Disclaimer: I claim no ownership to the characters.

An Artist's Heart

Kagome opened the door and walked into her house. "Hello?" She called.

"Oh, Kagome, honey! You're home!" Ms. Higurashi smiled as she came out from the kitchen.

Something's not right…She's too….perky for a Monday afternoon. "Mom, you okay?"

"Oh I'm wonderful!" Ms. Higurashi smiled even bigger," I-"

"What's the hold up?" Kagome looked over her mother's shoulder to see a tall man with brown hair cut short and brown eyes. He wore a blue t-shirt and jeans. Kagome glared suspiciously.

"Who's he?"

Ms. Higurashi turned to look at the man. "Oh!" She stepped over and put her arms on his shoulders. "This," she said, as if talking to the man and not Kagome, "Is Tsubasa-the one I told you about-my boyfriend. I mean-" Ms. Higurashi smiled at him as they shared a silent secret.

"What?" Kagome asked, her voice sounding more desperate than she'd intended.

"I mean, Tsubasa is my..."

"Close friend?" Kagome asked hopefully.

"No, Kagome. I mean Tsubasa is my fiancée."

Kagome froze. She stared in shock at her mother. At this person she thought was her mother. "W-What?" She asked.

"My fiancée," Ms. Higurashi repeated.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Tsubasa asked with a boyish grin.

Kagome froze, a horrified expression on her face. "F-Fiancée? What do you mean fiancée?"

"I mean we're engaged to be married," Ms. Higurashi said matter-of-factly. Her worry was mounting as Kagome's eyes began to fill up with tears. Please, please don't take this too badly! Ms. Higurashi silently prayed for her daughter's understanding, but it didn't look like it was going to come.

"Since when?" Kagome asked, venom etching itself into her voice.

"H-He just proposed yesterday," Ms. Higurashi's voice was quiet as she strained to keep calm.

Kagome stood there, her eyes cast downward. "How could you? How could you replace my father? Your husband!"

"I'm not trying to replace him!" Ms. Higurashi cried, stepping forward and putting a hand to her chest. "Your father will always be in my heart, but I don't want to mourn him forever! He wanted us to be happy, Kagome…" She walked over and hugged her daughter. "He wanted us to move on with our lives. Not forget him, not replace him, just to be happy."

"I'm not happy with another man," Kagome said, tears falling down her cheek. "I'm happy with dad, and no one else." Ms. Higurashi stood in silence. Tsubasa had long ago slipped out the door. She silently thanked him.

"I'm sorry," Ms. Higurashi whispered, "But I need someone else. Tsubasa will never replace your dad. No one will! But he can help build this family up again, so that your father can smile down and glow with pride as he watches his children grow and be happy from the heavens. I can't make that happen alone, Kagome. I-I just hope that you can understand that."

"I hate you," Kagome whispered, looking up through her bangs. Her eyes were in shadow. Ms. Higurashi gasped and pulled away as if slapped. As her mother sadly began to cry, Kagome tore her eyes away from her mother's face and ran to her room, tears falling the entire way.

\\\\\\\\\

Sango sat down in one of the few chairs scattered around the kitchen. Finally, some peace and quite. She flipped to a page in her magazine. Briiing! Sango jumped as the phone's shrill ring filled the house. She hurried over and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Sango?" Hm? Kagome?

"Kagome? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Kagome said quietly.

"Yes, there is something wrong. What is it?"

"Nothing."

It was quite for a few moments. Sango could hear an Evenesance song in the background.

"Kagome?"

"Yes?"

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, Sango! Everything's wrong! My grades are slipping! Mom's got a new fiancée! I miss InuYasha! I just..." Kagome started sobbing into the phone.

"Shhh, shhh," Sango tried to calm Kagome down. "It's okay. Now what's this about your mom's new fiancée? And- wait a sec! Did you say you missed InuYasha!"

Kagome sniffed. "Yeah, I guess so. Why?"

"No reason. Now, come on. Vent." It took Kagome ten minutes of incoherent sobbing and speed talk to tell the entire story.

"And that's when I told her I hated her," Kagome finished.

Sango sighed. "Kagome-"

"I know. I screwed up."

"Yeah, you sort of did. Can you understand where your mother's coming from?"

"Yeah. But how can she just throw in some new guy and call him my 'new' father! It makes no sense, Sango! Doesn't she love dad anymore?"

"I'm sure she does," Sango said lovingly, "But don't you love your mom? I mean, truly love her?"

Kagome was quite for a few moments, but then she said, "Yes, I do."

"Then think about her happiness. But, on your half, try asking your mom if she can just remain engaged for awhile. At least until you get used to the idea of a new father."

"I don't think I ever will!" Kagome said, "But I guess I can try it. Huh? Oh, I've got to go. Mom's at the door. Oh, and by the way Sango…"

"Yes?"

"You'd make a great physiatrist. Bye."

"Bye." Sango hung up the phone and leaned against the wall. "Physiatrist, eh? Now there's something to think about." And she picked up her magazine again, returning to her "me time".

R&R please. This chapter didn't take much revising—just a few grammatical errors. Don't I feel special?