Her tears...

I turned to leave when I heard mai gently saying,"mum". I sat down next to her and to my astonishment I found tears creeping down her cheeks. It was clearly surprising to see her crying for I had been going out with her for almost two years and though we had had quarrels she had never shown me her crying face but now here she was showing it, defenseless.

"Ren!"she said surprised,"I'm sorry, I've been sleeping really late these days...any way let's get going"

With this she sat up and smiled. But was that real...her smile...it seemed somewhat unreal...

But I recalled my presence in her house, having to deal with all her assignments she hadn't spent much time with me, but today she had specially set it aside for the two of us. But why was she hiding the fact that she had cried? I thought, I didn't like it at all, it seemed to create a great distance between the two of us.

But I followed her as she pulled me forward to the places she wanted to go, they varied from cafes to parks but was she really having fun?

I couldn't help but feel her changing destinations... at last we stopped at the riverside and looked at the sun set, now she seemed somewhat relaxed and I wanted to know...no matter what...what she had dreamed of...

"Mai why are we so distant?" I asked. She seemed surprised with my question and kept quiet expecting me to continue so I did.

"You cried today didn't you?"

She hesitated and then tried denying it but i moved forward and hugged her.

"It's alright to cry...I'm no stranger to you am I?"

It triggered her tears...though I couldn't see her face I was convinced that she was crying for her body quivered and she spoke...but it was barely audible...

"I had a dream of mum..." she paused,"It was the same events in my dream just as it had happened when mum was murdered...mum covered in blood...everything just as-"

Now she shook greater and I tightened my grip around her.

"It keeps repeating everyday for the past few days the same dream...its like mum's trying to tell me something...like its all my fault..."

"That's not true is it? Her death had nothing to do with you...its probably because you're tired and its been just a few months since her death..."

"But-' she said looking up at me with a defeated look.

"This isn't like you at all...do you believe that your mum would blame you for her death? Do you not trust her?"

And her lips forced a weak smile as I messed up her hair and smiled back.

I knew my words weren't enough to comfort her for the loss of her mother but this was the most I could do and I knew she'd accept it...