Chapter Six

Perhaps it was the fact that Ami was used to so much success. Everything in her life had recently been all about instant gratification – being recognized for her achievements, getting what she needed on campus without restrictions like being driven around since everything was close by, or Johannes' affection. She imagined that once a person got used to easygoing, immediate satisfaction all the time, having a flight delayed for a second time would wear out one's patience quicker than usual.

'Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise,' she thought, conjuring all her strength in her right arm to tote her large suitcase. 'At least now I get a few more hours to myself. I can finally finish reading that romance novel...' But even in her mind she could not say this without blushing, as she thought about Johannes and how her secret but heightened interest in passionate romance stories seemed to add some spice to her love life. She was going to miss him every minute of every day she'd be gone, with all the life she had in her.

She crossed her silky, clean-shaven legs once she'd reached an empty seat, and while very conspicuously checking to see if anyone was looking her way, she reached into her leather carrying bag and pulled out two books. Sheltering a tiny Japanese romance book behind a larger, colorful text titled Advanced German, Ami plunged into her flood of kanji and hiragana after carefully undoing the curled edges of the pages she'd flipped back nervously a few times, blushing because of the book's content, before she could remember that usually only she could read it.

"What? Delayed again? Are you sure?" Ami overheard coming from her left. But she didn't look up to see who the speaker was. English was common here, at the university and most especially inside airports.

"Shinjirarenai," moaned the foreigner to himself.

Ami thought she had recognized the Japanese accent before, but now she felt her hair standing up on the back of her neck, almost believing that she knew who it was. Her eyes widened in interest, but she still didn't lift her head from her book. It was after dark already, and as she hadn't talked with anyone since leaving Johannes this morning, her mind could have been playing tricks on her. Probably, she figured, it was just another businessman, or a tourist.

"Usagi will be worried about me," the man sighed.

Ami bolted upright in her chair, with her heart pounding in both dread and sheer joy. She made a sharp double-take as soon as she caught a flash of dark brunette hair and icy-warm oceanic navy eyes, a cherubish complexion, and long, slender, smooth hands, second-guessing herself for a moment.

It couldn't be.

"M-Mamoru-san!" she exclaimed, choking on the sharp, stinging breath that caught in her throat.

Mamoru nearly fell out of his seat, taken aback and gripping his hair with one hand. "Ami-san? Holy… whoa! Impossible!"

Ami cursed herself inside as her lips involuntarily formed an ecstatic smile, and she feared that in this state of surprise her top lip would dry and stick there. Mamoru looked at her with unfeigned happiness, with his eyes lighting up like those of an excited and gleeful little boy.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him, blushing profusely and wishing that this wasn't happening.

"I went on a trip to France last week with my professor," he responded, trying to sweep the exhausted traveler's look off his face with his palm. "I didn't know you actually decided to come to Germany!"

"Yes, I've been here for a whole semester already. Goodness, look at you! All worn out from studying and traveling, I expect?"

"I've been working my head off, but I'm pretty satisfied with the way things have gone. I'm more than ready to go back home and see Usagi and everyone again. Jesus… and here I was just a few weeks ago thinking that I wouldn't be seeing you until I brought home some presents from America for everybody at Christmas."

Mamoru was twenty-one now and finally finishing up his time at Harvard University, after those very few but very long years of keeping Usagi and the girls waiting in Japan. He did look a little older, though still clean-shaven with an attractive and youthful face. Now his smile was calmer, more sage. He sat attentively, rubbing his palms together as if contemplating how best to spend the moment conversing with her. In just thirty seconds Ami revisited all the reasons why she and her friends fell in love with him in their youth.

"Well, this is… the most surprising coincidence I've ever…!" Ami's voice trailed off, as she could think of nothing to say to keep herself from losing composure.

"Tell me about it. Wow. Ami-san. You look… well, older."

"So do you," she stammered. "I see a very handsome, successful young man with all the makings of a wonderful husband."

'Oh, hell,' she thought, fighting back tears of humiliation. 'Please tell me I did not just say that.'

"Thank you. Though I think you're still too young to really be a doctor, I'm willing to bet you're the very best one at the academy. So intelligent and pretty. You must have everyone's attention there."

"Well, um….."

As if to save her life, as if a God existed for her and showed her the very last of His mercy, a chiming rang throughout their tiny section of the terminal. Ami and Mamoru glanced at each other for a moment and leaned forward to listen to the final announcement about their flight.