| If I Had Lived
by Leloi “Dinner,” she called out the door of the hut. He stopped his work on the fence and wiped his brow. Gazing up at the setting sun he distractedly smoothed back his bangs. “Coming,” he called as he put away his tools and returned to the hut. They sat across from each other as they ate in silence. “Tonight?” He looked up from the bowl of miso soup at his lips. “Not tonight,” he whispered before taking a sip of the steaming liquid. “When?” He gently lay down his half empty bowl of soup. “Give me time.” “It’s been a year.” “Kikyou…” She stared at him with sad eyes. “You promised we would live together.” “And we do…” “I want more.” He silently stared at his bowl of rice. “Inuyasha…” “I left that name behind when I became human for you.” “Inuyasha,” she began again. He stared at her, his eyes full of pain and longing. “Inuyasha, what’s wrong? I thought you loved me.” “I do,” he interjected. She frowned. “Then why can’t we take the next step? Kaede tells me that the village wonders when we will have children.” “I’m not ready for children. I can’t… this world is too terrible to…” “Inuyasha…” “That isn’t my name anymore,” he closed his eyes and looked away. She stood and went to kneel at his side. Her arms wrapped around him. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I want to have your children. I want us to live a normal life.” He closed his eyes and surrendered himself to her gentle touch. ~.^ Years came and went. An old man knelt at his wife’s side. Behind him sat their children and grandchildren. “I am glad I lived my life with you. I’ll wait for you on the other side,” she whispered with her last breath. “I love you.” The old man held her hand and cried. ~.^ “If I had lived,” Kikyou whispered, staring out at the village from the doorway of her sister’s hut. “I would have been the one melting his heart.” Images floated in her mind of a life that could have been, a life that never happened. “I followed you to the land of the dead… But you didn’t wait for me there.” |