Days passed slowly. I still had much work, but he made sure I didn't work too hard, forcing me to come home if I stayed at the building too late, and helping me to relax after a long day, visiting daily to put a kiss on my lips and a true smile on my face. And now, here I am, much happier than before, about to go to my mother's funeral. I'm so sad. I miss her. She really cared for me, even if she wasn't always around to show it. She never missed anything truly important to me, making me a priority, like many women in her position wouldn't. She loved me. I loved her. Today, I will face that she's finally gone. But at least now I have him to help me out and support me. Are you happy, mother? I think you are; I think you would be proud of me, and of my choice. You never met him, but I'm sure you'd like him as well. Because he's sweet, honest, nice, mature, romantic… And of course, a bit of a prankster sometimes, don't forget that. He's mine, and I'm his. I'm so glad. I love Eriol so much, and I know I always will. – Daidouji Tomoyo

"You're really okay, Tomoyo-chan?"

"I am. Honestly. Truthfully." Tomoyo smiled at her worried friend. "I'm sad, yes, but I'm fine."

"Oh, but I wish I'd come here sooner," Sakura replied. "I would have gladly given up a little bit of my time with Syaoran if you really needed it."

"But I didn't need it, and I still don't. And I would have felt so guilty to have interrupted your time together, too, so can we please drop the subject?"

Sakura opened her mouth to protest again, but her words were muffled when Syaoran clapped a hand over her mouth. He smiled when Sakura glared at him, and then said to Tomoyo, "Well, I for one am happy that you're doing well, and glad that Sakura and I got to enjoy ourselves as much as possible. You're free to come to Hong Kong and visit whenever you like, I hope you know."

Tomoyo laughed at her friends. "Thank you. I'll keep it in mind. Goodbye, Sakura-chan, Li-kun."

"You could be friends with him for twenty years and I think you'll still call him by my last name," Sakura muttered under her breath, now able to speak again. She leaned up to Syaoran for a quick kiss, and said brightly, "Bye Tomoyo-chan!"

The newlyweds stepped into the waiting car and soon left.

Now Tomoyo was the last one at the graveyard. Her expression became a little sad. She turned and walked back in, her feet following the path to a certain very recently established grave. She stood in front of it for a while, just staring at the engraved words, her mother's name. Daidouji Sonomi.

"Hello," she said, not to the grave, but to the person who she guessed was behind her.

A voice replied, "How did you know I was here?"

"The day you don't sneak up on me from behind at the perfect moment is the day Kero-chan loses his appetite."

"I certainly can't deny that," Eriol said. She could hear the smile in his voice, but couldn't find the will to smile on her own.

She turned around and buried her face in his shoulder, letting herself be held.

"She was never around for me, always doing business, but she was still my mother, and she still cared. Not many women in her position would have done as much as she did. She never missed anything truly important to me, such as a festival, or a singing competition. Not once. She was always there. On those rare days when I was sick, she would come home immediately to make sure that I was okay."

"I may have only met her once, but I know what you mean."

"It's not fair that she had to leave that way. She had time left in her. But no, just an unlucky accident had to take her from this world. She was the only person I had left in Japan."

"Well, you have me."

"I do. Thank you. But… I loved her so much, Eriol, so much. And I miss her."

"You're crying."

She realized she was. "I am. I need to, I guess. It's been so hard… I've been holding these tears back for so long, haven't I? I haven't cried for my mother since that day with the cookies."

"I'm glad you're crying then. You can always cry on me. You don't have to be perfect, Tomoyo, I'll love you anyway."

Tomoyo nodded on his shoulder, smiling slightly, knowing that she wouldn't be able to reply if she tried. Her tears continued to fall, but she didn't really mind. She wasn't happy, necessarily, but she was content. She still had many things to do before her life could be restored, and her company could get over the losses. Her mother had gone. But in her place, she had learned a lesson and found the love of Eriol.

No, things weren't perfect, but she didn't need them to be. No more lies were left to break. Only the lemon-sweet truth remained.

Eriol rubbed her hair softly. "Ready to leave?"

"Yeah." She stepped back a little, smiling, and wiped her tears, before giving him a long, sweet kiss.

the end

.o0o.

This epilogue is dedicated to SilentCynara, for her great work as a beta and her evilness (for lack of a better word).

Thank you to all of my reviewers; I'm glad that you enjoyed my story! Wow... I actually finished it! Hooray! I'm so happy! I'm kind of sad, of course, to leave this story, but it'll always be here for me to read again, right? And besides, it's not like I don't have hundreds of other story ideas to work on...

Look out for SilentCynara's stories, there's a chance we might co-author something in the future, and I also intend to start up a new SxS story sometime soon!

Thank you again! Please, review with your final comments, it'll make my day! - Lauren