***************
The Way We Weren't
Part 8
Author: Usa
Disclaimers in Part 1
***************
Usagi stepped into her new apartment, hugging Iku close to her. The landlord, Konoko, said that the former tenants gave him their furniture because they didn't need them anymore.
"Arigatou, Konoko-san," she said.
He smiled at the young woman. "It was no trouble at all, dear. I'm in apartment 1 if you need anything."
She nodded and shut the door behind her. "Mama, are we home yet?"
"Hai, Iku. We are."
"I miss Papa."
Usagi held her tears in. "I do too, Tenshi," she whispered.
************
Two days later, Usagi had procured herself a job. The only thing she needed to do was find her daughter a baby-sitter. She soon found herself in front of the house she grew up in... not that she remembered.
Usagi knocked on the door and a few minutes later, Kenji opened the door. "Usagi! It's good to see you, honey. Please come in."
"Arigatou, P-papa," Usagi said as tears flowed out. He immediately wrapped his arms around her and Iku.
"Mama sad."
"What happened?" he asked.
Usagi felt Iku falling, but Kenji was able to catch her. The room was spinning fast. Here she was, about to admit that Yuuta was gone. She didn't want to believe it!
Kenji set Iku on the floor, and picked Usagi up to bring her to the couch. The minute she hit the pillow, she fainted. Iku padded along with him. He turned to her. "What happened, Iku?"
"Papa gone. He got sick."
"Sick? Where is he now?"
Iku's eyes filled with tears. "With the angels."
Kenji gathered the little girl in his arms. "It's okay, Iku." He looked up to see his wife standing in the doorway staring at him questioningly. "It's Yuuta."
"You mean, he's...?"
"I'm afraid so."
"Why don't you take Iku up for a nap and I'll sit with Usagi." Kenji nodded and went upstairs as Ikuko knelt next to her daughter.
Usagi was slowly coming to. Deep down she didn't want to, but knew Iku would need her. "Yuuta, aishiteru..."
"Usagi!"
She opened her eyes to see her mother's face floating above her. "Mama?" Usagi began crying uncontrollably. "Oh, Mama, he's gone!"
"Shhh, it's all right, baby," Ikuko comforted.
As Usagi cried in her mother's arms, memories flashed before her and she suddenly remembered her family. She had a feeling it was Yuuta and the mysterious woman she saw in her dreams, who helped her.
She stopped crying and looked at Ikuko. "I remember everything, Mama."
Ikuko smiled and hugged her again. "Usagi!"
Usagi found the job she was dreaming of since she was in high school. She was a choreographer for one of major theater companies in Tokyo. However, they wanted her to star in a few of their upcoming musicals before she started the real work.
Was she complaining? Not one bit! Their next production was going to be CATS. She had seen it when she and Yuuta went to America for their honeymoon. It was one of the most beautiful musicals she had ever seen.
Usagi left the theater with a slight skip in her step. She had her memories back! Well, not all of them. She still couldn't remember her friends. However, that was going to change. They were meeting at the park to catch up.
As she walked, she thought of Yuuta. She missed him terribly, but came to realize that she was blessed to have known him. She loved him more now then she ever did. He gave her a reason to keep living: Iku.
She was about to head into the park when a familiar voice stopped her. Usagi found herself face to face with Mari. "I thought I told you to stay away from here!"
"You have nothing to worry about, Mari-san, I still don't remember Mamoru. I don't remember my friends either. I don't want to take anyone away from you."
Mari crossed her arms. "Well, then I guess you should know that your friends would rather you not remember them."
"N-nani?"
"That's what they told me last night," Mari responded. "They said they were only meeting with you today to tell you just that."
Tears filled Usagi's eyes. From the way her parents spoke about them, they were the greatest friends. Friends who believed that she was still alive and would come back to them one day. "A-are you certain?"
She shrugged. "That's what they said. If you don't believe me, go to the park and find out for yourself," Mari said, turning to leave.
Usagi stared after her in disbelief. "Maybe it's better I don't remember them…"
The Way We Weren't
Part 8
Author: Usa
Disclaimers in Part 1
***************
Usagi stepped into her new apartment, hugging Iku close to her. The landlord, Konoko, said that the former tenants gave him their furniture because they didn't need them anymore.
"Arigatou, Konoko-san," she said.
He smiled at the young woman. "It was no trouble at all, dear. I'm in apartment 1 if you need anything."
She nodded and shut the door behind her. "Mama, are we home yet?"
"Hai, Iku. We are."
"I miss Papa."
Usagi held her tears in. "I do too, Tenshi," she whispered.
************
Two days later, Usagi had procured herself a job. The only thing she needed to do was find her daughter a baby-sitter. She soon found herself in front of the house she grew up in... not that she remembered.
Usagi knocked on the door and a few minutes later, Kenji opened the door. "Usagi! It's good to see you, honey. Please come in."
"Arigatou, P-papa," Usagi said as tears flowed out. He immediately wrapped his arms around her and Iku.
"Mama sad."
"What happened?" he asked.
Usagi felt Iku falling, but Kenji was able to catch her. The room was spinning fast. Here she was, about to admit that Yuuta was gone. She didn't want to believe it!
Kenji set Iku on the floor, and picked Usagi up to bring her to the couch. The minute she hit the pillow, she fainted. Iku padded along with him. He turned to her. "What happened, Iku?"
"Papa gone. He got sick."
"Sick? Where is he now?"
Iku's eyes filled with tears. "With the angels."
Kenji gathered the little girl in his arms. "It's okay, Iku." He looked up to see his wife standing in the doorway staring at him questioningly. "It's Yuuta."
"You mean, he's...?"
"I'm afraid so."
"Why don't you take Iku up for a nap and I'll sit with Usagi." Kenji nodded and went upstairs as Ikuko knelt next to her daughter.
Usagi was slowly coming to. Deep down she didn't want to, but knew Iku would need her. "Yuuta, aishiteru..."
"Usagi!"
She opened her eyes to see her mother's face floating above her. "Mama?" Usagi began crying uncontrollably. "Oh, Mama, he's gone!"
"Shhh, it's all right, baby," Ikuko comforted.
As Usagi cried in her mother's arms, memories flashed before her and she suddenly remembered her family. She had a feeling it was Yuuta and the mysterious woman she saw in her dreams, who helped her.
She stopped crying and looked at Ikuko. "I remember everything, Mama."
Ikuko smiled and hugged her again. "Usagi!"
Usagi found the job she was dreaming of since she was in high school. She was a choreographer for one of major theater companies in Tokyo. However, they wanted her to star in a few of their upcoming musicals before she started the real work.
Was she complaining? Not one bit! Their next production was going to be CATS. She had seen it when she and Yuuta went to America for their honeymoon. It was one of the most beautiful musicals she had ever seen.
Usagi left the theater with a slight skip in her step. She had her memories back! Well, not all of them. She still couldn't remember her friends. However, that was going to change. They were meeting at the park to catch up.
As she walked, she thought of Yuuta. She missed him terribly, but came to realize that she was blessed to have known him. She loved him more now then she ever did. He gave her a reason to keep living: Iku.
She was about to head into the park when a familiar voice stopped her. Usagi found herself face to face with Mari. "I thought I told you to stay away from here!"
"You have nothing to worry about, Mari-san, I still don't remember Mamoru. I don't remember my friends either. I don't want to take anyone away from you."
Mari crossed her arms. "Well, then I guess you should know that your friends would rather you not remember them."
"N-nani?"
"That's what they told me last night," Mari responded. "They said they were only meeting with you today to tell you just that."
Tears filled Usagi's eyes. From the way her parents spoke about them, they were the greatest friends. Friends who believed that she was still alive and would come back to them one day. "A-are you certain?"
She shrugged. "That's what they said. If you don't believe me, go to the park and find out for yourself," Mari said, turning to leave.
Usagi stared after her in disbelief. "Maybe it's better I don't remember them…"