It was a beautiful morning with cloudless skies and birds in nearly every tree singing their song. Two figures walked slowly up the path before them. The scene was peaceful as it should be...
The two visitors had dressed up in their finest outfits for this. The eldest of the two women's tastes had driven her to wear a tailored suit that fit like a glove to her tall narrow frame. The younger had some help in finding an outfit suitable for today's event.
She had borrowed heavily from the woman next to her, since they were comparable in size. But it was the eldest's partner that had influenced her feminine attire. She was amazed by the results in that she didn't look awkward, nor wearing clothes that weren't her size, as often she was forced to do. This was how she wanted to present herself everyday, but being able to do it just this once, for them, was good enough for her.
"This way, Haruka-san." Makato pointed to a less worn path. They were both forced to duck beneath the trees' low hanging branches that shaded the area.
"Here." She stopped at the foot of her parents' graves. Respectfully, she paused to say a brief prayer before pulling out her tools to clean the headstones. Haruka knelt down beside her and began working on the headstone of her mother.
"You don't need to do that, Haruka-san. I will in a moment."
"Oh? And do you think your parents will disapprove of my work?" She continued to pull out weeds that had grown since Makato had last visited.
"No! It's just --" She was at a loss for words to describe what she felt. She had mentioned yesterday that she couldn't go to the mall with Minako because she wanted to come up here and pay her respects. It had surprised her when Haruka asked if she may join her.
Visiting her parents was always a private thing for her. No one knew of the loneliness she felt until she came up here to see them. Yes, her friends were special to her, but there was always a gap, a void even, that they could never fill. A part of her longed to belong to a family. It was a simple thing, taken for granted by so many. Usagi would never realize how often she had envied her for the family she had.
Now none of them had.
"Idiots!" she wanted to scream at them, but couldn't. It was part of the sacrifice. They became like her, family-less. She winced on the inside at how much pain her friends must be feeling now. It was something that she had come to live with, something she understood. To them, it was a fresh wound and nothing she said could take the salt out of it.
"Mako-chan?" Haruka's mellow voice pulled her out of her musing.
She blushed slightly. To cover her embarrassment, she pulled out the incense they had brought with them. Haruka lit the sweet smelling sticks and placed them before the headstones.
They knelt before the headstones for several minutes in silence. She knew that Haruka was waiting for her. She should have said 'no' when she asked to come along. Then why did she say 'yes'? Well, she has become closer to the older woman since their talk on her motorcycle. The usually distant Haruka had been drawing her closer, that much was obvious to her. Why? Why should Haruka care about her? Haruka had Michiru. Together they had everything they needed to be happy.
She bowed her head and closed her eyes, seemingly in prayer. She had always looked up to Haruka as a role model. The older woman was so outgoing, so strong. She had the confidence Makato lacked. She doubted that Haruka's towering height ever caused any social discomfort like it did for her. No one saw Haruka as a freak. Haruka took their comments about her, acknowledged the truth in them, and then tossed them aside as meaningless. She wished she was more like Haruka in those regard.
"Mother, Father, this is my friend Ten'ou Haruka-san," she whispered softly. She didn't look up from her bowed position. The gravesite lapsed into silence again.
Several more minutes passed. Usually it was so easy for her to speak with her parents. Why was she finding it difficult to do so today? Was it because Haruka was here? Yes, that was the reason. She tried to pin down the feeling within her. Guilty, she was feeling guilty. Haruka was more than just a friend, she was like a sister. She pushed that idea aside. It was presumptuous of her to consider Haruka like a sister.
She looked up startled when she heard Haruka speak. "Mr. and Mrs. Kino, it is an honor to meet you both," her head was bowed in respect. She looked up and addressed the headstones as though her parents where standing before her there.
"I came here today to thank you for raising such a fine lady as Makato-san." Her heart leaped at Haruka's use of such an honorific suffix. "I have only gotten to know her for a few short years, but in that time I have seen the results of such good parentage. You would surely be proud of her. I am proud of her. She has faced some very difficult situations maturely." Haruka stopped speaking.
She looked over at the woman she admired so much. The idea of Haruka thinking of her with such high regards made her want to jump for joy.
"Mr. and Mrs. Kino, you have brought Makato-san so far, and she carried herself even further, but this is not enough."
Her spirits dampened. Did Haruka not approve of her after all?
Haruka paused to take a cleansing breath before continuing, "She is lacking in some areas. Things, I'm certain, that would have never been neglected had you lived to instruct her."
Her heart fell to her shoes. Haruka didn't think highly of her at all. She was lacking. She was such a fool to think Haruka would ever consider someone like her as an equal.
"And so, I ask your permission to adopt Makato-san into our family. There are three of us now, she would be a welcome addition to our home. I have already discussed it with my partner and our roommate, everyone is agreed on the idea."
She prevented her jaw from falling open. "Haruka-san?" she stuttered in surprise.
Haruka's eyes met hers and held firm. "During the last month, I've watched you. I've noticed how you have been accepting guidance from Michiru." She looked off into the distance. "I never had any siblings, but I've come to think of you as a younger sister to me. Does that disturb you?"
She swallowed the growing lump in her throat. This couldn't be real. Haruka couldn't want her to join their family.
"Setsuna has already prepared a room for you if you wished to move in. Or you could stay at your apartment if that makes you more comfortable. What matters is that we will be there for you," Haruka smiled at her.
She couldn't resist the feeling within her anymore. She flung herself at the taller woman and tightly hugged her. "I've never had a sister, but I would love to consider you as one," she smiled up at her. Haruka gently wiped away a tear on her cheek.
"I feel the same way Mako-chan. We have sacrificed our old bonds. Now it is time to form new ones," Haruka hugged her protectively.
"I think I would like to stay in my apartment," she answered after a few moments of thought. "But if I could visit on occasion..."
"We will have a room ready for you. Please don't be afraid to make use of it or the shoulder of one of us," she grinned at her. It was a charming smile that filled her in a way nothing had before. Haruka had opened up to her and invited her in for future visits.
Makato looked over to her parents' grave before saying,
"Thank you, oneesan."
The End.
