Here's a little note: Sailor Moon and all the characters within Sailor
Moon are created by Naoko Takeuchi and are copyright their
respective owners. I've only borrowed them briefly; I hope you enjoy
what I've done with them.
-~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~-
The Chill of Winter
The wind gave one final gust as Ami rounded the corner and made her
way up to her house. It seemed like her legs had hurt every step of the
way home, and the tensions of the day were beginning to build into a
powerful headache. The relentless wind threatened to blow the door
wide open when she let herself in the house – Her mother was working
late, just like every other weekday. Exhausted, she dropped her books
on the floor next to the door.
'I just need to relax a little… Hot chocolate! That would do the trick nicely.'
Ami was not usually fond of sweets, but on some days…
As the water proceeded to boil, she let her mind turn over the
events of the day…
-~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~-
Everything had seemed pretty normal that morning. It wasn't
until mid morning that she remembered that her father, divorced from
her mother for three years, and with whom she hadn't seen or spoken
to for a year, was coming to visit that Saturday. It'd been a hard year
for Ami, and Mr. Mizuno, although brilliant and artistically gifted,
wasn't always the best father when it came to caring for his daughter.
*'Out of sight, out of mind' sums him up*, Ami thought sorrowfully.
Then, in third period, a white, unadorned envelope arrived on
her desk. It had been delivered from the office, and a post-it note stuck
on the front read:
Ami –
I just got this from Dad and I thought you'd want to
read it as soon as I could, so I just dropped it off at school for you.
Hope it's good news! I love you.
Love, Mom
Ami peeled off the sticky note and noticed that although the
letter was from her dad, the return address wasn't complete. He was
somewhat of a wanderer, and rarely stuck in one place long enough to
get a real return address.
*Oh, Lord, please let him say that he's settled down long enough to get a
real address. Mom and I can't stand trying to hunt him down every month
anymore.*
Ami tore the envelope open, eager with anticipation. A small
photograph of a woman fell out when she opened up the letter. Who
was this? His new boss? Her eyes scanned the lines of the letter:
Hi sweetie! I'm sorry that it's been so long since I've last
written. I've been in Las Vegas for the last couple of weeks because
I've gotten the opportunity to display a couple dozen of my paintings
at an art exhibition here. There have been a few interested clients, but
no big sales yet. I hope you're doing okay, too, with school and all
that. Anyway, I have some real exciting news – while I've been
displaying my work, I've met a delightful young woman named
Danna O'Neil. I know it may seem fast to you, but I've gotten to
know her very well over the past couple of weeks, and Ami, she's
become my wife!
Ami's heart stopped beating, and the world around her turned
ice cold. Tears jumped into her eyes, but she just took a couple of
deep breaths and continued reading through the watery blur.
We were married only three days ago. The ceremony was not
what I would've wanted it to be, because you weren't there. I'm sorry
honey, but I'll stay in Vegas until the end of the week, when the
exhibition ends, then Danna and I are leaving for a honeymoon in San
Diego, California. She loves beaches, you know. I tried to convince
her to fly to Tokyo with me for a few days before our honeymoon, but
she says she's just not ready to meet you and your mother yet. I've
enclosed a picture of Danna so that you won't be totally in the dark
about her. I'm so sorry that I won't be able to see you this Saturday,
because the next opportunity I have to come is three months from
now. I'll try to give you a call before then – you'll be in my thoughts,
too.
My love always, Dad
Openly crying now, Ami took a closer look at the picture of
"Danna". She was okay looking – foofy brown hair and stylish
glasses. Ami resisted the impulse to rip the photo into quarters, but
instead stuck it in her purse. Ami excused herself from class before too
many of her classmates realized she was crying. Grabbing about five
kleenexes on her way to the bathroom, she ran down the hall, barely
containing her sobs. 'Exciting news, he said. Can't he see that this is almost
worse than the divorce itself? How could he be so heartless? Did he even think
about Mom or me, and couldn't he have waited at least a couple of weeks, so
that he could tell us in person? He was even too cowardly to make a phone
call.' Nothing seemed to make sense. Not only was it unbearable that
her father had already gotten married to a strange woman, but she had
missed one of the most important events in her dad's life. 'That is, if
their marriage even lasts,' she thought bitterly.
Ami crouched silently in the bathroom for a few minutes,
waiting for the tears to stop coming down her cheeks. She knew her
teacher would probably be coming after her if she didn't come back
soon. The tears did stop, however, as Ami realized she had to at least
get through the day.
Things went downhill from there. She couldn't concentrate,
just as she couldn't stop thinking about what her dad had done.
So finally she had some time to think about this would change
things. 'Probably not much.' She still wouldn't see him for months on
end, and she was still upset about this postponed visit. Ami
shuddered. 'I just hope they don't have any children.'
She had just fluffed up a pillow and laid down on the couch
when the phone rang. Ami struggled to her feet and picked up the
receiver. "Mizuno residence. May I ask who's calling?"
"Hi Ami!" A smooth alto voice came out of the phone.
"Oh, hi, Lita." A smile crept into Ami's lips.
"Ami, are you free tonight?"
"Yeah. My mom's not home, but I'm not doing anything."
"Is it alright if I come over, then? Just for a little girl talk."
"Of course. Come right on over."
"See you in a couple minutes, then."
Although "girl talk" was not exactly what she needed at the
moment, any distraction would be a blessing. Ami put on some more
water to boil for her guest.
Only a few minutes later, Lita was standing in her doorway,
cheeks flushed from the biting winter air. A tupperware container was
held under one arm. "Hey! It's nice to see you, Lita. Let's get you in
out of that cold," Ami greeted, ill concealing her agitation. "I've put
on some cocoa for you, too."
"That's great then, because it'll go perfectly with the ginger
snaps I brought over!"
"Aw, thanks, Lita. You always think of everything. They're
just what I need." Ami set the container down on the countertop.
"Oh, it was no problem at all, but I was just wondering if
everything is okay with you, Ami. You were even quieter than normal
in history – not your normal self. Really, is there any way I can help
you?" Lita spoke tenderly.
Ami avoided eye contact. "Um, actually there was something
that happened." Darn her friend's perceptiveness! She finished
making Lita's cocoa and sat down at the coffee table with her own
cocoa and a ginger snap. "It's really not anything big, but my father
has quickly remarried in Las Vegas." Ami felt the tears well up again.
"He met this woman two weeks ago and now he's already married her
without telling my mother or myself."
"What are you talking about? That's very important! Ami,
you're the mistress of understatement. I can't even imagine how hard
it must be for you."
"It *is* hard because I haven't seen him for over a year, and now
suddenly…" Ami's voice trailed off and she stifled her sniffs with a
kleenex.
Lita put her arm around Ami. "I know it's hard to adjust," she
comforted, "but you just have to realize that you don't have any
control over his actions. You'll get to meet this woman sometime not
too far from now, and who knows, you might even come to like her."
"I really don't know if that'll ever happen. My dad usually isn't
the best judge of character." Ami's tears clogged her throat.
"Well, just remember that if you end up not liking her, you
don't have to live with your dad, and that even if you find his wife
disagreeable, he obviously loves her. You should try to be happy that
he's found someone."
"You're right. As long as he's happy, I should be happy." Ami
paused. "But that's not the way it happens in real life," she whispered.
"It'll take you a while, but you'll get used to it. You'll adjust –
we all do, eventually. We have to, if we want to get on with our lives.
Just remember that all of your friends are here for you, we always will
be. That'll never change." Lita smiled compassionately and patted
Ami on the back.
"Thank you." Ami looked down at her crinkled kleenex and
smiled faintly.
"Have you told your mother yet?" Lita's eyes were filled with
concern.
"Not yet. She's getting home from work late today. She
actually dropped off my dad's letter at school, but didn't open it. I
don't want to tell her."
"Well, if you just give her the letter instead of telling her
yourself, that would make it easier."
"Yes. Thank you so much, Lita. You've made this a lot easier
for me."
"Of course, Ami. I'm just so sorry that you've had to go
through this."
"I'll be okay. Really. It's getting late, though. I don't want
you to walk home in the dark."
"Alright, then. But have faith, Ami, you'll get through this."
Lita smiled encouragingly and the two exchanged a brief hug before
Lita headed out the amber sun filled doorway.
Ami knew that telling her mother would not be the easiest
thing to do, but they would get through this together, that she knew.
And her dad would get a talking to the next time they met! Ami
pulled out the slightly wrinkled photo of Danna and gazed at it. 'This is
quite a turnaround,' she thought, because she was actually looking
forward to meeting her new stepmother, the woman her father had
loved enough to marry.
-~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~-
Hope you liked it! This is one of the first fanfictions I've written, so if
you feel encouraging or just feel the need to give me feedback (positive
or otherwise) please do so at larkspur@mail.com. Stay tuned for
more!
March 2002
Moon are created by Naoko Takeuchi and are copyright their
respective owners. I've only borrowed them briefly; I hope you enjoy
what I've done with them.
-~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~-
The Chill of Winter
The wind gave one final gust as Ami rounded the corner and made her
way up to her house. It seemed like her legs had hurt every step of the
way home, and the tensions of the day were beginning to build into a
powerful headache. The relentless wind threatened to blow the door
wide open when she let herself in the house – Her mother was working
late, just like every other weekday. Exhausted, she dropped her books
on the floor next to the door.
'I just need to relax a little… Hot chocolate! That would do the trick nicely.'
Ami was not usually fond of sweets, but on some days…
As the water proceeded to boil, she let her mind turn over the
events of the day…
-~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~-
Everything had seemed pretty normal that morning. It wasn't
until mid morning that she remembered that her father, divorced from
her mother for three years, and with whom she hadn't seen or spoken
to for a year, was coming to visit that Saturday. It'd been a hard year
for Ami, and Mr. Mizuno, although brilliant and artistically gifted,
wasn't always the best father when it came to caring for his daughter.
*'Out of sight, out of mind' sums him up*, Ami thought sorrowfully.
Then, in third period, a white, unadorned envelope arrived on
her desk. It had been delivered from the office, and a post-it note stuck
on the front read:
Ami –
I just got this from Dad and I thought you'd want to
read it as soon as I could, so I just dropped it off at school for you.
Hope it's good news! I love you.
Love, Mom
Ami peeled off the sticky note and noticed that although the
letter was from her dad, the return address wasn't complete. He was
somewhat of a wanderer, and rarely stuck in one place long enough to
get a real return address.
*Oh, Lord, please let him say that he's settled down long enough to get a
real address. Mom and I can't stand trying to hunt him down every month
anymore.*
Ami tore the envelope open, eager with anticipation. A small
photograph of a woman fell out when she opened up the letter. Who
was this? His new boss? Her eyes scanned the lines of the letter:
Hi sweetie! I'm sorry that it's been so long since I've last
written. I've been in Las Vegas for the last couple of weeks because
I've gotten the opportunity to display a couple dozen of my paintings
at an art exhibition here. There have been a few interested clients, but
no big sales yet. I hope you're doing okay, too, with school and all
that. Anyway, I have some real exciting news – while I've been
displaying my work, I've met a delightful young woman named
Danna O'Neil. I know it may seem fast to you, but I've gotten to
know her very well over the past couple of weeks, and Ami, she's
become my wife!
Ami's heart stopped beating, and the world around her turned
ice cold. Tears jumped into her eyes, but she just took a couple of
deep breaths and continued reading through the watery blur.
We were married only three days ago. The ceremony was not
what I would've wanted it to be, because you weren't there. I'm sorry
honey, but I'll stay in Vegas until the end of the week, when the
exhibition ends, then Danna and I are leaving for a honeymoon in San
Diego, California. She loves beaches, you know. I tried to convince
her to fly to Tokyo with me for a few days before our honeymoon, but
she says she's just not ready to meet you and your mother yet. I've
enclosed a picture of Danna so that you won't be totally in the dark
about her. I'm so sorry that I won't be able to see you this Saturday,
because the next opportunity I have to come is three months from
now. I'll try to give you a call before then – you'll be in my thoughts,
too.
My love always, Dad
Openly crying now, Ami took a closer look at the picture of
"Danna". She was okay looking – foofy brown hair and stylish
glasses. Ami resisted the impulse to rip the photo into quarters, but
instead stuck it in her purse. Ami excused herself from class before too
many of her classmates realized she was crying. Grabbing about five
kleenexes on her way to the bathroom, she ran down the hall, barely
containing her sobs. 'Exciting news, he said. Can't he see that this is almost
worse than the divorce itself? How could he be so heartless? Did he even think
about Mom or me, and couldn't he have waited at least a couple of weeks, so
that he could tell us in person? He was even too cowardly to make a phone
call.' Nothing seemed to make sense. Not only was it unbearable that
her father had already gotten married to a strange woman, but she had
missed one of the most important events in her dad's life. 'That is, if
their marriage even lasts,' she thought bitterly.
Ami crouched silently in the bathroom for a few minutes,
waiting for the tears to stop coming down her cheeks. She knew her
teacher would probably be coming after her if she didn't come back
soon. The tears did stop, however, as Ami realized she had to at least
get through the day.
Things went downhill from there. She couldn't concentrate,
just as she couldn't stop thinking about what her dad had done.
So finally she had some time to think about this would change
things. 'Probably not much.' She still wouldn't see him for months on
end, and she was still upset about this postponed visit. Ami
shuddered. 'I just hope they don't have any children.'
She had just fluffed up a pillow and laid down on the couch
when the phone rang. Ami struggled to her feet and picked up the
receiver. "Mizuno residence. May I ask who's calling?"
"Hi Ami!" A smooth alto voice came out of the phone.
"Oh, hi, Lita." A smile crept into Ami's lips.
"Ami, are you free tonight?"
"Yeah. My mom's not home, but I'm not doing anything."
"Is it alright if I come over, then? Just for a little girl talk."
"Of course. Come right on over."
"See you in a couple minutes, then."
Although "girl talk" was not exactly what she needed at the
moment, any distraction would be a blessing. Ami put on some more
water to boil for her guest.
Only a few minutes later, Lita was standing in her doorway,
cheeks flushed from the biting winter air. A tupperware container was
held under one arm. "Hey! It's nice to see you, Lita. Let's get you in
out of that cold," Ami greeted, ill concealing her agitation. "I've put
on some cocoa for you, too."
"That's great then, because it'll go perfectly with the ginger
snaps I brought over!"
"Aw, thanks, Lita. You always think of everything. They're
just what I need." Ami set the container down on the countertop.
"Oh, it was no problem at all, but I was just wondering if
everything is okay with you, Ami. You were even quieter than normal
in history – not your normal self. Really, is there any way I can help
you?" Lita spoke tenderly.
Ami avoided eye contact. "Um, actually there was something
that happened." Darn her friend's perceptiveness! She finished
making Lita's cocoa and sat down at the coffee table with her own
cocoa and a ginger snap. "It's really not anything big, but my father
has quickly remarried in Las Vegas." Ami felt the tears well up again.
"He met this woman two weeks ago and now he's already married her
without telling my mother or myself."
"What are you talking about? That's very important! Ami,
you're the mistress of understatement. I can't even imagine how hard
it must be for you."
"It *is* hard because I haven't seen him for over a year, and now
suddenly…" Ami's voice trailed off and she stifled her sniffs with a
kleenex.
Lita put her arm around Ami. "I know it's hard to adjust," she
comforted, "but you just have to realize that you don't have any
control over his actions. You'll get to meet this woman sometime not
too far from now, and who knows, you might even come to like her."
"I really don't know if that'll ever happen. My dad usually isn't
the best judge of character." Ami's tears clogged her throat.
"Well, just remember that if you end up not liking her, you
don't have to live with your dad, and that even if you find his wife
disagreeable, he obviously loves her. You should try to be happy that
he's found someone."
"You're right. As long as he's happy, I should be happy." Ami
paused. "But that's not the way it happens in real life," she whispered.
"It'll take you a while, but you'll get used to it. You'll adjust –
we all do, eventually. We have to, if we want to get on with our lives.
Just remember that all of your friends are here for you, we always will
be. That'll never change." Lita smiled compassionately and patted
Ami on the back.
"Thank you." Ami looked down at her crinkled kleenex and
smiled faintly.
"Have you told your mother yet?" Lita's eyes were filled with
concern.
"Not yet. She's getting home from work late today. She
actually dropped off my dad's letter at school, but didn't open it. I
don't want to tell her."
"Well, if you just give her the letter instead of telling her
yourself, that would make it easier."
"Yes. Thank you so much, Lita. You've made this a lot easier
for me."
"Of course, Ami. I'm just so sorry that you've had to go
through this."
"I'll be okay. Really. It's getting late, though. I don't want
you to walk home in the dark."
"Alright, then. But have faith, Ami, you'll get through this."
Lita smiled encouragingly and the two exchanged a brief hug before
Lita headed out the amber sun filled doorway.
Ami knew that telling her mother would not be the easiest
thing to do, but they would get through this together, that she knew.
And her dad would get a talking to the next time they met! Ami
pulled out the slightly wrinkled photo of Danna and gazed at it. 'This is
quite a turnaround,' she thought, because she was actually looking
forward to meeting her new stepmother, the woman her father had
loved enough to marry.
-~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~- -~-
Hope you liked it! This is one of the first fanfictions I've written, so if
you feel encouraging or just feel the need to give me feedback (positive
or otherwise) please do so at larkspur@mail.com. Stay tuned for
more!
March 2002