Cardcaptor S

☆9: A Festival to Enjoy☆

Today was the start of the two day festival at the shrine. Aiko has been pumped about it since she kept talking about it all week. My mother and father were really wanting to go. Especially my father, he finally got the day off from work just to go. It's been a while since we've gone to a festival as a family. My mother and I wore Chinese dresses my mother bought back when we visited my grandma in Hong Kong. My father, however, wore his usual getup. He wasn't too fond of really dressing up, which didn't seem to bother my mother at all.

I was in the kitchen when my father walked in and saw our dresses. He smiled at the both of us. He glanced over to my mom's belly. I found it funny that my mother still decided to wear a dress even though her belly was too big for her dresses. She had worked on altering it for the past week just so she can wear it for this occasion. We were waiting on Naomi to come over so we can all go walking together. My mother loved to walk so it was mainly for her, plus the shrine wasn't that far from our house. My parents walked to the living room and sat on the couch. I stayed in the kitchen with Kero and I could still see my parents from where I stood. I watched how they interacted with each other. My father's face was bright red as my mom poked at his cheeks. He would try to catch her hands but she was always a bit faster than he was. They acted like children sometimes, but that wasn't a bad thing. It just showed how much they really cared and loved each other. I wonder why they are this way. What made them love each other this much? I found myself admiring them.

"I'm surprised you got so many cards now. Well with my help of course!" Kero spoke up which brought me back from my thoughts. I gave a soft sarcastic laugh. "What? I did!"

"Miura-kun did help out a little more than you. Normally you aren't around when there's a card to be caught." I gave him a small smirk. He glared at me with his beady little eyes. I couldn't help but laugh at his expression. He was so cute that his glares just made him seem like an angry puppy. My mother must have heard my laughter since she spoke.

"What's wrong dear?" She was so calm and happy. Her eyes were a bit wet from all the giggling. I shook my head, telling her I'm fine. "Ok, well when is your friend coming?" My mother asked. I was about to answer her until we heard a knock on the door.

"There she is!" I grabbed Kero and walked towards the door. I opened it and Naomi stood there with her hands down by her side. She looked up and smiled at me. She looked very pretty in her kimono, it was a floral pattern. She seemed to fit in it perfectly. Normally she enjoyed a basic one color but this one was two, the background and then the flowers. She tried to avoid the patterns because it made it lose the feeling of it. I wonder what convinced her to wear it. I invited her in. She greeted my parents with a small bow.

"Good afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Li. Thank you for inviting me." She spoke calmly. "My aunt sends her apologies. She couldn't make it today because of work." Naomi apologized. Her aunt was always so busy with work so it was no surprise. Though my mother did seem a bit hurt, almost like she was really looking forward to seeing Naomi's aunt.

"Oh no worries." My mother spoke. She sighed softly. "Hopefully soon we can meet her." My father held a small bowl of rice. Did he have that all this time? I thought.

"Hungry?" He offered the small bowl to Naomi. She shook her head lightly.

"No thank you. But thank you for the offer though." Naomi smiled. My father decided to eat the rest.

"Well are we ready?" My mother asks all of us. Together we replied with a yes.

As we walked, Naomi was taking pictures every here and there. My parents were behind us watching over us. Naomi looked back and saw them holding hands. That made her a bit more happy. "I like how your parents act like a teenage couple. They seem to really be affectionate to each other." Naomi whispers in my ear. I glance back and see them holding hands. They were always like this though. I could see a bit of sadness in Naomi's eyes. She must have really missed her parents. I wouldn't know how it feels like to not have your mother and father around.