Makako Higurashi hummed softly as she swept the kitchen, cleaning up after both her father and her son could have been a full time job in itself. As it was her daughter and her friend had also been there for dinner and thus the mess was more than double the usual. Makako didn't mind though, she was raised in a life of servitude to Buddha and she considered it an honor to serve her family in whatever way was most appropriate.
Makako was keeper of the Higurashi shrine, and though she was committed to servitude, she was in no way subservient. For those who knew her, Makako was iron wrapped in comfort. A woman who served Buddha and no one else. She was kind and patient, and she seemed to know instinctively when a person needed comfort or blunt truth, a hug or indifference.
Makako was the shelter in a storm to all that knew her, no matter what was going on around her she exuded a serenity that often infuriated her children. No matter what they did their mother always responded coolly and with forethought, no matter how hard they tried sometimes, mom wouldn't lose her temper or raise her voice, unless it was to be heard over the din.
Makako's friends and family knew of only one time when the remarkably tranquil woman had become like the rest of them, when Makako's husband had been killed in a car accident. When the police came to her door, Makako knew before she opened it that her husband was dead, she only answered the door so that the police could do their job by informing her of the how. Makako had been trained as a priestess and though her husband had not known it, she had created a connection between them that allowed her to always know if he was safe. She had done it to her children as well; it was the only true secret she kept from them.
When her husband had been killed she had felt that connection break, it left her gasping and she had had to sit for a very long time before she could move again. When the police came she was calm, when she told his parents and her father she had been calm. When she called his work she was calm. When she called the school to tell them that her daughter would not be coming in she was calm. When she prepared to tell her children she was calm. Souta was a toddler and didn't really know what she meant; he thought for more than a week that daddy was going to come home any minute.
When Makako told her daughter she was calm, until Kagome let loose a scream that tore at their spiritual connection. Makako had wondered if her daughter had inherited any of her powers, but at that very moment she knew that Kagome had. Makako then realized that the connection she had created went both ways and her private pain was suddenly in front of her and screaming. The inner calm that she had had a predilection for and had worked towards perfecting for all those years slipped suddenly and she found herself on the floor, clinging to her daughter and sobbing as if her pain would change the reality that her husband was dead.
That morning passed in a blur, clouded by tears and bouts of sobbing by both her and Kagome. If Kagome noticed that her pain was also her mother's she never gave any indication as such. Makako cried herself to sleep that night and many nights after that, but after that day she was able to control herself and channel her pain as a priestess would, into positive energy she used to heal herself. Her children recovered, as children do, and having them to take care of gave her more strength. Her pain was once again her own, and she too healed in time, though she had not had any inclination to try and date again.
Makako tried to keep the old ways alive in her little pocket of the world. Though her young son was addicted to video games, she made sure he also knew about the history of their shrine. Her daughter was also well-versed in the old ways and though she wasn't planning on being a priestess of the new world, she knew what was required of one. Her father was another story though and she smiled fondly when she thought of his antics. 'Grandpa' as everyone called him thought himself a powerful monk. He had wards of all sort to deal with all manner of demons and plagues, of course, no one would tell him that they were completely useless. Grandpa was responsible for Kagome's school believing the girl had everything from diabetes to lumbago. Despite her daughter missing school almost half the time she was able to keep her grades up, Makako was very proud of her