Chosen Family - MomoJiro soulmate AU

3 - Searching

    It's been more than a year and a half now since that fateful morning. A morning I'll never forget. I'm nine, almost ten, now, and still my markings have never glowed. Which means my soulmate has not been near. That makes me kinda sad. My momma keeps telling me to be patient, saying I'll find them when the time is right, but I'm worried. What if we aren't even in the same country? What if I never find them? I want to meet them so badly. I want to know what they're like. I wonder if we'll have a lot in common. Will I like them right away? Will I know the moment I see them that they're my soulmate? So many questions that no one can answer. 'Only time will tell,' as my momma likes to say. Will it? What if I never find them?

    I lay in bed, hugging my soft dragon plush close to my chest and trying to hold back a sniffle. What if the markings made a mistake? I know I'm only nine. I know I've still got to grow up. Maybe I won't meet my soulmate 'til high school, or maybe even college. I know it's not like I would be dating them right now if I met them, especially since I'm only nine, and I've never had a crush on anyone, but I would still sleep a lot easier at night just knowing that they were there. Near to me, waiting for me. I push my face into the dragon's soft fur and roll onto my side.

    I don't hear my momma open the door to come wake me up. I don't have to go to school since it's summer. Momma sits down on the end of my bed and places a gentle hand on my back.

    "Wake up Kyoka," she says softly.

    I curl in on myself as the first sniffles escape. This is not the first morning I've been like this. I know full well I'm impatient. Momma just sighs and rubs my back as I start to cry. I can feel my body shaking, my eyes burning.

    "W-w-what if I n-never f-f-find them?" I ask, staring up at her with glassy eyes.

    "You will Kyoka," she says soothingly, "I know you will. Those marks appear for a reason. You just have to be patient."

    "I don't wanna be patient!" I cry.

    "I know," she says, "but I'm afraid you have to. It'll be ok, Kyoka. You'll find them. You know what? Get showered. I was thinking we could go to the botanical gardens. That will take your mind off of it. Ok?"

    I nod, drying my tears. That did sound nice. Once my mom leaves the room, I get up and grab some clothes, heading to the bathroom. After I'm all washed up, I put on black denim skirt overalls with a purple t-shirt and black shoes with white ankle socks. I pull a straw sun hat with a purple ribbon onto my head and head downstairs. My momma smiles at me as I grab my brown shoulder bag, slinging it over my shoulders so that it crosses over my chest.

    "Ready to go! I feel a bit better already Momma," I say.

    "I'm glad," she says, grabbing the car keys.

    We walk down the driveway to the car.

    "What do you want to listen to Kyoka?" she asks once we get in the car.

    I perk up at this question. I love picking the music! I often wonder what kind of music my soulmate likes to listen to. I wonder if we listen to the same things. I just love music so so much! I hope we'll agree with each other's choices.

    "Hmmm. Sheryl Crow!" I cry.

    Sheryl Crow by Tim McGraw is one of the only country songs I enjoy. I hope me and my soulmate will make each other feel as happy as his soulmate seems to make him.

    "Well, to start off," I add, "After that I want Don't Fear the Reaper, then the Lover album!"

    "Alrighty," says Momma, "that's quite an interesting selection Kyoka,"

    She chuckles.

    "It's very... mismatched."

    I just laugh. As the car starts down the road, the first notes of the music hit my ears. Momma heads down the road towards the freeway.