Chapter 15: Truth Revealed
The first twenty minutes in the car was torture. A heavy silence filled the room and all Tomoyo could do was fiddle with the smooth fabric of her dress. The cotton slipped through her fingertips, but she kept her gaze outside the window. She dared not let her sight wander or else who knew what they would land on. She can still see her friend's car practically speeding behind them, but soon, the driver of the car she was in took a sharp turn and lost the other car. From about fifty feet away, he could hear a loud curse echo through the quiet road.
She had half expected the person next to her to crack some sort of joke about the noise, but he remained silent, which worried her even more. Before she knew it, they were in the midst of a densely wooded area. The driver stopped the car and stepped out, leaning against the front of the car and staring ahead. Hesitantly, she put a pale hand on the handle and stepped out herself. Although he heard the noise, the man never turned, but instead held his gaze as steady as ever. She stood silently beside him, waiting for him to start the conversation that she had dreaded for so long.
"So," he said, startling her. "A gift from her daddy, huh?" A bitter laugh escaped from his lips. Honestly, he didn't know what to think. He had spent the entire night thinking this over. Could he possibility have a daughter and not know it? How is it possible that he hadn't noticed that Tomoyo was pregnant? "Care to elaborate, Tomoyo-chan?"
She winced when she heard her name. No, she didn't care to elaborate, but it looks as if she didn't really have a choice. "Eriol-kun," she started, unsure of how to continue. "Well, you see, Kara-chan thinks that Syaoran-kun was the only man I've ever... been with. So it was... difficult for me to all of a sudden just say that some mysterious man gave me a necklace so, I lied." A sigh escaped from her lips and she swallowed the truth that threatened to escape on the tip of her tongue. "I'm sorry if there was any misunderstanding, but... just don't think so much into it."
He seemed satisfied with her answer. After all, who was he to question her? But then again, her eyes flashed, the way they would if she was lying. Slowly, he put his hand over hers, which rested on the hood of the van. With a gentle squeeze, he encouraged her, "Please be honest with me."
That whisper in her ear was more than she could handle. She turned her head and with her eyes squeezed shut, she leaned forward and found his lips with hers. Although the kiss was short, it was the best he'd had in years. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she buried her head against his shoulder. Slowly and unsurely, he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her closer while he rested his other hand on the back of her head, letting her know that it was okay to lean on him. For about two minutes, they stood like that, letting the sounds of nature around them serve as a melody. She slowly lifted her head and wiped her damp eyes with her sleeve.
As she told the story, he kept his eye on her. If it hadn't been about his own daughter, he probably would have zoned out and just stared at her face. Her puffy red eyes, a bright blush creeping to her cheeks, lips swollen from sobbing, she looked as pretty as ever. Her tears formed a glassy surface over her eyes, making them ten times brighter. His emotions went from shock, to disappoint, and finally, confusion.
She finished and looked down at her hands, which were currently strangling her dress. An index finger and a thumb raised her face and forced her to look up into the eyes she'd always loved the most. The gentle glint in his eyes, the familiar fragrance, the soft touch, the fluttering kisses, it was all coming back to her. It made her want to fall in love with him all over again. Even if she had to experience all the pain in the world, she would never regret meeting and falling in love with Hiiragizawa Eriol. The next thing she knew, he'd pulled her into a tight embrace, and as she snapped back to her senses, she returned it full-heartedly, wanting to be convinced that it was not a dream.
"You foolish little girl. What do you mean, a burden?" Eriol choked out as tears spilled rapidly down his cheeks and onto her shoulder. "You, and my... my daugher, could never, ever be a burden. Just one word, that was all I needed from you and I would have flown to the U.S. with you. Please, let me stay with you from now on. We've already lost so much time." He buried his face deeper into the crook of her neck. That faint smell of lavender radiated from her and he breathed it in as if it were vital.
All the strength within her seem to have escaped and all she could do was nod. Just as she thought that nothing could ruin this moment, a loud, familiar shriek came from behind them. "Nooooooo!"
The first twenty minutes in the car was torture. A heavy silence filled the room and all Tomoyo could do was fiddle with the smooth fabric of her dress. The cotton slipped through her fingertips, but she kept her gaze outside the window. She dared not let her sight wander or else who knew what they would land on. She can still see her friend's car practically speeding behind them, but soon, the driver of the car she was in took a sharp turn and lost the other car. From about fifty feet away, he could hear a loud curse echo through the quiet road.
She had half expected the person next to her to crack some sort of joke about the noise, but he remained silent, which worried her even more. Before she knew it, they were in the midst of a densely wooded area. The driver stopped the car and stepped out, leaning against the front of the car and staring ahead. Hesitantly, she put a pale hand on the handle and stepped out herself. Although he heard the noise, the man never turned, but instead held his gaze as steady as ever. She stood silently beside him, waiting for him to start the conversation that she had dreaded for so long.
"So," he said, startling her. "A gift from her daddy, huh?" A bitter laugh escaped from his lips. Honestly, he didn't know what to think. He had spent the entire night thinking this over. Could he possibility have a daughter and not know it? How is it possible that he hadn't noticed that Tomoyo was pregnant? "Care to elaborate, Tomoyo-chan?"
She winced when she heard her name. No, she didn't care to elaborate, but it looks as if she didn't really have a choice. "Eriol-kun," she started, unsure of how to continue. "Well, you see, Kara-chan thinks that Syaoran-kun was the only man I've ever... been with. So it was... difficult for me to all of a sudden just say that some mysterious man gave me a necklace so, I lied." A sigh escaped from her lips and she swallowed the truth that threatened to escape on the tip of her tongue. "I'm sorry if there was any misunderstanding, but... just don't think so much into it."
He seemed satisfied with her answer. After all, who was he to question her? But then again, her eyes flashed, the way they would if she was lying. Slowly, he put his hand over hers, which rested on the hood of the van. With a gentle squeeze, he encouraged her, "Please be honest with me."
That whisper in her ear was more than she could handle. She turned her head and with her eyes squeezed shut, she leaned forward and found his lips with hers. Although the kiss was short, it was the best he'd had in years. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she buried her head against his shoulder. Slowly and unsurely, he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her closer while he rested his other hand on the back of her head, letting her know that it was okay to lean on him. For about two minutes, they stood like that, letting the sounds of nature around them serve as a melody. She slowly lifted her head and wiped her damp eyes with her sleeve.
As she told the story, he kept his eye on her. If it hadn't been about his own daughter, he probably would have zoned out and just stared at her face. Her puffy red eyes, a bright blush creeping to her cheeks, lips swollen from sobbing, she looked as pretty as ever. Her tears formed a glassy surface over her eyes, making them ten times brighter. His emotions went from shock, to disappoint, and finally, confusion.
She finished and looked down at her hands, which were currently strangling her dress. An index finger and a thumb raised her face and forced her to look up into the eyes she'd always loved the most. The gentle glint in his eyes, the familiar fragrance, the soft touch, the fluttering kisses, it was all coming back to her. It made her want to fall in love with him all over again. Even if she had to experience all the pain in the world, she would never regret meeting and falling in love with Hiiragizawa Eriol. The next thing she knew, he'd pulled her into a tight embrace, and as she snapped back to her senses, she returned it full-heartedly, wanting to be convinced that it was not a dream.
"You foolish little girl. What do you mean, a burden?" Eriol choked out as tears spilled rapidly down his cheeks and onto her shoulder. "You, and my... my daugher, could never, ever be a burden. Just one word, that was all I needed from you and I would have flown to the U.S. with you. Please, let me stay with you from now on. We've already lost so much time." He buried his face deeper into the crook of her neck. That faint smell of lavender radiated from her and he breathed it in as if it were vital.
All the strength within her seem to have escaped and all she could do was nod. Just as she thought that nothing could ruin this moment, a loud, familiar shriek came from behind them. "Nooooooo!"