NOW AND FOREVER
				   by LilAsia
				(lilasia@juno.com)

Chapter 3 - Discord and Departure

The crisp autumn air and the bright shining of the rising sun
pervaded every part of the little town. The people were alive and
awake. The children playing on the street. The shops bustling
with activity. Until a youma came out and the people took to 
shelter. They had learned to stay out of the way in the five years
that the youma had picked Juuban as their playground. Now the
streets were silent. Activity continued indoors; no one dared to go
out, until someone would spot the senshi breaking away, but until
then, no one dared come out. 
	For now, there was only the crisp autumn air. And the 
sunshine.

	There was one place where the sun almost never seemed to
reach, however. The building had been abandoned for many years. It
was dark and an air of mystery surrounded it. If one actually
noticed. Because it was located in a small commercial area, it was
surrounded by quaint little shops that was a part of the district's
charm. Though it created a juxtaposition against the cheeriness of 
the district, no one seemed to think it strange. No one looked twice
at it, not even the children who dared each other to stay at
haunted houses. It was as if, absorbed by the darkness, the
nothingness, the building wasn't even there.
	But it existed.
	The man looked about him as he stepped out of the dark
building, closing the door with precious care as if the light would
try to invade. With some thought, he smoothed his suit. 'Hmpf,' he 
thought with consternation. 'Back alleys. How cliché.' He took a step,
but quickly retracted as he heard racing footsteps approaching. 
	A girl ducked into the alley, and pressed against the wall, 
trying to catch her breath. With the dumpster obstructing his view, he 
could only note the extreme length of her hair. He also noted, with
amusement, that she was only wearing her pajamas.

	Usagi leaned her head back into the wall. Her hands spread 
wide for support on the wall turned into tight fists. All she could 
see was a wet blur. She pressed her lips together and squeezed her 
eyes shut. 'Can't cry. No time to cry,' she chanted to herself. But
her body wouldn't listen. Tears streaked down her cheeks, and she
opened her mouth to a silent scream of frustration. 'No time. No time. 
Can't cry. Stop crying! The senshi... They need me.' She brought a 
fist up to her eyes and wiped away the tears.
	"I'm sorry, Mom and Dad," she sniffled. She swallowed her 
tears. There would be enough time for crying later.

	'How long is that girl gonna take? I need to go... but I can't
let her see me.... Hey, why am I so worried? I just happen to be a 
guy leaving an abandoned building through a back alley entrance.' His
lips quirked into a smile. 'In any case, she won't notice.' He took a 
step out again. 
	And gasped as he saw her hold out her hands and yell out,
"Moon Eternal Power!"
	"What the hell-"
	He held up an arm to block the bright wash of light in the 
alley. When the light subsided, the girl was practically out of sight.
	He moved quickly to follow her. 'This should be good.' He
looked around the street. Nobody seemed to notice anything. 'Weird.
You would have thought that anybody yelling that loud or using
up a light that bright would have gathered a crowd.' 

	The people stared as the girl and the man following her shoved
them aside. Many shook their heads.
	"People these days."

	Eternal Sailor Moon ran, forbearing any thought to her 
problems, letting them slip away, losing them to the wind. She ran 
until the park was within sight. She hoped she had arrived in time.
She started to move towards her friends... when she saw a figure 
crumble to dust. She stopped in her tracks, then sought support as she 
thought her knees would buckle under her. She leaned back against
the pole. She couldn't quell the sudden rising feeling of dejection.
	She whispered, "They didn't need me after all.........."	

	"Where is that Odango Atama?!" a girl in a red fuku demanded 
irritably. "It would be just like her to show up after we've defeated 
the youma! It's a good thing the Outer Senshi decided to pitch in!"
	"Cool it, Mars," Venus said calmly. "We're all tired. I'm sure
she has a perfect explanation for all this."
	The truth was, everybody was worried about what might have
happened to her. No matter how absent-minded she could be, Sailor Moon
had always been there to defeat the youma. But today, there was no 
trace of her. Suppose she had gotten in an accident on her way over.
That was ridiculous. She was Sailor Moon... but she was also Usagi,
a human being who was perfectly susceptible to accidents.
	Tuxedo Kamen stepped forward.
	Mars swiveled around to face him. "Well?!"
	"She couldn't make it today-"
	"Probably 'cuz she was asleep!"
	"Enough, Mars," Venus commanded. Her cool reprimand surprised
the rest of the senshi. Mars subsided. Venus had been their leader in 
the past, and with Sailor Moon's absence, her bubbly nature gave way
to duty. Venus knew that Mars cared very much for their absent friend,
but putting up a false front of anger at this moment was not good for
anybody's morale. She could say things she would regret later.
	"She's having problems at home. Her parents can't reconcile 
themselves to her identity."
	Five startled looks.
	"Eh? Nan datta?!"
	"They know," Luna replied.
	"But how'd they find out?" Mars asked, her brow furrowing.
	Tuxedo Kamen stepped forward. "They had to be told. It was...
unavoidable." He stopped a moment. "They found out that Usagi had left
last night and when they found me walking her.. well, use your 
imagination. ... They're not taking it very well."
	"She needs some time," Luna sighed, worriedly. Artemis rubbed
against her, in an attempt to take in some of Luna's pain. Usagi
had been her charge.
	"Poor Usagi," Mercury breathed out. Jupiter echoed her. 
They knew that she must be having a hard time explaining. Of their 
team, Usagi was the only one to have a normal family. They all wished 
for a family as perfect as Usagi's, yet they knew how restricting that
could be in their actions. They all loved Usagi and would make sure 
she sees no harm. The rest of them were pretty much independent from 
constant worry by their family members. 
	If Usagi had been detained by her parents from fighting, then 
they were relieved (yes, even Mars) for they, too, didn't want her to
arrive to any harm. It made the fighting all the harder, though. They
needed Usagi to back them up. How could their parents be so small-
minded about this? Their feelings were mixed. Should they be happy
and relieved for her? Should they be angry? 
	But peripherally, they mourned their loss for they knew that 
Usagi would also be forbidden to see them. The price of her normal 
happiness and safety would be their friendship. Not to mention that
they would have to fight the youma with their weaker powers; weaker 
as compared to Usagi's, that is. But there were eight Senshi, and 
hopefully, they could cover for the loss of Sailor Moon. Hopefully,
they were enough. Many lives were at stake.
	Usagi would not like that, though. They all knew how protective
she was of them, no matter how many times they told her that it was
_their_ job to protect _her_. Though she could be a klutz and a 
crybaby, she had grown up in the past several years, and she was 
serious about defeating the ones who threatened her friends and family.
	Silently, they prayed that all would work out for the best.

	'Shimatta, I've lost her.' He spun around, and looked up the
sky, shielding his eyes from the brightness. 
	He had chased her down the busy streets, shoving aside the
diminishing numbers of people that were about. After a considerable
distance, the people had but altogether disappeared, meaning that there 
had been trouble here. Now he stood alone in the street.
	She had stopped, and all of a sudden, had taken to the roofs.
	The people looked out of the shops and saw a man in deep 
thought. The youma must be gone then. The thick air of worry gave
way to relief as the people once again walked the streets. 
	The man decided that she must have jumped on the building 
ahead of him.
	He took out his cell phone and dialed. "Boss, you are never 
going to believe this. I know who Sailor Moon is... No, no name. I 
mean I've identified her... She's running around the Juuban district
in her pajamas. Flannel. Long blond hair. Two buns with ponytails...
I'm after her.... Yes, boss." He flipped the phone shut and put it 
back in its pocket holder.
	'She can't be that hard to find... what with that hair.' He
ran ahead.

	Ikuko paced the room, chewing her fingernails. "I can't
believe it.. I can't believe I did that. What made me do that? I can't
believe it... Kenji, what if she never comes back?" Her voice was
rising hysterically.
	Kenji walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.
She stopped in her tracks. "Don't worry. She'll come back."
	"But I made her CHOOSE."
	"She'll come back," he told her firmly.
	"What makes you think that?"
	"Because she's our little girl."
	"I was so harsh with her. She's my little girl. Our little
girl. What if I've driven her away forever? She might never come 
back!"
	"I think she knows that you didn't mean that," he said. He
didn't believe his own words. However, he had to believe it so that
Ikuko would believe it. When Usagi came back - yes, WHEN - would 
things ever be the same again? Could they pretend that nothing ever
happened? Could they accept who she was-IS? What should they do? 
They couldn't encourage her, but could they ever tolerate it? His
little girl, off fighting battles. It wasn't right. He was her
father. It was his job to protect her. How could he protect her 
from something she professed to protecting _him_ from? There were 
no answers. "We didn't drive her away. If she doesn't come back,
we'll wait. She'll be back."
	"Don't.. don't you have to go to work?" she asked 
absent-mindedly. Work, that was what she needed to do. She needed to
think of something else for now. It threatened to eat her up. Hope.
She had to keep hope. To keep hope, she had to avert her mind from
the pessimistic pathways. 
	Yes, he did have some work at the office. Nothing that
couldn't wait. How long would it really take him to go through his
pictures for the tourism section of the paper? It was only for the
tourism section. It wasn't as if it was for current events. In which 
case he wouldn't have put them off until the weekend anyway. "I 
don't want to leave you alone here," he said.
	She gave him a weak smile. "Don't worry about me, Kenji.
I'm a big girl."
	"Are you sure?" He gave her a wary look. 
	She straightened his tie again. "I'm sure. I need to clean
up the house anyway. You'll just be in my way." She smiled at him.
	"I guess I better steer clear of my dust bunny then," he
said jokingly. He blinked. 'Bunny.' 
	Thankfully, she didn't catch it. "Okay, then. I'll be off."
He picked up his suitcase and gave his wife a kiss as he walked to
the door. "She'll be back," he said firmly.

	The girl leaned over the railing of the pedestrian overpass. 
She watched quietly as the cars whizzed by. So many people in a hurry 
to reach their destination. So many people who turned to look at her, 
at what she was wearing, at her disheveled hair. She noticed none of 
these.
	A blond-haired and green-haired couple were walking on the 
sidewalk, unbeknownst to the thinker on the overpass. They looked up, 
seeing their friend. They made a move towards approaching her, but she
had the air of someone who wanted to be left alone. The couple had
always valued privacy, and so they continued to walk. 
	"Mother, what do I do?"
	When she had arrived at the park, it looked as if the senshi 
had taken care of the youma themselves. Apparently, they hadn't needed 
her after all. She knew that what her mother said in the house had been 
said in anger and that she regretted them. But the pain was still 
there.
	Her thoughts shifted towards the future. She wondered how her
parents would react to find out she was the future Queen of Tokyo. She
smiled, amused. She wondered how long they would feel the pain. Then
her thoughts shifted again towards the Hundred Years of Winter which 
was to come. Her smile dropped. How was she supposed to wake the world
from its slumber? Did she have the power? Could she possibly stop it?
	She put a hand to her forehead and broke her thoughts off. Her
head was starting to hurt. 'I better go home and take a nap,' she 
thought wearily, and turned away from the railing.
	She froze in her tracks and bit her lip hard. The sensation 
made her forget her headache. But only for a moment.
	'Mamo-chan. He lives near here,' the thought came unbidden.
	She turned away once more and let her feet guide her through 
the familiar route to his apartment.
	She approached the stairs and slowly put one foot in front of
the other, pressing hard on the rails. One step, two steps, three. And
before she knew it, she was on level ground again. 'Two blocks. I
think two more blocks.'
	A slight breeze blew and one of side of her hair fell free and
gave way slightly to the wind. Her head felt lighter. Carefully, she
took down the other half and ran her fingers lightly over it. Her hair
flowed loosely. The headache diminished, but she was still emotionally
drained. 
	Belatedly, she held herself as she shivered. And noticed that
she was still in her pajamas.
	She walked faster.

	He stopped running and sat on the first step to the overpass.
Why was it so hard to find her? He shouldn't have reported her in so
prematurely. The boss wasn't going to be happy.

	The knock brought him to the door.
	"Usagi!" he exclaimed. She looked pale. Losing no time, he 
took her by the wrist, guiding her inside the apartment. He looked
at her carefully.
	She stood in the middle of the hallway, feeling helpless and
utterly lost. She came here hoping he could help her feel better. But
there was no smile today. No smile for her as he opened the door to
find her standing there. She couldn't feel the warmth of his smile,
and she was afraid to look up and meet his frown. She felt the sudden
impulse to turn and run. "Well, um... I, um, just happened to be
walking around the block and decided to drop by. And, um, I think I
better go now," she said in a rush.
	It was hard to restrain the laughter, but he swallowed it
quickly. He had been so worried about her. His frown was no longer
evident as he smiled at her fondly.
	She flushed. "Ah, anou....." 
	He held her shoulder and tilted up her chin. As she looked up, 
the cry broke out from her throat, and she threw her hands around his
neck, crying as if her heart would break. He let her cry, holding her
lightly, then gently guided her to the couch.
	"Shhh... shhh..." He stroked her hair, pushing her hair 
back from her face, trying to soothe her. He didn't ask what was
wrong. He knew what was wrong. He was there. But she seemed fine when
he had left. Something else must have happened. He cursed himself
for leaving her there. He shouldn't have. She needed him and he had
left. The guilt threatened to swallow him, but he forced it back down.
He was not the issue. He was here for her now. And he'd be ready to
listen when she was ready to talk.
	"My mom.." she sniffled. "My mom... She made me choose...
She said that if I fought again, I'm getting kicked out."
	He looked at her worriedly. "In those words?" Those were
pretty harsh words.
	"N-no, not exactly, but that's what she said.. And I.. I
left after you left," she said quickly, rushing to explain. To 
make him understand. "I thought the scouts needed me, Mamo-chan. I
needed to help them. They needed me. And.. and so I left the house.
And they.. they didn't.. _need_ me after all. And I left. I know
she just said that cuz she was angry. But I can't go back. There will
just be a lot more hurt if I go back. I can't stand that I've 
disappointed them, Mamo-chan. I left them. And I shouldn't have."
	He sighed. What could he tell her? One does what must be
done? One can only do so much? Nobody meant what they said? No, he
couldn't tell her these. Now was not the time to give advice. She
didn't need advice. She needed support. Someone she could talk to,
someone who would listen. And that's exactly what he would do. 
Nothing more, nothing less, nothing until she asks for it. He put a
hand to her cheek and tried to wipe away the tears. It always hurt
him when she cried like this.
	"Ma.. Mamo-chan?" she whispered. 
	"Hmm?"
	"Could I stay here for a while?"
	His hands slipped from her shoulders as he blinked in surprise. 
He regretted it immediately, cursing himself when he saw her slight 
wince. She had caught him by surprise, though that in itself was a 
surprise. He had thought himself beyond that.  He knew what to expect 
of anything. He knew all the effects of his decisions, all the 
choices, all the possibilities. Then again, he had never let any of 
those affect him too much. This time it was different; this time it 
was Usagi. She was personal. He had never before let anything affect 
him so much as she has. Perhaps that had clouded his judgement a 
little. He knew what could happen to her and he wanted to protect her, 
but he hadn't foreseen this possibility. Could she stay with him? 
	He brushed her hair back over her ear and tilted her chin up to
look at him. "Is this what you want?"
	"I--"
	"I mean, are you sure? Are you sure this is what you want?"
	"I don't... I.. What I want... What I want is my mom. I want... 
I want to... to wake up. And have her tell me that of course, she 
never said.. would never, ever say that. That it was all a dream. That 
I'm awake now.. That she loves me.. But I don't feel like I'm asleep! 
And it hurts. It hurts that she made me choose. I feel like my heart 
is being squeezed. I can't help but feel I'm not _wanted_. I couldn't
choose, Mamo-chan. Do you see? If... If.. I wasn't Sailor Moon, what's
gonna happen if.. if a youma attacked her the next time she went to
the grocery store? Or anytime at all? What about Naru? What's gonna
happen to... kami-sama! The children? And she made me choose. I had
to make a choice... I didn't want to but I had to.. And I don't have
anywhere else to go, Mamo-chan!" Her voice was rising. She took a 
deep breath. "I want.. I want to go home but I can't." The tears 
traced a cool path on her warm face. She brought up her hand to wipe 
them away, sniffling, and dropped it quickly to her lap. She looked
at her hands for a while, and looked back at him. Her anguished eyes
were lost. "Mamo-chan.."
	He tucked her head under his chin and closed his eyes. "Usako..
I know how much you must hurt right now. And I want you to know I'll 
always be here for you..." He stopped. He didn't know what to say. 
	Unfortunately, she had caught a hanging note in his statement.
She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. She brought her
hands up against his chest. "But?" she asked quietly, listening.
	He felt a chill. The door had slammed shut between them. She
was still now and the air was purged of the emotions that had run 
rampant but a moment ago. He had made a choice; it was the right 
choice.
	"But?" she repeated, pulling away languidly. She looked at him,
her wild eyes betraying her calm. "Don't you love me?" she asked in
a small voice. Perhaps it was a bit irrational, but the feelings of
rejection were surging up again. Her family.. Her friends, though
they haven't said a thing.. Mamo-chan.
	He gave her a slight smile. "Usako, I love you. You know that.
But Usako, people talk..." Actually, he never paid attention to any
of them. But he knew how sensitive Usagi could be. People will talk,
maliciousness will hurt her. He wanted to say yes so badly; she
needed him. However, it wasn't right.
	"But what? We're engaged, Mamo-chan. Practically married. 
Can't we have that? Is that what you're worried about?"
	"Usako.."
	"People can't say it's wrong when we're married," she said
defiantly. She challenged him, them, the world.
	"Usako, it shouldn't be like this. This isn't what you want."
	"I don't want this? Is it so wrong for me to want to be
with you? Is it so wrong for us to get married?" she choked. She
pulled out of his arms completely, and rose. "Well, if that's the
way you feel.."
	He grabbed her wrist. "No, this is how I feel. I love you. 
I want to be with you. But I know that this isn't the way you wanted
it. _When_ we get married, we're going to have your parents there.
It will be happy. Not like this." He touched the ring on her finger.
"You haven't even told them yet, have you?"
	She blushed. "Well, you know how my dad is. He'd go crazy.
And my mom would be upset that I didn't tell her earlier." She smiled,
but it quickly disappeared. "Do you think... If we had told them
about.. this.. earlier, they wouldn't have been so mad about last
night?"
	He thought about it. Being engaged, it would probably mean
that they could spend whatever time they wanted together. But being
out late at night was still unexcusable. 
	It was his responsibility, too. The telling was his as well
as hers. Show Tsukino-san his honorable intentions. Tsukino Kenji
would think that he was trying to steal his daughter. The matter
should have been approached beforehand. It still could be. Though
not any time soon. Someday.
	"I think they would still be as upset to find their 
daughter walking the streets at 2 a.m. Whether it was with her
fiancee or no."
	Silently, she agreed.
	"And you can't stay here because it wouldn't help you."
	"What do you mean?"
	"Your parents love you. They're concerned about you. What
was said was said in the heat of the moment. You know that, you 
told me so. They're not likely to cool down if they find out
you were staying with me. And I know you care that they care."
	"You're right," she said, somewhat grudgingly. Her thoughts
were clearer now. She understood what he was saying, though she
still wanted to stay. "But I can't go home. Not yet. It's.. It's..
I just can't."
	"You don't have to-"
	"But you just said I couldn't stay with you," she said
quietly.
	"Did you forget you had friends?"
	Her brow furrowed. Her friends.
	Naru. She couldn't go to Naru. There would be too many
questions, too many questions she couldn't answer. And again,
too many lies when she had to go.
	The senshi. Her thoughts trailed back to what she
had witnessed earlier. She had left her house for them. Because
she thought they had needed her. But they didn't. Not really.
It's so ironic that her life was in pieces because she had
thought they had needed her; because of that, she needed them now.
Guilt washed over her; they were still her friends. The thought
had been wrong. It was her choice to make. A choice she made.
	Haruka and Michiru would likely hinder her. They were too
overprotective. Too dedicated with their duties. She admired them
for that... but she couldn't stay with them. They already had a 
full house with Hotaru and Setsuna.
	She decided she couldn't stay with Ami-chan. She loved
Ami to death, but she didn't want to be a bother. Ami had a lot
of studies, and Usagi would just hold her back.
	It would be lovely to stay with Rei-chan and her manga.
But she didn't know if she wanted to listen to the lively 
arguments that always erupted in Hikawa Shrine, or participate
in them right now. It reminded her too much of arguments she
would never have again at home. With her mom: her grades that
were _far_ from perfect. How Mamo-chan wasn't a bad guy with
her dad. How Shingo should keep his mouth shut. Granted that
arguments weren't all positive. But it was a form of
communication. They've been through many arguments, but they
still loved each other. Much like how she and Rei related.
Maybe staying with Rei would make her feel better. Comfortable
again... but she wanted a different scene for now. She
wanted _some_ quiet. To think.
	Minako-chan was a good choice, too. They were very
much alike. But she didn't want to impose on Mina-P's
parents. 
	Mako-chan.
	"I suppose.. I suppose I could call Mako-chan," she
said finally.
	"Okay," he said. "You can call her any time you want
to... but I think right now.. You should take a shower and
change." He wrinkled his nose. "You were fighting all last
night, and you haven't done either yet. You're starting to
stink."
	"Mamo-chan!" she exclaimed, hurt.
	"Just teasing." He smiled. He stood up and gave her a
slight push towards the bathroom. "Now, go. I'll get you a towel
and something to wear."
	She whirled around and hugged him tightly. Then she let
go and gave him a quick kiss. He blinked.
	"Now what was that for?" he asked, smiling.
	"That was for being such a great guy. I'm glad I have
you. I'm glad that you're here for me."
	"Me, too," he said and kissed her nose. He put a hand
to his hip and pointed. "Now, march!"
	She wrinkled her nose at him and headed for the 
bathroom.

	"Anou... Mako-chan, is it okay then? ... Arigatou,
Mako-chan... I'll be right over. Ja." She replaced the phone
gently on the cradle. She looked up at Mamoru. "She said
it was okay."
	"What about your clothes?" he asked, looking pointedly at
the oversized black shirt and jeans she was wearing. They were
his, of course, but she was smaller in build. She looked like she
had shrunk wearing them. Or she had been playing dress-up with
her mom's clothes. Or maybe her dad's. It was cute, really. "I
don't think Makoto has anything that would fit you."
	She tightened the belt and tied a knot on the shirt.
"I know." She bent down to try and fold the jean legs up. She
straightened up, and sighed. "I guess.. I guess we have to go
pick up some of _my_ clothes," she said, resignedly.
	He raised his eyebrows, surprised. "Are you sure? I mean,
there's Minako and..."
	"Daijobu. Hontou ni," she interrupted. "I can handle it. I
want my own clothes." And perhaps her parents would take her back,
she hoped silently. Maybe when they see each other, everything
will be alright. They would understand. Everything will be all
right. Like nothing had happened. 'I wish,' she thought silently.
'Oh, how I wish..'
	"If you're sure.." Could she really handle it? 
	She tied her hair at the nape of her neck. "Hai, I'm 
sure."	

	A car pulled up in front of the big two-story house. For a
moment, everything was still. Oh, the sun continued to shine. The
wind continued to blow. The birds continued to fly. Besides, the
birds, however, there was no sign that there was anything else
alive.
	Then the passenger door opened. And a woman stepped out. 
No, a girl. Only a girl really. Though the expression on her face 
said otherwise. 'Okay,' she thought. 'Time to go in.'
	She walked towards the house slowly.
	The driver's window slid down, and a man called out. "Ne,
I'll be right here."
	She nodded, licking her lips. Her mouth had gone dry. She
didn't know why. She turned back on her path and pushed the gate open
slightly. She slipped in and disappeared.

	Where was that pink blouse? She searched in her closet. On her
desk. Under her bed. Why waste time on that pink blouse? She had 
enough clothes packed in her bag. What if her mother came in and
caught her in the room? She was nervous. Nervous?
	She didn't want her mom to catch her. Didn't she? But what if
they really _did_ mean what they said? What if they didn't? What if
she had a chance to make everything right again? What if there was no
place for her anymore? What if. What if. So many what ifs. What if 
she used her Ginzuishou to make them forget? Hey, what if! 
	'No,' she told herself. They probably weren't home anyway.
She didn't hear a thing when she came in. They really didn't expect
her to come back. They just left.
	She zipped up her bag and turned to leave her room. She gave
it one more surveying look. She picked up her school bag.
	'I might need this someday,' she smiled slightly. She took
a deep breath. 'Time to go, Usagi.'
	She closed her door quietly and straightened the rabbit marker.
	'Time to go,' she reminded herself.
	Stairs. Wherever she went, stairs. They made her nauseous. 
They were narrow, not so wide. What if she slipped and slid down the
stairs? She had to take the steps. To get somewhere, she had to take
them. To leave...
	She took the first step. And the next. And the one after that.
One after the other until she was all the way down. Safe. Not one
missed step. She had known them for eighteen years. She did not miss
one step. Absentmindedly, she realized that she hadn't even tripped
since she woke up. Had she outgrown it? She smiled slightly, amused.
Just probably lucky.
	She faced the door. 'One last look.' She turned, committing
everything to memory. The living room. The dining room. The kitchen.
Stop.

	Ikuko finished watering the plants and entered through the 
back door. She really didn't want to. It was so empty. It was always
empty nowadays. Kenji going off to work, Shingo and Usagi going off
with their friends. Sometimes she regretted being a housewife. But
she loved it. Being a housewife has its rewards. She loved taking 
care of her family. 
	It wasn't just empty now, though. Usually the spaces would
be filled eventually. Today, there was a space. A space that might
never again be filled. She closed the door and looked around,
irritated.
	Clean. She needed to clean the house. She needed to do 
something. She set the watering pot in the sink and wiped her hands
on her apron. 
	She tugged her hair back behind her ears and proceeded into
the living room. She lifted her gaze... Stop.

	They stared at each other. Not knowing what to say. Not 
knowing what to do. Not knowing how the other would react. Neither 
willing to try and find out. Longing for comfort... yet none moved.
Pride held all back. The opportunity stayed, passed, is gone. The
silence must be broken.
	Usagi bowed low, a bow of deepest respect. "Sayounara, 
okaasan," she said stiffly. She picked up her bags and walked out the
door.
	Ikuko made a move forward. "Usagi-"
	However, it was too late. Always too late. The choice had 
again been given. To quiet pride, to make the first move. To let the
other. To forget and let everything pass. To stand there forever,
locked in time. But all things pass. And so is chance fickle. Ikuko
had made a move. She had called out. To naught but thin air. Usagi 
was steadily walking towards the car.
	Another choice. To run after her daughter. To stand her
ground. Not enough time. Mamoru drove away, taking her daughter
away. It was her fault. She had driven her daughter away.