She had stepped from his vehicle right after she’d made that promise. They hadn’t even said goodbye. Neither of them could bear to. As he drove away, Sakura stood watching the lights of his car diminish. She missed him. Already. She turned and walked into her house.
She sighed with relief. Everyone was asleep. She crept silently to her bedroom, swinging her door shut before she crossed the room to turn her tableside lamp on. She flopped down on her bed. She lay on her stomach staring at the backpack in her hands. Hobi was just wonderful. The kindest person to ever touch her life. Why did he have to leave it?
As tears began to slide down her cheeks, she reached inside her new backpack and withdrew the envelope. Why had she wished for this moment? She should have savored the time she’d spent with Hobi in his car. No matter. She was about to discover his secret. She grabbed a pair of scissors and carefully created a slit in the top of the envelope. Then she withdrew two folded pieces of paper. She smoothed them open. Her eyes devoured the first sheet.
“Dear Sakura,
“It isn’t every day I meet a girl with glowing, obsidian eyes and a smile that melts my heart. I’m sorry, my dear, that we live on two different islands. At least, they are right next to each other. I have hopes of seeing you again someday.”
He did?! She sat up. Her eyes found the next paragraph.
“Thank you for spending the day with me. I know that I couldn’t remedy all the things that went wrong last night, nor could I return to you all that you lost, but I wanted to make sure that you had a new letter to carry around in your bag. From the second friend you ever made in your whole life.
“For that is what I am, Sakura. Your friend. You can count on me. When you need someone, I will be here. Anytime. Always.”
She stared in shock at the next sentence. He had given her his private phone number! And his email address too. What? She was astounded. He trusted her that much after just one day in her company?
“I’ve included two copies of this letter. That way, you can hide one in your bedroom, and if you ever lose another bag, you’ll still have a letter from your best friend. Though, honestly – unlike your first friend – I’m hoping to still be in your life should such a sad thing occur again.”
Sakura smiled to herself as she pulled the second piece of paper to the forefront. She held both sheets side by side and studied them. He really had handwritten this letter. Twice! How had he had time to do this today? The man was a wonder. A wondrous wonder. How she missed him already!
But…she glanced down at the papers in her hand. She didn’t need to miss him, for now she had a way to talk to him every day. She picked up her phone and dialed his number.
She stared down at those two letters as the phone rang.
Where she had once had one letter, now she had two. Was this what restoration looked like?
