Lara had just come home from grocery shopping. She unloaded her groceries from her car and brought them in. As she put them away, she realized she forgot something. “Oh shoot,” she said to herself. “I forgot the toothpaste. I’ll have to go back later.” She finished putting the groceries away and rubbed her forehead. It’s gotten hotter since this morning. She went to her bedroom to change into a pair of shorts. When she entered her room she passed her favorite picture on the wall next to her mirror. It was a framed drawing of the guy she loved, and still loves him after all this time.
Meanwhile, Cell had appeared back on Earth. He looked around at his surroundings to make sure he was actually there and not dreaming. Once it sank into his head, he started flying to that spot on a cliff. When he got there he was disappointed at what he saw. Weeds surrounded the tree stump that sat twenty feet away from the edge of the cliff. She hasn’t been here in a long time, he thought. However, he knew where he might find her.
Lara walked back into the kitchen and looked at the clock on the wall. It read 2:00 pm. Mrs. Thomson should be coming back anytime now. Then she noticed that the newspaper was sitting on the lawn. “Why can’t they bring it to the door?” She went outside barefoot to pick up the paper. She picked the paper up off the ground, took the elastic off, and looked at the front page. She started walking back inside while reading the headlines when she heard a familiar sound. She ignored it at first, but it didn’t go away. She knew what it sounded like, but she was aware that there was no possible way that it could be…
My imagination hasn’t done this to me in a while, she thought. Why is it doing it to me now? The squeaking continued. Annoyed, she looked up. It stopped. She shook her head and started walking back inside. The squeaking started again then stopped. “Oh! What is that!?” She turned around and dropped the newspaper. She saw a figure walking towards her. At first she could have sworn it was Cell, but she couldn’t tell for sure because the sun was in the back of the figure, making it hard for her to focus. Then the figure came into perfect view. Lara starred at the person. He stopped and put a hand on his hip.
“What’s the matter,” he asked. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Cell? Cell, is that really you…”
Cell smiled. “Who else would it be?”
Lara put on a big smile. “Cell…” She started jogging then running over to him. She jumped up and put her arms around his neck. He caught her and they gave each other a tight hug.
“Cell! I didn’t think I’d ever see you again!” Tears of happiness filled her eyes. “I can’t believe it.”
“Neither can I really,” he said. They gave each other a long kiss.
As they kissed and hugged, a car was coming down the road. Mrs. Thomson slowed down and squinted her eyes. She thought she was seeing things. Who’s that with Lara?
The car pulled up to the house. Lara looked over her shoulder. “Put me down, Cell.” She waved to the people in the car and walked over. Cell just stood there trying to figure out who those people were. The passenger door of the car flew open and a young boy jumped out. He ran over to Lara and jumped in her arms.“Hey! How was you day?” Lara asked the boy.
“It was great, Mommy!” The boy said with a smile.
Cell’s eyes widened. Mommy? He thought.
Mrs. Thomson got out of the car. “Did you tell her we’re we went?”
“Oh yeah! Mrs. Thomson took me to get ice cream! I got a big cone with chocolate! See?” The boy showed his mom his shirt, which was stained with chocolate ice cream.
“You made a mess,” Lara joked. “Thanks for taking care of him, Mrs. Thomson.”
“Oh no problem. He’s such a sweetheart.” Then Mrs. Thomson looked past Lara at Cell. “Lara,” she whispered, “is that?”
Lara nodded yes. “Hey,” she said to her son, “I want you to meet somebody.”
“Who?” The boy asked.
Lara turned around and showed her son the stranger standing behind them. Lara walked over to Cell and introduced the two. “Seru,” she said, “this is your Daddy.” At first the word “Daddy” didn’t hit Cell until she said something else. “Cell, this is your son, Seru.”
Cell could’ve had a heart attack at that point. “M-my son? How can he be…my son?”
“Oh trust me, he is. He looks like you.”
“He does? He looks human to me.”
“Well, look at his eyes. They’re pink like yours are. And he has to get his black hair from you. No one in my family has black hair. It might come from one of those people whose cells you have.”
Cell didn’t know what to say. He looked down at the boy, who looked at him. Both couldn’t believe that they were related to the other, but it was harder for Cell to accept.
Seru smiled and said, “Hi Daddy!”
My son…Cell continued to repeat in his mind. He can’t be my son…he looks nothing like me…but then again…he does…this is weird.Lara put Seru on the ground. The boy looked way up to his newly met father. “Why haven’t you come here before?” He asked so innocently.
Cell snapped out of his trance and looked down. “W-what?”
“You father was away; but now he’s here to see us,” explained Lara.
“Oh. Hey Daddy, do want to come see my pet?”
Lara laughed. “Why don’t you wait until later, Seru. Go change your clothes and then you can play. I have to talk to your father for awhile.”
“Okay!” Seru started skipping to the house.
“I’m going to go,” said Mrs. Thomson. “If you need anything, just call.”
“Thanks Mrs. Thomson,” said Lara. Then she turned to Cell. “Come on. I think you and I should talk.”
“Yeah…” said Cell.
They walked over to a bench under the apple tree. Lara sat down and offered Cell a seat beside her; however he didn’t acknowledge her. “So,” Lara started. “What do you think of Seru?”
“Seru? I still can’t believe he’s my son,” said Cell.
“Well he is. You’ll get used to him. I’m glad he’s finally able to meet you. I always was afraid to tell him what really happened to you, but he really never asked. I didn’t think he would understand that his father was a person that the world was afraid of, and that he was killed in a tournament. But now I don’t have to worry about that,” she finished with a smile.
“Actually,” Cell started, “I’m not here for very long…”
Lara’s smile quickly disappeared. “What do you mean?”
Cell sighed and turned his back, “Lara…I’m still dead.”
“What?”
“I’m only here for 24 hours. Then I have to go again…and I won’t be coming back next time.”
“Only for 24 hours? But why do you have to go? Why can’t you stay?”
“In the Other World you’re allowed to take 24 hours to go back to where you lived or whatever. When those 24 hours are up, then you have to go back. I’m not really alive again. See,” he pointed to the halo above his head.
Lara hadn’t noticed it until now. She couldn’t believe that he wasn’t going to be there with her. “Y-you…have to go?”
“Yes. If I don’t go on my own then they’ll come to get me. I have no choice. I’m sorry to do this to you again, but I just wanted to see you,” Cell said. He turned around to face her again. She wasn’t hysterical, but tears formed in her eyes. He knelt down in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Look at me,” he said. “Forget about the whole 24 hour thing. Let’s just enjoy the time we have. Please, Lara. Don’t make me refret coming.”
Lara threw her arms around him. “I don’t want to lose you again. I’ve had such a hard time for the past five years.”
Cell didn’t say anything; he just let her cry on his shoulder while his stroked her hair.
“Cell,” she said as she looked at him, “are you mad at me?”
“Why would I be mad?”
“Because of Seru,” she said looking down.
“No. Don’t ever think I’d be mad at you. I just haven’t been able to accept it yet. I’ll try, okay?”
She nodded. “Would you mind…just spending a little time with him? For me?”
“I guess so.”
She smiled and put her hand on his cheek. “I’m so happy your back. Even if it is only for 24 hours.”
“So am I,” Cell said.