Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Custody ❯ The picture ( Chapter 24 )

Christmas morning came at last. Momiji didn't think much of Christmas for a long time, but his year it was different, and he found himself being unable to sleep well. He kept on waking every hour to check the time. He remembered how Christmas mornings were back when he was a child. For a brief moment he had the feeling that his father would come through his door any moment. He didn't really care about the holidays anymore, and this morning in particular he didn't feel in the mood for celebrations. He was just curious about the presents. He figured that it would be rude to wake everybody up so that he could open them, so he waited patiently until Momo and Grandma were up before getting out of his room.

 

He didn't have to wait for long, though. Grandma came in after a soft knock on the door. He sat up with a soft smile and greeted her in Japanese for a change. She sat down next to him on the bed.

 

-“I like that.” -Momiji just looked at her with questioning eyes, so she explained further.

 

-“You always smile in the morning. I like it that you start the day that way.”

 

He only smiled again. He didn't want to ruin the moment with words. It was good to be like that, just sitting next to his grandmother. He was enjoying and treasuring every second of it, even more knowing that his time with her was running out.

 

-“I was surprised when I heard you play yesterday. I didn't know that you played the violin too. You have talent, a gift. I'm so proud of you!” -and with no previous warning, she hugged him. Momiji hugged her back weakly. She noticed it, but she kept on hugging him anyway. She could never hug this child too many times.

 

-“I'm out of practice. I felt so embarrassed when you walked in on me like that. I didn't want Momo to find out that I took her violin.” -he was still in a loose embrace with his grandmother. He didn't dare to melt completely into her loving arms, or he would never have the courage to let go.

 

-“I'm sure that she didn't mind. She loves you, and she told me that she was happy to hear you play again. She told me another thing too: she said that she felt like you were saying goodbye. I agree.” -she explained softly. She was scared of what Momiji might be thinking. She didn't want him to suffer even more.

 

-“I was, in a way. I'm sure that Momo told you already, but I'm leaving at midday the day after tomorrow. I don't know when or if I'll come back.” -his voice started to sound detached, distant.

 

-“Momiji” -she said softly, making him pull apart from the hug so that she could look at him. He waited silently for her to continue. “Aren't you going to tell Momo? She deserves to know. Don't do to her what your parents did to you. Don't decide for her. You said that you loved your sister…”

 

-“I do, that's why I'm leaving her so that she can be happy here.” -he was too calm about this. He was saying the words like they were a programmed answer that he had rehearsed many times. She didn't like it. It wasn't normal. In an unsettling contrast, he was smiling again that apparently happy smile of his, the one that she now recognized as an empty one.

 

-“What made you think that she'll be happy here without you?” -she wanted to make him react to her words, but he kept on speaking in that even voice of his.

 

-“Everything and everyone she loves are here. Her parents are buried here.” -he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “You are here. Until two weeks ago, she had been living her life perfectly fine without me. She will be just as fine after I leave. She doesn't need me. She never has. She has you.” -again those pre-fabricated answers. He was hiding his feelings behind them.

 

-“You are wrong, and I think that you're making a terrible mistake.” -she lightly scolded him.

 

-“Please, obaa-san. Let me do this my way.” -he really needed her support. He still didn't know how he was going to be able to leave them in two days, more likely to never see them again.

 

Brigitta understood his unspoken request. He had called her obaa-san. She had learned over the past few days that it was a title much closer to his heart, but he only used it when they were alone.

 

-“I respect your decision, even if I think that you should tell her.” -Momiji gave her a grateful look. She continued once she had eye contact with him again. “Because of that, I had to give you this before she wakes up.” -She put a wrapped package in his hands that he hadn't noticed before. Momiji started to tear the paper apart to reveal his gift. Brigitta took in his curious eyes, so much like a child's, contrasting with his calm exterior. She felt resentment against her daughter for the first time for keeping this boy away from her. She had missed out his whole life. Finally, he uncovered the object inside the box.

 

-“I found it among your father's things one day while I was looking for information about you. At first I thought that it was Momo, but two days ago, when I took it out to clean the frame, I noticed the date. It's you in there.” -she explained with a grin of satisfaction.

 

Momiji held a frame that he vaguely recognized. Inside, there was a picture of his parents with a little blond toddler. He was shocked when he recognized himself in the picture. He must've been two or three at that time. He was sitting on his mother's lap and for once she was looking at him with something akin to tenderness. Momiji was grinning, but what really caught his attention were his own eyes: they were smiling too. Had he ever been able to smile like that? His father was standing behind his little family with a proud, content face. If he didn't know better, he would've believed that the people in the picture were happy. He wondered how his father had managed to have the picture taken, and how he had made his wife agree to touch their child for once.

 

-“Thank you.” -he whispered without looking up from the picture in his hands. Momiji ran his finger over the smooth surface of the glass, tracing each figure in it. He waited for several long minutes before he spoke again.

 

-“I don't remember when they took the picture… I made the frame at school after I left their house. I asked Papa to give it to her. I guess he never did.”

 

-“Maybe he didn't want to let go of it, so he treasured it for himself.” -Brigitta believed that to be the only possible explanation. For a moment, she felt some sympathy for her son-in-law. He must've missed his son after all.

 

-“Maybe… Papa had a very peculiar way to show his love.” -he didn't look up yet. Brigitta noticed the endearing name and thought that it was cute that Momiji referred to his father in such a childish way even after all that happened.

 

-“What do you think of them now? You told me that you don't need parents anymore because you are all grown up now… do you really think so?”

 

He only nodded. Brigitta realized that he was speaking less and less every time. She didn't like that at all. She was afraid of loosing her grandchild to a stranger.

 

-“Momiji, look at me.” -she asked softly. Once his eyes met hers she confirmed her suspicions. The distant look was coming back into them, and the fake smile hadn't faltered for even a second. “What is it? What are you thinking about? This is not you.” -she had to stop herself from shaking the boy to force a reaction out of him, but he just kept the mask on his face and replied calmly.

 

-“Don't worry. I'm fine. Everything is fine now.” -he broke eye contact with her as he stood up to put the picture inside his suitcase. Brigitta realized then that he had everything packed up already, or rather, she had the feeling that he never unpacked at all. Once he put the picture away, he faced her and for a brief moment she saw a hint of sadness cross his eyes. After that, the smile only grew more. She was growing scared. He just stood there in silence, waiting for her to make the first move. It was as if he had decided to go along with whatever she wanted him to do.

 

She stood up and walked to the door in a silent invitation for him to follow.

 

-“Let's go get your sister. Don't you want to open your presents?” -she said in the cheeriest voice she could manage.

 

Momiji only nodded and started to walk behind her. Somehow, he didn't feel curious about the presents anymore.