Chapter 5: A Ride in the Ferris Wheel

"See, it wasn't so bad is it?" Eriol asked. They just rode the Space Shuttle.

"What do you mean it wasn't so bad? I'm screaming there for my life!" Tomoyo said.

"And your nails may have left a permanent injury on my hand. You clutched them too hard, I'm afraid."

"You deserve it, you're the one who convinced me to ride that thing."

"Fine, it's my fault. Just admit that you had fun."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"Okay I admit, of course I had fun. I just think that I wouldn't ride it again anytime soon." Tomoyo smiled at Eriol. "Thanks for convincing me. I was able to try something new for a change."

"What are the two of you waiting for? Come on! Let's go for a ride on the Ferris wheel!" Sakura said.

While riding the Ferris wheel, Tomoyo turned to Eriol and said shyly, "Thanks for this." In her arms is a cute white bear wearing a baby blue dress.

"When I saw it, I knew that I should get it for you," Eriol replied. Eriol won it in a toss game. "It's the same color of the ribbons on your hair."

Up there, in the Ferris wheel, the noises from the carnival sound like a whisper, there's a light breeze that almost feels like a caress. It's almost twilight and the sun is about to sink down beyond the horizon. Tomoyo felt such indescribable peace and serenity.

"Hiiragizawa, look at the view! It's very pretty!" Tomoyo exclaimed.

Seeing Tomoyo like this is like seeing what she could have been like when she was a little girl. When Eriol met her, she was always ladylike and mature for her age. It's nice to see her carefree once in a while.

"Don't you think you should be calling me Eriol now? We're friends now, aren't we?"

"Yes, of course, we're friends, Eriol," Tomoyo smiled at him.

Suddenly, the Ferris wheel stopped.

"What happened?" Tomoyo said, fretful.

Eriol patted Tomoyo's hand. "Don't worry. There may have only technical problems. It should be fine in a few minutes."

"Tomoyo? Eriol? Are you two alright?" Sakura shouted from below them.

"We're fine Sakura!" Tomoyo replied.

Sakura nodded and snuggled closer in her boyfriend's arms.

"We did good, didn't we?" Tomoyo asked.

"Yes, I believe we did." Eriol knew that she was referring to Sakura and Syaoran. "They are meant for each other. They just needed a nudge here and there for them to realize it."

"I remembered that Li looked like he was going to bite my head off whenever I was near Sakura. Especially at the time when I kissed Sakura's hand."

Tomoyo laughed, remembering. "It took them some time but at least they still ended up together." They are still looking at the couple when Li leaned to Sakura as if to kiss her. They both looked away, feeling that they are intruding to something private.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Eriol asked, breaking the awkward silence.

Tomoyo glanced at Eriol, wondering where the question came from. "Yes, I do." That was the way for her parents. She remembered that when she was a little girl, her father would tell her how they met.

"Your mother and I met in a flight from the States. I'm fresh out of college. I knew that I loved her since I saw her walking down the aisle looking for her seat. I couldn't believe my luck when she sat beside me. Throughout the flight, I was mustering the courage to talk to her. I didn't. I regretted that I just let her go without even asking her name. After two years I still can't forget her."

"My friends persuaded me to go to a date with a woman. They pestered me for months until I reluctantly agreed. I arrived at the cafe, all set for a very boring afternoon. I even brought a book with me. There I was, so wrapped up in my book that I didn't notice that my date has arrived. When I looked up, I saw her. The woman I've been looking for two years. Your mother."

"There and then, I asked her to marry me. I wouldn't let her go after I saw her again. And you know what she said? She said, 'Took you long enough. Yes, I will marry you'. It turned out that she was the one who arranged for the date. She regretted not making the first move back in the airplane; even it was taboo at the time. We were married within the year. It was the happiest moment of my life, my pretty one."

My pretty one, that's how her father used to call her. She glanced at Eriol and noticed that he has that wistful look in his face. Maybe he remembers the time he met Kaho.

"Eriol, what happened to Kaho?" Tomoyo tentatively asked. "It's fine if you do not want to talk about it."

"I thought I was in love with Kaho. When she went back here in Japan to assist Sakura in the Final Judgment of Yue, I began to reassess my relationship with her. I realized that something's missing with my life with her."

"When I went here in Japan and I met you… also Sakura and Li… all of you, I finally realized what's missing with my relationship with Kaho. Love. I've never been in love with her."

"She arrived in my life when she was alone and I was longing for someone. We were both confused with our feelings. We needed to be with someone at that time. When I made friends here in Japan, I finally understood that it was the way between us. Friends. We were just friends trying to be more than that."

"When we went back to England, I couldn't bring myself to end our relationship. I can't fail Kaho, myself. Kaho was the one who ended it."

"She said that she knew that I'm in love with someone else. And that's not her. She didn't need to see the future to know that we are not meant for each other. She was just following her heart and that I should to the same."

Suddenly the Ferris wheel began to move again, interrupting the their conversation. Which is just as well. Tomoyo is so confused on what she's feeling right now. As if there's something heavy in her chest. So Eriol's in love with someone else which is why he and Kaho broke up. Tomoyo wanted to ask who is the girl Eriol loves. But she can't, she was scared. Scared of what? Of Eriol's answer? Of course not, she have already asked about Kaho, Eriol might not appreciate it if she asked again about another woman in his life.

"Daidouji, are you okay?" Li asked. Tomoyo was very quiet since they went down the Ferris wheel.

"Of course I am. Maybe I'm just a little tired," Li just nodded.

"Eriol, have lunch with us tomorrow. I'm sure Father would be glad to see you again," Sakura said.

"I'm sorry Sakura but I'm busy tomorrow. Nakuru is doing some research for her project in school and she kept bugging me to help her."

"That's okay. Next Sunday maybe," Sakura said. They have never really have a chance to talk since he came back. Ahead of them were Syaoran and Tomoyo but they didn't seem to be talking.

"Eriol, why did you came back here?" Sakura asked.

"Kaho was the one who urged me to go back here. She said that she saw me coming back here in one of her visions. She told me that I'll find everything I've been looking for here," Eriol said.

"What were you looking for Eriol?" Sakura asked.

"I've been trying to live a normal life in England. But it simply can't happen. So I went back here to get a fresh start. And where is a better place than here?"

"Well, I'm glad you decided to come back here," Sakura smiled at her friend.