Fourteen Days with my Family by Hotaru Tomoe.
Chapter 10: Monday II.
Disclaimer: Still don't own any of the Sailor Moon characters.
True to Haruka-papa's word, Monday had indeed arrived, which meant that it was time for me to head back to school.
There are a few things about school that I really enjoy, such as seeing Kimyo and all my other friends again so we can compare notes on our individual reports so far.
"Hey Hotaru!" A girl in my class named Risa shouted. "I didn't see you on the news last week saving a high-jacked airplane or anything like that! What happened?"
"I was in South America doing some top secret work for the C.I.A. that I can't tell you about because then I'd have to kill you." I replied in my most menacing voice. Then Kimyo and I cracked up followed by everyone else. I gave them a watered down version of last weeks events including a few pictures from Miss Haruna's wedding for the benefit of a few people who couldn't make it.
In one case for instance, a classmate of mine named Masaya couldn't make it because he was out of town competing in the All-Japan Junior Superbike competition in which he managed to come in second. He proudly showed us his medal and several pictures including one of him and his girlfriend shaking hands with the winner, a guy named Sentaro and his girlfriend, a pretty young girl with long black hair.
Mr. Tanaka, who had assigned the report in the first place, also expressed concern that I hadn't single-handedly stopped a bank robbery or something like that. Of course he said it in front of the whole class just to make me feel better (note the sarcasm). Maybe I should have gotten up and changed into Sailor Saturn right then and there, but I doubt it would have solved anything.
I also ran into Katsuji, who was about the only person in school who didn't ask me why I hadn't done anything to make the news last week. We sat down and had lunch together and he asked me about how the wedding went and how my family was and all that. In between gazing into his eyes and trying to remember to either eat or breathe (not recommended to do both at the same time) I told him about the wedding, my family, and my week in general.
He did express some concern that he and Haruka-papa had gotten off on the wrong foot and that he'd like very much to sit down with her and try to smooth things over.
"I'll see what I can do." I replied noncommittally. Actually I knew what would most likely happen if I suggested what Katsuji said; Haruka-papa would get really upset and go looking for him with her sword in hand, Michiru-mama would get angry and yell at her, Setsuna-mama would also get angry and tell them both to shut up while poor Hoshiko would get totally confused and start crying. And of course I'd be at the nearest Convent the next day.
Katsuji just smiled at me reassuringly and told me that it would all work out and that I shouldn't worry so much. But the bell rang at that moment which kind of broke the mood. Before he headed for his next class though, he reached out and took my hand, kissing the back of it.
"Until tomorrow then milady." He smiled and headed for his next class while I stood there rooted to the spot. I was never washing this hand again.
"Wow! I guess that means he really likes you then." Kimyo commented as she came up behind me.
"I guess so…waitaminute! Were you listening in?" I snapped out of my stupor and glared at her.
"Um, whoops! Look at the time! Must run! Bye!" She ran off and I took off after her.
"Kimyo! I'm gonna kill you!" I shouted as I chased her into our gym class. I chased her all the way out to the middle of the gym floor where we were stopped by our gym teacher. She didn't look happy either.
"Well Miss Tomoe, Miss Hoshi, seeing as you both has an excess amount of energy to burn off, what say you run a few extra laps as a warm-up?" Kimyo and I groaned and meekly went into the change room to prepare for that day's torture session.
Other than that, my first day back to school went pretty well and I was tired but happy when I got on the bus to go home. Kimyo and I sat together and we noticed our old 'friends' Megumi and Keiko sitting there glowering at us but we just ignored them. Luckily they got off before we did and it was a quiet trip to my stop where I said bye to Kimyo before heading home.
As I walked up to my home, I saw a strange car parked out front a blue Honda station wagon and I wondered whose it was since we don't own such a car. I knew that Haruka-papa was at the race track and Setsuna-mama was at work leaving Michiru-mama and Hoshiko at home. So who could it be?
"Mama? Hoshiko? I'm home!" I called as I entered our home.
"We're in the kitchen honey!" Michiru-mama called back. I took off my shoes and headed into the kitchen, and was surprised at who I saw there. Sitting at the table along with Michiru-mama and Hoshiko were Dr. Mizuno and Mrs. Tsukino. Both of them said hello as I walked in.
"Hi, what brings you here?" I asked as I walked over and sat beside Michiru-mama.
"Well I just went out for a drive and I ran into Ikuko at the store and after we sat and had coffee, we decided to drop by and visit with your parents." Dr. Mizuno replied.
"It was my idea actually." Mrs. Tsukino admitted. "I don't get over here all that much and I wanted to after seeing all of you at Sakurada's wedding. Nothing much, I just wanted to say hello."
"What about your job at the hospital?" I asked Dr. Mizuno as she sipped at her tea.
"Hmm? Oh, they gave me two weeks off as 'stress leave', with pay of course." She replied smiling. I could imagine, from Ami's accounts and from what my parents said her cousins were driving them nuts.
"That was very nice of them." Hoshiko put in.
"Yes, I agree, it was nice of them to give you two weeks off. I only met your cousins once and they were positively ghastly people." Mrs. Tsukino said with a shudder.
"It gives me a lot of time to spend with Ami, which is really good for both of us." Dr. Mizuno said, smiling.
"That's wonderful. I'm glad that everything's worked out okay." I said as I reached for a cookie. This was when I noticed what else was sitting on the table and my heart sank.
"Aw Mama! Did you have to bring out the baby pictures?" I heard myself whine as I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. Everyone else laughed and there was a chorus of 'Aww, doesn't little Hotaru look cute with her cheeks all red?' I tell you, I was this close to pulling out my glaive and ending the suspense right there.
"What's wrong with them? I always thought that you were such an adorable little baby." Michiru-mama said with a big smile as she held up a particularly vivid picture of me in the bath gleefully splashing Haruka-papa.
"And I thought that this one was particularly nice." Hoshiko stated as she held up a picture of me playing in the mud. I sank lower in my chair. There really should be some sort of treaty banning mothers from showing any passing person their kids' baby pictures.
Michiru-mama put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't feel bad Hime-chan, my Mother likes to show off my baby pictures at the drop of a hat so I know exactly how you feel." I remembered the many times Grandma Kaioh showed Michiru-mama's baby pictures. The many, many, many, times.
"We like to see how are children were like as babies as compared to how they are now. It's our way of keeping those precious memories alive in our hearts." Dr Mizuno said.
"It's a reminder that our children are a truly precious gift and we'd like to preserve those memories forever as we watch them grow." Mrs. Tsukino added. I smiled, I could see their point. "One day you'll understand." Mrs. Tsukino added.
Michiru-mama smiled wistfully as she looked at me as if she were taking my picture with the camera in her mind. "Hotaru, I have watched you grow from a cute little baby into a beautiful young woman, and even though you aren't of my flesh and blood, you will always be my little baby girl now and forever." She leaned in and kissed me on the forehead.
"Thank you Mama. I guess I needed to hear that." I said.
"If it makes you feel a bit better Hotaru, Yuriko and I each brought along our own baby pictures of Usagi, Shingo, and Ami. We were talking and showing each other a few pictures while we were having coffee and we both went home and picked up a few more of our own pictures before coming here." Mrs. Tsukino stated as she held up a picture, I assumed, of a very young Usagi. I wasn't too sure until I saw the hair. It was her all right, even with her face and dress covered with chocolate ice cream. I giggled. Dr. Mizuno showed me a picture of a tiny Ami in a blue dress, wearing her Mom's reading glasses, reading a huge medical journal upside down. Now if I were a less scrupulous person, I'd be having ideas involving blackmail right now. Dr. Mizuno's voice brought me out of my scheming trance.
"I left a message on Ami's cell phone earlier saying that we'd be here. She called me back and said that she and Usagi would be here after school, possibly Makoto as well." At that moment the doorbell rang.
"Speak of the devil." Michiru-mama remarked. Hoshiko looked perplexed as I went to answer the door and Mrs. Tsukino leaned in to tell her. I smiled as I heard her say that she understood now.
"Hi Hotaru!" Usagi, Ami, and Makoto said as I opened the door.
"Hi everyone!" I replied as I hugged each of them. "Usagi, Ami, your Moms are in the kitchen with Michiru-mama and Hoshiko. I'll be along in a moment there was something I wanted to ask Makoto about." Usagi and Ami nodded and went off to the kitchen while Makoto and I waited until they were out of sight.
"What did you want to ask me sweetie?" Makoto asked. I held up a hand and motioned for her to wait.
"Aw Mom! Not the baby pictures again!" Ami and Usagi wailed. Makoto and I fell over laughing.
After that we just sat around and talked for another hour or so. Makoto looked a bit sad at first when we talked about families, since her parents had died when she was younger. Mrs. Tsukino and Dr. Mizuno put her at ease by assuring her that she was a part of their families. And then of course there were her sisters, us, as well. She felt a bit better. Then Mrs. Tsukino looked up at the wall clock.
"Oh dear I should be getting home soon so I can start making dinner for my family." She announced as she stood to go.
"You're right I should be doing the same as well. Haruka and Setsuna should be home at any moment as well." Michiru-mama stated. We thanked everyone for stopping by and Hoshiko, Michiru-mama, and I stood and waved as they piled into Dr. Mizuno's station wagon that she'd bought a few weeks ago. That would explain why I didn't recognize it. With a wave and a toot of the horn, they were gone and we went back inside.
"Would you like to help me make dinner Hime-chan?" Michiru-mama asked when we returned to the kitchen.
"Sure Mama, no problem."
"I will be in the living room reading this wonderful book Hotaru showed me then." Hoshiko announced as she held up a copy of the collected Sherlock Holmes stories. I'd read one of the stories, 'A Scandal in Bohemia', to her the other day and she's been hooked ever since. She'd asked me who my favorite authors were when she was looking through my book collection.
While we were making dinner Haruka-papa and Setsuna-mama came home and Haruka-papa noticed the albums on the table. "Been showing off have we?" She remarked. Michiru-mama smiled and told them about our visitors today.
"That reminds me, I've seen Michi's baby pictures, and I have a few of mine, but I've never seen any of yours Sets. Why is that?" Haruka-papa asked.
"Because I have them hidden away in a place where you'll never find them." Setsuna-mama replied smugly.
"Is that a challenge?"
"Bite me Haruka."
"Only if you buy me a drink first."
Michiru-mama cleared her throat dramatically while Hoshiko, who had come back into the kitchen, and I stood there giggling.
"When you children are quite finished go and wash up for dinner." Michiru-mama ordered.
"Yes Michiru-mama." They replied together and ran out of the kitchen laughing when Michiru-mama advanced on them with a wooden spoon.
"Hotaru, could you clear those albums away so you and Hoshiko can set the table?"
"Okay Michiru-mama." I started to gather up the albums while Hoshiko brought out the dishes. She couldn't resist one last peek though.
"They really are very nice pictures you know." She remarked.
"Yeah I know, but I wish she wouldn't show them to everyone who comes over." I replied.
"Well I was thinking of posting them on the internet…" Michiru-mama began with a grin.
"MAMA!"