Chapter Two Chapter Two

A Light of Hope

"Were it not for hope the heart would break." Charles A. Beard

Aya woke up realizing that Reka was gone from her side. She remembered putting her arms around Aya and finally slept. And now, beside her, the pillow Reka used was in its proper place and the blanket they had shared was smoothly placed above her, all indicated that there was no one around the room, except her. She got up from the bed and looked around the room. It was then that she realized how modern it was, opposite to the outside image of the house. Everything here has a classic touch; the wall painting, the bed, the window and all furniture are carefully chosen to match the room. It was like a western room inside an eastern house.

Thinking that Reka must be with Yuhi again, Aya went inside the shower room to cleanse her self and get ready for breakfast and as well as to prepare for a long journey to the healer's house. A stranger to her a million miles away and yet, the only hope she has to see Toya again. By the time she went down, it was 7:30 and the dining table has just been filled with food for the four of them. She saw Yuhi just took his seat, minus Reka beside him.

"Aya, glad you're here. Sit down. Yuuna said he had already finished eating. That guy's really an early bird. He was used to waking up even at 5 a.m. just to have his morning walks." Yuhi greeted her with a pleasant look on his face. "Where's Reka? Isn't she going to eat with us?"

"No…I don't…Yuhi, I thought Reka's with you… I woke up this morning with Reka already gone from the bed so I thought…" Aya couldn't hear her words anymore as her own voice slowly gone.

"She was not with me… Aya, are you sure she wasn't there when you wake up?" Yuhi asked, trying to be calm for Aya's sake who is beginning to tremble.

"God…I should have looked for her! Yuhi, please…" Tears fell from her already swollen eyes. "Help me. Let's find her! I can't bear to…"

Just then, Yuuna came and asked what was happening. "What is happening here?" he asked, his hair still wet from bath.

"Reka's missing! We have to find her immediately. She might get lost in the forest!" Yuhi turned to him then to Aya. "Please, you have to be calm and find Reka!" he told her and after a few seconds, her shaking stopped. She nodded while wiping the tears that fell from her eyes.

"I- I think…I just saw a figure of a little girl running towards the forest just now…" Yuuna's reluctant voice was heard. Aya and Yuhi looked at the direction of Yuuna's eyes. He was looking to the window on their right. No one was there.

"I said, running towards the forest…" Yuuna said.

With that, the three of them hurriedly run towards the forest.

oOo

"Reka!" Aya called out. No one answered. They have been looking around the place for thirty minutes and still, there was no result.

"Yuuna!" Yuhi called the man running towards them. He was bathing in sweat already. So is Aya and Yuhi.

They felt the wind's cold breeze on their skin. It chilled them. Aya closed her eyes and out of nowhere, the memory of the dream she had last night dawned on her… It was still so vivid in her memory…so nostalgic. Seeing Toya again, feeling his warmth and the softness of his voice…the intensity of his green eyes. It was all with her until she woke up…

"Aren't you being a little harder with Reka?"

In an instant, Aya opened her eyes and looked on her surrounding. "Toya! It was Toya!" Another cold wind past at them…

"Mama!" Reka's loud voice echoed all around the forest. "Mama!" And yet to Aya, the earlier voice she heard engulfed her daughter's voice. She was so consumed on her own thoughts that Yuhi still has to shake her to wake her from her daytime dream.

"It was Reka's voice and it's in that direction." Yuhi said, pointing southwest. Yuuna already went running ahead of them. It wasn't long before they could keep up with him. They saw him standing still and Reka was not with him.

"Yuuna, where is Reka?" Yuhi asked. He didn't answered; instead, he urged them to look at where he is looking. They followed.

Reka was lifted above the ground, as though someone was cuddling her. Her arms were holding around on something. Like an invincible neck. "Reka…" Aya muttered. She couldn't help but to cover her mouth with her hands as that "someone" slowly became apparent from them. Her heartbeat pounded faster as a tall figure of a man came to their view. With red hair. With green eyes.

"Toya!" she exclaimed. She couldn't stop herself from crying.

Toya put down Reka on the ground who excitedly ran towards Aya and embraced her tightly. "Papa said he really misses you and that he couldn't wait to see you. He said, "be strong", Mama." The girl whispered to her with that innocent look in her eyes. Aya fell down on her knees and returned her daughter's embrace with more warmth. She looked again at the spot where Toya stood, but he wasn't already there. Disappointment. Hurt. Longing. She felt all of that… if only everything could be turned back to normal…

oOo

Aya gazed at her sleeping daughter on the bed. She was so beautiful, so much like her father. An angel... so much like Toya, inheriting his reddish hair, his green eyes... his lips... She couldn't see anything that resembles Reka to her.

"Maybe when she grows up, that's when will see what she inherited from you." she heard Toya's voice from her head. He said it on one of the times she complained on why Reka looked nothing like her.

"But Toya, he's already two years old, and the more I look at her, the more I could see her resemblance to you!" again, she heard Toya chuckling which made her angrier.

"The way she moves and look, she's more like you...and when she sleeps... she's like a "little Aya" in my "ears"..." he told him which made Aya feel good but hearing his last words...

"I hate you! I don't snore in my sleep!" she told him as she let herself free from his embrace.

"I was just kidding, My Aya... But I think little Reka will grow more like you. Just you wait and see..." he told her, embracing her more tightly.

Aya's eyes filled with tears as she laid herself beside her daughter. "Toya... how could I wait for it without you?" Aya cried for her lost love...wishing that today's hope will not go for nothing...

Location: I couldn't provide the location of the place... the truth is, I don't live in Japan. Oh, I tried to think or make up a name for the location, but I just couldn't think of a good name... maybe I'm not yet that good...

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Till next time!