Eight months later in Las Vegas, Nevada a young woman in blue jean overalls brushed her brown bangs from her face as she looked into the closet again. Her brown eyes scanned over each item to once again be sure that only her clothes were left. With a quiet nod Jill Tanner gently closed the closet door. Turning she opened each drawer in her bedroom, making the same final check again. Slowly she eyed the entire room again to be doubly sure that all of her ex-wife's things were now packed.
"Ma'am?" She looked up from taping the final box shut to see a young man who appeared to be about seventeen years old. The boy wore a blue cover-all with a patch that read 'Coyote Shipping and Moving Services'. "We have the piano loaded, is that the last box?"
"Yes, thank you. Can you please take it down to the truck?" Jill asked with a warm smile.
"Of course, ma'am, that's my job after all." He said with a joking air, tipping a hat he didn't even wear. He walked over and picked up the box, following Jill out of the room and down the wooden stairs. As they neared the door his curiosity got the better of him and he asked her one last question. "Where are you sending all this stuff anyway?"
"Tokyo, Japan." Jill said with a somewhat wistful look. She shook her head lightly as she glanced again at the golden yellow Mustang parked in her driveway. "An old friend just moved back there and after all of the things I did to her, and how well she took it, the least I can do is make sure she has her clothes and other belongings."
"Like that piano?"
"Yes like the piano. You know, I only heard her play once, her music room was sound proofed and I never really cared, now I regret that." She looked at the confused expression he wore and shook her head again. Jill smiled and patted his shoulder. "Never mind Sparky, just get that on the truck."
The boy smiled, did as he was told and disappeared into the truck. His boss walked over with an invoice listing ten boxes and one black grand piano. As she was signing the paper Thomas appeared at the door, his blue jeans, t-shirt and hands covered in dust from the earlier excursions into the garage. He watched quietly as Jill thanked the man and the truck slowly pulled away from the curb. He found it a bit hard to fight down the sense of sudden sadness that hit him upon seeing that truck drive away.
"Good luck, Tokyo Raider." He grinned as a wicked thought crossed his mind and whispered one more comment. "Don't break too many hearts, or traffic laws for that matter."
"What was that Tom?" Jill asked as she looked back at him. Thomas only shook his head so she let it go. After a moment she looked up at his face again. "Thank you for your help Tom, I wouldn't have had an address to send any of it to her if not for you. And thank you again for helping to pay for shipping."
"No problem, we can't have Haruka going out buying everything again can we? Besides, I was shocked when you called and told me why you needed the address." He held up his hands to the glare she threw his way. After a moment he laughed and walked over to throw an arm around her shoulders. He led her back into the house with a friendly smile. "Oh come on, eight months ago you'd have been ready to keep it all to spite her. You changed a lot since the divorce."
"You can thank Haruka, I have been trying to figure out exactly why she was so good to me after what I did." Jill hung her head as they reached the kitchen. She sat heavily in a chair and stared blankly at the tabletop.
"Not that again, miss AA." Thomas shook a finger at her as he grinned. He was still amazed how well she improved since Haruka left Vegas; the whole thing seemed a wake up call for the woman in front of him. "I'll do you a favor and make diner for you tonight, but tomorrow we are going to a club and you are finding a nice woman or man or, whatever you feel like dating this week, to talk to. You have to start again some time."
"Remind me to turn you over to the national bi-sexual rights association for that remark, Tom." She rose and started for the stairs before she paused. "But diner sounds good."
"Does that association exist?" Thomas asked with a puzzled look as he started poking in the fridge.
"I don't know." Jill thought about it for a moment before she started walking again and called back over her shoulder. "But if it does I am going to turn you over for picking on a poor divorced bi."
Thomas laughed as she walked up the staircase. He smiled as he realized that Jill was sounding a lot more like the young woman Haruka first met again. Maybe there was hope for her yet. Just had to find the right woman, or man. Again he laughed and shook his head as he tried to decide on a gay bar or a normal club.
Somewhere in Japan a yellow convertible sped expertly down a twisting road as a young blonde woman grinned. The growling purr of the motor was music to her ears, the wind a gentle caress through her hair and the scenery like a dream after so very long away from this place. The convertible sped off into the dark night as its driver basked in the familiar yet alien countryside.