Claws and Talons [Kyo Sohma]

Chapter 8 - See You When You Get Back

"W-well, if it isn't Saki-chan!" he says "Fancy meeting you here! We Were just on our way home to our family. Ami and Tohru stayed behind." he added, after regaining his composure.

"I see, so she'll be almost all alone this year. She's never spent a New Year holiday without her mother. Arisa and I both offered to spend time with her but she just smiled and told us to be with our families. But what about her and Ami. Kahaku and the other New year's TV shows must bring back so many memories of watching them with her mother. And Ami, when I last saw her she didn't show it but her waves seemed so sad." Hanajima tells them.

"Ami hasn't enjoyed New Year's in many years. Her mother died today so she always just stays home and never goes anywhere." Shigure explains.

"Are they really fine like that?"

---

Tohru and I were starting to prepare everything for dinner since it was the two of us, we had to make a little less food.

"So why didn't you go with the boys to the estate?" Tohru asks. I stiffen at the topic and she notices.

"Oh! You don't have to answer if you don't want to." She adds

"It's fine. You're bound to find out at some point." I tell her putting the stuff

"I'm a lot like you in many ways. Mainly because my father died when I was really young. He was hit by a car on his way to work." I tell her, my eyes are starting to cry.

"Ah don't cry, you don't have to continue."

"I want to tell you."

---

I was walking home after I had gone out to get the groceries. Mom said she would cook dinner since it was New Year's Eve and she didn't have to work but I still had offered to get the shopping done. I was walking along the road to the apartment my mother and I lived in.

"Ah. Ami!" A voice calls out to me. I turn to see Miss Kobayashi with her groceries on the pavement. She must have dropped them. Miss Kobayashi was an elderly lady who lived a couple of blocks away from us. She was able to help my mom a lot when I was first born and she would take care of me when my mom was working late or I was sick.

"Could you please help, I'm having some trouble?" She asks, smiling.

"Sure, it's one my way." I told her to take some of the bags off the ground while she took the rest. After a couple of minutes we arrived on her front porch.

"Thanks so much. You and your mother have always helped me since I retired." She says

"Well you were very helpful to my mother and I when I was younger so we like to help you in return."

"I have something for you. Wait here for a moment." she says before heading inside with her stuff. As I wait, my phone starts ringing. I put my bags down and pulled it out of my pocket.

"Why is mom calling me?" I said but before I could click the answer button the phone died. "Darn, I should have charged my battery." I curse.

Miss Kobayashi comes out holding a container. "I recently tried a new recipe for cookies. Take them and you can have them for your New Years dinner." she says handing me the container. I take it and put it in the bag of groceries.

"Thanks so much." We chatted for a few minutes before I realized mom would be waiting for me to start cooking since I had the ingredients.

"I better get going."

"Sure but be careful there have been some break ins lately."

"Will do."

I had finally reached the outside of the apartments where I lived. Outside I noticed cop cars with their flashing lights shining. Looking up at the apartment I see some of the cops at one of the doors. Some others had gathered and some on the streets were whispering. I wonder why it looked odd when I noticed where they were.