"Mother...I'm going away for awhile." Tomoyo stated plainly.
Sonomi nodded in understanding. Her daughter had not taken two steps into the house, before she made this statement. "Of course, I know she needs this, and she has my full support in whatever she has to do to heal herself." Sonomi thought. She knew better than to ask about the wedding, or anything having to do with Sakura, for that matter. "Where were you thinking of going?"
"Well...I've always read about Italy, and how beautiful it is." Tomoyo replied, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "I wanted to try my hand at painting as well."
Sonomi smiled. "Yes, that would suit you beautifully!"
Tomoyo gave her a little smile in return, before continuing, "I'll be leaving within the week...and I can't say when exactly I'll be back."
In a flash, Sonomi was off her chair and hugging her daughter. "You're...always the one who kept me so strong! I don't know what life will be like without my precious daughter here...but I want you to do whatever you have to do. Take as much time as you need." Sonomi looked into her daughter's eyes before continuing. "And don't forget to keep me informed about any...new developments." She gave her daughter a knowing smile and wink.
Tomoyo blushed, stammering, "M-mother!" Composing herself, she giggled a bit as well. "I promise I'll call as often as I can!" She always thought as her mother being the stronger of the two, and this would not be an easy trip for her to take without someone so supportive and loving to talk to.
Sonomi sighed, whispering to Tomoyo, "My daughter...all grown up, and off to make a life of her own!" Silently, she thought, "I pray you will find someone who you can love, and who loves you, just the way you always wanted to be loved...my dearest daughter."
"Don't you have a honeymoon or something to go on with that ga-err, your husband?" Touya asked, correcting himself. He was really trying to be supportive of his sister and her new husband.
"Ah, Syaoran has a business meeting to go to; our honeymoon won't be for another few weeks yet..." Sakura replied.
"If he tries anything..."
"Onii-chan!" Sakura cried, blushing profusely.
Yuki could only laugh. Sakura was still naieve in so many ways. Yet...that could hurt others, and maybe now was the time to talk about that. "Sakura-chan, wasn't there something you wanted to ask?"
"Ah, hai!" Sakura fumbled with the hem of her dress. "I...I was just worried about Tomoyo-chan. With the wedding and everything that's happened lately, I haven't had the time to talk much with her, and I feel bad about that. She just seemed so upset today..."
Touya grinned. "Did you try asking her what was wrong?"
"I didn't notice anything wrong until today...something about that song she sang. Besides, she might not admit to me that something's wrong. When we were kids, sometimes she looked upset for no reason...and she wouldn't tell me why." Sakura looked away for a moment. "She's always been my best friend, but, looking back, it was always her that was giving...everything."
"Why don't you think she'd tell you? Also, why was she always giving to only you?"
"Onii-chan! I was the one with questions here!" Sakura fumed.
"Well, don't you think you should have answers to my questions too?" Touya countered. "And you still haven't asked me your question, anyway."
"My question...was about the song she sang today. She told me it was in English...and I knew you learned that at the university." Sakura put her hand behind her head before continuing. "It was almost like she was singing in secret code to someone...that she wanted someone to hear what she had to say...but, it made her so sad! I just wanted to know what the words meant...she's done so much for me as my best friend...if she's hurting that much, I want to help her!"
Touya thought he had become pretty good at guessing how Tomoyo felt, as well as the way she thought. "I can't just outright tell her how Tomoyo feels; it's something she has to discover for herself." he thought sadly. "She is married now, and I don't want to be the one to tell her this...if she doesn't reach this conclusion on her own, then maybe she never was meant to know." Touya had been silent for several minutes, before finally speaking. "Have you ever heard Tomoyo talk about her 'special someone'?"
"Sure, lots of times, especially when we were little!" Sakura replied, remembering their childhood fondly. "She always talked about how much her special person meant to her, but..."
"But?"
Sakura sighed. "I never understood it, so I didn't really try to get any more out of her, but she always acted as though she couldn't tell her special someone how she felt. I never understood that...even if the person she loved was in love with someone else, at least by telling him, she wouldn't have it on her mind all the time."
Touya sighed, thinking, "She really is that dense...maybe I can give her a little push in the right direction." "Sakura...I think the song is about her special person."
"I...I almost thought it was anyway," Sakura admitted, "since I couldn't think of anything else she'd be so sad about."
Several more minutes passed by in silence, before Sakura chirped out the question, "What...can I do to help her?"
Touya was really conflicted at this point. "Sakura...I don't know if you should-"
Sakura cut him off. "But I have to! She's my best friend!" Tears began to form in her eyes. "How could anyone hurt sweet Tomoyo like that? She's done nothing but be kind and loving to everyone; she doesn't deserve to be alone!" Sakura gripped the sofa she sat on.
Touya sighed. Taking Sakura's hand in his, he looked into her eyes, and said, "The words in her song were very powerful, Sakura. What if you can't give...find what she needs?"
"I just want to take away her pain! Whether that means finding her special person and telling him how she feels, or helping her get over this blind person who can't see all the love she has for him, it doesn't matter! I have to show Tomoyo that she has people who do love her! I want to be the friend to her that she's always been to me..."
Touya hugged his crying sister. "Sakura...I'll think about how we can help Tomoyo, I promise."
"Arigato, onii-chan." Sakura sniffled.
"But, you've been her friend for years...you know her better than I do." Touya mentally grimaced at that thought. "Maybe you and Syaoran can come up with a solution."
Sakura giggled. Her poor husband was never very good with his emotions, much less those of others.
"And, here, maybe this will help you." Touya said as he handed Sakura a piece of paper scrawled with writing.
"Hoe?" Sakura questioned.
"My rough translation of the song Tomoyo sang, maybe it'll give you some insight into how she feels about her special person." Touya got a sheepish look on his face. "My English might be a bit rusty, so forgive the loose translation.
"Arigato again, onii-chan...you're the best." Sakura smiled.
Later that night, after Sakura had gone home, Touya and Yuki sat by the fireplace.
Smiling, Yuki remarked, "You handled that conversation really well, To-ya. I hope I get to see that side of you more often!"
Touya grinned a bit too. Then, laying his head on Yuki's shoulder, his expression became more somber, after coming to the understanding, "No matter what happens...someone will get hurt." Aloud, he scoffed, "What a time that gaki picked to make himself absent...he should have to deal with the kaijuu too!"
Yuki could only laugh.
Sonomi nodded in understanding. Her daughter had not taken two steps into the house, before she made this statement. "Of course, I know she needs this, and she has my full support in whatever she has to do to heal herself." Sonomi thought. She knew better than to ask about the wedding, or anything having to do with Sakura, for that matter. "Where were you thinking of going?"
"Well...I've always read about Italy, and how beautiful it is." Tomoyo replied, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "I wanted to try my hand at painting as well."
Sonomi smiled. "Yes, that would suit you beautifully!"
Tomoyo gave her a little smile in return, before continuing, "I'll be leaving within the week...and I can't say when exactly I'll be back."
In a flash, Sonomi was off her chair and hugging her daughter. "You're...always the one who kept me so strong! I don't know what life will be like without my precious daughter here...but I want you to do whatever you have to do. Take as much time as you need." Sonomi looked into her daughter's eyes before continuing. "And don't forget to keep me informed about any...new developments." She gave her daughter a knowing smile and wink.
Tomoyo blushed, stammering, "M-mother!" Composing herself, she giggled a bit as well. "I promise I'll call as often as I can!" She always thought as her mother being the stronger of the two, and this would not be an easy trip for her to take without someone so supportive and loving to talk to.
Sonomi sighed, whispering to Tomoyo, "My daughter...all grown up, and off to make a life of her own!" Silently, she thought, "I pray you will find someone who you can love, and who loves you, just the way you always wanted to be loved...my dearest daughter."
"Don't you have a honeymoon or something to go on with that ga-err, your husband?" Touya asked, correcting himself. He was really trying to be supportive of his sister and her new husband.
"Ah, Syaoran has a business meeting to go to; our honeymoon won't be for another few weeks yet..." Sakura replied.
"If he tries anything..."
"Onii-chan!" Sakura cried, blushing profusely.
Yuki could only laugh. Sakura was still naieve in so many ways. Yet...that could hurt others, and maybe now was the time to talk about that. "Sakura-chan, wasn't there something you wanted to ask?"
"Ah, hai!" Sakura fumbled with the hem of her dress. "I...I was just worried about Tomoyo-chan. With the wedding and everything that's happened lately, I haven't had the time to talk much with her, and I feel bad about that. She just seemed so upset today..."
Touya grinned. "Did you try asking her what was wrong?"
"I didn't notice anything wrong until today...something about that song she sang. Besides, she might not admit to me that something's wrong. When we were kids, sometimes she looked upset for no reason...and she wouldn't tell me why." Sakura looked away for a moment. "She's always been my best friend, but, looking back, it was always her that was giving...everything."
"Why don't you think she'd tell you? Also, why was she always giving to only you?"
"Onii-chan! I was the one with questions here!" Sakura fumed.
"Well, don't you think you should have answers to my questions too?" Touya countered. "And you still haven't asked me your question, anyway."
"My question...was about the song she sang today. She told me it was in English...and I knew you learned that at the university." Sakura put her hand behind her head before continuing. "It was almost like she was singing in secret code to someone...that she wanted someone to hear what she had to say...but, it made her so sad! I just wanted to know what the words meant...she's done so much for me as my best friend...if she's hurting that much, I want to help her!"
Touya thought he had become pretty good at guessing how Tomoyo felt, as well as the way she thought. "I can't just outright tell her how Tomoyo feels; it's something she has to discover for herself." he thought sadly. "She is married now, and I don't want to be the one to tell her this...if she doesn't reach this conclusion on her own, then maybe she never was meant to know." Touya had been silent for several minutes, before finally speaking. "Have you ever heard Tomoyo talk about her 'special someone'?"
"Sure, lots of times, especially when we were little!" Sakura replied, remembering their childhood fondly. "She always talked about how much her special person meant to her, but..."
"But?"
Sakura sighed. "I never understood it, so I didn't really try to get any more out of her, but she always acted as though she couldn't tell her special someone how she felt. I never understood that...even if the person she loved was in love with someone else, at least by telling him, she wouldn't have it on her mind all the time."
Touya sighed, thinking, "She really is that dense...maybe I can give her a little push in the right direction." "Sakura...I think the song is about her special person."
"I...I almost thought it was anyway," Sakura admitted, "since I couldn't think of anything else she'd be so sad about."
Several more minutes passed by in silence, before Sakura chirped out the question, "What...can I do to help her?"
Touya was really conflicted at this point. "Sakura...I don't know if you should-"
Sakura cut him off. "But I have to! She's my best friend!" Tears began to form in her eyes. "How could anyone hurt sweet Tomoyo like that? She's done nothing but be kind and loving to everyone; she doesn't deserve to be alone!" Sakura gripped the sofa she sat on.
Touya sighed. Taking Sakura's hand in his, he looked into her eyes, and said, "The words in her song were very powerful, Sakura. What if you can't give...find what she needs?"
"I just want to take away her pain! Whether that means finding her special person and telling him how she feels, or helping her get over this blind person who can't see all the love she has for him, it doesn't matter! I have to show Tomoyo that she has people who do love her! I want to be the friend to her that she's always been to me..."
Touya hugged his crying sister. "Sakura...I'll think about how we can help Tomoyo, I promise."
"Arigato, onii-chan." Sakura sniffled.
"But, you've been her friend for years...you know her better than I do." Touya mentally grimaced at that thought. "Maybe you and Syaoran can come up with a solution."
Sakura giggled. Her poor husband was never very good with his emotions, much less those of others.
"And, here, maybe this will help you." Touya said as he handed Sakura a piece of paper scrawled with writing.
"Hoe?" Sakura questioned.
"My rough translation of the song Tomoyo sang, maybe it'll give you some insight into how she feels about her special person." Touya got a sheepish look on his face. "My English might be a bit rusty, so forgive the loose translation.
"Arigato again, onii-chan...you're the best." Sakura smiled.
Later that night, after Sakura had gone home, Touya and Yuki sat by the fireplace.
Smiling, Yuki remarked, "You handled that conversation really well, To-ya. I hope I get to see that side of you more often!"
Touya grinned a bit too. Then, laying his head on Yuki's shoulder, his expression became more somber, after coming to the understanding, "No matter what happens...someone will get hurt." Aloud, he scoffed, "What a time that gaki picked to make himself absent...he should have to deal with the kaijuu too!"
Yuki could only laugh.