Tomoyo had always been different from the others.

When we were kids she would always stay in one corner and draw while the rest of us play tag or hide-and-seek. Other times she would be by the swings staring at the sky as if drinking every detail of it.

Despite of our differences we were very close. She was the best friend of my beloved. And she was my best friend too.

I was her diary. I was the brother she never had.

She wanted to be a painter.

Her parents wanted her to be a lawyer and inherit the family business.

They were stubborn. And so was she.

I've always admired her for that and her confidence.

Despite her parents' disapproval she took the course she wanted and continued to paint. She knew her parents can't go against her will for she was their only child.

She was pretty too, but her sarcasm and wit was something to be feared of. Only a number of brave souls tried to court her. But I guess they weren't brave enough.

Things were different though when she started dating Eriol.

"He's different," she told me once when I asked her what made her like him.

He's different alright. He just happens to be the half-reincarnation of the most powerful sorcerer in the world, the one who chased her with a piano and locked her up in a classroom in the middle of the night, way back in fifth grade.

He's the last man in the world I want her to be with.

I didn't approve of him. He was way out of her league. That's why I was scandalized when she said they were getting married.

I tried to talk her out of it but the same traits that I had admired about her were the same traits that failed me.

"I'm happy and I want you to be happy for me," she told me on her wedding day. That was the second to the last time I saw her. The last was on her funeral. It's been fifteen years now.

Today is her death anniversary. I bought her favorite flowers – white magnolias- for her grave. Sakura could not come with me because of the kids, so I went by myself this year.

When I got there it was Eriol's back that I first saw. My blood boiled. I hated him. He took Tomoyo-chan away. She was so young then.

I curled my fist hard. I was pretty certain my hatred for him was enough to knock him out. I was to raise my fist when somebody walked to his side, a bouquet of white magnolias in hand.

"Tomoyo-chan?" I muttered under my breath, my fist uncurling and the flowers falling on the concrete.

It was really her – the same dark doll-like eyes, the long ashen hair, the pale complexion.

I couldn't contain myself then and I blindly reached for her and buried my face in her hair.

"Papa, who is he?"

Her words stung me and I quickly let go of her.

"Papa, who is he?"

I gave her a weak smile, a bit embarrassed. For a moment I thought everything I've grown to believe in the course of fifteen years was a lie and that Tomoyo was alive.

"Papa, who is he?"

"He's you're Uncle Syaoran, your mother's best friend…It's been awhile Syaoran"

"It's been awhile."

"We're about to have lunch, why don't you join us?"

I don't know what went over me then but soon I found myself seating at a café with them.

"The last time I saw you, you were just a baby."

She smiled. It reminded me so much of Tomoyo. It was like the old times. No words were said then, we simply ate.

"I better get going. I'm to meet my friends. You two stay here and catch up with old times" she said later on. "It was nice meeting you Uncle Syaoran"

She gave me and her father a peck on the cheek. My eyes were on her until all I could see was a faint trace of her back as she left the café.

"She looks a lot like her mother, doesn't she?"

I looked at Eriol, surprised as if realizing his presence for the first time. "S-she does…Y-you raised her well. I can't believe it's been fifteen years."

"She'll be entering university next year. She said she wanted to be a lawyer."

I chuckled. "I never liked you, you know."

"I know. Tomoyo was perfect. And we got married really early..."

I looked down. I felt something cold fall down to my fists. "But she was so happy with you… I couldn't see that then…"

REGRETS

BY: AKIZUKI SAI

Standard disclaimers apply

Dedicated to my two wonderful beta-readers: Babylonian Princess and Alchemy-chan and to my wonderful reviewers! Thank you!

I originally wanted to write a Christmas fic but for some strange reason the story ended up this way. This is a one-shot. But I might make it a chaptered story when I have the time, which I don't think is anytime soon. Do tell me what you think.

Anyway, Merry Christmas to everyone!

Ps: The italics were intentional and so is the position of the title, disclaimer and notes.

"Regret is insight that comes a day too late"