It was morning and the bright orange sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon. Sakura raised her face and breathed in the fresh air. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the Statue of Liberty and in the distance New York City.
Behind her, Ned folded his arms across his chest as he watched her, a smile on his face.
Toby, who was in Sakura’s arms, licked her chin. She turned her attention to him then and smiled. “Look, Toby, our new home,” she said, pointing to the city beyond. The dog barked happily, and she laughed.
She was heading to her new home and her new future. At that moment, the sun rose just above her, shining down on her, which gave her an orange picturesque beauty that if anyone cared to look would have taken their breath away.
Sakura felt at peace as her serene face gazed off into the distance. Now, she was no longer Sakura Princeton. From this day forward and beyond, she was Sakura Tanaka, and she so looked forward to her new future.
“Sebastian,” she whispered softly under her breath. “Darcy, please forget Sakura Princeton because she no longer exists.”
Sakura knew that eventually the two men would forget about her, forget about Sakura Princeton like they’d forgotten about her before. Soon their memories of her would fade and then completely disappear from their minds. Then one day, they would meet the wonderful women who surely deserved them. Sakura Princeton, however, was not that person. Sakura Princeton never was and never would be.
“I love you both,” she whispered softly.
Sakura Tanaka smiled as she stroked her long hair back, her eyes gazing off to the horizon. “I’m looking forward to next spring. It will be so interesting,” she said to herself.