Snowstorms
By Team GEMINI
Mama used to tell me stories from when I was little. They embarrassed the heck out of me when she shared them at parties, but after a few months I realized that those stories were directed towards my Papa and not me. The stories ranged from my bed wetting, my first toothache and all the way to my irrational fear of thunderstorms. I felt a pang of loneliness when Mama would talk about how my Papa handled the situations in the story—I missed Papa's strong arms holding me till all the bad things went away.
Of course I wouldn't be Takamachi Nanoha's daughter if I didn't have a trick or two up my sleeve. Whenever Mama started telling her stories, I'll 'suddenly' recall a few of the stories Papa used to tell me stories from when Mama was around my age. Her stories ranged from Mama's painful 'befriending' technique, her first boyfriend, her first heart break and even mentioned how Mama grew to fear thunderstorms—I told this story the most.
I still believe that the funniest story I've ever heard to date was still how Mama grew to fear the storms. The story took place before my parents were a couple—actually this was the story of how they became one. Papa told me that when Mama was a teenager, she was extremely fickle with her feelings. She would see Papa as nothing more than a friend, but when someone made a move on Papa, Mama would automatically cling and scare away Papa's 'stalker'. This had gotten so bad that one day, Papa snapped and went on an angry rant; Mama told me she saw lightning crackling and heard thunder roaring when Papa got angry at her.
This story was a fabricated lie that my parents told me when I asked them how they fell in love. Auntie Hayate told me the real story, and to this day I still regret asking my Auntie—the story was too painful to hear. My Mama had told so many lies, and my Papa had broken so many rules… and yet, they can still look back at the past and laugh.
Their love was a scary thing.
Speaking of thunderstorms, when I was little the storms would bring scary noises and nightmares, but now I see them as a way of remembering my Papa—I still miss my Papa so very much.
Whenever a thunderstorm started to roll in, I'd picture her car rolling into the driveway.
Whenever the rain started to pour, I'd picture Mama waiting at the door patiently.
When the first crack of lightning appears, I'd picture my Papa walking in through the door drenched in rain with a weary smile on her face.
And then the thunder that happens mere seconds after the lightning. Mama would instantly begin shouting at Papa for not bringing an umbrella, but at the same time she was removing Papa's wet clothes with a happy smile on her face.
It's been a while since I've heard my Papa's voice or seen her face, other than old video messages and home movies, I feel as if I was beginning to forget how she sounded… but I could never forget how she looked. I missed her so much, but she was in a place I couldn't reach.
Mama's been the one hardest hit by Papa's absence, but the hope in her eyes still hasn't vanished. She still waits by the door at the usual time Papa comes home in hopes that she'd walk through with her trademark grin.
It's been three years since then.
I know Papa didn't mean for this to happen, but it happened anyways. She tried her best, but work kept pulling her back and eventually it escalated to the point where she wouldn't ever come home again.
But that still didn't stop my Mama from waiting.
Mama had faith in my Papa.
I've grown up quite a bit since the last time Papa saw me, I haven't literally grown much, but Auntie Shamal says that if I keep eating healthy and staying active, I'll be just as tall as my papa someday.
The question was when was that someday going to come?
"Vivio, are you cold?" Mama asked me, her eye blue eyes calmer than the waters before us.
Shaking my head I gave my mama the grin I had learnt from my papa. "I'm just fine, Mama. But what about the twins?" I peered over to my little sisters frolicking in the snow and sighed. "Never mind… they seem fine."
Mama chuckled and handed me a dispensable cup filled with some warm tea she bought from the little shop nearby. "You're acting like a big sister you know that?" Mama smiled warmly at me and took a sip of the beverage she had in her hands. I noticed that even though she was bundled up in really warm clothes, my mama was moving slower than usual. I wondered if the cold was finally getting to her, but I figured that she was probably just tired from standing—tired of waiting. "It's getting really cold, we should all head back inside and warm up."
"I don't think they're ready to go inside yet." I pointed to my little sisters who were far too amused with the freshly fallen snow. "Though Kiseki seems about ready to fall asleep."
Mama turned to face the younger of the two and smiled half-heartedly. "Seki-chan, do you want to go inside now?"
The little blonde haired girl—who I swear looked exactly like my papa—shook her head and stayed put… until her sister threw a snowball at her. She looked at me and whimpered, her large ruby red eyes watering when the initial sting of the snow settled.
"Koro-chan, what did I say about throwing snowballs!?" Mama shouted angrily as she began chasing the blue eyed little girl in circles. "Mou, listen to your mother!"
SMACK!
My mama stood stiff as a board when a snowball collided with the back of her head.
"What happened to the Ace of Aces? Is she getting rusty from old age?" a familiar voice shouted out playfully.
Like my mama I was scared to turn around, but that voice… I know that voice.
Mama knelt down and grabbed a handful snow before whipping around and tossing it at her assailant. "Who's getting old!?" she shouted with a victorious grin. I turned around just in time to see the ball of snow slam into the face of the TSAB's most respected tactician/General. "Hayate-chan, you should know better than to start a snowball fight with me!"
"Haha, I know, I know, but I couldn't resist. You were like a sitting duck out here." Auntie Hayate stated as she wiped the snow off of her face. Her piercing blue eyes were still as clear as day. "Seriously, I've never seen someone so pink in my life! What did you do? Mug, Barbie?"
"Hah… hah… hah. Very funny." Mama grabbed the more playful twin and pried the snow from her hands. "No more snow for you." She stated flatly.
"No!"
"Don't make me take away your TV privileges young lady." The look on Mama's face was scary enough to send a shiver down my spine. The little girl in her arms stopped struggling completely. "Hah, a chip of the old block!" Mama beamed when Kokoro settled down.
"Who's block? Your block or Fate-chan's block?" Auntie Hayate asked with a mischievous grin.
Mama just looked back at the other woman and frowned.
"Meep!" Auntie Hayate yelped when she caught sight of the glare on my Mama's face. "I surrender, I surrender!"
I laughed in amusement when I saw one of the world's most feared magicians shrink down to a begging coward.
"Mama, I see a big butt!" Kokoro shouted out excitedly as she jumped up and down, pointing at the massive black star ship. As the boat neared, my little sister gasped out excitedly. "Wow, that's a big butt!" Mama, Auntie Hayate, Kiseki, and I looked at the overly hyper girl with a strange look. "Is that Uncle Chrono's butt, or Papa's butt?"
The first one to burst out laughing, followed by Mama, and then me. Kiseki didn't laugh because either didn't find her twin's mistake funny, or she just didn't understand it. My guess is that she didn't understand it.
"K-Ko-chan… it's a boat. B-O-A-T, boat." Mama correct in between her giggles.
The little girl looked up at Mama with her head titled to the side. "But Auntie Hayate said it was a butt."
Then everything made sense.
Mama glared at Auntie Hayate, picked up a handful of snow and patted it down before throwing it. "Damnit Hayate-chan, didn't I tell you to stop teaching my kids!?" My Aunt quickly ducked fell onto her belly, but even though the snowball didn't hit Auntie Hayate, it had hit someone close to her. I flinched when the ball flew straight into my Aunt Carim's face. "Oh gosh… Carim-chan, I am so sorry!"
An awkward silence took place as Auntie Carim wiped the snow off of her face. "Well, that was a very pleasant surprise." she said quietly. "But it appears that Hayate's cappuccino became an… 'ice cap'?"
Auntie Hayate pushed herself up and brushed off the snow on her jacket and pants. She trotted over to Auntie Carim and accepted the drink offered to her with a smile. She took a sip and gasped, "Shit this is good!"
"Hayate-chan, no swearing in front of my very impressionable child." Mama shouted with a finger pointed at Kokoro who was running around trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue.
"What about the Vivio and Kiseki?" Auntie Carim asked.
"I don't want the first thing Fate-chan hears from her kids to be a cuss word." Mama answered with a huff. "Bad enough she's missed three years of their lives—"
"I'll be sure to say a bad word when Papa comes." Kiseki said with a flat tone.
Mama was about to scold my little sister when the sound of fresh snow crunching beneath boots caught our attention.
"Don't want me to hear what, Nanoha?"
I whirled around as fast as I could to make sure I wasn't hearing things. At first I stood frozen to my spot, scared to move just in case the people standing before me disappeared. My mama was the first one to move. Within the blink of an eye, she had her arms around Papa with tears streaming down her eyes.
At that moment, I wondered… would Papa still care about me like she did before even though she and Mama have Kokoro and Kiseki?
"Vivio," Papa called out to me. "Come here, I've missed my little girl."
No doubt, my Papa still loves me.