Chapter 3
Kagome set in her bedroom, carefully cleaning a scrap on her arm when the doorbell rang. Sighing in irritation, she got up and answered it.
"Hello? Sango?" Kagome said, letting her friend in and leading her to the couch were they sat.
Sango began immediately: "Hey Kagome. Um, I saw you running down the road a little while ago, you looked pretty upset. Is something wrong?"
"Sango…I…I did something really bad, about a year back." Kagome whispered. "It broke my mothers heart."
"What did you do that makes you think you broke your mother's heart?" Sango asked.
"The day before my mom went into the hospital, I went to a party with Sesshoumaru. We got pretty drunk there, and then, we went to a chapel and got married. The next day, we woke up, though we didn't have sex, and found out we were married." Kagome stopped and choked back a sob. "I had to tell mom, and when I did, she just…fell. She hasn't woken up since then."
"Kagome, its not your fault that your mother is in the hospital. She has cancer on her brain and she fell into a coma. Don't beat yourself up over it. I'm sure she thought that Sesshoumaru would take good care of you." Sango said softly.
"I feel like it is my fault though. And I don't think she thought Sesshoumaru would have taken care of me. He's the Ice Prince." Kagome sighed.
"Listen to me!" Sango said sharply. "A year and a half ago, all you could talk about was Sesshoumaru. How much you loved him, what you guys did on your last date, how romantic he was and loving…how you wanted to marry him. And you did, maybe not in the way you wanted! But you married him, and now, you are running away from him. Your mother would be ashamed!"
"He doesn't love me!" Kagome spat, standing.
"Doesn't he? Has he sent you divorce papers? Has he told you that he doesn't love you? Well? Tell me!"
"I…Well, he…you just don't know him!"
"Kagome, you and Sesshoumaru became some of my best friends, you are my best friend, and though he acts cold toward others, it didn't come close to the way he was toward you. Everything was different with him when you were near. I was so envious of you. And you guys made one stupid mistake, and you throw everything you had away." Sango whispered through tears. "Did he ever say I love you? Tell me honestly, and how many times."
"…Everyday." Kagome whispered. "In his own special way. Every morning, there was always, always, there was a bouquet of flowers. Asters, pink camellia's, red chrysanthemum, red roses…Any and every flower that stood for love, they were always there. He spent so much time though…making up special ways to say it, but I wanted to hear it from his lips. Not the petals of flowers or gifts…"
Kagome brought her eyes up to Sango then, and gave her a wobbly smile. "I may be a fool for just leaving him, but I need to hear those words."
Sango looked at the floor and said, "He never takes off his ring. I've wondered…I thought it was over between you when I saw it, because I never heard of the wedding. But now I know. You should know Kagome, that when somebody asks him about his absent wife, he always tells them, 'She may not be with me, but she's forever in my heart. Right now, she has to look after her family.' And I thought to myself, what a lucky woman. He's been waiting on you forever, and, I think he always will."
Then she got up and started to leave, but stopped at the door and said, "Kagome, you can't hold up forever. Sesshoumaru can take care of you; it's not shameful to have to rely on your mate. Besides, Souta calls Kohaku every day, talking about how you are not eating and sleeping. Don't cause him stress. He worries about you." Then, she was gone.
Kagome sat on the couch a few moments before tears began to flow freely down her face. 'How much longer can I really hold out? I will never be able to work at the strip joint again…I…'
She fell into a fitful sleep.
With Sesshoumaru-----
Sango walked briskly to the park where Sesshoumaru set waiting inside his car. With a tap on the window, she got in.
"Well, that was certainly interesting." She began, taking out the small recording device in her pocket, and handed it to Sesshoumaru. "It's all there. And you need to listen very closely buddy."
"Thanks…I will Mother." Sesshoumaru said dryly.
Sango just gave him a smile and got out of the car, walking briskly toward her home. Sesshoumaru looked at the device for a moment and rewound it a small ways, then pressed play.
Kagome's voice said, "…Everyday. In his own special way. Every morning, there was always, always, there was a bouquet of flowers. Asters, pink camellia's, red chrysanthemum, red roses…any and every flower that stood for love, they were always there. He spent so much time though…making up special ways to say it, but I wanted to hear it from his lips. Not the petals of flowers or gifts…"
He pressed stop and leaned his head back against the seat. "But I do…so much I do." He groaned.
Next Day: Hospital------
"Hi, um, I wanted to check up on my mother. Higuashi." Kagome said quietly to the nurse.
"Oh yes. She's still in a coma, but everything looks stable." The nurse said with a few pecks at the keyboard.
"And her bill, how much do we still owe?" Kagome asked, fearfully.
"Um…nothing. It was all paid off last night." The nurse answered.
"What?"
"An older man came in and asked us the amount, we told him, and then he wrote the check. He said your husband ordered it. Must be a wonderful guy." The nurse said winking.
"But…oh…" Kagome finally said. "Must have been Jakken."
"Yes…I believe that's who he introduced himself as. I was on my way out when it happened so I hardly heard really."
"Thank you. I believe…I won't see my mother today. It's just…this is…wow." Kagome said softly.
"Yes, wow indeed. He sent a bunch of wonderful carnations. You know they mean health and energy, right?"
"Hmm? Oh yes. Thank you."
With that, Kagome turned and left.
At the Shrine-----
Kagome walked up the steps only to see a woman in a pin strip suit pulling Sota toward a car.
"Hey! Hey! What's going on?" Kagome yelled running up.
"Kagome Higurashi, I presume?" The woman said haughtily. "I am with Child Services, and as of right now, your brother is custody of the state."
"What? Why? I don't understand!" Kagome whispered miserably.
"Simple, you don't have a job, there is no possible way for you to take care of him. We've been watching you closely for quiet some time. When you get a real job and can afford to raise a growing boy, we may consider giving him back. But it has to be within the next six months, or he goes up for adoption."
"But…You can't do this!" Kagome said trying to grab Souta, who in return, was reaching for her.
The woman knocked Kagome to the ground with a shoulder and looked down at her sprawled form. "I don't think you can do it. So I may just send him off right now."
Then they were gone, and Souta was still screaming her name.
