Hisana's smile had been the most beautiful thing in the world.
She hadn't shown it much and it had been subtle, easy for most to overlook. A gentle curve of her lips, a small glimmer in her eyes, and, for a single, tender moment, she would lose her sullen, hurting air for one of peace. It was calming and he would always love her for it.
Her laugh, as well, had been soft but it had lit her up and was sincere. As small as it was, he could remember aching to hear it more often. To have her show something other than the suffering that seemed to weigh down on her. For the longest time he had simply thought it was her illness that made her hurt but now he knew.
It was guilt.
He sometimes wondered if, maybe if she hadn't left her sister, she would have made it. If the guilt hadn't pulled down on her… would she have been lost to him? Or would she have been able to fight back the sickness? The past couldn't change but he still wished to go back and find a way to right things.
He made a promise to her. And he kept it. But sometimes he wondered if she had been able to confess earlier, would he have been able to adopt the girl before then? Save Hisana? He could never be sure what would have been different, all he really knew was what had come to pass.
He clearly remembered when he first met Rukia.
She had appeared just as her sister. Respectful, sad, and calm. All at once he had been forced back into memories of the woman he had loved and the younger girl had looked up at him and he saw Hisana. But he wasn't attracted to the girl so much as he had wanted to save her from the pain his wife had suffered, to keep history from repeating itself.
But he still hadn't been sure whether he wanted to adopt her. He would, just as he had promised Hisana, but he hadn't been sure if he could stand to be near her. Then he was shocked into acting when she looked up at him and her mouth curved up gently, her eyes softened… And he knew he would protect her. That one small thing had him ready to defend her and it was so simple…
It was her smile.