Hello Again (Sequel)

Welcome Home Party

It had been a week since I last saw Hikaru. He ran away and I was too scared to go after him. Haruhi had told me to call him and invite him to the party Tamaki and she were throwing for me, but I never got around to it. Now I was sitting at home in front of my laptop, researching information and statistics for a new department I wanted to start at Heart of Evangeline. Lily and Rose were on the living room floor, playing with their dolls. The loud default melody of my phone snapped me out of whatever thoughts I was having. "Adrienne speaking," I answered in my professional voice. I didn't know the number, and whoever was on the other end wasn't talking. "Hello?" More silence. Right before I was going to hang up, they decided to speak. "A.J...hi. I got your number from Haruhi and I was wondering if-- uh, I mean-- I don't have class today, so I was wondering if you wanted to go have breakfast or something," he stammered. I could just picture the soft pink blush rising to his cheeks as he scratched the back of his head nervously. "Hold on," I replied before turning my attention to the girls. "Lily, Rose, do you want to go get breakfast with an old friend of mine?" They immediately jumped up from the floor and ran to get dressed, squealing happily the whole way. I put the phone back to my ear and giggled, "Sounds like we're thrilled to go." He chuckled softly and sighed, "Great. Do you guys want to meet me at the park near campus in...oh, maybe an hour?" I bit my lip, bouncing on the couch. I couldn't believe after all this time, he still wanted to see me. "Sounds good. See you then," I said before hanging up. He was my first love, my only love. Ever since high school, I didn't want to date; I was scared someone would hurt me again, like he had. I was too afraid to trust anyone. But Hikaru, he was the only person I trusted that way. "Mommy, help!" Lily whined, her back facing me as she pointed at the zipper on her dress. Why did that man always have to distract me? I hadn't even noticed she was in front of me. "Of course babydoll," I smiled as I tugged the zipper up. It was a white long-sleeved dress with ruffles at the ends of the sleeves and a small ribbon around the back. She had brown leggings and a pair of brown boots. Rose had on practically the same outfit: grey long-sleeved dress, black tights, and black boots. Rose was holding a brush. I patted the spot on the floor in front of me and both of them sat down as I started working on Rose's hair first. It was so soft and wavy, nothing like mine at all. I usually left her hair down; it was always prettier that way. She was the only good thing I got from what he had done. "Mommy, are we gon' see da man we meeted at da rest'want?" Rose asked, tilting her head back to look at me. "Yes missy, we are," I answered as I started to pull Lily's hair back in a braid. "He's a funny man Momma," Lily said, making a silly face. I giggled and shook my head at her. She didn't even know the half of it.

Fifty-eight and a half minutes later, we pulled up at the park and my heart started to pound rapidly. Why was I so nervous? Hikaru was someone I knew. He stood under an oak tree, a large basket on his arm. He was in a light grey sweater and dark blue jeans, his hair slightly tousled from the wind. I sighed and got out of "the big black bus", which was what my daughters called my Yukon. "Mommy! Out!" they yelled as I came around to the other side and unbuckled them from their car seats in the back. They clambered out of the vehicle and took off across the grass. "Hi Misser Hik'ru!" Rose grinned. "What's in the basket?" Lily asked, standing on her tiptoes as she tried to look inside. I smiled as I walked behind them leisurely. "Food. We're going on a picnic," he replied politely.

"A pi'nic?" Lily repeated, following close behind him. He looked at her in a way I couldn't really understand, but his eyes softened and he smiled. "Yes. Your mommy used to cook for me all the time, and I never got the chance to repay her. I made French toast, sausage, bacon, and scrambled eggs. It's all still nice and warm, too," he spoke as he stopped in a sunny part of the large field, laying out the blanket that had been tucked in between his arm and the basket. "Hik'ru, were you Mommy's honey?" Rose asked, looking up at him with her wide earth and ivy eyes. "Her what?" he asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow at her. I sat down on the blanket and smiled up at him, my cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "She means were you my boyfriend," I explained bashfully. "Oh," he breathed, his eyes widening before he burst into deep, rumbling laughter. "Yes, I was your mommy's honey. Back in high school," he answered. "Are you gonna be her honey again?" Lily continued. Sure enough, if one had a question then the other would have a follow-up. We exchanged an awkward glance and I turned to the girls with a weak smile. "Okay! Who's hungry?" I squeaked, desperate to change the conversation. They turned to Hikaru again with wide eyes, silently begging for the breakfast they had been promised. He smiled softly and started taking out tupperware bowls, plastic utensils, and paper plates.