Eighth Month: Baby Shower
A bright-green eyed woman lounged in a créme colored couch which had an assortment of rainbow-colored cushions, with a giraffe stuffed-toy in hands. Her sight roamed the whole space of the room, that was obviously that of a child, and smiled wistfully. Yes, it was perfect.
The decorating had finished the day before and she was much more than pleased with the result. The aura it projected was quiet but warm, which complimented its purpose wonderfully.
Muffled footsteps, by the carpet in the hallway, were heard through the open door and in came a man with chestnut colored hair. His eyes spotted the lady inside and a tender smile broke on chiseled lips.
"Do you like it, honey?" He asked, more than knowing the answer, approaching her and having seat on the armrest of the couch.
"I absolutely adore it Syao-kun! It's perfect!" Came out automaticaly. "That woman sure earned every cent in her ridiculous paycheck." A cute pout and a slight frown was all she needed to make him fall off laughing.
"I never knew you were stingy with money," came the taunt coupled with a smirk.
"Hoe!" And there he thought she had grown out of that expression. "I'm by no means stingy with money, but you must admit, dearest, that it was an outrageously high bill she issued there!"
He frowned, as if in thought, and replied; "well, art is expensive honey. Ask Tomoyo-chan about it."
The expressive emerald eyes shone less bright for a second, "Tomoyo-chan, I wonder how she's doing."
Syaoran got closer to her and embraced the petite woman. "Why don't you ask her?"
His wife eyed the silver-plated cordless phone on the side-table with something akin to anguish before settling on saying, "I don't want to upset her. You know she's become a bit complicated with how-are-you questions."
That was no lie, that much he knew; but he also knew that sometimes she liked to be dotted upon, with the right approach of course.
Just at that moment, the phone rang and it took but two seconds before Sakura, the one closest to it, answered.
"Moshi, moshi Li-residence, Sakura speaking..." Twirling a lock of auburn colored hair around the right index-finger.
"Sakura-chan? This is Tomoyo! Do you care for tea at my place?" Was the cheerful reply from the other end of the line. "Mother insisted I had a baby-shower and since she would be most likely away for the rest of the month, I agreed to host it today."
"Oh, hi Tomoyo! How are you? Sure thing, I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world!" Were the outspoken, kind of jumbled, thoughts of a certain best-friend.
"Me? Oh, I'm just happy and healthy! Can't you tell?" A giggle here, "listen, presents are not necessary - for obvious reasons - but if you really want to bring something, have it be some nice Ferrero Rocher chocolates, okay?"
"O-okay," this was said just to keep her friend from wondering if she had fainted on her.
"Great! Tell Syaoran I said hello and there's a no-men policy so he can't come... Mom's orders and you know how she can get!"
"Sure thing!" Her brain cells were back on track.
"Be here around six-thirty! Bye!" There was the trademark "muack" of a blown-kiss before the line went dead.
Sakura replaced the phone on the cradle and turned to look at her husband with owl-like eyes. Just what the hell happened? Whas that Tomoyo at all?
"Something wrong?" Inquired Syaoran after a good five minutes of having her looking like that.
She shook her head and explained what had registered on her mind about the impromptu women-gathering, plus her wish to be bathed and changed before going on a hunt for some brand-chocolate she had not heard of before. She was sure that if she was to set a foot inside the Daidouji manor without the treat and with the best of luck, nothing extremely violent would happen. Maybe nothing would happen at all; but she knew of Tomoyo's rather volatile mood and it gave her the chills.
"No problem hon, have fun and loosen up a little. I feel you're awfully stressed as of late." Was the loving advice from lovely lips.
"Arigato."
And with a peck on the lips and a bounce on her walk she exited the nursery and dissapeared from him in a labyrinth of halls heading towards the master-bedroom and its luxurious bathroom.
Now, why would her mother suggest a baby-shower out of all things? That she did not know, but she had been feeling up for a party and this just fit nicely. All of her lady friends would be there, being it a Sunday, and it had been some time since all of them had sat down and engaged in deep girl talk. There were so many things she wanted to know about her friends, like for example, if Rika had finally managed to catch that ex-teacher of hers or if Chiharu had been issued a trial for first-degree murder on the person of one Takashi Yamazaki; even if she would argue self-defense on behalf of her sanity.
She sat on the vanity-chair giving the last touches to her hair that sported waffle-waves and tiny braids interlaced with ribbons the color of pastel pink and ripe oranges. She had on a hippie-like skirt that came in layers, one longer than the other, until it reached the knee; made of an airy soft orange fabric and each layer trimmed in lace. Her top was a cute pink hand-knitted halter that hugged the bossom and loosened at the waist to end at the hip. Under it she wore a bra of the same color to cover her modesty. Pink flip-flops covered the soles of her feet and added to the relaxed yet stylish look she wanted to create. Two-inches worth of white-gold, thin, round bracelets adorned the right wrist along with a simple platinum band with a clean-cut blue diamond in the ring finger. An orange Casio Baby-G sports wristwatch was fastened around the left wrist. To give some sparkle to the whole outfit, she wore a white-gold necklace that fit her neck snuggly and from a square-cut tiny diamond dangled four others in-line with a thin chain that stopped just above the ample bossom while her ears sported slightly bigger diamonds in set with the necklace.
"Ojousama, your friends have just arrived." Came from outside the room while she applied on some lip-gloss.
"Thank you!"
She had to thank the gods above for allowing her the priviledge of going downstairs. She had had a fair amount of pleading to her mother to let the party be held in the family sitting-room instead of in her room. She had been going up and down that same stairs for over twenty years, sometimes even taking two steps at a time or slidding on the banister in a rush of madness - which almost gave her mother a heart-attack and she was forced to make an oath not to do that again - so it was highly unlikely for her to suddenly topple down the stairs. When had she begun to live with such paranoid people?
"Oh my Tomoyo-chan, look at you!" Cried out Chiharu as soon as she saw her, getting up from the comfortable spot on the plush sofa and walking towards her with wide open arms and a big smile.
"Hello girls!" Greeted the one who was celebrated upon with candor, hugging Chiharu when she was within reach.
"Look who looks wonderful as a pregnant woman!" Said Naoko with a wink.
"She looks indeed lovely. Motherhood is kind to you," was the subdued compliment of Rika, compared to that of her friends, but not the less heart felt.
"Well thank you!" A giggle, "but please let us stop this before I turn beet-red." The traitorous color had begun to rear its ugly head on her porcelain cheeks.
"Aw, you're no fun Tomoyo-chan!" Said Chiharu with a pout. Apparently she had grown out of her childhood pig-tails and had the hair atop her head fastened with fancy, jewel-like, hair-clips and bejeweled chopsticks. "Then let's be seated!"
"Yeah, we have much to catch up on girls!" It was Naoko, crossing the legs daintly at the ankles. It showed from the short, pleated skirt that she had "gym" in her weekly schedule.
"Where is Sakura-chan?" Wondered Rika facing the window that brought in the nature of the rose garden. "Though it isn't unlikely of her to be late," she added with a wistfull smile.
"Konbanwa girls!" Cried out a lovely looking Sakura, complete with dishveled hair and a box of chocolate in the right hand. "Sorry I'm late but I had to go through four delicacy stores because they had ran out of a certain brand-chocolate."
"Aw, it's okay Sakura-chan, the party is just starting!" Reassured Tomoyo while kissing the cheek of her best-friend and relieving her of the box.
The group of five young adults sat down around a center-table loaded with various kind of pastries and a full pot of warm tea. By the time the clock struck eight, the pot was refilled twice and almost all the sweet things were gone. They had begun to get started on Tomoyo's chocolate. She had been assaulted by the selfish desire to keep them all to herself, but she was sure that if she was to do so, then they would most likely harm her and she was not keen on the idea of stomachache all night long, thank you very much; so she shared. Besides, food was much more fun when shared among friends.
"I never thought, even in my wildest imaginations, that something like this would happen." Said Naoko, who was known broadly by her over-productive mind when it came to written works. "It has certainly taken me by surprise. I can't even phantom what is it to walk in any of your shoes and believe me when I say that I don't even want to try."
"Indeed," began Rika while twirling a lock of rich-cinnamon hair that reached her shoulder-blades and was kept off any restraints. "But it has also come to prove that a tight friendship can overcome anything."
Chiharu finished chewing on her muffin and swallowed before adding; "I think that if any relationship of mine would have to be chosen over a friendship such as this, I would chose this friendship with closed eyes. There are far and between relationships that can amount to this."
"Yeah," was Sakura's comment. They had got her thinking.
"Well, aren't we very lucky girls? I sure am, for having such great friends in you all!" Said Tomoyo brightly, trying to change the topic for she knew that if they were to keep reasoning like this, she was bound to cry.
"Yes, we all are and feel the same." Finished a dewy-eyed Li with a soft smile taking Tomoyo's hand and squeezing it lightly.
Sonomi got home soon after and engaged the girls in a full blown girl talk. She brought home an exquisite cake from a members-only café, which Chiharu gathered from the box, and some alcohol-free beverages.
They called it a night at midnight, but would have continued if not for Tomoyo's face-splitting yawns. She was dead-tired and the surrogate mother needed all the rest she could get.
Two weeks after the successful party, Tomoyo was sun-bathing in the solarium; though she wondered why she bothered, it was not as if her pale skin would get any extra pigmentation. Some iced-tea rested within arm-reach and designer sunglasses with UV-filter covered almost half of her delicate face. She was reading a magazine with leisure, storing in mind some makeup trends for the season.
Suddenly the MP3 encoded sound of "Strange Games" came forth the cellphone conveniently located on the side-table.
With ease, she maneuvered her hand to grab it without even looking and flipped it open with just one hand; the left one at that. "Hello?"
"Tomoyo-chan, you won't believe it!" Came the excited voice of a very stimulated Sakura and the raven haired youth wondered if she was on a caffeine high.
"Please calm down darling, I'm afraid you'll hyperventilate if you don't," a pause to give her some time, "now, what is it I won't believe?"
"Do you have this month's issue of Cosmopolitan?" That was a weird question coming from her best-friend.
"Yes, though I haven't read it yet."
"Then dump whatever it is you're doing and get to it!" Had she heard wrong or was this really a command? And a rather rude one, mind you.
"And why would I want to do that?" A raised eyebrow, but of course the ex-skater freak would not know.
"Because your work is featured in an article about trend-setters for motherhood apparel!" Insert squeal if you please.
"It was what?" Way to go Tomoyo. The Nobel-prize for intelligent questions.
"What you just heard, now go check it out!" And with that, she has hanged upon. Where had her sweet manered friend gone?
Without dwelling too much on silly musings, she got up from her comfortable lounging position and walked inside the manor, summoning a maid as she went.
As soon as she got her hands on the glossy covered magazine, she flipped it open and leafed through it until her eyes found it. Sakura was right, they had featured her work! And it was a whole one and half sheet to boot!
After her eyes had eagerly drunk it all, she closed the magazine and her eyes lingered on the cover that sported one of the top-ten super models in Asia whose name was whipped clean from her mind when she read a short phrase in white, bold letters. The article was advertised in front!
A huge smile broke on her face and she looked kind of funny with the sunglasses still perched atop the refined yet cute nose. When was the last time she had felt this proud and happy?
Well, that was easy you silly!
When she got to kick the ass of a certain major bitch at the National High School Choir Competition.
Life is sweet!
Author notes: Greetings to the faithful and new readers of mine. Recently, and thanks to the site's wonderful stats tool, I noticed that I'm not getting as much reviews as I get hits; which should be somewhat proportional. If you are reading this story, please be kind enough to drop me a line in the review-box and let me know of your comments. I will love to hear from you! If the no-reply issue has you worried, then please be at ease! I can answer you via e-mail if you provide me with a valid address. I am sure the staff will not mind that much.
Disclaimer: I hold no ownership on the brand Ferrero Rocher or the song "Strange Games". The later can be found in the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles OST.