Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

Snapshots:

"Araceli"

 

                "Mom?"  A girlish voice reached Arys' ears as she washed the dishes in the kitchen.

                "Mhmmm?"  Arys replied, looking down at the soapsuds, wondering when Heero would come home.  Once Araceli had come into their lives, Arys had decided to stay home instead of working for the Preventers.  She still helped occasionally, but now her life was wrapped up in her children.

                "Where's Dad?"  Arys stopped rinsing the dishes and smiled at her daughter.  Araceli adored her father and every night she would attack him with hugs when he came home from work.  Arys glanced at the digital clock on the counter.  He was late.  Very late.

                Arys dried her hands and took Araceli's hand.  The two of them walked into the living room and sat down, Arys motioning for Araceli to get on her lap.  She was no substitute for Heero, but she would have to do until her husband came home.   Araceli wiggled slightly, trying to get comfortable.  She wrapped her arms around Arys' waist and sighed.

                "I wish Dad were home." 

                Arys studied her daughter thoughtfully.  Her four-year-old daughter had inherited a curious mixture of her and Heero's eyes.  Gray swirled with blue.  Often, the color of her eyes changed with her mood, with the weather, or with her clothing.  Arys ran a hand over Araceli's dark hair.  It was more the color of Heero's hair than her own. 

                "I do too."

                "You miss him a lot, don't you?" 

                Arys laughed inwardly.  Araceli was entirely too intelligent for her own good.  Already, the girl knew her ABC's.   "The girl is just like her mom," Heero had told her one night, proudly.

                "Yes, dear, I miss him."  Arys also missed the work, but she loved her children too much to let dangerous missions keep her from home.  "Where's Satoru?"

                "In his room, reading."

                "He didn't want to play with you?"

                "No, he was reading some book on the Gundams."

                "Gundams, huh?"

                "Yeah.  He likes them a lot."

                "A lot" was one of Araceli's favorite phrases. 

                "Well, darling, you know the Gundams don't exist anymore."

                "Daddy said you used to fly one."

                "Yes, I did.  And so did he."

                "Did you like it?"

                Arys bit her lip thoughtfully.  Had she liked being a Gundam pilot?  She had never thought about it before.  Count on Araceli to bring up such a deep question.  She had associated the Gundams with war for so long that she had never been sure if she did like being a Gundam pilot.  The killing, the fear, the adrenaline rush from fighting, the Zero System... 

                A knock at the door catapulted Araceli off Arys' lap, saving Arys from answering her daughter.

                "Daddy!"  Araceli ran straight to Heero's legs, hugging them.

                Without a word of greeting, Heero swept Araceli up into his arms, staring over his daugther's head to smile at Arys.  Though he never really showed it, Heero loved Araceli's enthusiastic greetings.

                "You're late," Arys said matter-of-factly. 

                "We had a problem at headquarters."  Heero turned Araceli upside-down.  She squealed with delight.

                "What kind of problem?"  Arys stepped forward for her ritual welcome-home kiss.

                "I'll tell you later," Heero said as he turned Araceli right-side up again. 

                Araceli leaned forward to grasp both Heero and Arys around the neck in a childish hug.  "I love you guys."

                Arys stared at her daughter in surprise.  She looked at Heero and saw him trying to hide a grin.

                "Where did you learn that from?'

                Araceli shrugged and then gave them both an adorable smile.  "Uncle Duo."

                Heero tugged Araceli toward him.  Arys had to smile herself as Heero leaned toward her to whisper, "Figures."