What are best friends for? Kristen wanting a young sibling is rather normal, Sakura. You can't blame her for wanting one. It won't be that hard this time to have a baby since you'll have Kristen to help you take care of the baby and the man who you love."
Sakura snorted. "Yeah if he wants the baby. Last time I thought I was in love, the man didn't want to even help pay for Kristen."
"Not all guys are another version of Ty," Tomoyo said. "Sure there are lots more of him, but there are lots of non-Ty guys also."
Sakura sighed. "I know. Kristen told me that also in the car."
"Geez," Tomoyo said, "that girl is one smart cookie."
Sakura suddenly realized something missing from the counter. "Speaking of cookies, that girl stole a package of Grasshoppers and took them up to her room! I knew something wasn't right when I unpacked them!"
She heard Tomoyo start to laugh. "Like mother like daughter," Tomoyo said.
"Hey!" Sakura said yawning.
She heard Tomoyo giggle. "I'll let you go, Sleeping Beauty."
Sakura smiled a lazy grin. "Thank you. You're so kind."
"Talk to you later!"
"Kay," Sakura said before hanging up.
Sakura walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch. Maybe Tomoyo was right, she was a good mom it was just that Kristen needed a fatherly figure around for the tings that Sakura couldn't do by just being a single mom.
Having another baby was another thing though. Sakura smiled thinking about what her brother's reaction to another baby would be. When she first announced to her father and brother about being pregnant with Kristen, Touya went around for a couple weeks thinking it was a joke to get back at him for calling her monster all those years. When he did figure it out that Sakura wasn't joking, the Kinomoto family had to take a trip to the hospital and it wasn't for the new baby either.
Touya did give Sakura all the support that he could though. He was the one who gave Kristen her name. Sakura's dad was also very supportive. He told her over and over that if she was ever in economic needs to call and he would give her all the money he could to help her get out of it. He also told Sakura that she could return home whenever she wanted. Even though the offer was still open to go home, she knew that she would never go home. She loved Tokyo just as much as Kristen did. She was also far way from being in economic need. Sakura worked at Dave Production of Advertising, which was a very popular advertising company in Tokyo.
Were her friends supportive? Sakura was in college when she was pregnant with Kristen and after graduating, Sakura didn't keep track of some of her friends. Tomoyo was the only one she ever really talked to after graduating and she was very supportive to Sakura. Tomoyo was the one who threw Sakura's baby shower as well as making Kristen cute little dresses when she was a baby. Kristen still wore some of the outfits Tomoyo makes her, but is more of a jeans girl now than a dressy girl.
Sakura looked over at a picture that was sitting on a small table next to the couch. It was a picture of her and Kristen at a carnival a couple years back. She stared at Kristen's face until her words came back into Sakura's mind.
"I would like to have a father."
Still staring at the picture, a pair of amber eyes suddenly appeared in front of her eyes. Sakura gasped and shook her head.
"Those eyes of his…" Sakura whispered, "are very haunting."—She sighed—"I need to get some rest. This has been one eventful night."
With that said, Sakura went down the hall and entered her bedroom, hoping for some sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There! The first chapter! ^_^ Pretty good for the first chapter, don't you think? *Sigh* I need to know something. Should I continue the story or should I just toss this story and the idea into the recycle bin on my computer? I already heard from a couple friends that this story is good so far, but I'd like to know from other people also.
Ja ne till next time!
Cutie Blossom
P.S. WARNING: For the next couple of chapters, you may want to grab some Kleenex! Heck, grab a couple of boxes while you're at it!! You may need it if you are as emotional as I am! There are some sad events coming up soon before there's a happy ending and guess what? THEY START NEXT CHAPTER…or that's what I have planned anyways! ^_^;;; Anyways, please stay tuned for the next chapter of "My Daughter, The Matchmaker"!
