The Flower Shop [A Gaara Love Story]

13: Just Visiting

By late afternoon, they reached the gates of Konoha. Momoko stopped in front of them to take it in, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. It had felt like so long and yet only seconds since the last time she saw it. It almost felt like they weren't even here, like she was just looking at a picture of the gates and not the actual thing. Just as the thought crossed her mind though, she felt the cool wind and saw the way fallen leaves danced in it, and felt all at once like she was home again.

"Come on," Temari said, motioning her forward, "I'm sure your friends would like to see you."

The thought of them made her grin and she continued walking again, this time a little quicker than she had been before. As much as she had grown to love her life in Suna, Momoko was beyond thrilled to be back in Konoha. She had missed it more than she realized.

Yamanaka Flowers had been the first stop after checking into an Inn in the village. They had set their things in their respective rooms before heading out. Temari had other things she wanted to do while in Konoha so they agreed to meet later for dinner before parting ways. The shop was set to close in an hour or so, but it was more than enough time to see her friend and arrange for the inventory that Ino had set aside to be dealt with. More than the business end, Momoko was just happy to see a familiar face.

Ino didn't immediately look up from the customer she was helping, so it was Inoichi that noticed her first.

"Well look who it is," The man said from behind the counter, his smile as kind as Momoko remembered it being, "Welcome back, Momoko."

The sound of her name made Ino perk right up and she looked over her shoulder to see her friend standing in the doorway. She instantly smiled at the sight of her, quickly excusing herself from the customer she had been talking to for the sake of hurrying to Momoko's side. They hugged tightly in the doorway of the shop, and Momoko relished in the feeling of being in someone's embrace again. She noticed, sadly, that this was the first time she had hugged someone since she had moved away.

"Momoko!" Ino said happily once they finally pulled away, "I didn't know you were coming!"

"Sorry about that," She chuckled, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"You? Never!" Ino joked, and they both shared a warm laugh. Momoko didn't realize until right then just how much she had missed friendly affection.

Momoko stayed at the shop until it closed and they discussed what inventory had been set aside for her. To her delight, it was more than she had expected and she was beyond grateful for it. It would save her another trip to Konoha for a few months at least, and Momoko was thrilled to see a few more bundles of the maroon lilies Gaara liked were in the mix. They arranged for her wagon to be brought to the shop the morning after next when she and Temari were scheduled to leave. After having to turn Ino down on dinner because of her pre-existing plans, Momoko agreed to breakfast in the morning and left with a wide smile on her lips.

Walking through the streets of Konoha felt almost odd. Of course she knew them by heart, and the few people that recognized her on the street were just as kind as she remembered them, but there was a strange feeling that something was just...missing. It was the same village she had once called home, with its familiar shops and kind faces, but something about it felt distant now, like she didn't fit in as well as she used to. Maybe it was because she had been away for so long, or because she no longer called this home, but Momoko was sad to realize that she felt like nothing more than a visitor here. It dampened her mood a little, but she didn't let it ruin it. She was determined to enjoy the next few days here, and that hope was quickly fulfilled when she heard her name being called from the other side of the street.