Cherish

Chapter 5

I was awake but I kept my eyes closed because I was afraid. I was afraid that I wasn't home again. I patiently listened for any indication that I was back in the second Cherish's world. Unfortunately, I could not hear anything that was like the other world. But I also could not hear anything from my world. I didn't even feel as I was laying anywhere. I was kinda just floating. I decided I should probably look around and see if anything is familiar.
    I slowly opened my eyes and began to adjust to my surroundings. I looked down and I happened to be laying in a rather spacious bed. It was soft and formed to fit my body shape. I looked around a bit more before I noticed that my clothing was sort of the same as in the second world but also different at the same time. I was wearing a soft, light blue heavy sweater and a pair of soft form-fitting leggings. I had nothing covering my feat at all. The clothing was comfortable but cute at the same time. I might have to recreate them in my world.
    As I kept looking around I noticed the decor in the room was very similar to my style, as expected. There were books lining shelves all over the room. This Cherish knew how to decorate a room.
    As I kept falling in love with the room over and over again, I heard a small knock coming from the door to my right. Before I could say anything, the door opened and in came a very fancy version of the mother that I had in the other world. Her soft red curls were pulled into a very tight pony at the back of her head. She had a slight scent of cherry blossom perfume on her and she was wearing a beautiful baby blue, silk dress that fit her look perfectly. You could see very faint wrinkles starting to form next to her eyes and on her forehead. She seemed a bit younger in this world. She wore a sweet smile on her face telling me that everything was going to be fine and that this world was nice.
    "Hi sweetie how are you feeling?" She said as she slowly came up and sat on the side of the bed. I nodded slowly still curious of this world. She noticed me staring around the room and looked into my eyes. "I see. You aren't my girl are you?" she smiled and continued to look into my eyes. I looked back at her with shock. She continued to stare but then turned away while standing. She began to leave the room but then turned around and told me that there was food in the kitchen if I was hungry. As if on cue, my stomach grumbled. She gave me a knowing look and continued to leave the room.
    As I got up from the bed, I continued to look around. I walked out the same door that mother walked out of and continued down the hallway following my nose to the smell of bacon and scrambled eggs with toast.
    I made it to the dining room and saw a younger-looking man, maybe in his late 20's or early 30's, sitting at the head of a very large table. He looked up from his paper he was holding in his hand and motioned for me to sit next to him on one side of the table.
    "So I heard that you are not the Cherish from this world." As I sat down he began to talk. I nodded very slowly, unsure of who he was to this Cherish. "I am Cherish's stepfather. My name is Marzo, it's nice to meet you, Cherish from another world." He smiled and held out his hand as if he wanted me to shake it. I took his hand and shook it up and down and then released and let my hand fall to my side.
    "I've never had a father before, not even a mother. My mother abandoned me on the side of a road and I've never had a chance to meet a father figure." I started to ramble about my home and how beautiful it was there, and how I could always frolic with the animals.
    "Well, you better eat before it gets too cold." He looks to my plate of two pieces of bacon, one egg, and a slice of toast. I start to scarf down the bacon and by the time mother walks in, my plate is empty. My father is staring at me in silence as my mother sits down silently. "I can't even begin to think of what your life is like if you have no family," he continues after I've finished chewing.
    "It's okay. My mother abandoned me yes, but that doesn't mean I don't have a family. I have my friends." My mother looked up from her plate and father looked over at her in shock.
    "You have friends?" She looked at me in awe and confusion and her voice cracking a bit. I nodded my head and her eyes started to water. "Our Cherish has never once had nor told us of any friends. She is quite the loner at her school. She hates to stand out and never wants to talk to anyone. I tell her all the time to make friends and bring friends home."
    I nodded my head and a person dressed in a white overcoat and black trousers came in holding a tray of food on his hand. He placed the tray in front of me. It was a beautifully decorated cake that said 'Happy Birthday Cherish'.
"I've never really known when my birthday was. And I've never celebrated it before..." My eyes began to water and I could feel my face growing hot. I couldn't stop the tears from falling like I am normally able to. They just began to fall. And with the tears falling, I began to sob.
    My mother came from around the table and wrapped her arms around me. She cried into my shoulder as I did the same to hers. We stood like this for a while longer and I couldn't control myself, I hugged her tighter and closer to me as if she were actually my own mother. I almost forgot for a second that she was someone else's mother.