Fourty. It was hard to believe that she was actually fourty years old today.
The large, red candle numbers stared back at her, wicks flickering in the darkness
of the kitchen where Bulma, Yamucha and everybody else waited for her to blow out the
candles. As she stared at the white-iced cake, made by Videl, Chichi wondered if Goku
would ever get here. He had promised to be home for her birthday but she knew it was
hard for him to take away from Uubu's training. She sighed softly. "Well," said
Yamucha. "Blow out your candles, Chichi!" He grinned at her. Chichi grinned back.
"I've got to think of a wish first, silly." As she said it, she knew he only thing
she wanted was Goku. Taking a deep breath, she blew out the candles. /I wish Goku
would come home.. I miss him so much../
After the cake had been eaten and the presents opened, Gohan and Videl said
they needed to get home. "Its late, and we have an early day tomorrow." Bulma left
shortly after that, taking Trunks with her. Goten had asked to spend the night at
Trunks', and Chichi had agreed. Pretty soon, Yamucha was the only one left. Chichi
wished he would just go home so she could lock herself in her room and cry. Goku had
never shown up. Yamucha had noticed how her eyes kept straying to the door, and he
wished there was something he could do to help. Finally, he stood up and stretched.
"I'd best be going. Puar will be wondering where I am if I don't get back soon." He
walked outside and gazed at the stars for a few moments before turning towards home.
As he passed by Chichi's bedroom window, he heard a muffled sound coming from her
room. Looking in, he saw that Chichi was sitting on the bed, crying softly. He stood
there a minute, indecisive, unsure if he should go in and comfort her. It took him a
few seconds to make up his mind.
"Chichi, are you okay?" Yamucha asked as he walked into her room. Chichi
looked up, startled. "I-I'm fine," she lied. "I thought you left.."
"I did, but I heard you crying. What's wrong?" He sat down on the bed and
put his arm around her shoulder. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed.
"Goku... he promised he'd be here! Why didn't he come?" Yamucha shook his head. "I
don't know Chichi, but I do know that he tried his damnedest to get here. Goku
wouldn't forget you on your birthday. I know it." Chichi nodded against his chest,
"I know, but I still can't help being upset about it..." she trailed off. "What's so
important that he can't pull himself away from it for one day?" She turned her face
to Yamucha, questioning. He had turned his face to her at the same time and their lips
met. It was only for an instant, but when they pulled away, Chichi flushed faintly.
"Y-you should go... Puar will be worried..." He shushed her and placed a finger on her
lips. "It'll be alright," he murmured, kissing her again. Slowly but surely, thoughts
of Goku slipped farther and farther from her mind.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, Chichi awoke slowly, enjoying the feeling of warm sunlight
over her body. She stretched slowly, savoring the warmth. Then she realized that she
was completely nude under the coverlet. She sat bolt upright as she remembered what
had happened last night. Blushing bright red, she wrapped the blanket around her and
searched for something to put on. Once she was dressed, she walked out to the kitchen.
It wasn't surprising that the house was deserted except for her. She felt the familiar
chill of loneliness that accompanied most days while Goten was at school. She began
preparing breakfast for herself, but her hands shook too much.
Suddenly the door opened. She turned, praying it wasn't Yamucha. "Chichi! I'm
home," called Goku from the door. "Goku! Oh its good to have you home! I guess I need
to make more food," she babbled as she scrambled around the kitchen, trying to calm
her pounding heart and shaking hands. Goku came up behind her and wrapped his arms
around her waist, hugging her from behind. He lowered his head and kissed her where
her neck met her shoulder; she loved to be kissed there, he knew. He pressed his face
into her hair, smelling her familiar scent. He stiffened as he smelled something new
on her, something that wasn't her, but he recognized it all the same. Yamucha. Chichi
broke out of his grasp and hurried over to the stove, her face burning with shame.
"Chichi. Look at me." She could hear the pain in his voice, though he tried
to disguise it. What she didn't hear was the cold hardness she had expected. He didn't
even sound angry. Still, when she turned to face him, she could barely bring herself
to look him in the eye. He tilted her chin up with one finger. She saw the pain and
sorrow in his eyes and it shamed her more than anything he could have said ever would.
"G-goku... I'm so sorry... I never wanted to-" He broke off her apology with
a silencing look. "Its okay, Chichi. Really." He smiled at her, trying to hide the
hurt from her. She placed one hand tentatively on his cheek. "Doesn't it hurt,
though?" He nodded. "It hurts, but... its okay. He was here and I... wasn't." Chichi
shook her head. "That's not it," she said vehemently. "I tried to stop him, but-" Goku
silenced her again, this time with a kiss. When they pulled away, he said "Forgiven
and forgotten." She looked up at him, then buried her face into his chest, weeping
quietly. He wrapped his arms around her and lay his head on hers. One single tear slid
down his cheek.
The large, red candle numbers stared back at her, wicks flickering in the darkness
of the kitchen where Bulma, Yamucha and everybody else waited for her to blow out the
candles. As she stared at the white-iced cake, made by Videl, Chichi wondered if Goku
would ever get here. He had promised to be home for her birthday but she knew it was
hard for him to take away from Uubu's training. She sighed softly. "Well," said
Yamucha. "Blow out your candles, Chichi!" He grinned at her. Chichi grinned back.
"I've got to think of a wish first, silly." As she said it, she knew he only thing
she wanted was Goku. Taking a deep breath, she blew out the candles. /I wish Goku
would come home.. I miss him so much../
After the cake had been eaten and the presents opened, Gohan and Videl said
they needed to get home. "Its late, and we have an early day tomorrow." Bulma left
shortly after that, taking Trunks with her. Goten had asked to spend the night at
Trunks', and Chichi had agreed. Pretty soon, Yamucha was the only one left. Chichi
wished he would just go home so she could lock herself in her room and cry. Goku had
never shown up. Yamucha had noticed how her eyes kept straying to the door, and he
wished there was something he could do to help. Finally, he stood up and stretched.
"I'd best be going. Puar will be wondering where I am if I don't get back soon." He
walked outside and gazed at the stars for a few moments before turning towards home.
As he passed by Chichi's bedroom window, he heard a muffled sound coming from her
room. Looking in, he saw that Chichi was sitting on the bed, crying softly. He stood
there a minute, indecisive, unsure if he should go in and comfort her. It took him a
few seconds to make up his mind.
"Chichi, are you okay?" Yamucha asked as he walked into her room. Chichi
looked up, startled. "I-I'm fine," she lied. "I thought you left.."
"I did, but I heard you crying. What's wrong?" He sat down on the bed and
put his arm around her shoulder. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed.
"Goku... he promised he'd be here! Why didn't he come?" Yamucha shook his head. "I
don't know Chichi, but I do know that he tried his damnedest to get here. Goku
wouldn't forget you on your birthday. I know it." Chichi nodded against his chest,
"I know, but I still can't help being upset about it..." she trailed off. "What's so
important that he can't pull himself away from it for one day?" She turned her face
to Yamucha, questioning. He had turned his face to her at the same time and their lips
met. It was only for an instant, but when they pulled away, Chichi flushed faintly.
"Y-you should go... Puar will be worried..." He shushed her and placed a finger on her
lips. "It'll be alright," he murmured, kissing her again. Slowly but surely, thoughts
of Goku slipped farther and farther from her mind.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, Chichi awoke slowly, enjoying the feeling of warm sunlight
over her body. She stretched slowly, savoring the warmth. Then she realized that she
was completely nude under the coverlet. She sat bolt upright as she remembered what
had happened last night. Blushing bright red, she wrapped the blanket around her and
searched for something to put on. Once she was dressed, she walked out to the kitchen.
It wasn't surprising that the house was deserted except for her. She felt the familiar
chill of loneliness that accompanied most days while Goten was at school. She began
preparing breakfast for herself, but her hands shook too much.
Suddenly the door opened. She turned, praying it wasn't Yamucha. "Chichi! I'm
home," called Goku from the door. "Goku! Oh its good to have you home! I guess I need
to make more food," she babbled as she scrambled around the kitchen, trying to calm
her pounding heart and shaking hands. Goku came up behind her and wrapped his arms
around her waist, hugging her from behind. He lowered his head and kissed her where
her neck met her shoulder; she loved to be kissed there, he knew. He pressed his face
into her hair, smelling her familiar scent. He stiffened as he smelled something new
on her, something that wasn't her, but he recognized it all the same. Yamucha. Chichi
broke out of his grasp and hurried over to the stove, her face burning with shame.
"Chichi. Look at me." She could hear the pain in his voice, though he tried
to disguise it. What she didn't hear was the cold hardness she had expected. He didn't
even sound angry. Still, when she turned to face him, she could barely bring herself
to look him in the eye. He tilted her chin up with one finger. She saw the pain and
sorrow in his eyes and it shamed her more than anything he could have said ever would.
"G-goku... I'm so sorry... I never wanted to-" He broke off her apology with
a silencing look. "Its okay, Chichi. Really." He smiled at her, trying to hide the
hurt from her. She placed one hand tentatively on his cheek. "Doesn't it hurt,
though?" He nodded. "It hurts, but... its okay. He was here and I... wasn't." Chichi
shook her head. "That's not it," she said vehemently. "I tried to stop him, but-" Goku
silenced her again, this time with a kiss. When they pulled away, he said "Forgiven
and forgotten." She looked up at him, then buried her face into his chest, weeping
quietly. He wrapped his arms around her and lay his head on hers. One single tear slid
down his cheek.