The whole day flew by after the reunion between Sakura and her biological mother Haruka. The Princeton brothers and their father James went about devising plans to protect Sakura. After all, it was better safe than sorry. In the end, it was decided it was better for Sakura to live with the brothers and one of them had to be with her at all times, regardless of where she went. More importantly, especially when they were in Hawaii next week for the photo shoot where Tara would be around.
It was decided also that the relationship between Haruka and Sakura was to be kept secret until the DNA results were received. The brothers knew if this Mrs. Clark were to find out about the two being reunited, her urge to completely annihilate Sakura would be stronger because proof of her guilt would be more damning.
Now all they needed to do was tell Sakura of the plan, and James left it to his sons to take care of it. After all, they wanted more responsibility where Sakura was concerned, and James was only too glad to hand it over to them. Over a five-minute discussion amongst the brothers, it was decided Sebastian would tell Sakura after dinner.
The brothers returned into the living room to hear their mother proclaim, “You boys are helping me cook dinner tonight.”
Tristan and Conrad groaned. Logan laughed.
Hayden said, “Good for practicing your potato peeling technique, Tristan.”
Tristan chuckled and said, “You’re right. I’ll show Sakura how good I am with my potato peeling ability so she won’t be able to help herself she’ll have to kiss me.”
Conrad gave Tristan a sour look. “I bet I can do better than you. Ha-ha.”
“Bring it on, bro,” Tristan said, marching into the kitchen.
Darcy and Sebastian looked at one another and shook their heads.
Meanwhile, Sakura and Haruka were outside the penthouse, talking. Haruka had Sakura in her arms the whole time, refusing to let the girl go even just a little.
“Tell me about your childhood,” Sakura said. “I want to know about you and your childhood.”
Haruka stroked Sakura’s long hair and nodded. “I was brought up very strict. The Tanakas are a very wealthy and traditional family. I was the younger of two children. My older brother, Sora, is now the head of the Tanaka Empire. You have three cousins. Two boys and one girl. Rui is the oldest. He’s about Sosuke’s age. Yuki is the second son. He’s about Sebastian’s age. And Hana is five years younger than you. She has a different mother from her older brothers.”
She laughed brokenly. “Every time I saw Hana, I remembered you.” Tears started brewing in her eyes again. “My family values name and status above all. We weren’t allowed to do anything that would tarnish our noble line. But then I met a man and…”
“My father?” Sakura couldn’t help but ask. She had always wanted to know more about that mysterious biological father of hers, and now she had the chance to ask, to find out what this person was like.
“Yes. I was only twenty then. Young and very naive… and very much in love.”
“Do you still love him even now?”
“I haven’t seen him for over twenty-five years, Sakura,” Haruka said. “It’s very unlikely I’d meet him again. I loved my husband, Kenji. He was such a wonderful man. But we couldn’t have children together. He was sterile.”
Sakura smiled. “I would have siblings if he weren’t.”
“Yes, you would have,” Haruka said.
“Tell me about my biological father,” Sakura urged her newfound mother.
Haruka took a deep breath as she stared off into the distance and the buildings beyond New York City.
“He wasn’t a strikingly handsome man, Sakura. But there was that something about him. He was kind and understanding and, above all, had that dry sense of humor that attracted me to him.” She returned her eyes to her daughter and chuckled. “You’re so much like him. Doing all sorts of artsy stuff. He was an artist. He painted a lot. Nature, portraits of human and animals.”
Sakura perked up. “Had he ever painted you? I would really love to see his paintings.”
Haruka laughed. “Yes. He painted me.” Her eyes softened, and deep down, that feeling slowly came back to her. The feeling of being loved wholly and completely. A feeling that her dead husband Kenji had never been able to give her.
Once again, Haruka flashed her mind back to that morning long ago when she’d woken up to see the man she’d had a short affair with drawing her.
* * * * *
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Painting you,” he said. “Although, this is only the outline. Stay still and don’t move so much.”
“I’m naked here,” she muttered. “You baka! Stop drawing me.”
“You’re beautiful, Haruka. Now be a good girl and stay still.”
She laughed and flew off the bed, wrapping the bed sheet around her body. She came to peek behind him and saw it was indeed a sketch of her lying in bed with only a thin sheet covering her naked body.
“Oh!” She chuckled. “You’re good.”
“Of course I am,” he said, pulling her into his arms.
* * * * *
A shaky breath escaped Haruka’s lips as she remembered that day. One of the many days she’d spent time with the man she had loved. That was until the day she found out she was pregnant and knew in her guts he didn’t want the child. Hadn’t he said all along that they were too young to think about kids? That he might never want them for the rest of his life? She’d known he wouldn’t accept her child and had made a decision that it was best he didn’t know about the pregnancy. Hence, she left him. It was best that way.
“What was his name?” Sakura asked. When she saw Haruka stiffen at her question, she quickly said, “I’m sorry. I’m prying into your private life.”
Haruka relaxed and then chuckled. “No. The past is the past, Sakura. Are you planning on trying to find him as well?”
Sakura thought about this for a moment and then shook her head. “No, not at the moment. For now, just having found you is enough. I’ve always thought about you. Always wondered why I was thrown away. I…”
Haruka tightened her embrace on her daughter and once again felt guilt overwhelming her. “I’m so sorry, my love. I never wanted to throw you away. I was young and stupid. I would do anything to go back to that day and change the course I’d taken.”
“Even meeting my biological father and giving birth to me?”
Haruka shook her head. “No. I would never change that even if I had the chance to. I never regret having a relationship with him or having you. But if I ever had the chance, I would never leave you at the orphanage. I would take you back with me to Japan and damn the consequences.”
Sakura thought if that were to happen, she wouldn’t have had such a horrible childhood, especially at the orphanage with Mrs. Byrd and Tara. But then again, she wouldn’t have been adopted by James and Brenda either.
And then there were the brothers. Two of which she loved, Sebastian and Darcy. She wouldn’t have met them. She wouldn’t have fallen in love with them. Her heart skipped a beat at that thought.
Was she glad her mother had thrown her away and in turn allowed her to meet the brothers, or was she upset that in doing so, she’d the most horrendous childhood one could ever imagine? She didn’t know.
“His name is Edward,” Haruka said, drawing Sakura’s attention from her thoughts. “Edward.”
“Edward,” Sakura said softly, the name rolling effortlessly off her tongue. “He’s my biological father.”
It was then the two heard someone say, “Sorry for interrupting the reunion.”
Mother and daughter turned to the door to see Tristan standing there, grinning from ear to ear. “But dinner is served.” He even bowed low as a servant would.
Sakura laughed once she saw the mess on Tristan’s shirt and pants. “Have you been helping out in the kitchen again?”
He confirmed with a nod. “Yes, Sakura. And if you must know, I didn’t cut myself with a potato peeler this time.”
Haruka said, “How did you manage to do that? It is very hard to cut oneself with a potato peeler.”
Tristan looked like his balloon had just burst, and Sakura laughed. “It’ll be a delicious dinner. I can’t wait to try it.”
That statement pleased Tristan mightily. He said, as they came toward him, “Shepherds pie. I did the mashed potatoes that go on top. Mom said it was delicious,” he boasted.
“I bet it is,” Sakura said as the three entered the penthouse.
* * * * *