Water Lilies: Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen: Shoulders to Lean and Laugh on

The building in which Makoto resided was indeed as beautiful as Usagi claimed while driving over. Ami stood at the base of the structure counting the twenty-plus floors before her eyes were drawn to the subtly twinkling lights at the very top. The sleek lines combined with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and landscaped surroundings were all very nice; but something about the entire picture disturbed Ami. What it was struck her immediately as she followed Usagi into the lobby, which was pretty, stylish, tasteful-and sterile. It did not suit Makoto at all. Ami could not picture the brunette being at home in such an obviously manufactured environment.

She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves which had gone haywire when she stepped out of Usagi's car. Makoto is up there somewhere.

The thought made her heart thump wildly as she trailed after Usagi. Thick carpet muffled their footsteps from the lobby into the soft recessed lighting of the elevator. Ami caught sight of herself in the mirrored walls of the compartment and anxiously brushed her bangs back from her forehead. Her face appeared pale except for two high spots of color in her cheeks.

"Ami..." Usagi's reflection peered over her shoulder and Ami met her friend's inquisitive look.

"Nervous?" Usagi asked. A small encouraging smile lit up her ultramarine eyes while she waited for Ami's answer.

"It's strange," Ami glanced up at the lights and mirror and steel walls of the elevator as it gently rose to the twenty-second floor. "I find it odd that Makoto would live in a place like this. It does not seem..."

"-to suit her?" Usagi completed with a wide smile and a knowing look when Ami nodded. "You really know that idiot well." The words were spoken softly and without reproach. "She doesn't like it either. I suppose that's why she doesn't mind not being home a lot, with her field work taking her various places constantly."

"I see," Ami said softly, still not quite comprehending why Makoto would choose to return to a place that did not match her personality or seem like home at all. Perhaps it was wishful thinking on her part, but to Ami, Makoto belonged in a place like Yukikura, with the outdoors just a step away. No, I really am just being selfish by assuming I know what she wants or needs. How could I possibly know?

Usagi continued, "I asked her why once, and she just shrugged, saying one place was as good as the other, in a city like this."

A soft whoosh of the doors and a quiet ding indicated their arrival at the intended floor.They turned away from the mirror and exited the lift, Ami paused after stepping out onto the gleaming floor of the hallway. She acknowledged the fact she was dragging her heels but could not stop it from happening. Whatever little conviction she had remaining on the drive over dissipated the moment she stepped into the elevator; If Usagi had not been with her she would have turned tail and fled. Ami was used to second guessing herself when it came to Makoto but this time with Usagi confidently leading the way she could not do much but follow. Even so, she found herself trying to appeal to the blonde at the last minute under the pretense of courtesy.

"Wait Usagi, we should have at least called -"

"It's too late Ami, we're already here." The blonde pressed the doorbell under the nameplate bearing their friend's name. Makoto's door was the first to the right of the elevator. Ami held her breath, unconscious she was doing so. There was no answer and a small hope that Makoto was not at home grew. She was here in Tokyo, right in front of Makoto's door and she did not feel ready at all to face the botanist. The quiet of the hallway magnified her feeling of dread while standing outside the door. Once again she was reminded of the fact when it came to Makoto all her faculties shut down and left her feeling like an overgrown child. An interminable amount of time seemed to have passed in the still hallway but only half a minute had gone by. Usagi pressed the button again albeit a tad impatiently this time.

A whoosh of the elevator doors along with the clicking of heels on the floor made both Ami and Usagi turn to the new arrival, with the hope it might be Makoto coming home. Contrarily, relief and disappointment registered in Ami the moment she saw it was a pretty made-up young woman with black hair and blue eyes. Deep down, she knew it couldn't have been Makoto, she knew the sound of the tall woman's footsteps. It was that very feeling that made her realize she desperately wanted to see the brunette again despite the apprehension of having 'that talk' with Makoto.

The woman passed by them, stopping at the door further up from Makoto's, keys in her hand. She turned to them then, her voice girly and timid and Ami could see she was a girl no more than seventeen under the skillfully applied makeup. "A-are you looking for Kino-san?"

Usagi smiled brightly at Makoto's neighbor in reply. "Yes. We're friends. We were in the neighborhood and thought we'd stop by and surprise her!"

Ami could tell immediately from the young woman's relaxing posture and returning half smile; Usagi's friendly gesture had disarmed her. Ami smiled and nodded at the girl as well, although not as naturally as Usagi. A small wave of curiosity washed over her. What is Makoto like when she interacts with the other neighbors and residents? This little visit had proven to Ami she did not know enough about Makoto, not near enough.

"Oh! I'm sorry," the girl straightened up from her slight slouch in front of her door, "she left yesterday. I think it was work."

Ami caught the flash of dismay on Usagi's face. It echoed the larger one inside Ami. "Did she say where?"

The girl shook her head, her left hand resting on handle of the open door and Ami could see she was not going to stick around for much longer. "Unfortunately, no. Just mentioned another trip and asked if I could take care of her plants again."

"I see." Ami said quietly, before Usagi said anymore, "thank you very much. I hope we did not take up too much of your time."

"Yes, thank you!" Usagi added hastily with a smile before casting a worried glance at the doctor.

The door thudded closed behind the girl, the previous lull returned full force. Ami faintly heard the sound of the elevator as it traveled between floors and imagined she could feel the finest vibrations it caused under her feet. She looked down at the shining floor which showed a faint reflection of their forms and held back the sigh that threatened to explode. Had she really expected anything different despite the hope that grew in her earlier? I really am a masochist. Coming here had not changed anything, it merely served as an exercise in torture.

"Ami..." she had almost forgotten Usagi was nearby, until she heard her name and felt her friend's hand on her shoulder.

"Let's go...please," her voice was a near-whisper and the blonde nodded and gently pressed the button to call the elevator.

-x-x-x-

Unlike the drive over with Usagi chattering freely, the drive back was silent. Every so often the blonde woman glanced over at her reticent friend staring out the passenger side window. They pulled up to a stop light and the next time she looked over she was surprised to find Ami's eyes meeting her own.

"Thank you for taking me," Ami's tone was grateful despite the sheen of disappointment in her eyes.

Usagi waved the gratitude away, "It's no big deal." She sighed, "I'm just sorry she wasn't home." Rubbing the back of her neck, a sheepish look crept over the blonde's face. "I suppose it wasn't such a great idea to go without calling, huh?"

Ami couldn't help it; she laughed out loud, one hand over her mouth. Usagi's expression as usual was humorously priceless. The thought occurred to her that if she did not laugh at that moment she might end up crying instead.

-x-x-x-

"I'm sorry I gave you such short notice, I'm going back to Yukikura later this evening," Ami apologized to the raven haired woman sitting across from her. She ended up spending the night at Usagi's at the blonde's insistence, putting up zero resistance. Usagi had tried to engage her in a conversation about Makoto but she had had been unwilling to speak of any topics regarding the brunette. Usagi had known to leave the matter alone when Ami told her: I'm not avoiding the subject, I'd just rather not talk about that right now.

"Fair enough," the blonde said and neatly shifted the chat towards a lighter topic—professors Usagi hated during their university days. It brought much laughter to the two but later when Ami had lain in bed quite awake she recalled Makoto's parting words and the despair she had felt then. It was very much apparent the brunette had meant those words.

The following morning Ami contacted Rei hoping for a lunch meeting. Rei had agreed immediately.Unfortunately, Usagi was unable to join them since she had a prior engagement with Chibi-Usa planned and so for now it was just Ami and Rei sitting at a table for four in La Boheme, a well-known chain of Italian restaurants that also served Japanese cuisine.

"It's fine," Rei assured Ami, a smile on her face. She reached across the white linen covered table to lightly touch the back of Ami's hand, pausing for a moment. "It's really good to see you. It's been a while."

Ami had a feeling Rei was going to say something else and changed her mind at the last moment. Was she going to ask about the dark circles under my eyes? No, she would not ask outright, Rei has always been very tactful about these things.

"It has been, has it not?" Ami agreed, nodding, "Not since the wedding, which was wonderful by the way."

"Thank you." Rei smiled widely, "To be honest, I was so very nervous that day everything was a great big blur until I saw her..."

"I remember," Ami chuckled softly, genuinely as she recalled the day in question. "Saying you were a wreck would have been an understatement," the doctor joked.

"Come now, I wasn't that bad!" Rei countered, although her lips twitched in shared mirth.

"Oh, what do we have here? My wife and a young good-looking doctor holding hands shamelessly in front of me?"

Rei rolled her eyes at the melodramatic tones. Mina sat down next to the raven haired woman and they kissed, brief but loving in their greeting. Ami pinked slightly at the display of affection, a sudden ache in her chest materializing.

"Sorry I'm late guys, the new director is a real pain in the ass. Anyway, Ami, I'm so happy to see you!"

"Likewise!" Ami smiled in pleasure. She was truly delighted to have a chance to see Rei and Mina before leaving the city again. Correspondence every-so-often from Rei indicated their days were not usually so lax.

A few years earlier the doctor was surprised when Rei announced during a phone call she found someone she wanted to be with the rest of her life. What came as a larger surprise was the woman in question was none other than Minako. Mentioning it really was a small world had left Rei confused until Ami explained how she knew Minako Aino. Rei expressed amazement at not having run into Minako in university especially since they all went to the same one and considering the fact that Minako was very 'well-known' on campus. Ami could also swear she heard the lady-like Rei snort at the carefully phrased words. The one thing she had not detected from Rei was offense upon hearing the term and for that she was glad.

"Why didn't tell us you were going to visit?" Mina asked bluntly as she took a gulp of red wine. Small pleasantries had long been dealt with, and Ami knew it was time they moved onto meatier topics. Rei, the more reserved of the two, discreetly nudged her wife in the midsection and Ami pretended not to see.

"I came to see Makoto...it was somewhat impromptu." Honesty had always been Ami's policy and she had no intention of changing that now. These people were her friends; she trusted them and if she could not talk to them, then who could she talk to?

"Ehh, Makoto?" Mina gasped.

"Stop gawking, dear and out with it," Rei stated as she calmly took a sip of wine.

Ami threw a questioning glance in Rei's direction but said nothing before turning back to Mina. These two knew something, apparently. It made sense Mina would, she had remained very good friends with Makoto over the years.

"Have you spoken to her lately, Mina?" Ami held her breath, curious about the information the brunette might have disclosed. Had Makoto deemed what happened between them important enough to consult one of her friends? The thought that it might be a possibility gave her a tiny spark of happiness.

"Well...not lately, really. About two weeks ago I received a phone call from her but she was really out of it. She mentioned something about visiting you and possibly ruining your friendship but when I tried to get her to explain she clammed up saying she'd explain later. Whenever I tried to get her to talk about it she shut down. She's been avoiding my calls since then."

"I-I see," Ami said, her eyes downcast, her gaze fastened to the backs of her hands which rested in her lap. The spark flickered and disappeared, covered in a new tide of disappointment. Why did her heart insist that it had to be Makoto? She could feel the phantom caress of the brunette's atop her own at that moment. An acute feeling of loneliness washed over her.

"What happened, Ami?" Rei's soft query broke her trance and lifted her gaze back to her friends across the table. "Did you get to see her?"

Ami smiled, a tinge of melancholy visible in the expression. "She was not home."

A perturbed look was shared by the two women across from her and Ami could tell just from that glance how perfectly, comfortably in sync they were as a couple. Unconsciously, her hands came together under the table, her fingers linking.

"Mako and I...we..." Ami spoke slowly, thoughtfully, her aqua gaze focused on the untouched crimson liquid in the wineglass to the side of her half eaten pasta dish.

"We went to Otari Village for an overnight stay. Things were going well-well, I thought they were but I guess Makoto had other things on her mind. Sometimes I feel as if I pushed her into it."

Mina shook her head in denial. "I don't think so Ami. Whatever Makoto did, she did of her own volition, no matter what her thoughts might be."

"Grandma Hana said the same. She told me I needed to tell Makoto how I really feel. It is rather cowardly of me to feel relief at not having to confront her, isn't it?" She met their eyes thinking she would find concurrence of her assessment but was surprised to find understanding instead. How could she have forgotten her friends were so kind? Her eyes watered when she realized it.

Rei reached over the table and squeezed her shoulder. "Perhaps you don't feel quite ready yet, I do understand that much. I hope you are able to tell her soon," Rei smiled at her and Ami could not help but return it gratefully.

"Thank you, Rei, Mina."

"What are friends for?" The couple replied in unison. They glanced at each other in amusement before the three women broke out into laughter at the simultaneous response. From there the conversation moved on to lighter topics for the rest of the meeting. Occasionally, customers seated nearby could not help but smile and admire the three laughing women, despite their differences it was quite obvious they were great friends. It was a sweet sight indeed.