Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Flame of Love ❯ Volume Three, Chapter Fifteen: Dark Clouds ( Chapter 15 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Everyone has down days. Sadness that can’t be explained away. It doesn’t leave either. The death of a loved one doesn’t help the situation either. Kagome looked at the dull clouds out the window. She and Michiko had just come home from the funeral of her grandmother. It looked like it would rain all morning. Ryo offered to comfort her, but Kagome just wanted to be left alone for the day. She shook her head to herself. That girl has always hated days like this.
Why doesn’t it just rain, already?, she thought.
The dim clouds in the sky reminded her of her father. This type of weather calmed him down. Maybe that’s why he looked so peaceful on his deathbed. Her grandmother, his father, was the same way. The thick, dark clouds seemed to welcome them to the other side before they drew their last breath. Kagome never understood it. The darkened clouds in the sky just brought down as it would with some normal people. Today just made it even worse.
“Are you okay?” someone asked in present day. Kagome turned around. Michiko stood in the doorway with a tray of milky tea. Her daughter waved.
“Hi mom,” she said, trying to hide her sorrow. Michiko already saw through the guise.
“Baby, it’s okay to cry,” she said. Kagome turned to the window.
“Looks like it’ll rain,” she said.
“Huh?” her mother asked. The woman set down the tray and walked over to the window.
“Oh,” she said. “So it is.” A smile came onto her face.
“You really do miss them, do you?” Michiko asked her daughter. Kagome nodded.
“It’s still quite a shock about Nana, isn’t it?” Michiko asked.
“Yeah…” her daughter mumbled. Her mother kissed her on the head.
“Oh baby,” she whispered. Michiko hugged her daughter.
“They liked days like this,” Kagome said. Her mother nodded.
“Part of the reason why I fell in love with your father,” she explained. Kagome looked up at her.
“What?” she asked. Her mother giggled.
“I haven’t told you?” she asked. “My, my. I think it’s about time for ‘that.’” Kagome looked a bit. Michiko patted her on the shoulder.
“Come with me,” she said. The woman walked down the hall. Kagome blinked.
What is she…?, she began to think. Kagome followed after her. They stopped at the hall closet. Michiko turned to her daughter.
“I rarely take this out,” she said. The woman opened the door and reached inside at the top. Kagome watched as her mother pulled out a small green box. Michiko put her hand to the lid.
“What I am about to show you is the memory box,” she said.
“Memory box?” Kagome asked.
“Yes,” the mom said. “This is my memory box.” Michiko removed the lid. “Take a look,” she said. Kagome peeked inside. A puzzled look came over her face.
“What… is all of this?” she asked. Michiko gave her a little smile. She took out a green and black necktie.
“This was the first present I bought your father,” she said. Kagome blinked.
“I thought he hated it,” she said.
“He did,” her mother confirmed with a nod. “But he kept it to be nice.”
“Why did you even buy this ugly thing for him in the first place?” her daughter asked. Michiko shrugged.
“I wanted his attention,” she said.
“Huh?” Kagome asked as she blinked. The mother giggled before speaking.
“It was a Valentine’s Day gift,” she said. “All the other girls gave him chocolates. I wanted to stand out. Apparently, it worked. He asked me out the next day.” Kagome’s eyes widened.
“No way!” she gasped. Michiko smiled in pride.
“True story!” she said. “Believe me!” The woman put the tie in the box. She handed the whole thing to her.
“Here,” Michiko said. “I will loan this to you as a pick-me-up for days like this.” Kagome looked her in the eye.
“You mean it?” she asked. Michiko nodded as she patted her daughter on the shoulder.
“Yeah,” she said. “Just put it back when you’re finished with it.” Then, she went back to her office. Kagome looked on at her mother.
“Okay then…” she mumbled. The girl turned to the box. A box of her father, huh? Suddenly, this day wasn’t so bad anymore.