Chapter 8

"Hello, I'm Syaoran. What's your name?" he interrupted her and directed her attention to him.

"Sakura," she said, taken by surprise.

"Nice to meet you. How are you doing with dance?" asked the 12-year-old boy.

"Not so bad," she replied. "I'm a bit clumsy," she added sadly.

"And very pretty," he said with a slight blush. She felt like she was turning into a tomato.

They stayed chatting without knowing how they would change each other's lives.

"I also invited Daisuke," Tomoyo said, taking out the cooler to the backyard, "so you have an excuse to ignore Syaoran."

"That's what you and the kids are supposed to do," I reproached her as I put chips on the table. "You guys just want to see the world burn."

"What can I tell you? It was Eriol's idea," she smiled knowingly.

"That explains it all," I rolled my eyes.

A sudden flurry of movement and squeals announced tiny ninjas launching themselves at me. Black hair tickled my cheeks - Kaito and Hana, of course. My hug, though enthusiastic, was tinged with a sliver of tension. He was here. Turning, I saw Meiling framed by the gate door, Kenji and Syaoran trailing behind. My heart hammered a frantic tattoo against my ribs, a ridiculous teenager's reaction that defied logic. Why, after all this time, were these feelings still around?

"Aunt Sakura," Hana said, "I have a new uncle. His name is Uncle Grumpy."

We all laughed.

"I'm not grumpy," Syaoran grumbled, coming to where we were.

"Well, you're one of the dwarves," I answered without looking at him. I used to tease him when we were younger because I was slightly taller than him. When I turned to face him, he was smiling, moved by the reference.

"Hello," he said softly.

"Hello," I replied.

"How have you been?"

"Fine, thanks. And you?"

"Better now. I'm glad to see you again," I blushed. This man had always been a damn smooth talker.

The arrival of Dai and Eriol cut short my reply. Excusing myself, I hurried to greet Dai. His embrace was warm, a familiar ruffle of my hair bringing back a wave of childhood memories when my brother would do the same. Aoto and Emi's excitement was contagious, igniting a spark in Kaito and Hana that soon had them all tangled up with Dai in a whirlwind of playful chaos. I watched them with a smile, a pang of nostalgia tugging at my heart. Meiling, a sly glint in her eye, nudged my ribs. Rolling my eyes playfully, I turned to chat with the others.

Hana walked away from the group and approached us. I thought she was coming to get me to play with them but she passed me by and went straight to Syaoran.

"Uncle Grumpy, can you play with us?"

A smile tugged at my lips as the man excused himself. He sauntered over to join the children and Dai, who were already in a heated (but good-natured) soccer match. Emi, bless her enthusiastic spirit, was determined to contribute despite some hilariously misplaced kicks. Kero, perched on the edge of the action, couldn't resist a playful swipe at the ball whenever it rolled near, sending the kids into fits of giggles. Watching them all interact, especially the way both Dai and Syaoran so easily connected with the children, an undeniable flicker of attraction sparked within me. There was something incredibly attractive about their easygoing nature and playful energy with the kids.

"Sakura," Eriol said, catching my attention. "Enjoying the view?"

"Shut up, Eriol," I replied.

"Syaoran was very excited to see you," Kenji said.

"Daisuke too," Eriol countered.

"I guess they both have a fan club," Meiling said amused. "I'm not rooting for anyone. One is too perfect and the other is my cousin. What do you think, Tomoyo?"

"About what?" Dai asked, sitting next to me.

"Cats," I said quickly. Syaoran sat next to Meiling, glaring at Daisuke.

"I love them," Dai said, "but you're allergic, aren't you Sakura?"

"Yes, that's why I have Kero," I turned to look at him and he was upside down while the kids scratched his belly. Silly dog.

"I don't like them," Syaoran said. "I don't like the idea of hairballs."

"I agree," Tomoyo admitted, not very happy to have something in common with Syaoran.

The afternoon melted away in a warm tide of conversation. Syaoran, it turned out, had become a pediatrician, his gentle nature perfectly suited to caring for children. He also held several martial arts trophies, his biggest passion. The past three years seemed to have been good to him. When Eriol, ever the mischief-maker, steered the conversation towards Syaoran's love life, a touch of wistfulness flickered across his features. Eriol, of course, wouldn't be Eriol unless he used that moment to needle both of us – a well-honed (and somewhat irritating) skill of his. According to Syaoran, there hadn't been a special person in his life for a while.

"Dai was...well, let's just say finding someone to talk about wasn't exactly his priority. But lately, there seems to be a certain someone captivating his attention. Must be something special about Sakura, wouldn't you agree, Li?" said Eriol with a gentle smile.

Dai smiled, shaking his head, he was already used to Eriol's witticisms. I blushed extremely and glanced furtively at Syaoran. He looked extremely irritated. Dai put his arm around my shoulders before speaking.

"What can I say? It's not every day you find someone who agrees to go out for burgers at half past eleven on a Wednesday."

Syaoran kept his gaze on the kids who were now playing tag with Kero.

"That was a nice anecdote," Tomoyo said with a devilish smile, playing along to her husband's plan. "When Sakura mentioned that you took out the blanket to spread it on the back seat, I thought the plot was getting very interesting."

Syaoran stood up abruptly and said that he would go see the children. At that moment, Dai had a call and apologized before walking away. I looked at my friends reproachfully and they were trying very hard not to burst out laughing.

"You don't know how to behave, do you?"

"Come on, Sakura," Eriol said. "We haven't had fun like this since you started dating Yukito."

The mood changed immediately. I didn't know how to react. Was dating even okay? Dai and I weren't exclusive but I knew something about our friendship was different. Wasn't it too soon? Not to mention what I felt when he saw Syaoran. That did feel like betrayal. I forced a smile and stood up. I said I had to text the other third-grade teacher and needed a moment. As I walked away, I heard Meiling scolding Eriol.

"Really?! Did you forget how long it took us to get her smiling again?"

I sat on the front porch and hugged myself. It wasn't a panic attack but I did need to use my 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. I was in the middle of number three when I heard footsteps.

"Are you alright?" Syaoran asked.

"Yes," I answered. "I just need a moment."

"Should I call your boyfriend?"

I could hear the resentment in his voice. Had I not been in such a vulnerable situation I would have played along, but I was in no condition.

"Dai is not my boyfriend. He's my friend," I wasn't one hundred percent sure about that second part but Syaoran wasn't the person I wanted to discuss it with.

"I don't know, whatever you did in their back seat is very revealing," he said, annoyed.

I got up suddenly. To hell with the grounding technique.

"You wanna assume the worst?" you practically snarled, your voice tight with fury. "Fine. Go ahead. But before you paint me some kind of villain in your head, remember this: you. don't. know. anything."

He hesitated but was not intimidated.

"I'm just trying to help! Maybe next time, think a little more about how your actions might be perceived."

"Maybe if you weren't so quick to judge, my reputation wouldn't be an issue," I could feel it growing inside of me. It wasn't my hole, it wasn't as powerful but it was darker.

"Well sorry. I should have watched my words," he exclaimed, upset.

"That's the problem with you. You say, you say, and you say and you don't think about the consequences of your words," I needed to stop myself but years of resentment were begging to leave my heart. "Go on with your life, Sakura. What did you do in the back seat, Sakura? I fell in love with someone else, Sakura. Sakura, I still love you but I'm going to marry her. Meanwhile, the only one who gets hurt is me!"

My friends ran out when they heard my screams. They found us both with red faces, his because of shame and mine because of anger. Kero ran towards me and stood in front of Syaoran, almost expecting me to attack him so he could defend him. Traitor

"I have to go. Sorry, guys. Tell the kids I said 'bye'," I began walking to my car with Kero at my side.

"Want me to go with you?" Dai asked running to catch up to me.

"Not this time, but thank you."

I got into my car and saw the worried looks of my friends. Syaoran was still standing in the same place with his head down.