It's not always what it seems

An unexpected disclosure

Gaoto took Amoly in his arms to scan her. Talena came with them. Slowly walking on her own with a little help of Gaoto.

While Chichinama cleaned up the egg shell Larota followed Hopu to her room.

"Do you want to help me, Larota?" asked Hopu amused about Larotas level of being clingy.

"Maybe. I wanted to spend time with you." stated Larota.

"That's cute." Hopu pet Larotas head gently. "Just let me fix the Futon and we can play."

"Oki." Larota spotted something on the desk. Curious she walk to it and tried to look over the desk edge. It was a rose. She attempted to grab it, but couldn't reach it.

"What's that?" Larota asked while turning to her godmother.

"It's a desk." Hopu responded kindly.

"Not the desk. The thing on the rose which lays on the desk." adjusted Larota for Hopu.

Hopu looked confuse at the little turtle girl and left the messy Futon for the girls. She came up to Larota and picked the rose up. She began to read the paper.

"What is this, Hopu?" Larota asked again.

"Ummmmmm...." was all Hopu could respond while blushing. It was a love poem. A poem she advised Sauda to write:

Dear Sunshine!

I need to ask you this:

Will you take a risk

and only be mine?

Wrote the poem camouflaged as a letter

for the one I truly miss.

I hope I will know you better

love, hugs and a kiss.

Meet me at the waterfall when the sun die.

"I am the one he loves?" Hopu thought while she opened knot of the thread. "Why didn't I notice? How do I respond to his love reveal?"

"Are you ok, Hopu?" asked Gaoto. He was standing in the door frame with a sleepy Amoly in his arm. On his other hand a worried Talena who now clutched at his leg.

"Yeah. I'm fine." respond Hopu quickly and put the poem back on the table. "Is everything alright with Amoly?"

"She is really curious and can't stand still a long time. We need to keep an extra eye on her so that she don't hurt herself while she explore the world around her." Gaoto walked still with Talena on his leg to the Futon and laid gently Amoly down. "But all in all she is a healthy joyfull turtle."

"Thanks Gaoto." Hopu looked at him smiling.

"Nah. It's nothing. Really." Gaoto scratched the back of his head and stooped to tickled Talena. She squeaked to her surprise and let go off his leg. Then he took her in his arms.

"A rose!" Talena pointed in Hopus direction delighted. From this high of her new view she could finally identified the flower.

Hopu was at first really irritated, but than she finally realized the rose in her hand again. She stood up and came closer to them. "That's right, Talena. I give it to you."

Talenas eyes began to sparkle while she take the rose from Hopus hand. "Thanks." She smelled at the flower and then hold it under Gaotos nose. "Smell good."

Gaoto smiled and smelled also on the rose. "Delicious." He betokened to bite a leaf of the rose. Hopu began to chuckle.

"It isn't food." Talena declared irritated and hold the rose close to her chest.

"Is it right to give a gift from another person away?" asked Larota curious. She frowned in the direction of Gaoto.

Hopu began to blush again. "It's just a rose, Larota and Talena is more happy about to have it than me." She still wasn't sure what she should do with Sauda, but she didn't want to speak about it with Chichi or even with Gaoto about it. Especially not with Gaoto.

Gaoto noticed that the situation became awkward for Hopu. "I didn't want to disturb you any longer. Besides I need to train with Sauda or Sensei will be mad with me when he come back."  Gaoto give over Talena to Hopu. "I just wanted to bring the girls back to you. See you around."

Gaoto left the room quickly. Hopu stood there still blushing and looking after him.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked herself confused.

"What should I do?" asked Gaoto himself. The training with his younger brother was over and now he sat in the kitchen. He wanted to eat something, but he wasn't hungry at all.

"Why do you sitting there like you have a important problem you can't solve?" Chichi entered the kitchen and sat next down to her older brother.

"It's not really a problem. Just messing with my head." declared Gaoto upset to his glass of water that he turned in his hand.

"It's about Hopu, right?" asserted Chichinama and stole the glass of water.

"What? No!" disclaimed Gaoto, but blushing. "Yeah ok. It's about her likely."

"What is exactly your problem? When you love her just tell her. She wouldn't deride you." Chichinama put the glass of water up and drank it.

"I know. I just can't. It wouldn't be fair for Sauda." Gaoto sighed.

"What have our brother to do with your love for Hopu?" asked Chichinama visibly confused.

"Sauda loves her. I saw the love letter he wrote in Hopus hand with the rose he asked me for and he seemed more distracted by the training than ever." explained Gaoto frustrated while scratching the back of his head.

"So you assume that because of your observations without your beloved facts?" asked Chichinama while she lifted one of her eyebrows.

Gaoto sighed again. It was not often when he listen to his heart and not to his reason. He even didn't want to discuss with his sister about it. He just was tired about his feelings and thoughts that running through his head. "They will meet at sunset by the waterfall."

"And you will be there too. When they really meet there and declare they love for each other than you have your facts. Until then stop wallow in self-pity." Chichinama punched him by the last line in the upper arm and left him alone.

Gaoto rubbed his arm on the painfully spot and made a decision. He needed to talk to his brother. For his heart sake.

[Authors note: I wrote the poem on my own. It's not perfect, but it delivers the message.]