The first stop was on the second floor. It was a relatively small, really modest-looking clothing shop. The quiet store felt really out of place in the sea of noise—of fancy, high-end stores in its surroundings.

“...This one?” Rei furrowed his brow in confusion, staring empty eyed at the store.

“Nn. Nn. This one.” Sakura nodded her head with certainty. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly in a relaxed smile. For her, an empty store that didn’t catch the attention of most people was the perfect place to go shopping.

Nn, Nn! Quiet is always better! She was really pleased that she had been able to find such a laid back store. The sheer amount of people on the others made it hard to even go in, let alone try clothes out.

“Welcome!” Crossing through the transparent glass door, a kind-looking woman greeted the two youngsters. She placed her hands together as she smiled from behind the counter. “Are you maybe brothers looking for something for your mother?”

“E-Erm…”

“Haha, no, no. We are just looking around, miss.”

What the lady had said was so wrong that Sakura froze in place, prompting Rei to jump in to save her. He gave his timid friend a gentle push to get her back to her senses.

“I see! I see! In that case, please let me know if there’s anything you want to try! We have some lovely blouses and dresses for the young lady! And we have recently acquired some very stylish outfits, young man!” The lady was very gentle in her tone and actions. Rei and Sakura obviously didn’t seem really old, so she didn’t really think they had the money to buy anything. She thought they seemed like good kids, though, so she didn’t see any problems with allowing them to look around despite knowing that.

“Yes, thank you.” Rei replied with a polite smile as the lady sat back down on her chair behind the counter. Then, he turned to look at Sakura, who had an awkward expression plastered on her face. “You chose this store, so is there anything in particular you are looking for?”

“N-No…I-I told you I’m just looking arou—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know you’re not buying anything—whatever, I don’t care. Now shut up and try on some clothes while we’re here.” Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but an exhausted-looking Rei gave her a swift head chop to silence her, pushing her further into the store. Resigned, she let herself be guided in, and started looking around in interest until something caught her eye.

“............................T-Then…can we go see the tops?” Sakura talked in a low voice as she played with her fingers, hesitating. The lady, watching from behind the counter, smiled relaxedly as she watched the scene unfold. Since hers wasn’t one of the most over-the-top, popular stores in the mall, most of her customers were old, long time clients—regulars, as they call them. As such, she usually didn’t have the opportunity to see many younglings go shopping like these two, and it certainly was an entertaining picture.

“Of course, let’s go.” Seeing her take the initiative, Rei’s expression shifted into a relaxed, satisfied smile. As they made their way through the store, Rei paid close attention as he watched his friend look at the clothes with sparkling eyes.

Even if she tried to hide it, Sakura was already having a great time just by being able to look at clothes like that. It had been a long, a very long time since she’d been able to go to a clothing store. Money had been tight for a while, and she still had her sister’s clothes from when she was her age, so there had never been a need to buy clothes for herself. Even before her mother got sick, she had always lived off Satsuki’s hand-me-downs. When they went to clothing stores, her sister was the only one who got new clothes, since it was more cost efficient to buy clothes that could be used twice. She had never complained, but…as any young girl her age, she had that desire of being able to choose the clothes she wore—to have the experience of going shopping.

She always felt a bit jealous of her classmates, who spent their days gossiping about all the nice stores they visited during the weekend, or the new clothes they bought during summer break.

In addition, her body was going through notable changes due to the pregnancy, so her sister’s clothes were getting a bit too uncomfortable to wear.

“Is there anything you like?” Rei said, amidst a chuckle.

“...N-Nn. That one’s cute…I think.” Sakura, finally having found something that caught her fancy, raised her arm and pointed at a white, simple top of the crop style. It had a horizontal black line pattern, and a simple knot at its bottom that she really liked. While this type of clothes are usually designed to highlight the female figure, this one had a loose design that placed emphasis on comfort while keeping the cuteness.

It’s so cute…I want to try it out…nonononono, control yourself, Sakura! she thought to herself as she turned to look away from the piece of clothing. Rather, she tried to do that, but Rei stopped her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Come on, try it out.” Rei handed her over the top she liked, nearly forcing it into her hands as she hesitated.

“B-But…”

“Remember, you don’t have to buy anything if you don’t—”

“N-n-no, no…that’s not it.” Sakura turned to look at Rei with a conflicted expression on her face before glancing at her stomach. Rei, easily realizing what she was talking about, scratched his head, feeling a bit annoyed at the situation.

“...See?” Sakura’s tone carried an indescribable sense of self-loathing and despair, which irked Rei even more. She flashed him a resigned smile as she placed the clothes back on the rack. “I-I really appreciate your concern, though. I really d—”

“Hey Miss, my friend here is a bit fat, so she thinks the clothes won’t look good on her, what should we do?”

“R-Reeeeeiiiii?!” W-W-W-Was there any need for that?! What an unexpected betrayal! Sakura had never imagined that her best friend would suddenly sell her like that! Though Rei found her shocked expression very amusing and wanted to laugh, he now had to deal with the store lady, who was now glaring at him with disapproving eyes.

“Young man! You shouldn’t be so mean to such a lovely young girl!” She reprimanded him as she closed the distance between them. She put her hand over Sakura’s shoulder, and talked to her in a very gentle, loving tone…while still glaring at Rei, so much, in fact, that he was starting to think he might have overdone it. ”Don’t listen to him, darling, you are beautiful, alright?”

“Y-Y-Yes? T-Thank you…?” Though she liked the feeling of being defended from Rei, who always teased her around, she didn’t know how to react to the kindness from the lady. She wasn’t fat, after all, just…pregnant, which left her on an awkward spot between gratefulness and bewilderment.

“In that case, can she try it out?” Rei watched in silence for a few seconds before snapping his fingers, finally joining in on the conversation.

“Of course she can! Come on sweetie, I’ll take you to the fitting rooms, we don’t need any rude men! Oh! Let me also show you the new pieces we got, I’m sure they’ll look lovely on you!” The lady placed her hands together and nodded to herself, looking more excited than the customer herself. Sakura felt a chill run down her spine, but it was already too late.

“E-E-Eh?” She didn’t even get to say a word before getting dragged away toward the back of the store. She tried to extend her arm out at Rei, asking for help, but…

“Have fun~, I'll be waiting here~” …her best friend just waved at her with a smile, allowing her to be kidnapped toward the back of the store.

“Y-You…You meanieeeeeeeeeeeeee!” Those were Sakura’s last words…before she got dragged away and turned into a dress up doll. The terrible fate that awaited her…was hidden behind the purplish curtains of the fitting room.

∆∆∆

A few hours later, the day was finally over.

The sky had long grown dark, and exhaustion had already started taking hold of Sakura’s body. It had been a while since she had moved around so much.

“I couldn’t even remember the last time I went to the movies…and those things we ate…I don’t even remember their name, but they were so yummy…” Sakura took a deep breath as she giggled. Taking off her shoes at the entrance, she grimaced as she crouched onto the wooden floor, her back lying against the wall. Gently, she began massaging her feet in the zones that hurt the most, trying to ease the pain even if just a little bit.

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“He was right…” More giggles left her mouth as she sat on the floor. Rei’s plan wasn’t to take her away for the entire day; Sakura had never been the most athletic, and her current physical condition wasn’t one that gave her much stamina either. There were actually several times in the day in which Rei told her it was time to go home, but she refused, puffing her cheeks and claiming that she could still continue. …You idiot…you'll regret it by the time you get home. He said, but she just reassured him, saying that wouldn’t be the case at all.

And look at that, just as he said it’d happen, it did. Her feet ached from all the walking, and it felt as though she’d fall asleep the moment her head touched the pillow. The thing is, though…that she’d had so much fun throughout the day that how tired she was felt completely irrelevant to her. They visited so many stores, did so many things...it had been a very special experience for her. That’s why, despite how exhausted she was, she didn’t regret it. The happiness and satisfaction she felt greatly outweighed her exhaustion.

…One thing she did regret, if only a teeny tiny bit, was eating so many things. The pregnancy cravings had gotten the better of her, and she’d ended up completely emptying Rei’s wallet, just as he’d feared. She’d munched on cakes, crêpes, ice-cream, brownies, cinnamon rolls, and even some fancy donuts of flavors that she’d never even heard of before. They were delicious, certainly, but…

Urgh…my stomach is killing me

…as expected, it was a bit too much for a single day. Back then, as they moved from shop to shop, Rei just kept looking at her with an expression of utter shock, thinking she’d collapse at any moment. In a sense, it was a good thing the only thing she got was a tummy ache, and didn’t end up puking all over the floor back on the mall.

A few minutes went by before Sakura stood up, leaving her shoes on the floor. I’ll pick them up in the morning… she thought as she weakly made her way into the kitchen, showing a both painful, and funny expression every time she gave a step. As she walked, Sakura noticed a colorful note on top of the dining table.

Hope you had a wonderful day, Sakura. I have already left, I just wanted to tell you that I got your mom to eat a bit, so don’t worry about having to make dinner for her or anything. I'm sure you’re tired, so go to sleep. Don’t overexert yourself, it isn’t good for either of you.

- With love, Olivia Green

Sakura felt relieved as she read the note. She had already guessed she was gone from how nobody welcomed home, but what made her happy was the fact that her mom had eaten a bit. Most of the time she just touched her food, if anything, so that meant today had been a good day.

…Is…she maybe in the mood to wish me good night? She thought, while trying to not bring her hopes up all that much. It being a good day didn’t guarantee anything, and Sakura knew that. Dreaming isn’t a sin, however, so she still had a teeny tiny bit of hope dug very, very deeply within her heart. She held onto it dearly as she made her way up the stairs.

…And unexpectedly, something actually did occur.

“...Sakura?” A mumble, but one that could be clearly heard coming from her mother’s room. An indescribable feeling ran through Sakura’s body, it felt as though she had suddenly been brought back to life. How long had it been since her name had been called out like that? For some reason, good things kept happening today, and Sakura had no idea how to keep up. Her gray life had suddenly turned colorful once again, like when Satsuki was still by her side.

“...Yes…Yes? I’m here, Mom…” She said as she approached the half open door to her mother’s room. She timidly opened the door, and flipped the light switch.

…And there she was, sitting right up, an extremely fragile-looking woman. She was so, so thin, that it felt as though she’d be blown away by the lightest breath. Her hair was completely gray, and her expression was one of illness. She looked so weak…so different from what Sakura remembered. For her, her mother had always been this cheery, chubby woman, who always went around laughing. As long as Sakura remembered, she’dalways had gray hairs, but always dyed them with a smile, never complaining about them. The figure in her memories and the one in front of her felt as though they were completely different people…but Sakura knew that voice better than anyone; it was, undoubtedly, the voice of the person who she loved the most in this world.

“...I…see. Today’s Mother’s Day…isn’t it?” Sakura felt her heart trying to leap out of her chest; she suddenly felt the urge to gulp, and her shoulders tensed up.

Ah…this…

“...Yes…today’s Mother’s day,” Sakura replied with a shy voice.

“Then…why weren’t you here with me?” The tone of her mother’s voice made it easy for Sakura to sense the nature of the conversation, and her body was taking a toll from it. Her eyes darted frantically around, and her hands began shaking from the fear of a looming threat. She could feel her chest tightening; her breathing quickly grew shallow, increasingly erratic and uneven. The room suddenly felt so small, so tight, that her knees were trying to give in.

“It’s…Mother’s Day. Didn’t you… have to spend it celebrating…me? I’m your mother…right?”

“Y-Yes…of course…”

“THEN WHY?! WHY DID YOU RUN OFF WITH THAT GOOD FOR NOTHING BOYFRIEND OF YOURS, AND ABANDON ME HERE?!” The sudden yelling made Sakura stumble on her place. She instinctively brought her hands to cover her face. When she’d heard her mother’s voice calling out to her in the hall, she’d imagined that maybe she wanted to spend a few minutes with her…but that hope she’d held so close to her heart was brutally torn to pieces, a dear reminder of the crude reality she lived in.

Of…course it was going to be like this. Since Nee-Nee left…it’s always been like this.

The self deprecative smile on Sakura’s face was more than enough to explain the emotional state she found herself in. The bright, good day Rei showed her made her lower her guard, and…that’s what happens when you do that. You get hurt. After all…you can’t get hurt if there’s no expectation—if there’s no hope.

“I-I…just…I brought you breakfa—”

“AND?! SHOULD I BE ETERNALLY INDEBTED TO YOU BECAUSE OF IT?! YOU ABANDONED ME ON MOTHER’S DAY! DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND HOW DISRESPECTFUL IT IS?! HOW WRONG YOUR ACTIONS ARE?” Sakura could do nothing other than clench her fists. She closed her eyes in pain, trying to push back in the tears that were starting to slip down. She wanted to protest, telling her that even if she had stayed, she would’ve just been in bed without talking to her as she always did, but Sakura knew that when her mother was like that, everything she said fell on deaf ears.

In less than five minutes, her mother had effectively ruined the memory of an amazing day, one that would’ve been her impulse to move forward for a long time to come.

“I-I…I…”

“DID YOU GO WITH THAT WENCH, MARIE?! OLIVIA DIDN’T SAY SO, BUT THAT MUST’VE BEEN THE CASE, RIGHT?! WHAT?! DO YOU WANT HER TO BE YOUR MOTHER NOW?! IS THAT WHY YOU WENT TO CELEBRATE HER INSTEAD OF ME?!” Delusional words were spilling out of her mouth. Sakura wanted to correct her, but she knew that when she got like this, there was nothing that she could say in order to convince her that she was wrong—that what she was saying were just…delusions. Besides, she couldn’t just say the one who they were celebrating was herself; it still wasn’t time to have that conversation with her mother.

“N-No, I, I would nev—”

“IF YOU WANT THAT SO MUCH, WHY DON”T YOU JUST GO LIVE WITH HER, HUH?! GO ON! LEAVE! JUST LIKE YOUR SISTER! YOU UNGRATEFUL WENCHES!” The blabbering coming out of the mouth of Sakura’s mouth was overwhelming, leaving her no chance to respond in any way. Every time she opened her mouth, her mother would just interrupt her. What’s worse, her words became harsher and more critical as she continued speaking. Sakura could no longer keep her tears from flowing, and they soon began splashing against the floor.

“B-But—!”

“LEAVE!” A wooden picture frame smashed against Sakura’s head as those words left her mother’s mouth, and in less than a second, the room had been plunged into a world of silence. Ignoring the pain, she turned to look at the picture lying on the floor. Nee-nee…as the first place of her class in elementary. Sakura smiled slightly as she saw her sister’s picture. It was one she was very familiar with, always at her mother’s bedside, to remind her of the daughter she’d lost.

“............…I’ll….leave.”

Sakura hurried out of the room without waiting for a reply. Her mother tried calling out to her one last time, but her words fell on deaf ears. She wasn’t willing to listen anymore. She ran to her bedroom, locking the door behind her, before jumping onto her bed. Amidst sobs, she completely buried herself in blankets and pillows. The sobbing that ensued was something that couldn’t be expressed in words, one that was filled with sorrow, and dark thoughts.

…And it was in that dark, isolated world, where only her tears remained, that she suddenly felt something warm, something that, in her heart, was like a pink sparkle. It was a very light, nearly unnoticeable sensation that left Sakura speechless. Slowly, she got herself out of her fluffy prison, and lowered her eyes toward her stomach. The expression on her face was one of surprise, and soon, her mouth turned up in an ecstatic smile.

“...Ehe…Ehehehehe!” Wiping the tears off her eyes, Sakura began giggling, a laughter coming from the deepest parts of her heart. Just as Rei said in the morning, in a pregnancy, the movement of the baby can be felt for the first time in the 20th week. Well…let’s just say she had just confirmed the veracity of that statement.

“...That’s right…I almost forgot about you.” Sakura placed her hand on her stomach with warm eyes, as if she was caressing the most precious thing in the world. She’d been waiting for the baby kicks for so long, it brought her to tears—happy tears. It’s funny how things work…she was still crying, just as before, but now due to a different reason, because the baby had finally decided to go ahead and make her mother happy. You sure took your time, baby… it was as if they were precisely waiting for the moment they could improve her mother’s mood, soothing her while at her lowest.

“You're right, baby...I’m not alone anymore.” Sakura continued caressing her stomach in a lovely manner. What a weird feeling it was, having a conversation with someone who wasn’t even born yet. But it’s…very soothing, she thought amidst chuckles before continuing. Soon, and with a bit of luck, the baby would be born, and she would have the opportunity to say all she wanted to say to it—face to face. Along with that, her life would take yet another drastic turn, one that she wasn’t sure she was ready for. Life was already hard as it is, she wasn’t confident she would be able to handle it. Sakura didn’t really understand what it meant to be a mother yet, after all.

“I…I-I don’t really get it, but…I-I’ll do my best for you! Pinky promise!” Despite being aware of how childish it was, for her, a pinky promise was the most powerful covenant she could do. And so she did, she stuck out her pinky finger, and offered it to a hand that couldn’t grab it yet. But that was more than enough for her. After a few minutes of talking to herself, Sakura lied back on her bed with a smile, and went to sleep, a hand on her belly.

That’s how Sakura’s first mother’s day ever came to an end.