Caged Hearts
By like a falling star
"Honey, you look beautiful!" Sonomi exclaimed, greeting her daughter warmly as Tomoyo trailed down the polished marble steps of their mansion.
"Thank you, mother." Tomoyo said sincerely, smiling. She was dressed in a simple white halter dress which generously accentuated her curves, with a beaded Indian belt across her slim waist, and a soft lilac shawl was drapped across her shoulders.
"Tanaka is going to love you!" Sonomi gushed as the two walked towards one of the cars, flanked by bodyguards.
Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "It's you he's supposed to love." She said wryly.
"And his two kids are gonna love you too!" Sonomi continued, ignoring Tomoyo's words.
"His two kids?" Tomoyo asked, her eyebrows lifting just slightly. "He's divorced?"
Sonomi laughed lightly. "Silly me. I forgot to mention." Her voice turned sombre. "His best friend and his best friend's wife died in a car accident when their children were very young, and he's looked after them since. He treats them like his own children."
Tomoyo smiled. "So this boyfriend of yours is a family man, huh?" she teased. She felt better about this man her mother was dating. From what Sonomi had told her, he seemed like an honest, trustworthy and responsible man.
Sonomi coloured slightly, smiling. "Shut up and get in the car."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The restaurant had a classic touch about it, with thick, wine-red carpeting and soft jazz music playing in the background.
Tanaka-san and his niece were already seated at one of the tables.
Sonomi introduced them. "Tanaka, this is my daughter, Tomoyo. Tomoyo, this is Tanaka."
Tanaka-san seemed to be in his late forties, with a genuine demeanour and a firm handshake.
Tomoyo smiled and politely shook his hand. "Nice to meet you." she said.
Tanaka broke into a smile. "Likewise." He turned back to Sonomi. "Sonomi, this is Nakuru. Nakuru, this is Sonomi."
Instead of shaking her hand, as was expected, Nakuru enveloped Sonomi in a quick hug. "Hey, it's great to finally get to meet you!" Nakuru said, beaming.
Sonomi smiled warmly at her. "I feel the same way."
The four of them sat down at the table, and Tomoyo couldn't help but notice that someone was missing. Just as she was about to question Nakuru about it, though, Nakuru beat her to it.
"Hey, I recognise you!" Nakuru exclaimed. "You're Daidouji Tomoyo!"
Tomoyo raised her eyebrows. "I am. And you're Nakuru."
"No, I mean… you're Daidouji Tomoyo!" Nakuru said again, bouncing excitedly in her seat. "I saw your performance at the Talentime! You were awesome!" she gushed.
Tomoyo smiled graciously. "Thank you. But aren't you from the university? Why were you at the high school Talentime?"
"My brother was performing." She said lightly.
"He was performing? Who is he? Do I know him?" Tomoyo questioned curiously.
"Oh my gosh… little brother is just gonna die!" Nakuru laughed, ignoring Tomoyo's question.
"Your brother? Oh, I've been meaning to ask why he isn't here--"
"Good evening, Uncle. Sorry that I'm late." A smooth, low voice cut through their conversation.
Tomoyo's breath caught in her throat. She could recognise that voice anywhere. She turned around, bracing herself. Not--
Hazy sapphire met smoky amethyst.
Eriol's eyes widened in shock and utter surprise as Tomoyo's eyes snapped shut tightly, hoping and praying that what she saw in front of her was a hallucination.
"Daidouji." His voice sounded strained.
"Hiiragizawa." She said it through gritted teeth.
"Aah." Tanaka smiled. "I take it you two know each other."
Eriol's eyes locked on Tomoyo's. This is not happening.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
To say the least, dinner was not a happy event. Eriol and Tomoyo took turns shooting each other murderous glares in between embarrassing the other in front of the whole table, while Nakuru watched with unconcealed amusement.
"How's school, Daidouji?" Eriol inquired.
"Oh, just amazing. Couldn't be better." Tomoyo answered in a saccharine voice.
Eriol's mouth curved into a subtle smirk. "Really? The last I heard, you got dumped by Tim Fox."
Tomoyo's eyes flickered dangerously for a moment. She had the sudden desire to punch him. Just tolerate him for one more hour. She told herself. No need to sink to his level. "No, I dropped him. I caught him kissing Utada- san."
"So you weren't enough for him?" Eriol challenged.
"No, he has absolutely no taste. By the way, isn't Utada-san the girl who turned you down three times already?" Tomoyo said, pretending to be thinking deeply. "Some guys have no self-respect." She said, seemingly to herself, but it was actually meant for him to hear.
Eriol growled.
Nakuru giggled.
While all this was going on, Sonomi and Tanaka were seemingly oblivious to what was happening. They were having their own private little conversation across the table. Tanaka was smiling, and Sonomi was blushing, though it might have been the champagne.
Suddenly, Tanaka cleared his throat. "Sonomi and I have something to announce." He said.
Tomoyo, Eriol and Nakuru looked up from where they were having their little debate.
Sonomi giggled.
Tanaka reached across the table and took Sonomi's hand, holding it in his own. The two adults gazed into each other's eyes.
Tomoyo sighed. She was glad that her mother had finally found somebody, and Tanaka-san really seemed like a good man, but did Eriol have to come and ruin everything, just because he came with the 'package'?
The three teenagers looked at them expectantly.
Tanaka took a deep breath. Sonomi closed her eyes and opened them again. Then she nodded.
They said it at the same time.
"We're getting married."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
By like a falling star
"Honey, you look beautiful!" Sonomi exclaimed, greeting her daughter warmly as Tomoyo trailed down the polished marble steps of their mansion.
"Thank you, mother." Tomoyo said sincerely, smiling. She was dressed in a simple white halter dress which generously accentuated her curves, with a beaded Indian belt across her slim waist, and a soft lilac shawl was drapped across her shoulders.
"Tanaka is going to love you!" Sonomi gushed as the two walked towards one of the cars, flanked by bodyguards.
Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "It's you he's supposed to love." She said wryly.
"And his two kids are gonna love you too!" Sonomi continued, ignoring Tomoyo's words.
"His two kids?" Tomoyo asked, her eyebrows lifting just slightly. "He's divorced?"
Sonomi laughed lightly. "Silly me. I forgot to mention." Her voice turned sombre. "His best friend and his best friend's wife died in a car accident when their children were very young, and he's looked after them since. He treats them like his own children."
Tomoyo smiled. "So this boyfriend of yours is a family man, huh?" she teased. She felt better about this man her mother was dating. From what Sonomi had told her, he seemed like an honest, trustworthy and responsible man.
Sonomi coloured slightly, smiling. "Shut up and get in the car."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The restaurant had a classic touch about it, with thick, wine-red carpeting and soft jazz music playing in the background.
Tanaka-san and his niece were already seated at one of the tables.
Sonomi introduced them. "Tanaka, this is my daughter, Tomoyo. Tomoyo, this is Tanaka."
Tanaka-san seemed to be in his late forties, with a genuine demeanour and a firm handshake.
Tomoyo smiled and politely shook his hand. "Nice to meet you." she said.
Tanaka broke into a smile. "Likewise." He turned back to Sonomi. "Sonomi, this is Nakuru. Nakuru, this is Sonomi."
Instead of shaking her hand, as was expected, Nakuru enveloped Sonomi in a quick hug. "Hey, it's great to finally get to meet you!" Nakuru said, beaming.
Sonomi smiled warmly at her. "I feel the same way."
The four of them sat down at the table, and Tomoyo couldn't help but notice that someone was missing. Just as she was about to question Nakuru about it, though, Nakuru beat her to it.
"Hey, I recognise you!" Nakuru exclaimed. "You're Daidouji Tomoyo!"
Tomoyo raised her eyebrows. "I am. And you're Nakuru."
"No, I mean… you're Daidouji Tomoyo!" Nakuru said again, bouncing excitedly in her seat. "I saw your performance at the Talentime! You were awesome!" she gushed.
Tomoyo smiled graciously. "Thank you. But aren't you from the university? Why were you at the high school Talentime?"
"My brother was performing." She said lightly.
"He was performing? Who is he? Do I know him?" Tomoyo questioned curiously.
"Oh my gosh… little brother is just gonna die!" Nakuru laughed, ignoring Tomoyo's question.
"Your brother? Oh, I've been meaning to ask why he isn't here--"
"Good evening, Uncle. Sorry that I'm late." A smooth, low voice cut through their conversation.
Tomoyo's breath caught in her throat. She could recognise that voice anywhere. She turned around, bracing herself. Not--
Hazy sapphire met smoky amethyst.
Eriol's eyes widened in shock and utter surprise as Tomoyo's eyes snapped shut tightly, hoping and praying that what she saw in front of her was a hallucination.
"Daidouji." His voice sounded strained.
"Hiiragizawa." She said it through gritted teeth.
"Aah." Tanaka smiled. "I take it you two know each other."
Eriol's eyes locked on Tomoyo's. This is not happening.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
To say the least, dinner was not a happy event. Eriol and Tomoyo took turns shooting each other murderous glares in between embarrassing the other in front of the whole table, while Nakuru watched with unconcealed amusement.
"How's school, Daidouji?" Eriol inquired.
"Oh, just amazing. Couldn't be better." Tomoyo answered in a saccharine voice.
Eriol's mouth curved into a subtle smirk. "Really? The last I heard, you got dumped by Tim Fox."
Tomoyo's eyes flickered dangerously for a moment. She had the sudden desire to punch him. Just tolerate him for one more hour. She told herself. No need to sink to his level. "No, I dropped him. I caught him kissing Utada- san."
"So you weren't enough for him?" Eriol challenged.
"No, he has absolutely no taste. By the way, isn't Utada-san the girl who turned you down three times already?" Tomoyo said, pretending to be thinking deeply. "Some guys have no self-respect." She said, seemingly to herself, but it was actually meant for him to hear.
Eriol growled.
Nakuru giggled.
While all this was going on, Sonomi and Tanaka were seemingly oblivious to what was happening. They were having their own private little conversation across the table. Tanaka was smiling, and Sonomi was blushing, though it might have been the champagne.
Suddenly, Tanaka cleared his throat. "Sonomi and I have something to announce." He said.
Tomoyo, Eriol and Nakuru looked up from where they were having their little debate.
Sonomi giggled.
Tanaka reached across the table and took Sonomi's hand, holding it in his own. The two adults gazed into each other's eyes.
Tomoyo sighed. She was glad that her mother had finally found somebody, and Tanaka-san really seemed like a good man, but did Eriol have to come and ruin everything, just because he came with the 'package'?
The three teenagers looked at them expectantly.
Tanaka took a deep breath. Sonomi closed her eyes and opened them again. Then she nodded.
They said it at the same time.
"We're getting married."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
