//They reached for tomorrow
But tomorrows, more of the same
So they reached for tomorrow
But tomorrow never came//

"Kiyoi!!"

Miyako ran to the doorway, holding up the small purple box with lilac prints on it.
"Kiyoi-chan! You forgot your lunch box!!"

Her daughter, Kiyoi, turned from where she was already halfway down the block. She checked her bag, got the most panicked look on her face, then ran back to her mother, taking the box gently.

"Thank you, mother." She said, a small sweat drop sliding down the side of her face. Miyako smiled, kissing her daughter on the forehead.

"Just be more careful, okay? Next time I might not notice it until you're already at school!" She ruffled her daughter's hair. Kiyoi giggled.

"Yes, mother." Kiyoi bowed, then turned and dashed down the street, trying to make up the lost time to get to school in time. Miyako sighed, leaning against the doorframe, a small smile on her face.

"I swear, she gets more and more like her father every day." Shaking her head, the lavender-haired woman turned and went back inside the house, making her way to the kitchen.

A hot bowl of chicken soup was sitting on the counter, just where Miyako had left it. That was the original reason she had gone into the kitchen. Her eldest son, Jikei, had the flu. She was just making him something to eat when she noticed the familiar floral lunch box on the table.

Kiyoi was always a very forgetful girl. She was at the top of her class, and was always focusing more on academics. Never quite well at expressing her feelings, though, and thus she didn't have many friends.

Now that Miyako thought about it, actually, Kiyoi had only one friend. A girl a year younger named Yuuki Kashoku.

The two were best friends, practically sisters. Strange thing was, though, Miyako had never met Kashoku's parents. Always a case of bad timing. It didn't matter, though. Kashoku was almost like another child for Miyako, and Kashoku had said that her mother said the same thing about Kiyoi.

Taking the bowl of soup and setting it on a tray along with some orange juice, Miyako headed for her son's room.

Jikei was sitting in his bed, playing his gameboy when Miyako came in. He was so immersed in it, in fact, that he didn't notice Miyako until she was standing right next to him.

"Jikei, put that away, it's time for you to eat something."

Jikei pouted.

"But moooooom!" The eight-year-old whined "I'm already at level 12!"

"I don't care, now you eat."

"Dad would let me play!"

"But dad isn't going to be home until five."

The magenta haired boy pouted once more, but reluctantly put away his gameboy. He stared at the tray now on his lap, bored.

"...I wanted tomato soup." He said dryly.

"Ooohhh, now you're just being difficult!" Miyako folded her arms across her chest. She paused, then an idea came to mind. "I guess that means I'll just have to... TICKLE YOU!"
With practiced ease, she moved the tray to the bedside end table and began to tickle Jikei. He laughed, almost not being able to breathe.

"Aaahhh! I give up! I give up!!" He yelled between breaths, tears rolling down his cheeks. Giggling herself, Miyako stopped tickling Jikei, who laughed at least a good minute after she stopped.

They sat there for a moment, Mother and daughter, just catching their breaths. Miyako stared up at the ceiling.

You're only young once, she decided. You have your entire life to be so bored that you play Tetris for an hour while you wait for chicken soup.

"...Hey, honey..." She looked over to Jikei, a small smile on her face. "How about we order a couple pizzas for everyone and go rent some movies, okay?"

Jikei blinked, then a wide smile, much reminiscent of his mother's, spread across his face.

"YEAH!!" He practically jumped out of bed and skipped to the door. Miyako wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him back.

"Hey hey there, little mister! You can't go get movies in your pajamas!" She poked his cheek gently.

"I can too!! My pajamas are COOL!"

Miyako couldn't help but laugh.

She loved her children so much. There was no doubt about that.

Then why did she feel so disappointed that she'd gotten married?


It was four hours later when Jikei had finally gone to bed again, sufficiently worn out. Miyako sat down on the couch, munching on a leftover piece of pizza.

They'd gotten movies and pizza, and had a grand time watching them with Shouken, who had woken up for a short time to watch Totoro save the day.

Both sons asleep, her daughter at school, and still a good couple of hours before her husband came home from work... ahh, Miyako hardly ever got times alone like this anymore. After two minutes of silence, she looked around for the TV remote control. Miyako had gotten too used to the noise. She wasn't used to it not being around anymore. Finding the black rectangle lodged between couch cushions, she turned on their television.

"-No injuries were fatal, but so far three students are in critical condition at Kiyoto Medical Center, and twelve are still unaccounted for." The reporter on the TV said. "For those of you just joining us, there has been a possible arson at Odaiba Elementary School this afternoon at approximately Two O'clock." The scene flashed to the burning building, firefighters trying desperately to put it out. The time on the video read 2:15. "All students were evacuated from the building and those in good condition are having their parents called to come pick them up-"

Miyako's face drained of all color.

Odaiba Elementary.

That was Kiyoi's school.

"...Kiyoi..." She whispered, her eyes wide. She dropped the remote control and the pizza and was up in a second, grabbing the car-keys as she ran out the door.

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Author's Notes: Song is "Masquerade" by Berlin