Lopsided Lollipops

Narubaby2496

There once was a prince named Charming, who wasn't quite charming at all.

Yet, on the day of my seventeenth year

He came to my door and it opened,

However, there was no knock or call.

My heart raced in fear

But soon, a grin rose to my face, ear to ear.

For there was a ring in the palm

Of my prince named Charming, who wasn't quite charming at all.

A woven basket of lightwood, worn from usage and what some would call abuse, swung in an adorable pattern of left and right, high in the air and low in the air. A big bow looped around the curved handle, tied in an almost intricate fashion, the glittery pink of the fabric shining in the sun with the movement of the basket. Inside were three plump tomatoes, not too ripe nor spoiled, just as red as the red nail polish messily painted on the small, chubby fingers of the basket's holder. The other hand of the three-year-old was held by her mother's hand, not too tight, but not too soft, firm enough to let the little girl know that she shan't run astray, loose enough for the little girl to know that Kaa-san trusted her.

A gust of wind blew, sending layered, a few inches lower than the length of her shoulder, soft pink hair in a direction called west. Bright, emotion-filled eyes, light luminously when she noticed her daughter laughing wildly in happiness, the wind blowing her just as exotic dark purple locks westward, the breeze tickling her beautiful face.

The woman laughed with her daughter in that motherly fashion that only mothers could pull off. The little girl giggled again. "Kaa-san, it's so windy outside today, ne?"

"Hai, it is. It is going to be autumn soon," Sakura smiled softly, nodding lightly in acknowledgement toward nothing in particular. It was a happy nod, unnecessary but yet so, since it was comforting in a way. This weather did bring back some wonderful memories.

Kohana smiled brightly, white baby teeth shining in the sun. "Oi, Kaa-san; Tou-san said that that was when Uncle Naruto-sama made him propose to you. He said that he messed up, but I'm confused because if you love someone and you're poposing, how do you mess up?" She shrugged cutely, looking up to her mother with forest green eyes. "In Auntie Ino-chan's stories, she says that everything is perfect and nothing ever goes wrong."

Sakura laughed again, seeing the unadulterated innocence and honest confusion in the girl's eyes. "Well, I and Tou-san's love is a little bit different than your Auntie Ino's stories." The roseate woman took her free hand's thumb and forefinger and pinched them but a centimeter apart, smiling, "Just a little."

"Whoa, that's a really little bit! How come it's not all the way like Auntie Ino-chan's stories, Kaa-san? She said that love is like a flower and that it blooms to be beautiful no matter what!"

"No matter what?" Sakura gasped dramatically, mimicking Kohana's tone as they turned the first corner toward the house, and one away from the bustling dinner-crowd at the market. It was still somewhat early in Konoha, the sun yet to set, though the sky was taking its familiar post-evening orange hue, purples and dark blues painting the horizon, lengthening shadows.

Konoha nodded austerely, ceasing the swinging of her basket to make her point. "I'm for seriously, Kaa-san."

Sakura laughed to herself, humor dancing in her eyes. How this child turned out so adorable was unbeknownst to her.

"Anyways, can't you tell me why? I like love stories and our house is very far away, Kaa-san."

"It's not that far away," Sakura disagreed, shaking her head from left to right. "Only five minutes more, and all of my love stories are long."

The girl pouted. "So? Maybe I can help cook dinner and you can tell me the stories?"

There was a long silence as Sakura battled with herself on whether or not it would be appropriate for the little girl to know, and even if she did take out the worst parts, Kohana was no idiot, even if she was three, and she would press to know why something didn't seem 'all the way' like Auntie Ino's stories, even if they honestly would never be. Sometimes, Sakura found herself wondering what it would be like if her own lopsided lollipop of a love story was actually correct, if things would be the way they were now, if she would be happier or not.

Eventually, she heard a pebble solemnly kicked ahead of them, and saw a small green shoe clad foot jerk outward. "You don't have to, Kaa-san," The girl murmured, her head hung low, and by the tone of her voice, Sakura could tell that tears were on the verge of flowing down puffy cheeks and onto the packed dirt, sand, and gravel ground.

Sakura rolled her eyes, secretively, of course, and sighed. "Kohana, don't cry."

"I'm not crying; water's just coming out of my eyes."

Slowly Sakura stopped walking and kneeled down to a crouch, so she was eye level with the toddler. She cradled the angelic (by her father's glorious genes) face, softly forcing the head up. Kohana sniffed, whipping her face away.

"I don't like it when you do that, Kohana. It's okay to cry, you know?"

Silence, except for the tattered cries coming from the girl.

Sakura sighed tiredly, trying to muster patience. "However, you shouldn't cry just because I won't—"

"You aren't going to?" The child exploded, cheeks red, bottom lip pouted and trembling, eyes glazed over with tears.

"Not if you keep acting like a baby, I won't. Earlier this afternoon you were the one who said that you were a big girl, but tell me, Kohana, are you acting like a big girl right now?"

Bright green eyes were stern and level on the darker of her daughter's eyes, forcing her to lock gazes. Kohana pouted, reciting the line that her parent's told her whenever she would begin one her whiny, I-didn't-get-what-I-wanted scenes. "No, because big girls don't cry for little girl reasons."

Sakura nodded, with a smile. "Now that's my big girl," She tickled her stomach, giggles following soon after, "Would like me to start from the beginning, Hana-chan?"

The girl smiled, hugging her mom. "Yeah!"

Sakura wondered if she just dug herself in an irredeemable hole.

A/N: So, this is the Prologue, hope you've enjoyed it, no matter how short. I kind of wanted to, I don't know, characterize Sakura as a mother, because I really think that she'd be the type that's stern and strict when she needs to be, but deep down, it won't last that long because she's a marshmallow. Well, not really, but…I hope I make sense. LOL.

I wanted to characterize Kohana too, and, no, she isn't the eldest. She actually has an elder brother by two years, she's just the firstborn daughter, and I'd always imagined that whole mother-daughter dinner shopping and cooking together. I'm sure I'm not the only who fantasizes about that, I mean, it's adorable!

The chapters will be relatively under 1,000 words, so I guess that's called a drabble, right? I don't really know…

I've just noticed something. I have the hardest time finishing stories I start. It always is that way. The first maybe, give or take, five to six chapters (depending on length) just flow out like masterpieces from my brain, but, then something like a clog blocks the awesomeness. Am I the only one who experiences this? If not, which I am pretty sure I'm not, does anyone have any advice? I abhor writer's blocks, but that is exactly what is hitting me with every story I start. I'd like to warn you all of that, before you become too addicted. (Smiles)

Anyway, Review!

~NaruBaby2496