Mami took a deep breath and clutched tightly to the large box she held in her hands, hesitant to enter the hospital room. The name of the patient, Momoe Shinobu, was written in bold lettering on a small sign in the middle of the door. Mami knew that Nagisa was already in there; she could hear the young girl's voice through the door, excitedly telling her mother about her school day.
Is it alright for me to do this after all? Mami questioned, having second thoughts about what had at first seemed like a good idea.
She was still pondering this when the door suddenly opened in front of her. Nagisa was standing on the other side, a cheerful grin on her face.
"Mami-oneechan, you're here!" she exclaimed in delighted surprise. "I knew I heard someone in the hallway!"
Mami smiled as she followed the ten-year-old girl into the room. Nagisa happily ran over to her mother, who was lying partially upright in the hospital bed.
"Mami-oneechan's here!" Nagisa announced excitedly.
Shinobu gave a warm smile of greeting towards Mami. "I'm very glad to see you here, Mami-chan."
Mami greeted her back, but she couldn't help noticing that Nagisa's mother was looking worse since the last time she had visited her. She was looking more tired, and what little movements she made were slow. Her time was clearly limited. Mami tried to push the bad thought out her mind for the time being as she remembered the reason she had visited.
"I've made something for you today," she placed the box she had been carrying in the lap of Nagisa's mother. "It's for you too, Nagisa-chan."
Nagisa eagerly looked at the box. "Open it, Mama!"
Her mother slowly and carefully opened the lid of the box, and gasped when she saw the contents.
"What is it?" Nagisa asked, since she was too short to get a good look at the gift due to the height of the bed.
"It's a cheesecake..." Shinobu answered softly, her eyes becoming misty with tears.
"Yes! Cheesecake!" Nagisa cheered, oblivious to her mother's reaction. "It's just what we wanted, isn't it Mama?"
Shinobu didn't answer. She simply stared at the cheesecake before looking up at Mami, who had been standing at the foot of the bed. The older woman gave her a smile, tears gathering in her eyes. Nagisa didn't realise the significance of what Mami had done, but her mother was truly touched. Mami had been expecting Shinobu's tearful reaction. After all, she had just fulfilled a wish that this terminally ill mother had made with her daughter.
"Let's both make a wish. A wish for us to share our favourite food together" was what Mami had overheard Shinobu say to the young girl several days earlier. To ten-year old Nagisa, the wish was merely just a desire to share a cheesecake with her mother; but Mami knew that there was more to the wish than just a dessert.
"One last time" Mami knew the meaning that was behind the wish, and the words had echoed in her mind, even though they had not been spoken.
Despite herself, Mami couldn't help tearing up.
"Mama?" Nagisa broke the silence. "Aren't we going to eat it?"
Her mother made an effort to compose herself and hide her tears from her daughter.
"Of course," she replied. "Go ask one of the nurses to get a knife, three spoons and three plates, please."
Nagisa happily obliged, skipping out of the room to find a nurse. Her mother waited until she was out of earshot before speaking to Mami.
"Mami-chan..." she whispered. "I don't know what to say..."
Mami began to apologise profusely. "I'm so sorry; I really didn't mean to butt in or anything. I just... overheard you and your daughter talking about how you wished to share a cake together..." she trailed off.
"One last time". The unspoken words were there, but neither Mami nor the sick woman dared to say it. Mami was feeling more and more foolish as she heard herself apologising. She lowered her eyes, unable to look at Shinobu any longer.
Who did I think I was? She scolded herself. I'm butting into the lives of a dying woman and her daughter who I met only a few months ago! I've eavesdropped on their conversations and given them a gift full of such meaning that I wasn't supposed to be a part of!
"Thank you, Mami-chan."
Mami snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of the other woman's voice. She looked back up towards her, unsure if she had heard her correctly.
"Thank you, Mami-chan," she repeated. "Truly, I'm touched. This is one of the most beautiful acts of kindness anyone has ever done for me."
"You really don't mind? That I'm...interfering?" Mami timidly asked.
Even though Nagisa's mother had already expressed her gratitude, Mami just had to know if she was at least somewhat offended.
"Of course not, dear Mami-chan!" she insisted. "Honestly, you've done a wonderful thing for both Nagisa and me."
Mami breathed a sigh of relief, Shinobu's smile having reassured her that she was speaking truthfully. Mami moved from the foot of the bed, and sat next to the sick woman's side. There was silence in the room as the two waited for Nagisa to arrive back to the room with the utensils to eat the cake with.
"Mami-chan..." Shinobu started, breaking the silence. "I have something to ask of you; although it's a very large favour I'm asking for, so I understand completely if you refuse."
Mami nodded, wondering what kind of favour the sick woman would be asking of her. Shinobu took a deep breath before speaking.
"Mami-chan," she began. "You've been very helpful to Nagisa and me these past few months. I feel as if we've grown close, do you agree?" She paused to look up at Mami, who nodded in agreement, before continuing on. "I've come to really admire you, Mami-chan, and I know Nagisa has too. I can see that you share a special bond with Nagisa, one that shows me that you care for her very much. So..." she paused again, taking yet another deep breath.
Mami could feel her own breathing become shaky, now knowing what the sick mother was going to ask of her.
"Mami-chan, would you take care of Nagisa, when the time comes?"
Mami froze. Even though she was expecting the question, actually hearing it had rendered her stunned. This dying woman had just asked Mami to take care of her child after she passes on. Mami knew that there was no other person that would be fit to look after Nagisa, since her mother was all she had left. If Mami refused, Nagisa would be on her own. Mami turned away from Shinobu to look at the floor as she pondered one of the biggest decisions she had ever made.
It would be really nice to look after Nagisa, Mami considered, but on the other hand, I'm fourteen years old. Could I really have the responsibility of ten-year old Nagisa?
Suddenly, a memory of Mami's surfaced, and she saw herself from three years ago, after the loss of her own parents. She was reminded of how she was all alone, without anyone to take care of her after her parents' death. She had been by herself since then, until she had met Nagisa, who had brought her out of her loneliness and made her feel truly happy again.
Mami remembered how she had needed comfort, yet no one had been there to give it to her, so she had had to fend for herself, take care of herself, and do everything for herself.
No, I can't leave Nagisa to go through what I went through, she decided. I'll be there for Nagisa. We need each other, and she deserves to have better than what I had.
Mami looked back up from the floor and back towards Nagisa's mother, her mind made up.
"I will," she declared. "I'll gladly take care of your daughter."
Shinobu breathed out in relief, lying back onto the bed and closing her eyes for a moment. She sat back up, giving Mami a look so grateful that it made her sure that she had made the right decision.
"I'm so glad," Shinobu sighed happily. "Thank you very much. I know that Nagisa will be left in good hands. You're really a wonderful girl Mami-chan. You're so kind, so generous, and you're a warm-hearted person. I know that we only met a few months ago but…you're as close to me as if you were a second daughter of mine."
Mami was speechless, although her delighted expression clearly conveyed her happiness to the older woman. It wasn't so much the praise that surprised her, but more the fact that Shinobu also felt that their relationship was that of a mother and daughter. It took a number of seconds before Mami regained her voice.
"I feel the same way," she agreed, smiling at the older woman.
I've felt so close to her since not long after we met. Mami thought. She's such a beautiful person, like a second mother to me.
As dearly as Mami cared for Shinobu, she knew that her real mother would always be extra special to her. Nobody could ever replace her dear Mama and Papa, who she was sure were watching over her.
"I'm back!" echoed a familiar, silvery voice from the hospital hallway.
The talk between Mami and Shinobu was put to an end, as the short, white-haired girl trotted into the room towards her mother's bed with plates, spoons and knife in hand. Nagisa gave a plate and spoon each to firstly her mother, and then to Mami, before taking the remaining plate and spoon for herself.
"Mami-oneechan, can you cut the cake for us, please?" Nagisa asked as she held the knife out to Mami, barely able to contain her excitement.
Mami nodded, took the knife, and made the first slice in the cheesecake.
"How big do you want your piece, Nagisa-chan?" Mami asked the young girl, who was looking hungrily at the dessert.
"Really big, please! With a lot of cheese on it!" Nagisa answered immediately.
Shinobu laughed at her daughter's enthusiasm, while Nagisa also giggled. Mami laughed softly while watching the mother and daughter in front of her. Although Mami had seen the bubbly Nagisa laugh many times, it was a lovely sight to see the young girl's mother joining in with the mirth. Mami savoured the happiness of the moment, telling herself to treasure this memory forever.
"You can cut her a generous piece, Mami," Nagisa's mother allowed, once she had calmed herself down.
As Mami cut Nagisa a large slide, almost an entire quarter of the cake, she noted the lack of an honorific in the way she had just been addressed.
It's been such a long time, Mami thought. A long time since someone felt close enough to me to drop the honorific to my name.
Once Mami finished cutting the massive slice of cheesecake, she served it on Nagisa's plate.
"Thank you!" the young girl cheered, getting straight to work on eating her slice, while Mami proceeded to cut slices for herself and Nagisa's mother.
"Mmmm! This is really, really good!" Nagisa exclaimed. "Hurry up and taste it!"
Mami smiled and scooped a spoonful of her piece of cake, making sure to get enough of both the cheese and the base.
It's turned out much better than I thought it would, Mami evaluated as she tasted it. It has a light creamy cheese taste, while not being overly thick or too rich.
The three of them continued to eat the dessert while chatting about any subject that came to mind, occasionally getting another piece of cake while they talked. Mami could not remember the last time she felt as content as she was then, happily eating cheesecake and talking to the people who made her feel like she was part of their family. Eventually, Mami made a move to cut Nagisa yet another piece of cake, despite how much the young girl had already eaten, and realised that there was none left to cut.
"Nagisa was right, Mami," Shinobu said. "That was the most delicious cake I've ever tasted. Did you buy it?"
"No, actually," Mami answered. "I made it myself, this morning."
"Wow..." Nagisa's mother was impressed.
"Mami-oneechan really is amazing at cooking, Mama," remarked Nagisa. "She's made lots delicious things for me before. I want to eat Mami-oneechan's cooking every day!"
Mami and Shinobu glanced at each other after hearing Nagisa's statement, though neither of them said a word.