Finally the day came where Domon and Rain were supposed to leave.
Lilly stood next to Dr. Kasshu clinging to his hand. Domon and Rain watched
the loading of Burning Gundam. Once Burning Gundam was ready to go Domon
walked over and knelt down in front of Lilly. Lilly bit her lip and tried
her hardest to hold back her tears. Domon pulled her close and kissed the
top of her head.
"You know that I'm gonna miss you don't you baby?" Domon asked her.
"I know Daddy," Lilly said as tears coursed down her cheeks. "I love you."
"I love you too baby," Domon assured her. "Be a good girl for Grandpa for me. That means no locking yourself in your room and no refusing to eat."
"Yes Daddy."
"Mr. Kasshu the shuttle is ready to launch," a nearby worker told Domon.
"I'll try to call you once a week and I'll see you in December," Domon said giving Lilly one final hug. Lilly wrapped her arms around Domon's neck holding onto him tightly. "Let go Lilly," Domon told her sternly. Lilly held on tighter. "Lilliana Grace," Domon said even sterner than before. Domon picked Lilly up and handed her to Dr. Kasshu. "Take care of her for me Dad," Domon told him.
"Don't worry son," Dr. Kasshu assured him. "She's in good hands."
Lilly looked up at her father and watched him board the shuttle. If Domon's back hadn't been facing her she would have seen the silent tears that rolled down his cheeks. Lilly turned in her grandfather's arms and sobbed into his shoulder. Domon walked onto the shuttle and took his seat next to Rain. He buckled his seat belt and looked out the window for one last glance at his father and daughter.
Dr. Kasshu carried Lilly to his car and drove them home. When they got there Lilly ran inside and threw herself onto Domon's bed and cried herself to sleep. Dr. Kasshu looked in on his sleeping granddaughter and closed the door behind him. He knew that it would be best for Lilly just to get some sleep. She would wake up when she got hungry.
Meanwhile Domon and Rain sat in silence on the shuttle both reflecting on one day a little under eight years before. It was the day they had parted ways both hoping for good.
**Flashback**
Rain was sitting on the edge of the boat hugging her knees to her chest. Things had been pretty rocky between her and Domon lately. They were always fighting over something that was usually so petty and insignificant. She couldn't help but wonder if she and Domon were still in love.
Suddenly she felt Domon's leg brush her back. "Where're you going?" she asked looking up at him.
"Why does it matter to you?" Domon said sarcastically.
"I was just asking," Rain said offended. "Why are you getting so defensive?"
"Well don't."
"Domon what's with you?"
"I'm tired of all the third degree."
"Fine then I'll just stay out of your way."
"Maybe you should just stay out of my life."
"Fine! I will!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!" With that Rain ran off the boat tears streaming down her face she ran all the way to Neo Japan's shuttle station. She boarded the first shuttle back to the colony. Domon forgot his outing and stormed back inside. Min, who had witnessed the whole thing, approached Domon cautiously.
"Domon where's Rain going?" Min asked quietly. "Why'd she run off like that?"
"She's not coming back," Domon said gruffly. Min let a few tears start trickling down her cheeks. "Stop acting like a baby," Domon commanded harshly. "Tears aren't going to bring her back."
"You don't know that," Min cried. "When people cry for you it makes you feel loved and special. If Rain knew that we miss her she might come back."
"She's not coming back!" Domon snapped. "So just get over it!"
**End Flashback**
Domon stood in line for a pay phone. Hotels hadn't improved on Earth in the past ten years. The phone jack in Domon and Rain's room in America had been ripped out of the room. So Domon was waiting in line to use a pay phone in the lobby so he could call Lilly.
Meanwhile Lilly was still fast asleep on Domon's bed. The sudden ring of the telephone caused her to wake up. Dr. Kasshu walked into the room holding the phone out to Lilly. "Lilly you have a telephone call," he told his granddaughter.
"Hello", Lilly said sleepily into the phone.
"Lilly it's daddy," Domon told her.
"Daddy!" Lilly cried happily instantly wide-awake. "Where are you? What are you and Miss Rain doing?"
"Rain and I are in America," Domon told her. "Rain's getting settled in our hotel room and I'm in the lobby."
"I want to go to America someday," Lilly said almost wistfully.
"Trust me baby you'd be glad that you're not here right now," Domon assured her. "I'd consider my self a terrible father if you were."
"Okay," Lilly said quietly. "I love you Daddy,"
"I love you too baby," Domon told her. "Let me talk to Grandpa again okay."
"All right," Lilly said. "Bye Daddy. I love you."
"I love you too," Domon assured her again. "I'll call you tomorrow. I promise."
Lilly handed the phone to Dr. Kasshu and hopped down off the bed. She went into the kitchen and set the table for her grandfather like she did every night. After about ten minutes Dr. Kasshu hung up the phone and joined his granddaughter. They ate dinner in silence.
"You know that I'm gonna miss you don't you baby?" Domon asked her.
"I know Daddy," Lilly said as tears coursed down her cheeks. "I love you."
"I love you too baby," Domon assured her. "Be a good girl for Grandpa for me. That means no locking yourself in your room and no refusing to eat."
"Yes Daddy."
"Mr. Kasshu the shuttle is ready to launch," a nearby worker told Domon.
"I'll try to call you once a week and I'll see you in December," Domon said giving Lilly one final hug. Lilly wrapped her arms around Domon's neck holding onto him tightly. "Let go Lilly," Domon told her sternly. Lilly held on tighter. "Lilliana Grace," Domon said even sterner than before. Domon picked Lilly up and handed her to Dr. Kasshu. "Take care of her for me Dad," Domon told him.
"Don't worry son," Dr. Kasshu assured him. "She's in good hands."
Lilly looked up at her father and watched him board the shuttle. If Domon's back hadn't been facing her she would have seen the silent tears that rolled down his cheeks. Lilly turned in her grandfather's arms and sobbed into his shoulder. Domon walked onto the shuttle and took his seat next to Rain. He buckled his seat belt and looked out the window for one last glance at his father and daughter.
Dr. Kasshu carried Lilly to his car and drove them home. When they got there Lilly ran inside and threw herself onto Domon's bed and cried herself to sleep. Dr. Kasshu looked in on his sleeping granddaughter and closed the door behind him. He knew that it would be best for Lilly just to get some sleep. She would wake up when she got hungry.
Meanwhile Domon and Rain sat in silence on the shuttle both reflecting on one day a little under eight years before. It was the day they had parted ways both hoping for good.
**Flashback**
Rain was sitting on the edge of the boat hugging her knees to her chest. Things had been pretty rocky between her and Domon lately. They were always fighting over something that was usually so petty and insignificant. She couldn't help but wonder if she and Domon were still in love.
Suddenly she felt Domon's leg brush her back. "Where're you going?" she asked looking up at him.
"Why does it matter to you?" Domon said sarcastically.
"I was just asking," Rain said offended. "Why are you getting so defensive?"
"Well don't."
"Domon what's with you?"
"I'm tired of all the third degree."
"Fine then I'll just stay out of your way."
"Maybe you should just stay out of my life."
"Fine! I will!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!" With that Rain ran off the boat tears streaming down her face she ran all the way to Neo Japan's shuttle station. She boarded the first shuttle back to the colony. Domon forgot his outing and stormed back inside. Min, who had witnessed the whole thing, approached Domon cautiously.
"Domon where's Rain going?" Min asked quietly. "Why'd she run off like that?"
"She's not coming back," Domon said gruffly. Min let a few tears start trickling down her cheeks. "Stop acting like a baby," Domon commanded harshly. "Tears aren't going to bring her back."
"You don't know that," Min cried. "When people cry for you it makes you feel loved and special. If Rain knew that we miss her she might come back."
"She's not coming back!" Domon snapped. "So just get over it!"
**End Flashback**
Domon stood in line for a pay phone. Hotels hadn't improved on Earth in the past ten years. The phone jack in Domon and Rain's room in America had been ripped out of the room. So Domon was waiting in line to use a pay phone in the lobby so he could call Lilly.
Meanwhile Lilly was still fast asleep on Domon's bed. The sudden ring of the telephone caused her to wake up. Dr. Kasshu walked into the room holding the phone out to Lilly. "Lilly you have a telephone call," he told his granddaughter.
"Hello", Lilly said sleepily into the phone.
"Lilly it's daddy," Domon told her.
"Daddy!" Lilly cried happily instantly wide-awake. "Where are you? What are you and Miss Rain doing?"
"Rain and I are in America," Domon told her. "Rain's getting settled in our hotel room and I'm in the lobby."
"I want to go to America someday," Lilly said almost wistfully.
"Trust me baby you'd be glad that you're not here right now," Domon assured her. "I'd consider my self a terrible father if you were."
"Okay," Lilly said quietly. "I love you Daddy,"
"I love you too baby," Domon told her. "Let me talk to Grandpa again okay."
"All right," Lilly said. "Bye Daddy. I love you."
"I love you too," Domon assured her again. "I'll call you tomorrow. I promise."
Lilly handed the phone to Dr. Kasshu and hopped down off the bed. She went into the kitchen and set the table for her grandfather like she did every night. After about ten minutes Dr. Kasshu hung up the phone and joined his granddaughter. They ate dinner in silence.