The Flower Shop [A Gaara Love Story]

36: I'm So Sorry

When she came to Suna, the last thing on her mind had been love. She was still drained from Naruto and the loss of her parents, so love hadn't felt like a priority just yet. Standing before the Kazekage for the first time, asking him for his permission to open shop, she would have never guessed that he would be the love of her life. And yet, loving him had come so easily to her, and she was head over heels before even realizing what had happened in the first place.

Momoko lay in bed that night, a little lonely in the big space, but she passed the time by letting her thoughts wander to the future.

They had talked about it again only once- well, it was more a passing comment than anything, but Momoko thought about it nearly every day since. She had been reading with her head in his lap, and he was content with running his fingers through her hair and memorizing features he knew by heart. She noticed he was staring and looked up at him, asked what was on his mind, and he said simply,

"I hope they have your eyes."

His words had been a little distant (she daresay dreamy) and Momoko couldn't help but sit up and kiss him breathless.

She fell asleep with a little smile on her lips

She had been spending a lot of time lately thinking about their future, their lives. Momoko pictured Gaara reading to a child, his voice smooth and lulling them to sleep as they rested against his shoulder. She thought of how he'd look with a baby in his arms or one in his lap, and for the first time in so very long her children had faces again. Maybe one or two would have her eyes, but she wanted at least one of them to have his; Gaara had such pretty green eyes, it'd be a shame if he didn't pass it on. She also hoped they all had his red hair, finding the color far more interesting than her own golden blonde. They would have soft smiles and good manners, would know how to garden and lead and treat everyone with kindness.

As much as she adored life now, Momoko couldn't wait for the future. It wouldn't be any time soon, not a month from now and probably not even a year, but she didn't mind. She was enjoying what they had now, their own lives with their own responsibilities. As wonderful as it would be to be married already, even she couldn't deny the desire for her independence just a little longer. Momoko knew that when it did come time to settle down and have children, the shop would likely close.

She was alright with the idea of that, honestly. Though it had been the main reason for moving and her parents dream, she could stand the idea of closing it to pursue her own. Her parents would approve of it too; they knew how much she wanted a family. Maybe when her own children were grown she would open the store again and they could help her, maybe even take it over themselves if they really wanted to. However it played out, Momoko trusted that whatever decision she made would be the right one.

Her dreamless sleep was interrupted halfway through the night by a cool breeze. It didn't rouse her immediately, but it slowly chilled the parts of her that weren't covered by her quilt. When it grew a little too cold, Momoko slowly started to awaken from her sleep with a shiver. She shifted a few times, trying to turn over away from the cold but it had seeped into her bones a little too much to go back to bed just yet. Slowly she opened her eyes, trying to make sense of the world for a moment before she turned over to face the window.

It was open and the currents billowed in the night breeze. She blinked a few times, trying to put her thoughts together as she sat up slowly in bed. It didn't take too long until she was a little more aware that the window shouldn't be open, especially since she had made it a point to lock every single one. Momoko stared at it, the fog of sleep lifting from her mind and the pit in her stomach beginning to form.

"I didn't want to scare you," Someone spoke from the corner of the room, and Momoko yelped as she turned to look at him.

A man sat in the armchair, his hands folded neatly in his lap as she faced her. The stranger wore a mask over his face and a hood on his head, and Momoko could only see a sliver of his eyes in the moonlight. She scrambled back on the bed, her heart suddenly pounding in her ears.