Routine
Chapter 12: What Makes You Stronger
Sometimes you have to accept that things just aren't going to turn out the way you always wanted them too. Sometimes you have to face the fact that your every dream isn't going to come true and that that's just what they were; dreams. Its like the old saying, "Being Happy doesn't necessarily mean everything's perfect. It just means you've decided to look beyond all of the imperfections." Life goes on no matter how big the bump you hit is. The grass is always greener on the other side and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
A lone tear made its way down Sakura's cheek, as she lay motionless on her bed. It was still raining out even now as dawn slowly approached. She hadn't slept at all the night before. She sniffled pulling the brown jacket tighter around her small frame hugging the slightly damp cloth that she swore still held his lingering sent in the tightly woven fibers. Her eyes were red and sore and all she wanted to do was sleep forever, deny time all together till her prince charming came to rescue her from her thorny palace, freeing her from her eternal sleep to live in the land of happily ever after.
She idly ran a hand over her tired eyes wiping away the salty tears before pulling the covers she had previously tossed aside over her. One could dream, and in ones dreams there is an escape as far as the imaginations reaches. There she could be her own Sleeping Beauty waiting patiently for her prince. Waiting for the day she'd be free.
It was almost afternoon by the time she finally woke up and she did so with a loud groan and a roll hiding her face under a mound of pillows. Her eyes clamped shut refusing to acknowledge the new day that poured outside. It was dreary and dark despite the hour; the soft pattering of rain was only lulling her back to sleep.
There was a soft knock at her door as her brother said she had a phone call and that he was coming in. "Hey Tomoyo's on the phone, says its important and that you need to 'get your sulky butt out from under the covers and get a move on'."
"Tell Tomoyo that my sulky butt is comfortable where it is."
Touya eyed her strangely before relaying the message word for word to the other girl before holding out the phone for Sakura to take. "She wants to talk to you."
There was an annoyed groan as a disheveled head emerged from the covers and her tired hand reached for the cordless phone. "hhhhmm….Tomoyo?" Her voice was low and raspy with a mild undertone of confusion and annoyance.
"Sakura! Get your lazy butt out of bed and get it down here right now!"
"Wait….I though my butt was sulky."
"SAKURA!"
She sighed tiredly waking up a little more before responding. "where is 'here' exactly?"
"Wake up Sakura! HERE! The Airport!"
"Why would I want to go to the airport?" Her mind was still blank as her brain started powering up and the dots started to connect as it dawned on her although she made no notion of her discovery.
"Syaoran! He's leaving in an hour." There was slight pause where neither spoke and a silence hung over them before Tomoyo sighed. "Sakura, I know this is hard for you but, he is still your friend, and the least you could do is say goodbye…right?"
The silence was back and Sakura hid herself under the covers even though her brother was already gone from the room. It was a long time before Sakura finally uttered a small "ok" and hung up the phone breathing out the breath she'd been holding. 'Syaoran…please…don't go…' She fought the next wave of tears that was sure to over come her and jumped out of bed slipping on some sandals and running out the door. She had no time for anything else, if she was going to make it; she was going to leave now and she was going to have to break a few laws to get there in time. She grabbed the keys off the rack by the door speeding out and down the street to the highway praying she didn't get a speeding ticket.
By the time she found a parking spot she had 25 minutes to get to the terminal to say her goodbyes. She lifted the jacket over her head as she ran through the rain into the airport, weaving through crowds of tourists and vacationers and through the metal detectors getting lost a few times in trying to find the right terminal and she silently cursed the airport for being so huge.
She looked around the small waiting area at the people waiting for their flight to board till she spotted a familiar cluster of people and she plastered a smile on her face waving to her friends. Meiling immediately spotted her and waved her over. "Sorry I'm late guys, but you know how me and alarm clocks don't quite get along." The group laughed and Sakura found herself genuinely laughing along with them.
They talked and joked for a while until an announcement said they would start the boarding starting with first class. Syaoran looked up at the call and picked up his small carry on bag, exchanging hugs with his new friends and his cousin before turning to Sakura and hugged her tightly. "Do you want your jacket back?"
Sakura could feel him shake his head 'no' as he held her tighter. "Keep it. It suits you."
"It really doesn't"
"I know," They both laughed dryly letting go of each other, their eyes locking.
"You better come visit."
"I will." He nodded and kissed her lightly on the forehead and smiled at her. "Cheer up Saku. Like, BFF forever girl fre-yand!" The last part was said in his best imitation of a valley girl, successfully bringing a smile to Sakuras face who responded with her best, "like totally".
The group was all smiles as he boarded the plane and waved back at them before walking the track to the waiting plane where he sat in his seat looking forlornly out his window his smile all but gone.
Sakura watched as his plane took off down the runway and she couldn't help the chocked sob in the back of her throat. Tomoyo held her hand as they walked back to the parking lot following her back to her car. Tomoyo looked tentatively at her friend who stood in the rain half out from under the protection of her umbrella staring blankly at her car. "Sakura? Are you ok?"
To her surprise Sakura smiled, her eyes were sad but her smile shown through and she nodded. "Yes. I am ok. Syaoran is a good friend, but that's all he is and I can accept that now. I have a husband waiting for me and I think now, I'm truly ready to love him with my whole heart. Its like you said Tomoyo, he's sure to be a great guy and this is the moment I've been looking forward to my whole life. I'm happy. Really.
Now if I remember correctly there are still alterations to make on that dress that makes me look like a doll."
Tomoyo smiled, proud of her friend and the genuine acceptance that rang in her words and made a quick call to Eriol tell him she would be going with Sakura and hopped in the passenger side of the car. The two smiled and joked the whole way back and Sakura didn't even complain during the fitting. The red silk skirt flowed around her the gold embroidered flowers glittered in the afternoon sun that peeked through the thick gray clouds shining between the cracks in the long drapes that hung in the small room. Sakura did a small turn the long draping sleeves flying behind her as she turned, the intricate crown on her head glittering as it caught the light. Her red silk veil lay forgotten on a chair in the corner. She would eventually have to wear it the day of the ceremony. She was told that once the day arrived she would leave to go to her new families home via limo dressed in her ceremonial dress, the silk veil already pulled over her head hiding her face from view till after the ceremony was over. With the veil on all she could essentially see was her feet and were she was going, her head constantly bowed down in what looked like submission to her superior.
Tomoyo smiled at her friend before her. "There, that's the last of it. You know you really do look beautiful."
Sakura smiled "So I've heard from you, the numerous times dad has snuck in here with a lame excuse to take peek and even Eriol a half hour ago when he came in out of boredom."
Tomoyo giggled and helped Sakura out of the numerous pieces to the entire dress. She laughed seemingly at random as she helped Sakura out of the intricately decorated jacket that went over the jumper-like skirt leaving Sakura to give her friend an inquiring glance. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing, its just…you really do look like a Chinese doll."
"I think we've had this conversation before."
Both friends laughed sitting on Sakuras bed having already put away the dress. A quiet lapse falling over them as they lay side by side on Sakuras bed just staring at the ceiling. Tomoyo sighed sitting up and looked over at her friend to find that she was fast asleep, a small trail of saliva beginning to drip from the side of her mouth. Tomoyo stifled a giggle wiping away the trail with a tissue and maneuvered Sakura so that she was more comfortable before leaving the room, a smile still on her face as she left the house.
Sakura gazed into the scene, seeing herself smile as she called after two very excited children through what appeared to be a hotel lobby. They were both laughing, the older of the two kids, a boy, ran chasing a younger girl towards a large flight of elegant stairs covered in rich blue carpeting. At the head of the stairs stood an elderly couple, their arms extended to the two children that launched themselves into their waiting arms. She watched, filled with an overwhelming sense of warmth that spread throughout her whole body as she watched the scene unfold.
She gazed with interest and longing at the two beautiful children, wondering whom they were and how she knew them. She watched herself re-emerge into the scene; her arm linked with a tall older man whose face she couldn't bring herself to see.
Every time she tried an invisible force led her gaze elsewhere, back to the two children who were now on their feet again and upon noticing Sakura and the mystery man ran towards them and Sakura noticed herself kneel down to hug them both, bringing the girl back up with her as she stood, pushing aside her black bangs to kiss the girl on the forehead.
The four of them turned looking at the elder couple at the staircase smiling, nodding as if in approval and Sakura set down her child. Sakura watched as she set down the young girl and said something inaudible to the two children who promptly nodded and walked in the opposite direction side by side.
She couldn't help but laugh as she watched the two children just walk, noticing how the younger girl attempted numerous times to reach for her brothers hand only to have the hand batted away till finally the young boy gave her a playful shove to the side, smirked challengingly at her when she stumbled, and ran off down another hallway with his sister on his heals.
It was now only herself and the man, with his arm wrapped snuggly around her waist, the warm atmospheres slowly slipping away as the image began to fade and Sakura found herself being pulled away from the scene, as if allowing herself some privacy in the intimate moment with this man she knew not the identity. (1)
Sakura woke gently with a smile on her face. It was still early in the morning as it was still fairly dark outside but she felt renewed and refreshed with the new day that dawned in front of her. She smiled fully sitting up and getting out of bed heading downstairs to eat an early breakfast.
She was already doing the morning dishes by the time her father came down the stairs with a surprised look on his face.
"Sakura…are you feeling ok?"
"Yep, never better." She gave him a radiant smile skipping over to her father kissing him on the cheek before rushing to the door. "Sora called me this morning telling me the book I ordered at the store came in. I'll be back in a little bit."
Fujitaka watched bewildered as his daughter left and a groggy Touya came down the stairs slumping down into a chair.
"Who the hell is up this early and why are they in our house?"
"That would have to be your sister. And watch your language."
It took a moment for the information to register in his fatigued brain before he sat up with a start. "SAKURA! Our Sakura? What the hell is the squirt doing up so early! AAWW I knew I heard the stomping of some kind but…the Kaiju!"
"Touya, language. And yes the one and only Sakura. She was up even before I was. I have no idea what has her in such a good mood but it can only be a good thing."
"If I remember correctly last time you said that it was the day before Sakura was supposed to go to that summer camp she refused to go to and put saran wrap on the toilet, glue in the toothpaste dispenser and bleach in my shampoo."
Fujitaka laughed at the memory, the mess it caused and the bickering and laughter that followed the incident. "Well I'm assuming by the lack of yelling that it isn't quite the case this time around."
Touya only grunted taking an apple out of the large bowl on the table and taking a bite out of it. "So where's she off to so early in the morning?"
Fujitaka gave his son a look that clearly said 'Don't talk with your mouth full' before rolling his eyes and responding. "The book store. She seemed pretty excited about it too."
"Psh, she would be."
"Now be nice to your sister. She's only going to be around for a few more days you know."
"Yeah…I still don't know if I like this whole thing very much."
Fujitaka sighed slipping into the chair across from his son and looked up at him through tired eyes and smiled wirily. "You have no idea how many times I've thought the exact same thing. But I know everything will be fine in the end."
"Seriously? You believe that?"
Fujitaka stood smiling and nodded. "Yes. Yes I do."
Gaaahhh sorry it was such a short update but I've seriously been having some troubles tying up loose ends here. THE FIC IS ALMOST DONE!
The next chapter will probably be the last one and then maybe an epilogue.
Yes sadly this fic is coming to an end. I'm so happy so many of you like it and have reviewed the last chapter. Your support is greatly appreciated.
1 oh if you didn't get that part, it was a dream she had… sorry if that wasn't clear. I tried to make it make sense as best as I could but with two Sakuras in like the same sentence it was a little challenging.
Anyway I hope you liked this chapter, however short it was and please leave a comment, I love to hear what you guys think and even what you think could be improved. - Thanks so much
-Cursed mind