Chapter 4-Our Parents

I tossed and turned that night, unable to fall asleep. Michiru had her back turned but she was awake too. Finally, she turned on her bedside lamp and sat up. She patted me on the shoulder and motioned me to sit up too. She had her serious face on.

"Haruka, remember how I told you my parents died in a boating accident?"

I nodded. Although I could feel there were parts of that story that Michiru had kept to herself. We always shared everything with each other, but when it came to our parents, painful secrets were kept.

Sadness flashed on her face and her eyes glistened. "I killed them, accidentally. It was my fault."

"What?" Did I hear that right?

"My first girlfriend Alex was turned into a youma and that was when I was activated. I had to kill her before the monster killed me. In my grief, my power amplified and I was so angry, so I shot out my attacks out into the ocean. At that time, my mom was invited to perform at this cruise and my dad went with. I didn't know their ship was passing through that exact spot at that exact time. One of my attacks sank the ship, killing everyone. They blamed it on a weird storm, as it was during typhoon season…." Michiru started sobbing now.

I pulled her into my arms and my heart ached as I watched her sinking deeper into her own sorrow.

"Before they left, mom caught me kissing Alex. The last thing she said to me was that I shamed the family. Oh Haruka, I wished I could take that day back."

I kissed her on her head and whispered her name over and over. At a loss of words, I just held her as she wept. Finally spent, Michiru sat back up and wiped her tears away. She reached over and put her hands around my face. The sea goddess gave me a long lingering kiss. My head swoon as I felt her warmth and breathe in her scent.

"Michiru, I have to ask. Why did you trust my mother after only one meeting? You and I, we are not the type to trust so quickly. Why?"

"You never talk about your parents, so I assumed they were dead as well. When she showed up, I felt hope. My parents are gone, but you still have your mother, and she wants to be in your life again. I don't know what they did to you to the past, but she looked a lot like you and I just couldn't help but trust that face." Michiru looked at me with her aquamarine eyes and offered me a weak smile. "Or maybe I just miss having a mother. If she can accept us and accept Hotaru, then our family would grow, wouldn't you say? At the end of the day, she is your mother."

I took a deep breath and then I told Michiru everything. How my father pretty much ignored me since my birth because I was born as a girl. How my father treated my mother like she was nothing but a doormat most of their lives. How my father threw me out of the house and my mother did nothing to help me….

Michiru was silent for a long while, thinking about what I told her. She let out a long sigh and then she plopped back down on the bed. "Maybe your mother was scared….scared of your father, scared of change, scared of gossip…sometimes we forget, our parents are just humans. It might have taken your mom years, but she seemed like she was ready to redeem herself. Maybe she accepted you a long time ago, but your father forbade her from contacting you….Maybe…" Her eyes fluttered and Michiru shut her eyes, drifting off into her dream land, leaving her last sentence unsaid.

I lay down next to my love and I held her hand as I watched her sleep. Perhaps, I should give mom a second chance.

A.N. For Michiru fans that want to read more about her parents' story, please refer to my "Michiru's Memoir". I am shamelessly self referencing now ;P