Kaho put down the phone and sighed. So far, the two miserable cousins of hers are just hopeless. After talking to Eriol for hours about Tomoyo, Syaoran called and started doing his fair share of complaining about Sakura and Yukito.
Not to mention that two of her pupils were brainless people. With the two of them showering so much care and concern over them, they blindly turn away from the obvious and choose the difficult road.
"What's wrong?" Her husband materialized in the living room and went to sit next to her on the sofa.
She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying the sense of security that he provided. "Well Touya, my poor cousins are having a hard time." She heard him stifle a laugh and mumbled something under his breath. "What is it?"
"Everyone is having a hard time dear. Now, please educate me and tell me how different is their problems compared to Sakura?"
"Oh, even you can't help but noticed Sakura's sudden change in character?" Kaho teased him.
"Hey! Hey! I have always been noticing her. I just don't voice them out so openly."
"Touya?"
"Yes dear?"
"Do you believe in romance?"
"Well," Touya thought for a moment. "If I don't, how on earth did I manage to win the heart of the most romantic lady I ever met?"
"Are you kidding?" Kaho playfully whacked Touya's shoulder. "I am not as romantic as Sakura."
Touya just laughed and cuddled Kaho closer to him. "But in my eyes, you are."
"WHAT!!" Syaoran shouted over the phone. "You want me to do what?"
"You heard me Syaoran, crystal clear. Now, I will be meeting you there at 1300hr. don't be late! I will be cooking lunch!" Sakura replied before hanging up, leaving Syaoran wondering what she had in mind.
"Eriol, you don't mind having guest joining us for lunch right?" Tomoyo asked as Eriol meticulously tided up her bedroom, where the doctor had confined her to for a week.
"I don't mind. Sakura has informed me already. We will be eating here, so we don't have to go downstairs." Eriol briskly answered.
"Eriol." Tomoyo started in a voice that made Eriol tempted to raise an invisible shield to protect him from her words. "I am not a child. Neither am I invalid nor weak so why am I still kept here like a sick patient?"
"Ask the doctor the next time you see him. Don't ask me!" Eriol said in a quiet voice while shelving the books that Tomoyo read, not wanting to let out his fears. According to the doctor, he wanted her to rest as much as possible and hence forcing her to stay in the bedroom for now.
"Yes, he will tell me, presuming if you are not in cahoots with the doctor to imprison me here."
Eriol banged the book on the shelf and replied coldly. "If you are that unwilling to be with me, just say so, I will get out of this room right now! But for Sakura's sake, please try to act civil towards me." He left the room without a word before Tomoyo could say anything.
"What the hell did I do to her to make her hate me so much?" Eriol muttered to himself as he went down the stairs into the kitchen. When he saw Sakura there, he stopped. "Hello."
"Why Hi!" Sakura offered him a bright smile, so different compared to Tomoyo cool controlled one. "How is Tomoyo?"
Eriol just shook his head and stood at the entrance of the kitchen, watching her cook. "You know, when I got married to Tomoyo, I dreamed that she will always cook here and we will enjoy her food together for years and years to come."
"Eriol, answer me frankly. What is happening to the two of you?" Sakura stopped stirring the food and switched off the fire. "She has been like this since she came back from England."
"Well…"
"Okay, forget it! I will discuss with you and Syaoran later on. Now scoot! I want to prepare Tomoyo's favourite food."
"Sakura, erm… is it okay if I stay here?" Eriol asked.
"Sure." Sakura said, wondering how to save their relationship.
"Okay, why is the four of us having lunch together?" Tomoyo asked as she took her place in between Eriol and Sakura. As much as she loves Sakura's company, however she wasn't in the mood for any company.
"Well, besides missing you, we need to discuss some things." Sakura passed the food around the table. "Eat more Tomoyo. I specially cooked the lemon chicken for you."
"Thanks." Tomoyo said half-heartedly.
"Anyway, Tomoyo, when is your next fashion show?"
"Well, I am scheduled to do my summer collection in Madrid." Tomoyo's eyes started to brighten. "I will need you then."
"Great! So that means, we can stay here and need not travel around then?" Sakura smiled. "Kaho wanted a summer wedding, but then Onii-chan couldn't wait that long and demanded the wedding to be held in spring. So the date is set on Fourteen February, Valentine's Day."
"Are we still asked to join them?" Eriol asked, not knowing whether it is possible to have a double wedding, seeing how determined Tomoyo is to get away from him.
Sakura hesitated for a while. "Well, if any of you want to have a private ceremony of your own, I think I can tell Kaho about it." Sakura sighed. "Although it will break her heart if that was the case."
Eriol opened his mouth when Tomoyo said, "I'm sorry, but I think it's best if she carried on without taking us into the consideration."
Sakura shook her head. "If you say so Tomoyo, if you say so."
"Sakura, do me a favour?" Tomoyo asked her after lunch.
"Yes?"
"Take my drawing book and sample materials." Tomoyo walked to her study table next to her bed. "I think it's time I start working."
"Sure!" Sakura ran out of the room to search for it, in the process, passing the two men. "I meet you at your study room. Give me a minute while I get Tomoyo her book!"
Tomoyo sighed as she sat down on the chair, forcing her mind to focus on the task at hand. For days, she had completely forgotten that she has deadline to meet regarding the next fashion show. She cannot afford to waste any more time if she wanted to complete it on time.
"Tomoyo, here is your book. Take care all right." Sakura walked into the room and passed it over.
When she was about to leave, Tomoyo can't help but said. "I hate it!"
"Finally, I was waiting when you will tell me." Sakura went to her side and sat on the floor. "What's wrong between the two of you?"
"Some stupid error I made that doesn't involve anyone except Eriol and me."
"What did he do?"
"Nothing."
"What did you do?"
"Not checking the details before marriage."
Sakura pinched her nose bridge. "What do you mean by details? You mean Eriol is married?"
"No, nothing of that sort. It is just that, he never told me anything about himself and neither did I. We just foolishly married each other without considering whether it will work out or not. We didn't even sort out the details after marriage."
"Tomoyo, if there is one thing in life, marriage is never meant to be a business proposal. You are supposed to madly fall in love with someone, get married and live happily ever after."
"But I don't know his past, his family…"
"But what matters is the future!" Sakura stood up and paced restlessly across the room. "Tomoyo, I envy you that you have someone who loves you for who you are and being able to get married. Heck! We used to joke that I will be the one getting married. Instead, I am single while you are married and all you have been doing these past weeks was moping. I don't get you Tom, I don't get you!"
"Sakura." Tomoyo hated her using her childhood nick. It usually means that she was furious or downright serious. "You don't know what happened."
"Then tell me!" Sakura exclaimed. When she saw Tomoyo shaking her head she just sighed in resignation. "Whatever, but don't ever leave Eriol. He is a good man."
When Sakura walked into the study room and saw Eriol and Syaoran enjoying a glass of brandy, she can't help but march to Eriol.
Eriol braced for an attack when he watched the furious lady with anger simmering in her eyes stomping towards him. He can't help but leaned back towards the chair when she thrust out her index finger and said. "You are in deep trouble."
"Why?"
"Because, you have a lot of work to do!" Sakura turned around and sat next to Syaoran, snatching his glass and taking a mouthful of it. "Now, you better listen up Eriol. I can see in Tomoyo's eyes that by hook or by crook she will leave you."
"That is stating the obvious." Syaoran mumbled before yelping in pain when Sakura forcefully dig her elbow into his stomach.
"You need to convince her that you love her and she absolutely cannot live without you."
Sakura set the empty glass on the table, with two men staring at her in amazement. "Yes, I handle liquor pretty well for a girl so close that gap of yours and wipe that amazed look off your face. We are facing a big problem. Eriol, you have to convince her."
"How? I did my best! I showered her with love, care and concern."
"And treated her as a little child in the process!" Sakura shook her head in disgust. "Total failure!"
Eriol wanted to defend his action when he recalled Tomoyo saying exactly the same thing to him. He slouched back in defeat. "Yes, perhaps I did. But I was so scared when I saw her faint in the snow. When I rushed out, I almost couldn't find her because she was buried in the snow. If I didn't see her faint, I wouldn't know where she would be. If I didn't know where she was, I would have missed her and then she won't be alive." Eriol took another gulp of brandy. "I wouldn't know how to live without her."
"Then my friend, you need to do one thing to convince her about your love." Sakura gave a knowing smile.
"What is it?" Eriol asked her, willing to listen to anything that Sakura say that will somehow help the both of them.
"Why, of course, romance her, let her fall in love with you again." Sakura stared at the shocked face of the men. "What happened? Someone got hold of your tongue?"
"Who told you such a ridiculous plan?" Syaoran couldn't help but smirked. "Romance is something you read in stories."
"If this advice is given by Kaho, I think you better follow it!" Sakura smiled. "She is the wisest among the three of you right?" When both of them nodded, she continued. "Romance Tomoyo, I bet that by the time you are done with it, she will be in love with you that she won't even dream that she can live without you."
"But how do I go about doing it?" Eriol sighed once more. If it is Kaho's advice, it should work.
"Why, you have Kaho, Touya, Syaoran and me to help you." Sakura gave a mischievous grin. "So are you willing to listen or not?"
So how is it? I have to start updating this often if I want to finish it by March. Because after that, I have no idea what will my timetable be like. So, bring in the reviews so that I can start updating the rest of the story