bloom | winrina (completed)

reunite

maybe things are not what they seem

"huh?" for a split second, saku's sight came back. it was blurry, but enough to recognize that it was the ceiling she was facing.

"mom? dad? i think..." she heard the shuffling of feet, the creak of the door, and then her parents.

"yes, love?"

"what happened, saku?"

she giggled for the first time in two days; not because her parents are funny, but because she felt loved. since she began living with her parents, she felt overwhelmed, but in a good way. they were nothing but nice and she is grateful for their presence in her life though it has just been days since she got reunited with them. she doesn't forget to call her grandparents; the people who took care of her since day one.

"i think my vision came back for a split second?" the seemingly dark room became bright again for more than five seconds this time. saku gasped in excitement. is my vision coming back? does that mean—

"did you see us?!" her father exclaimed. saku nodded with a smile on her face.

she sat up on her bed; her feet dangling as they try to find her slippers.

"where are you going?"

"i have a feeling that someone is coming back." saku still can't see but she imagined her parents' anticipation. they helped her get out of her room; her mother and father holding her arms as they descended the stairs. while walking through the hallway that leads to the living room, saku gasped again.

"what is it!" she giggled from her mother's reaction.

"i can see, but it's blurry." their house was situated in a quiet neighborhood. only few people come out of their houses, and only when they need to. they heard a vehicle coming from their right.

"i think..."

"yes, honey. i think that's her." saku's vision became crystal clear when they heard an abrupt knock from the gate.

"i can see! i can actually see now!" saku cheered as she hugged her mother while her father went to answer whoever on the other side of the door.

"is saku here? grandpa and grandma told me i'll find her here." her father was about to get mad when he felt a hand that stopped him from ranting to the student.

"dad, let me handle this." for the first time since haru left her under that tree, she opened her eyes to look at the last person she saw before she lost her sight, not with sadness, not with anger, but with tenderness with a hint of what-took-you-so-long-i-was-goddamn-worried-that-i'll-never-see-you-again-or-anything.

"saku? please forgive me." the shorter woman was quick to her feet when haru decided to kneel in front of her and her family.

"you didn't have to kneel, silly! look at your jeans, they're dirty now." she proceeded to dust her off but was stopped by a sobs and a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, saku. i promised i wouldn't do anything to hurt you yet i left you without—*hiccup*—saying anything. I'm really, really sorry. please, forgive me?" saku broke the hug and wiped her tears.

"i forgive you, okay? i know it was terrifying to see my eye like that but hey, it's normal now. see?" she widely opened her eyes and showed haku that the flower was gone.

"i don't have any problems with you having a flower on your eye. i—this is embarrassing." haku's face turned light red.

"what made you flee then?"

"i... i got so worried. it was all in my head. my first thought was, 'how am i gonna take care of saku if i don't know how to take care of flowers?'. then i thought my grandfather knows how, my grandma also takes care of plants so..." her driver appeared behind her with gardening tools, different kinds of fertilizer, soil, and more.

"i bought these... but i think you don't need them anymore?" saku couldn't hold her laugh anymore. all this time she thought haku left because of something else.

"why are you so thoughtful? you're making me fall deeper in love with you."

"you're not mad at me?" haku was still in tears so saku shook her head no and pulled her in for a kiss.

"i never got mad at you. i can't be mad at you, you know that, right?" haku nodded with a pout. of course, she didn't think of that.

"our daughter looks so happy now."

"love is a lovely thing, hon."

"you just said that so want to sound wise in front of the children." the girls laughed at the parents' bickering.

[N/A: so, i know. i want to apologize for taking so long to end this story. i lost touch with my creative writing self and i had to use my technical writer self for academic purposes. this took longer than i thought but it was a really nice idea... until i put it on paper (not really but you get me). thank you so much for reading, i hope i'll see you in the next one. happy new year!]