Author's Note: For Nekofan123
Sick Days
Slurp.
The contents of the egg that had cracked against the edge of the metal bowl slipped down into the mixture of liquids Iroha had mixed below. The woman wrinkled her nose in distaste at the feel of egg on her fingers and dropped the shell onto a paper towel, reaching for the next. As the second egg was swallowed by the bowl, Iroha glanced at the clock on the wall. Yuki and Rin still weren't back from the park, where they'd gone to meet Yuki's friends, along with Lily and Miki. It was getting pretty late out, and their meal would be ready soon. Iroha hoped Rin had taken care not to let Yuki get too chilled. It was winter, after all, and, even if the kids had fun playing in the snow, there was still a great risk of them catching colds.
Iroha grabbed her cell phone and placed it on the counter, setting it to speaker as she called Rin. Before long, Rin's tinny voice echoed through the kitchen. "What's up, Iroha?"
"When are you two going to be home?" Iroha wondered as she slicked a heated pan with oil. The kitchen was filled with the warm scent of the cooking food, and the oven had produced enough heat to make it feel like summer.
Rin paused for a moment, and Iroha listened to the children's cries in the background. She was interrupted by Rin replying, "Sorry, I didn't notice how late it is. I'll let them finish off their game, then we'll head home."
Iroha smiled lightly. It didn't bother her that they were out late. As long as they were enjoying each other's company. "Don't worry, Rin. Just get home when you can. I'll keep supper warm for you two."
"Neru!" came a delighted squeal of fright from Yuki on the other side of the line. Iroha smiled as she listened to the ruckus on the other side.
"Get away from me, you brat!" Rin snapped at Neru.
"You scared, old lady?" Neru taunted.
Then, to Iroha, Rin said, "We'll be home soon. Sorry about the time. Bye."
"Don't be too hard on Neru, Rin," were Iroha's parting words before the line went dead. She laughed softly and hung up her own side. She paused to look at her cooking, thinking about how far Rin had come in these past few months, and then returned to her efforts.
. . .
Slurp.
Rin drew her mouth sharply away from the lip of the cup, scowling down at the contents. She had thought the coffee she'd been handling had finally cooled down enough for her to take a sip, but that first noisy gulp had left her tongue scalded. It was a rotten start to the day, to say the least, and Rin frowned fully at the mug as Iroha rushed around the kitchen in the background.
"Rin, I'm running late," Iroha called as Rin felt the coldness from the fridge seeping over the table when the blonde woman sat. Rin looked away from the morning news to cast her gaze on the open door of the refrigerator, with Iroha nowhere near. "Could you go wake Yuki up for me?"
Rin tilted her head in contemplation, noting that Iroha's voice was coming from their bedroom. Hadn't she been in the kitchen a moment ago? She was really bustling, wasn't she?
"Yeah, I will," Rin replied, placing her coffee on the table and drawing herself toward the hallway where their bedrooms were located. She peered into hers and Iroha's room just as the woman dashed out, causing Rin to jump against the wall in shock. She followed Iroha with her eyes as the woman dashed past the kitchen without stopping, reaching out so that her hand hit the fridge door and slammed it shut, and grabbed her suitcase and lunch box from the coffee table. With a quick word of thanks and farewell, Iroha vanished from sight, leaving Rin and Yuki alone in the apartment.
After a brief moment of standing in silence, Rin padded across the hallway to the closed door of Yuki's room and rapped her knuckles against the door. "Yuki, get up. It's time to go to school." No response came, so Rin knocked again. "Yuki?" There was a response this time, but it was only a grunt. Rin's curiosity drew her forward. Yuki was generally a polite child (luckily that Neru hadn't been too bad an influence yet), so it was an unusual response to receive.
Clumps of black hair peeked out from under the blankets that covered the rest of Yuki's tiny body. Rin tilted her head to the side curiously and headed over to the bundle of blankets. With a sharp tug, she pulled the blankets off Yuki, revealing the girl's face as the child squeezed her eyes shut and pretended she was still asleep. Noting the redness of Yuki's cheeks, Rin pressed the back of her hand against Yuki's forehead and then against her own. Yuki's was far hotter than her own. Softly, Rin pushed the hair back from Yuki's face and said, "Just stay home today, Yuki, okay? I'll call in sick and stay home with you."
Yuki was still pretending to be asleep, but her face had relaxed when Rin pulled the blankets back over her. Rin smiled tenderly and crept quietly out of her daughter's room, allowing the girl to sleep.
. . .
Slurp.
When Yuki awoke once more, she felt sticky sweat coating her skin and inhaled something salty through her stuffed nose. She stuck out her tongue and winced in disgust as she felt the gross substance slip down her throat before she roughly rubbed her nose on her bare arm. She looked at the disgusting slime that had been left on her arm and shuddered, completely grossed out, before a harsh sneeze erupted from her. Slurp. She shuddered once more in disgust as she inhaled sharply through her nose. She lifted the Hello Kitty blanket that she'd been gripping off the bed and wrapped herself in it. Slowly, she drew herself off the bed, swaying a little as she stood. Her vision went black for a moment as her head buzzed, but colours and shapes slowly returned so that she could head to her door. Her room had been blocked off from the outside, so she only noticed the sound of the television when she opened her door. She stood in her doorway for a moment, unsure what to do, before she headed out to find out who it was that was watching television.
Yuki paused at the end of the hallway and stared into the living room. Rin was sitting on the couch, colours from the television flashing on her face as she stared at the screen. Yuki didn't want to bother her, so she watched her quietly. However, there was a tickle in her throat. She tried to control it and swallow it down, but it refused to be soothed, so she tried to muffle the cough with her arm. Rin still noticed, however, and turned away from the television. She smiled softly and said, "Hey, Yuki. How are you feeling?"
Yuki didn't really want to worry Rin, so she replied, "Fine."
Rin laughed at that and kicked herself off the couch. "Sure you are," she scoffed as she walked over and kneeled before Yuki, pressing the back of her hand against Yuki's forehead. "You feel awful, Yuki. I wouldn't even have gotten out of bed if I had this bad of a fever."
Yuki simply stared at her feet. She wriggled her toes, feeling a little restless, but she was suddenly only conscious of the emptiness of her stomach. She hadn't gotten up for breakfast, and she knew well enough that the show Rin was watching didn't start until the afternoon. She peered up once more to gaze at Rin. Her eyes looked inviting, didn't they, and Rin was her mother. She wouldn't be upset if Yuki asked her to make something, right? So, slowly, Yuki requested, "Could you cook something to eat?"
Rin's smile intensified, and Yuki was shocked to see her eyes grow brighter. Did Rin . . . like being asked for things? Yuki's mother nodded and said, "Of course, Yuki. What would you like?"
Yuki paused. Usually, she'd just request that Rin make whatever was easiest for her, even if Yuki was craving something in particular. Maybe, though, Rin wouldn't mind if she asked for what she was really hoping to eat right now. "Rice porridge, please." She bit her tongue, holding herself back from saying, If it isn't too much trouble. She remembered Rin going quiet when she'd said that yesterday, the glimmer fading a bit from her eyes.
Rin's smile widened, and she straightened up, chirping, "Of course. Just give me a little bit, okay? Why don't you go watch some television? I left the remote on the couch."
Yuki was tired, but she still felt the need to volunteer to help. She held herself back, though, because Rin looked so excited, so she simply nodded. Rin disappeared into the kitchen, and Yuki trudged over to the couch. She listened to her blanket dragging across the carpet and pulled it up over her as she seated herself on the couch. She found the remote and stared at the television for a moment. She knew this was a show Rin really liked. Was it really okay to change the channel? Yuki considered this for a moment longer, but she really would rather be watching anime, and Rin said it was alright, so wasn't it okay? She was too tired to really worry about it, though, so she changed the channel to watch reruns of a show she usually watched with Haku and Neru. She barely noticed when Rin returned with the porridge, nor did she realize when she finished it and Rin took it away. She was in a sort of daze for the rest of the day until, finally, she fell asleep to the sound of the television.
Yuki woke up when Iroha came home, but she didn't open her eyes and pretended to still be sleeping. Their words made their way to her sleep hazed mind until she fell asleep once more, but their whispers echoed in her dreams.
"How was work?"
"I managed to close that deal, so pretty well. How was Yuki? She didn't strain herself, did she?"
"No, she actually rested all day. She slept in until about noon, and then she watched television until she fell asleep again. She's been asleep ever since."
"Has she had anything to eat?"
"Yeah, she asked me to make her rice porridge earlier."
"Really? That's unusual."
"It was nice, though. I think it's the first time she's really depended on me."
"Len chose a good girl for you, Rin. And she loves you, you know."
"I know she does. And I love her, too, and you, of course. If I'd never met Len, I never would have met you or Yuki. I'm so glad I met him. I wish he could still be here, but she needs me, so I shouldn't dwell on that. I'm happy though, Iroha. She's the child I've always wanted."
When she awoke next, Yuki no longer felt sick, but she pretended she did. She wanted to spend at least one more day with her mother. She loved Rin. Rin was the mother she'd always wanted.
Dear Diary,
My new mother is beautiful, kind, and amazing. I love her so much. I think it's okay if I depend on her. I have to trust her. She's not like my old mother. She won't abandon me like that. I trust her, and I love her. I can depend on her. Mom's opened up to me, right? She says I'm her daughter. It's my turn now. I have to treat her like my mother. I know she'll never abandon me, because she's my mom now. I finally have a mom.
Author's Note: That last section is referring to the title of chapter two. And sorry this is so late! I've had pretty bad writer's block, and my friends have been leaving me emotionally drained with all their issues lately. Anyway, thanks for reading!