I could hear the faint sound of footsteps outside my room, my eyes flickering at the dim light breaking its way in. I'm not alone anymore, someone is here.
'Good morning.'
'Hi.' I say, something about her is familiar. The door to my room is again pushed opened I look over to see the same smiling young girl I saw the day before. Joy over takes me and I remember her.
'Mama.' She says. 'Do you remember me today?' She is again trying to climb onto my bed. A smile flushes my face as I look at her.
'I do Hotaru.' I say to her and she freezes her face unsure.
'Papa.' She yells rushing from my bed and out the door. The tall woman is beside me now, she's pretty, I didn't notice that the day before, she's smiling at me. My hand in hers. The child returns to my room followed by the boy and a doctor, tests are done the doctor asks me what his name is and I reply to him. 'Dr. Mathis.' He nods appreciatively. 'You can take her home later this afternoon Haruka.' He says to the boy I assume I'm in a relationship with. The group quickly attend to packing my room, the child mostly cuddling in my bed, my arms around her, she sleeps. Long after lunch a nurse informs us that I may be discharged, Haruka fills out all of my paperwork as Setsuna helps me into a wheel chair, Hotaru on my lap I'm wheeled from the hospital room to the parking lot and assisted into a yellow sports car.
'Is this yours?' I ask looking at Haruka.
'It is.' He replies kicking it into gear as we speed down the road. It isn't long before we're in front of a large apartment building. Hotaru jumps out of the car, I panic a little for her safety but Setsuna is already ahead of me. 'Hotaru, don't do that you could get hurt.'
'I'm sorry Setsuna-mama.' She says quietly. Setsuna and Haruka take my bags as Hotaru takes my hand and leads me into the building. The door man waves at me happily greeting me 'welcome home miss Michiru.' He says to me. The name is still unfamiliar but I smile at him. The child gently pulls me into the elevator and pushes the button.
'Shouldn't we wait?' I ask as the door close.
'No, they'll be along.' She says to me and I wonder how old she is. Our ride seems long; I watch the numbers glow above finally stopping on the letter P.
'Okay.' She giggles pulling me out of the elevator and down the hall. She pulls out a key from her small pocket and unlocks the door. 'Welcome home Mama.' She grins letting me slowly walk in behind her. The apartment is vast; it looks as though it is two apartments renovated together. I walk around touching everything; there are pictures all over the place. Pictures of a family I muse stopping to stare at one, I recognize Haruka standing behind Hotaru, I assume the girl next to them is me, same hair. I wander around looking at pictures and touching things until I hear the other two arrive. 'Welcome home.' Haruka says to me setting my bags down, I pick up a picture from the table next to the couch and stare at it. Haruka is standing next to the girl I figure is me, his arms around me, we look happy.
'I think I'll keep Hotaru at my place for a while longer.' I hear Setsuna offer. Haruka says something to her and Hotaru whines a little.
'It's for the best.' Haruka says coming down to Hotaru's level. 'When you come home Mama might remember more.' The child lets a few tears out, but agrees she rushes to me throwing her arms around my hips. I crouch down to her, she kisses me softly and I can feel the brush of her long eye lashes.
'I love you mama. Get better okay.' She says matter of factly. Before running to the side of Setsuna.
'We'll visit.' Setsuna adds before disappearing behind the door.
'We live here?' I say setting the picture back on the table.
'We do. Hotaru lives here most of the time. She stays at Setsuna's a lot too though.'
'And she's our daughter?' I feel almost nauseated as I ask the question.
'In a way, she's biologically not but we love her and care for her as if she were.' Haruka answers me and I like the way he speaks. Straight, to the point.
'And we're.'
'We are.'
'I'm sorry.' I say feeling tears stream down my face. He's next to me now and I can feel him battling whether to hold me or not.
'Don't be.' He says deciding not. 'None of this is your fault Michiru. We don't blame you, you shouldn't.' I spend the rest of the night looking at everything. I wander around the apartment Haruka informs me I decorated. I touch everything; I look at each picture hoping for a memory, one of them sparking my past. It's of no use; I yawn harshly and blush slightly. 'I set you up in the guest room.' Haruka says to me.
'No.' I protest. 'I want to sleep in my bed.' I say. He looks at me strangely but nods and leads me to the room we so obviously share. It was the one room, I hadn't been in yet. I wander around it like a child at the fair, wonderment at everything. I pick up a mirror on the vanity and realize I had yet to see myself. I make a face at the beauty staring back at me, indeed matching the woman in the pictures. My hair is a strange aqua color, my eyes match.
'Beautiful isn't it?' Haruka says from the bathroom door, he's standing in boxers and a tank top covered loosely with his robe. I glance at him and blush before moving from the mirror to the closet pulling it open. I stare a minute at the amount of dresses and skirts, neatly hung next to slacks and shirts. Haruka crosses the room and crawls into bed. I touch my clothing, trying desperately to remember anything. 'You're nightgown is hanging in the bathroom. Do you need help?'
'No, I went through all that kind of stuff with Setsuna.' I explain closing the doors to the closet and walking to where the bathroom was. I close the door behind me and close my eyes. Nothing seemed to be helping; I couldn't remember any of these things. My things. Tears streamed down my face and I reached around for Kleenex. I washed my face and applied the lotions Setsuna had told me about; grateful I could remember everything from that day. I slipped into the only night dress in the bathroom and pulled the door open, Haruka was sitting up, reading. I flicked off the light and made my way to the bed lifting back the covers and getting in.
'What if I don't remember anything tomorrow?' I ask staring up at the ceiling.
'Then we'll start over.' Haruka replies closing his book and flicking off the light. Being next to him I feel safe. I fall asleep uneasy, the stresses of my first day at home over whelming me.