Because I Love You

I didn't want to do it. But I had to. She was hurting, so much more than what a regular five-now six-year old girl should feel. Kids her age should be crying over bumping their heads or scrapped knees and elbows. Not her mother abandoning her, she shouldn't even have been abandoned in the first place.

Yuzuyu wanted to see her. Yuzuyu wanted to go to her. Yuzuyu wanted, no, she needed her.

And I wasn't going to stop her. Who was I to stop her? That little girl needs her mother, not me. I just looked after her, played with her, protected her, comforted her…Loved her. So why should I be the one to stop Yuzuyu from reuniting with her mother?

As Yuzuyu was fighting against my family's grip, I held up her jacket with her packed bag hanging on my shoulder. The small girl stopped fighting, her brown eyes looking up to me in wonder. I ignored my family's calls of my name. I bent down to her level, extending her jacket so she could slip into it.

"It's cold outside, you'll need it," I said, attempting to hide my pain from her. "Now, put it on."

"Kippei-oniichan," Yuzuyu said. I didn't answer her. She slid her arms into her jacket sleeves as I straightened it out for her.

"Here." I grabbed her bag from my shoulder, holding it from its straps for her to grab. "Go with your mom." I smiled down to her with a warm smile but pained eyes. "Yuzu…"

I think she noticed the pain I tried to hide away because she pushed away her bag from her. I was startled, noticing her large eyes having a determined look in them.

"No!" she said firmly. "Yuzu…Be right back!"

"Yuzuyu? Oi, Yuzuyu!" I yelled as she ran out to the street. "Yuzuyu!"

"Why did ya do that Kippei?!" Nee-chan yelled.

I ran after her. Why?! Didn't she want to go with her mom? Hasn't she been waiting for her to come and get her?! Hasn't Yuzuyu waited patiently for months like the good girl she is?! So why?!

"Mama!" Yuzuyu's yelled brought me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see Yuzuyu standing in front of her mother, looking up to her. Miyako was looking down to her daughter, tears in her brown eyes. "Mama."

"Yuzuyu…" Miyako whispered. She kneeled to the ground and pulled her daughter into her chest. "Yuzuyu!" My aunt started sobbing as she clung to my cousin.

"Mama…Yuzu missed you!" Yuzuyu said, gripping her mother's clothes.

"Yes! Mama missed Yuzuyu too!" Miyako cried. "I'm sorry, Yuzuyu! I'm so sorry!"

There was silence in the street. The only sounds in the night were of cars in the distant and, of course, Miyako's sobs. It was quiet until Yuzuyu broke the silence.

"Kippei-oniichan..took care of Yuzu!"

My aunt's sobs slowed down before they completely stopped. "Yes." Miyako calmed down, pulling away from Yuzuyu. My aunt smiled at me. "Thank you for looking after Yuzuyu, Kippei-kun."

I sadly smiled, knowing my time with my adorable little cousin was up. "Yeah."

"Now, let's go home Yuzuyu!" Miyako said.

"Yeah!"

Without thinking, I knelt down to Yuzuyu's eye-level a few feet away from them. Slipping off her bag from my shoulder and closing my eyes to hide my pain, I smiled and waved.

"Bye-bye! Yuzuyu!"

"Yuzuyu?"

"Kippei-oniichan…What are you doing?"

"Huh?" I opened my eyes, confused to see Yuzuyu leading her mom back to me. Was she heading back to my house? "Yuzuyu, where are you going?"

"Home with Kippei-oniichan!"

"But, Yuzuyu, don't you want to go back home with your mom?" I asked.

"Yuzu…will wait for Mama with Kippei-oniichan!" she said.

My eyes widened before they softened. I placed a hand on her light brown hair with a warm smile on my lips.

"You're a good girl, Yuzu," I said. The little girl before me laughed. I looked up to my aunt. "Is this alright with you? I don't wanna be stepping on your toes, Auntie Miyako."

She shook her head. "I'm still not truly ready to take her back, besides she wants to stay with you Kippei-kun. I'll find somewhere close by to live. I want to make things right this time. I want to be able to visit her when I can." Miyako knelt beside Yuzuyu, pulling her in for another hug. "I'll be back Yuzuyu and we'll be together for sure."

"Okay Mama!"

"Be a good girl for Mama, ne?"

"Yes!"

"You can visit at any time." I smiled at Yuzuyu. "Right?"

She smiled back. "Yeah!"

Miyako smiled before placing a kiss on Yuzuyu's head and stood up. "I'm sorry for troubling you and your family again Kippei-kun. Please, look after her once again." She bowed to me.

"It's not a problem, right Yuzuyu?"

"Yes! Not a problem!" she mimicked.

"Then, I'm going." Miyako turned around, walking away.

"Have a safe trip," I said.

"I love you Mama!" Yuzuyu called out, waving to her mom. "Come back soon!"

"I love you too Yuzuyu!" she called back, waving goodbye to us.

We watched her leave until we couldn't see her anymore. I looked over to Yuzuyu and smiled.

"Let's go home."

"Yeah!"

I stood up and Yuzuyu reached out her hand to mine. I grasped her small hand with my larger one as we walked back home.

"Yuzuyu?"

"What, Kippei-oniichan?"

"Why didn't you go with your mom?"

"Because Yuzu will wait for Mama with Kippei-oniichan's family and Kokoro-oneechan."

"That so?"

"Yes! And because I love you, Kippei-oniichan. You'd be sad without Yuzu!" She smiled at me.

I stopped, looking down to the six-year-old that held my hand. She was smart. She managed to pick up my thoughts from my actions. I felt tears pricking at my eyes. Swooping down, I quickly picked up Yuzuyu and rubbed my cheek against hers lovingly.

"Yuzu! You're so smart and so cute!" I yelled with a smile on my face.

Yuzuyu started laughing. "Kippei-oniichan!"

I extended my arms out to look into her brown eyes. "I love you Yuzu!"

Yuzuyu smiled. "I love Kippei-oniichan too!"

I smiled before placing a kiss on her forehead. I sat her in my arms. "Now, let's go celebrate your birthday!"

"Yay!"

Ten Years Later…

"Why do I have to go?" I whined. "She can go on her own."

"It can't be helped Kippei. You've been gone a week."

"Not my fault I was called to a conference."

"Yeah, yeah."

I was walking down the street to my old high school, hand-in-hand with Kokoro, my wife for three years now. Still dressed in comfortable sweats from getting off a plane from America barely an hour go, I was sent to go pick up my little cousin from school.

"She's almost sixteen now. I don't need to go pick her up."

Kokoro stopped, tugging my hand. I stopped, turning around. Only to be met with a flick to my nose.

"Ow!" I whine. "Kokoro! Why d'ya do that for?!"

"Idiot," she said, letting go of my hand and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Eh?"

"She missed you, Dummy! A lot!" Kokoro said. "She's always locking herself in our room after school. Sometimes she'd let me comfort her. Others…not so much."

My eyes widened and started to tear up. "Yuzu…was sad?"

"Yes, very-Oi, Kippei!" Kokoro said. "Don't cry!"

"But I made Yuzu said! I'm her beloved Kippei-oniichan! I shouldn't be making her sad!" I cried.

I didn't like being away from Yuzuyu. I usually brought her and Kokoro along with me to out-of-town conferences I was invited to speak at. But I couldn't when they were out of the country. Yuzuyu had school and Kokoro had work. Such is the life of a well-known child psychiatrist.

After Yuzuyu's birthday years ago, I promised myself that I would help kids like Yuzuyu. I didn't like know that kids were emotionally scarred out there. I wanted to help. Besides, Yuzuyu said that it would be nice if everyone had a 'Kippei-oniichan' with them. So, I'd do my best in helping the ones that I can.

"Jeez…" Kokoro rubbed her forehead with a frown on her face. "You're such a pain Kippei."

I sniffed a couple of times before grabbing her hand. "Let's go Kokoro! Yuzuyu's waiting for us!"

I watched as the corners of her lips lifted into a small smile. "Yeah."

When we arrived on school campus, classes were finished and students were heading home. I scanned the campus for Yuzuyu. I saw a group of four fifteen-year olds walking together out of school. Two were boys, one having messy black curls and the other having free-flowing light brown hair. The other two were girls, one had dark hair pulled up into high pigtails that were curled at the ends.

My smile grew larger when I locked eyes with the second girl's brown eyes. Her face lit up, breaking out into a large smile, and broke away from her group of friends.

"Kippei-oniichan!" she yelled, waving an arm while having her bag in her other hand. "Kokoro-oneechan!"

"Yuzu!" I yelled back, waving my hand. I spread out my arms, inviting a hug. She collided with my chest, her thin arms wrapping around my torso. "Uff! Oi, Yuzu." I glanced down at her.

She looked up to meet my gaze. "Welcome home, Kippei-oniichan!"

I smiled, tightening my arms around her. "I'm home, Yuzuyu."

Yuzuyu was now fifteen, turning sixteen in a few months. Her light brown hair was still long and was probably around the same height as Kokoro now. Though older, she will always be the energetic little girl I will always love.

Just seeing her again brought tears to my eyes. Once she saw the tears prickling my eyes, her eyes turned watery as well.

"Kippei-oniichan~!" she whined.

"Yuzu~!" I whined back. I began rubbing my cheek on the top of her head. "I will never leave you again~!" Tears began falling down in a comedic fashion.

I heard Kokoro say something along the lines of 'You always say that Kippei'.

"Yeah, Kippei-oniichan~!" she cried, tears falling down her face as well.

I heard Kokoro scoff behind us. "You two are so alike, such cry babies. You better stop that Kippei, or else you'll look like a pervert." I could feel the smirk in her tone.

"Kokoro, you meanie!"

"You meanie!"

Yuzuyu and I stuck out our tongues at her in sync, pulling a laugh from her.

Kokoro stopped and smiled. "Let's go home then."

Yuzuyu pulled away from me, grabbing my hand, and linked arms with Kokoro. "Yes, Kokoro-oneechan!"

I felt Yuzuyu's grip on my hand tighten a little. I looked down to her. "What is it, Yuzuyu?"

"Let's go home, Kippei-oniichan!"

I smiled lovingly at my little cousin-slash-daughter figure. "Yeah, let's go home."

Yuzuyu would always have a special place in my heart…Because I love her.

There's no doubt about that.