She laughed, completely swarmed. "Okay okay! My turn!" Momoko sat up and let go of the group to clutch each one to her in a desperate hug of their own. "/I love you, okay? Be good, okay?/"

"/You'll be seeing us again innaminnit, momma,/" Elena sighed, but leaned over to kiss Momoko again.

"/...I know. Just... remember, okay?/" Momoko blinked a extra times, then pulled back from the last hug and shoved the three over to Jaime. "Now it's papa's turn!"

Momoko had a few pictures of that scene and took a moment to stare at her phone, her hair hiding her face.

Once she could smile again without it being obviously a fake, she closed her phone. "It's time to go, girls! Your other momma and papa are totally wondering what's taking so long, I know it!"

Would future!Momoko remember this happening and be over there on the other side, waiting and feeling this same thing in reverse? Had she been crying because the girls were gone, while Momoko was crying that they were leaving?

Okay, those thoughts weren't helping with keeping the smile.

"Mei-chan!" Momoko watched as Sophia tried to reach for her little sister's hand again. "/Hold Sophia's hand. Sophy, be good! Look after each other, okay? And don't go near any more portals without permission, okay? Not all of them go to good places. And tell your momma she's very lucky, okay? Study hard in school! And eat all your vegetables, no matter what. I love you!/"

She continued to call out, her voice getting gradually more desperate, until they finally disappeared into the portal. "Ah."

She could lie, but he'd call her on it, and honestly she was too busy trying not to break down crying in front of EVERYone in the middle of the PARK to even answer.

The way she was clutching at him, Jaime had about as much choice in leaving her alone as she was going to have about crying in front of him.

She nodded at the suggestion, not even caring where it was he was thinking to go. Just as long as it was away from the stupid portal that had given her what she wanted most and then taken it away again.

Momoko somehow managed to choke out a small, sobbing, "sorry..."

That she was crying
That she couldn't tell him why
That she was getting his shirt wet
That she was making him take care of her
That she already missed the girls, even knowing they weren't real

...

That she really really wanted them to be real...

It didn't hurt nearly enough.

Momoko wanted those girls. She wanted them and that future so bad. To be the one to hold Sophia when someone said something about her eyes. To see the super top secret project Elena was building that required so many pages of drawings she couldn't have momma help with. To listen as Mei babbled on in any language she could remember the words in...

And she was so afraid she'd never ever have anything like the happy family they had described.

But since she couldn't tell anyone, she was totally going to take advantage of Jaime right now to just cling desperately and cry. She'd be happy Momoko again tomorrow, okay?

Yet.