Box of Chocolates

A Thousand Snow-White Cranes

Ana climbed up the last flight of steps leading to her third floor flat, feeling heavy and out of breath.

It had been months since she had been here the last time; she only came once since her trip to Japan to pick up the most necessary things. But now she wanted to stand on her own two feet again, carry the responsibility for her actions on her shoulders, and live her own life without complicating her sister's.

Reaching the door situated at the end of a narrow, windowless corridor she slid her key into the lock, but even before she could turn it the door opened on its own accord, revealing her sister Kate.

"What are you doing here?" she protested, her heart beating in her throat, as she put her hand over her belly in an unconscious, protective gesture.

"I just brought your bags and some food Sister, you said you wouldn't have time to go shopping today. I didn't mean to scare you." Kate explained in lieu of an apology. "Anyway," she added, placing her hand over Ana's, which was still resting on her belly, "you should finally stop working, there's less than a month left before she is born, you both should rest..."

"You know that I finish next week. Don't make me feel guilty, Kate, teaching art is hardly a tiresome work. It's a pleasure." It was way better than spending her days waiting for the baby to be born, alone in her flat, lost in her memories.

"Fine, you always say that, there's no arguing with you, Ana. I'm off then, call me if you need anything."

Ana let Kate kiss her on her cheek before she made her way out of the flat, then called before the door closed completely behind her sister, "Thanks, Kate, for everything!"

Ana knew that she hadn't been behaving nicely lately. She wasn't quite herself since she got back from her trip to Japan, eight months ago. How much she missed him still... she realised with a pang in her heart. She took her shoes off her swollen, tired feet and walked into the kitchen.

There, on the table, sat a gift-wrapped packet. A piece of paper attached to it stated in Kate's handwriting -- 'I know I promised I wouldn't force you into celebrating, and I'm not. Happy birthday, Sister.'

Shaking her head at her sister's stubbornness, she opened the present, finding a book about Japan hidden beneath the layers of colourful paper. Ana ran her fingers along the contours of a couple of Tancho cranes dancing on a snow-covered field pictured on its cover, her eyes filling with tears. She appreciated Kate's thought, Japan had always been the country of her dreams, and her sister knew it... but she also knew what happened to Ana on the trip there last winter.

Ana only told Kate about how she fell in love last winter, about how she left half of her heart in Japan, with Kaito. She refused to explain anything to anyone else, not even to her parents. That was the reason why they ignored her now, and her sister was her only tie with the family.

But Ana was twenty-two, and whether her parents agreed with her or not, she felt old enough to become a single mother, accepting the results of her mistake. No, not a mistake. She would never regret what had happened between her and Kaito.

Sighing, she walked towards her living room, the only room of her studio flat, wishing to lay down and sleep... and dream. Lately, her dreams were more pleasant than her reality.

She didn't get far, though-- like a thick layer of snow, an infinity of snow-white origami cranes covered every single surface of her room. They were everywhere between the door and the window, sitting on the carpet, perched on furniture and picture frames, lying on her bed.

"Kate.... why?" she muttered, tears falling down her cheeks. It was one thing giving her a book on Japan, and another entirely flooding her flat with origami cranes and thus, even though unconsciously, re-opening the still not completely healed wound in her heart.