The gift of love
_________________
"But I dont want to move!" Kagome cried.
"Why not I have looked it over carefully. If you stay here a heart could take up to four years. Any where else it could be less than eight months." Her grandpa said.
"Daughter, it is not like we won't return,"her mother said. "Just as soon as its all over with and you are recovered, we will come home. All we want to do is find another city stay for a while so you can have a better chance for a new heart. We will sublet a town house."
"But what about my doctor? She can't operate on me if we move." How could they do this to her. Just when she was happy.
"She has checked out some great transplant centers and teams and she thinks either chosen will be just as good as her."
"I won't be able to start my senior year at my high school.I was looking forward to school in the fall."
"I think getting a new heart if far more important than what high school you go to." her mother said.
"But all my friends are there. Sango...."
"She'll understand. I don't know what all the fuss is about, Kagome. This news should make you glad."
Kagome felt her breath catch in her throat. She practiced her breathing techniques. "It does."she slowly said. "You just caught me off guard."
Her grandpa smiled. "Good. Then I am flying out this weekend to check out the housing. We need to catch residency soon. I have already found someone to care for the Shrine in our absence.?
"And your business?"Kagome asked trying one last tactic.
"Same person."
"Really? You trust them?"
"There is nothing more important to your mother and me than you. The business and shrine are secondary."
Kagome was out of arguments. Her chest felt caught in a vise, and her mind wouldn't shut off. She could do nothing. She had to tell Inu.
Sango set up a meeting, and Kagome took a cab to the park on the riverfront that was her and Inu's fav meeting place. He was already there, pacing and looking worried.
"Are you alright?" he asked the minute she stepped from the cab.
"No."
Inu took ahold of her and walked her slowly towards the river.
"What will we do Inu? I don't want to move!"
By now they reached the river. Inu spread a blanket he was carrying and made her sit. He took a bottle of water from his backpack and dampened a napkin and ran it over her forehead and neck.
"You must not get so upset. Kagome, it's not good for you."
"Aren't we going to talk about this? Do you want me to move?"
"Every moment I have with you, Kagome is like a small gift. A present thats I don't deserve. I've always known that one day you will leave me."
"But I don't want to, it's not by choice."
"And isn't that the point? You're leaving to get a new heart is more important than anything. Even us."
"I just thought it would happen here with you nearby."
"Don't cry. It hurts my heart to see you cry. Do you think I want you to go? I would be with you every minute if I could." he said taking her in his arms and kissing her damp cheeks. She settle against him. She felt better.
"We have to think of a way to talk to each other. I couldn't stand not talking to you for so long."
"How long before you move?"
"As soon as my grandpa finds a city suitable and a house. Movers too."
"Before you go, I will speak with your family. It is not right to decieve them. We should tell them, I want them to know I love you."
"I want them to know I love you too."
"Then I will speak with them and soon."
She felt better knowing this. They might not have changed their minds about him but she would stand up for it this time. She needed him in her life, he was the medicine she needed to grow strong for the journeys ahead.
"I have something to tell you, but I was saving it. I just cant keep it a secret anymore."
"Tell me, Inu."
"I've been accepted into a medical program, all expenses paid."
"That's wonderful. When do you start?"
"In September. I'll give up my grocer's job but still work at the hospital. When the program is over I can start a new job at the hospital. My supervisor has already said so. He even recommended me for both."
She put her arms around him. "I am so happy for you."
He kissed her. "I couldn't have done it without you."
"I didn't do anything. You did all the work."
"You gave me hope. You gave me the courage to act on a dream."
They held each other for a while and watched as slowly as the sun dipped in the west. "I have to go, "she told him reluctantly. "My parents think I am at Sango's."
"I will take you there, but first...."he reached into his bag. "This is for you." He handed her a slim leather book, embossed in gold.
"Poetry?"
"Love poems. They say what I want t, but with more fancy words. I do not posses such. But if I did, I would tell you them all."
She smoothed her hand across it, her heart filled with love for Inu. "I'll treasure it always."
"Until we can be together, forever."
She hugged him tight. She whispered,"Forever." He leaned in and kissed her, it was so achingly sweet it made her cry.
On the following Monday her grandpa returned with news of a house and a perfect hospital. Kagome knew things would happen quickly. Soon they would know about Inu. She plotted with Sango the best way to tell them. She even rehearsed a speech. She would tell them Friday. Friday came and she was roused from her sleep by her mom.
"Get dressed."Her mom told her.
"Why? What is happening?"
"We just got a call."Her mother said emotionally.
She didnt hear the phone ring, her ringer was off in her room. She looked at her clock, 4:30. "A call?"
"From the hospital. Dr. Kaede said to come quickly. They have a heart for you, Kagome! They need to operate right away!!!"
_________________
"But I dont want to move!" Kagome cried.
"Why not I have looked it over carefully. If you stay here a heart could take up to four years. Any where else it could be less than eight months." Her grandpa said.
"Daughter, it is not like we won't return,"her mother said. "Just as soon as its all over with and you are recovered, we will come home. All we want to do is find another city stay for a while so you can have a better chance for a new heart. We will sublet a town house."
"But what about my doctor? She can't operate on me if we move." How could they do this to her. Just when she was happy.
"She has checked out some great transplant centers and teams and she thinks either chosen will be just as good as her."
"I won't be able to start my senior year at my high school.I was looking forward to school in the fall."
"I think getting a new heart if far more important than what high school you go to." her mother said.
"But all my friends are there. Sango...."
"She'll understand. I don't know what all the fuss is about, Kagome. This news should make you glad."
Kagome felt her breath catch in her throat. She practiced her breathing techniques. "It does."she slowly said. "You just caught me off guard."
Her grandpa smiled. "Good. Then I am flying out this weekend to check out the housing. We need to catch residency soon. I have already found someone to care for the Shrine in our absence.?
"And your business?"Kagome asked trying one last tactic.
"Same person."
"Really? You trust them?"
"There is nothing more important to your mother and me than you. The business and shrine are secondary."
Kagome was out of arguments. Her chest felt caught in a vise, and her mind wouldn't shut off. She could do nothing. She had to tell Inu.
Sango set up a meeting, and Kagome took a cab to the park on the riverfront that was her and Inu's fav meeting place. He was already there, pacing and looking worried.
"Are you alright?" he asked the minute she stepped from the cab.
"No."
Inu took ahold of her and walked her slowly towards the river.
"What will we do Inu? I don't want to move!"
By now they reached the river. Inu spread a blanket he was carrying and made her sit. He took a bottle of water from his backpack and dampened a napkin and ran it over her forehead and neck.
"You must not get so upset. Kagome, it's not good for you."
"Aren't we going to talk about this? Do you want me to move?"
"Every moment I have with you, Kagome is like a small gift. A present thats I don't deserve. I've always known that one day you will leave me."
"But I don't want to, it's not by choice."
"And isn't that the point? You're leaving to get a new heart is more important than anything. Even us."
"I just thought it would happen here with you nearby."
"Don't cry. It hurts my heart to see you cry. Do you think I want you to go? I would be with you every minute if I could." he said taking her in his arms and kissing her damp cheeks. She settle against him. She felt better.
"We have to think of a way to talk to each other. I couldn't stand not talking to you for so long."
"How long before you move?"
"As soon as my grandpa finds a city suitable and a house. Movers too."
"Before you go, I will speak with your family. It is not right to decieve them. We should tell them, I want them to know I love you."
"I want them to know I love you too."
"Then I will speak with them and soon."
She felt better knowing this. They might not have changed their minds about him but she would stand up for it this time. She needed him in her life, he was the medicine she needed to grow strong for the journeys ahead.
"I have something to tell you, but I was saving it. I just cant keep it a secret anymore."
"Tell me, Inu."
"I've been accepted into a medical program, all expenses paid."
"That's wonderful. When do you start?"
"In September. I'll give up my grocer's job but still work at the hospital. When the program is over I can start a new job at the hospital. My supervisor has already said so. He even recommended me for both."
She put her arms around him. "I am so happy for you."
He kissed her. "I couldn't have done it without you."
"I didn't do anything. You did all the work."
"You gave me hope. You gave me the courage to act on a dream."
They held each other for a while and watched as slowly as the sun dipped in the west. "I have to go, "she told him reluctantly. "My parents think I am at Sango's."
"I will take you there, but first...."he reached into his bag. "This is for you." He handed her a slim leather book, embossed in gold.
"Poetry?"
"Love poems. They say what I want t, but with more fancy words. I do not posses such. But if I did, I would tell you them all."
She smoothed her hand across it, her heart filled with love for Inu. "I'll treasure it always."
"Until we can be together, forever."
She hugged him tight. She whispered,"Forever." He leaned in and kissed her, it was so achingly sweet it made her cry.
On the following Monday her grandpa returned with news of a house and a perfect hospital. Kagome knew things would happen quickly. Soon they would know about Inu. She plotted with Sango the best way to tell them. She even rehearsed a speech. She would tell them Friday. Friday came and she was roused from her sleep by her mom.
"Get dressed."Her mom told her.
"Why? What is happening?"
"We just got a call."Her mother said emotionally.
She didnt hear the phone ring, her ringer was off in her room. She looked at her clock, 4:30. "A call?"
"From the hospital. Dr. Kaede said to come quickly. They have a heart for you, Kagome! They need to operate right away!!!"