When the Right One Comes (Lesbian Story)

Chapter 7: Charity

When I get home from hanging out with Ken, I notice the notification in my email. When I'm still in Japan, I started talking to someone online. I don't normally do this kind of thing but I thought about giving it a try to see how it will go. I'm well aware of the dangers of doing this but so far my guts hasn't detected anything. I forgot about my online friend when I got here in California and it seems like the person forgot as well. I decide to take a shower first before checking the email. I strip my clothes off and step into the shower, letting the warm water soothe my body. Since that day something has been bothering me about Kate. I shake my head as I start cleaning my body. Once I come out of the shower, there are 2 notifications in my email. Deciding to just wear my underwear to bed, I walk to where my laptop is and open my email. As I expected, one of the emails is from my online friend while the other one is from an international school that is associated with my school. I read the one from my school before going to the other email.

Hey, I'm sorry if I haven't been able to send you a message since I got busy with this upcoming wedding and all. I do hope you respond to me since I got a situation I need to talk to and I really hope I can talk to you.

The email says and I type in my reply. Honestly, I have no idea who I'm talking to but all I know this person is from this country. I send my reply and wait for a few minutes to get a respond. That night I ended up giving advice to someone I don't know before heading for the bed and let my body rest.

The next morning I read my book when Kate comes in or more like waltz in. She smiles at me before meeting my mom who comes out of the kitchen. I ignore their conversation and keep my attention on the words in front of me.

"Oh well Destiny can go with you." When I hear my name, I look to the two of them and see their eyes are on me. "You don't mind going to charity with Kate right?" Mom asks. I look back and forth to the two of them before shaking my head. "Good. Kate will drive there so just ride with her okay?" Mom says as I stand up and walk to Kate. "I know you'll do great." Mom says kissing me on the cheek and I find myself following Kate to her car.

"I'm sorry if you have to get drag into this Destiny." Kate says as she drives through L.A. "Jeff was supposed to come with me but he had prior engagements he can't cancel." She explains.

"Don't worry about it. I don't mind going." I tell her to ease her up. She looks at me briefly giving me a smile before looking back at the road. "What's this charity about?" I can't help but ask.

"Oh, it's more like an orphanage that your mom has been funding since I met her. Most of the kids have been left by their parents or their parents died and they got no relatives to go to." She explains. "The first time I met your mom was in that charity."

"Is that how you met Jeff as well?" I ask, looking at her. She gives me a small nod. "I'm surprised Jeff went since he doesn't really like kids." I tell her.

"I wouldn't say he doesn't like kids more like he doesn't know how to be comfortable with kids." She defends.

"If you say so. Maybe he just doesn't like me since when we were kids and I spent summers here, he never failed to push me away." I say bitterly making her look at me. "I guess that's just the way it is." I shrug at her. Silence falls over us the rest of the drive to the charity. She parks the car as I look on to the building.

"Here we are. This is just one of your mom's charities." She tells me as she gets out of the car. I unbuckle my seat belt and get out as well, helping her carry the other box mom made us bring. A middle-aged woman comes out of the building with a smile, walking to us.

"Kate, I'm so happy you came. The kids are excited to see you." The woman says.

"I wouldn't miss it Mrs Jenkins. Clarice would like to send her apologies for not being able to visit in quite some time now, she's getting busier for her wedding." Kate explains to which Mrs Jenkins just nods in understanding. She then turns her gaze to me.

"And you must be Clarice's daughter. She told me about you since she started visiting this place." Mrs Jenkins says with a gentle smile, something that has a soothing effect.

"Hello Mrs Jenkins, I hope you don't mind me tagging along. My mom told me to come and help out since her and Jeff are busy." I say to her with a smile.

"No worries dear. I'm happy you're giving time to visit. Come on in. The children are waiting." With that we follow her inside the building until we reach a gymnasium with all the kids and the staff are waiting.

"KATE!" Some of the kids if not most of them runs up to Kate as she puts the box down and tries to hug them all. I watch in amusement at such sight before putting my own box down. I watch them go to the center of the room, the kids seem to like the things we brought. As I watch from a distance I feel a tug on my shorts, when I look down it was a girl with blonde hair and innocent blue eyes, thumb sucking as she shyly looks at me. I smile crouching down to her level.

"Hi little girl." I say to her making her smile and I see she has some missing teeth.

"Are you Clarice?" She asks me still sucking her thumb. I shake my head no to her.

"No baby girl. I'm her daughter Destiny but you can call me Des." I tell her. "Why? Do I look like her?"

"Yes." She murmurs but I hear it. "When I grow up I wanna be beautiful like you." She adds and I see the blush that creeps to her cheeks.

"Well you already are beautiful." I stand up giving her my hand. "Why don't we go join the others hm?" She takes my hand and I walk us back to the group. The other kids come closer to me, asking me questions and some gawking at me. The staff distributes the contents of the other box to the rest of the children who thanks them and us for bringing it. Seeing smiles on their faces makes me feel happy inside.

"You seem used to this kind of work?" Kate asks when she finds me sitting in the corner after the activity. The children are now doing their own thing with the materials we brought. "Clarice love every single child in this place." She adds taking a seat beside me.

"Mom always loved kids. I think she wanted to be a pediatrician but she took up fashion editing instead." I reply to her keeping my eyes to the kids. "I guess I never gave her a chance that's why she poured it all to these kids." I admit to her.

"Yeah I guess you could say that. I remember her telling a story about her daughter and every time she talks about it, I can always hear the sadness in her voice. When you stopped coming here, it broke her." She looks at me and I look back at her. "Look I don't know what happened with your family or why you have Clarice at arm's length but you're lucky to have such a mother. She loves you so much she almost went to Japan just to see you."

"Then why didn't she?" I cut her off.

"Because she got scared that you'll just ignore her once she's there." She tells me.

"She was right not to do so. I would have ignored her if she did visit me in Japan. I love my mom but I can't forgive her. Not yet." I say to her before walking to the little girl that tugged me earlier.

"I'm leaving. I'm sorry but this is just not working between us." I sat frozen on the stairs as I listened to my parents. I carefully took a peek to see my mom with her suitcases at the door and my dad standing a few feet away from her.

"Clarice please. We can work this out." My dad said but mom just shook her head.

"I can't Takashi." Mom said with finality in her voice. "I'll come back for the kids." She told dad as she let the driver took hold of her suitcases.

 "Please don't throw this away." That was the time I heard my dad pleading desperately for my mom to change her mind. I watched in silence witnessing my mom walked out the door and when the door slammed shut, my dad fell to his knees and cried out for the first time. I walked down the stairs and hugged my broken father. He looked surprised but he let me wiped his tears with my tiny hands.