A couple of days later, Lily and Rose are at school. It’s lunchtime and they are both eating Rose’s cooking outside near the park. They are sitting in silence and just eating, both appear to be deep in their thoughts. Tarutaru walks to them, tilts her head slightly and stares at them for a while.
"Humph. So what’s going on with you two? You’re being unusually gloomy and lethargic," Tarutaru says and puts her hands across her chest.
"Nothing, just…" Lily says, but Rose shakes her head.
"It’s my father, Enoka," Rose answers softly. "He… he was such a burden for me, have been for all my life really and… and now…"
"Oh, I’m sorry, Caldwell, I didn’t know… My condolences…" Tarutaru says awkwardly.
"No, he’s not dead or anything!" Rose says and waves her hands in front of her. "No no, sorry for making it awkward. He just… went away. I mean literally, not just a figure of speech when someone dies. He retired and moved to a remote island or something."
"Oh," Tarutaru says and blushes awkwardly. "Sorry for assuming…"
"It’s nothing, don’t worry about it," Rose says. "It’s just that… I’ve been afraid of him for so long, and now I don’t need to be anymore, and… and the way he left…"
"I take it that it was not a fond farewell, then?" Tarutaru asks.
"That’s just it!" Rose exclaims. "It was! He was being unusually nice and warm, considering what I did before… And now he’s left me with… with everything, pretty much. Some of it still belongs to my mother, but I know even less about her. I’ve never seen her since I turned 3 or so, I don’t even remember her face."
"Left you with everything…? What does that mean, in practice, Caldwell?" Tarutaru asks.
"I don’t know. It means that on paper everything that he had, the mansion, his businesses and wealth is now mine. And that I’ll be the official Family Head when the papers are finished. I didn’t want any of that, really. I’m okay with just being me if Lily’s with me, but… but somehow I can’t just leave it all to mother either."
"You’re such a good person, Cotton Candy," Lily says and smiles at her.
Tarutaru looks and smiles at them, then her eyes widen suddenly. "Oh, before I forget!" she says and stands up straight. "Did you have any plans for next weekend?"
"Next weekend…?" Lily asks.
"Aoi’s birthday…" Rose says and smiles gently.
"Yeah, I figured we’d send her a card or something, maybe get together and chat for a while, even if she isn’t here.,"Tarutaru says.
"Yeah, let’s do that!" Lily says excitedly.
"It could be fun…," Rose says, wondering.
"It’s decided then!" Tarutaru concludes happily. "Let’s come up with a really nice card. Listen, I have an idea…"
ns 18.68.41.179da2
