Just as Shizuru placed her key into lock of the apartment door, she
heard the phone from the kitchen continuously ring. Immediately she rushed
to unlock the door and hurried to the wailing phone. "Hello? This is
Shizuru. You have reached the Minamino residence. Who is this?" She
cradled the receiver on her shoulder, pressing it against her ear. "Oh
Kasuya! Sorry sir didn't recognize your voice. No, Shuuichii isn't home
yet and Saito is at my parents; was about to pick him up. What is wrong?"
she asked, hearing sadness in his voice. "What!!? What is wrong with her?
Oh my gosh, is it serious? Oh I see, that bad huh. Well I will tell him
right away. We will be over there as soon as we can. Take care." Just as
she hung the receiver back on its chasse, Shizuru heard the door open.
"Shuuichii, you just missed him, your stepfather was on the phone." "What
did he want?" Shizuru hugged him as tight as she could, a blank stare
creasing on her eyes. "It's your mother. She's taken ill. She's so bad
off, she is in the hospital." "Where's the baby?" "He's at my mother's,
was about to pick him up." She sighed deeply, her face becoming weathered.
"Let's go, I promised Kasuya we would be there right away." Her husband
nodded, feeling just as anxious to get over to the hospital as Shizuru was.
The couple arrived at the hospital, in Shizuru's red Honda. Greeting them in the lobby was a pale-faced Kasuya, leaning against the Information Desk, rubbing his eyes. "So good you made it here, Shuu. You too, Shizuru." "What is going on with Mother? Why is she here?" "Her illness has returned." "The one that nearly took her life nine years ago?" asked Shuu. "I thought you said you wished her well into a mirror?" asked Shizuru. "The Forlorn Hope? I did. That wish should have held." "This time the illness has spread, and." paused Kasuya, his voice becoming choked with tears. "How long has she got?" asked her son. "Not long, she's about done with this life," Shuu's stepfather answered. "Can I see her?" Kasuya nodded silently and led the couple down the hallway of the hospital to her room.
"Shuuichii," she called in a weakened voice, watching him and his wife come into the room. He knelt down, next to her bed; Shizuru did the same, reaching her left hand out to meet Shiori's left hand. The skin in Shiori's palms felt like waxed paper. Life was quickly draining from her hands. "I see you have Shizuru with you," she smiled weakly. "I can still remember the day you told me you had fallen in love with her, Shuu. I couldn't be happier for you. I know how you expressed your feelings for her. When you married her, I felt I had gained a daughter of my own. The day you gained a son, felt almost like de ja vu. I remember watching from a distance, seeing her give birth to Saito, seeing myself in that position so many years ago when I had you." Shiori's face became listless. Her breath reeked of the pending death. "I remember seeing you there, Shiori," Shizuru whispered, her voice becoming unsettled seeing her mother-in-law upon her last moments. "When Saito was born, I noticed you standing outside my room in tears." "That is because I was remembering myself in your shoes twenty four years ago. I cannot forget the day I brought Shuu into the world. From the first moment I saw him, I was in love with him. He was the son I had always wanted, but prior to that time, could not conceive. Not until he came upon me as a spirit back then. I knew when I bore him, he was the dream I was after." The red-haired man's green eyes became reddened with tears, as he heard this memory from her. "I recall that moment, Mother. From that day on, you were there for me. You cared for me, loved me unconditionally. Prior to that I had never felt that. I had always felt alone, felt like I was just out for myself. Mother you were the first love of my life. You have shone me otherwise. I would not be the man I am today, if not for your love." Shuu's tears poured down his cheeks, past his quivering chin. Shizuru glimpsed the shine of the teardrops on her husband's face. She petted his hair and back with her right hand, trying to comfort him. Words seemed to elude her, as her voice became silent. Shuuichii was finding it difficult to collect himself. His heart felt great pain inside of it. The lump in his throat refused to go away. "Son, I hate to see you like this. I wish not to pain you so. I wish it had not come to this. I thought I was going to die old. I wanted so much to see Saito grow up. Wanted to see you graduate from Tokyo University as a doctor. But I must accept the fate that has been dealt me." "But Mother, you have always been there for me. It was your love and nurturing that shaped my very being. It was your kindness that allowed me to feel kindness for others. The love for my friends and even my worst of enemies, I learned that from you. You were there for me when I called from Makai. You were there to walk me down the aisle, when I was going to give my heart to Shizuru. You were there when Saito was conceived, and later when he was born you were there as his grandmother. Mother let me be there for you, even if only for this last time. As for love, while your body lies dying, my love for you will never part from you. You will always be in my heart forever." "Shuu, I feel the same as you. My heart will be with you forever. I wish that my spirit to remain, even while my body will no longer be. I will look in on you. I will watch as you care for your wife and for your own son and any other children you may have in the future. I will miss you." Shiori's word fell into silence. The light was quickly fading from her eyes. Her breaths were beginning to struggle.
She opened her eyes wide to see Botan in the room. "Botan," she mouthed, "I am read." Suddenly her left hand fell limp inside Shizuru's hand and her heart ceased to beat. "Mother, see you when I." Shuuichii's words became interrupted by his sobs. Words failed him, and the only thing he could do was bury his face inside his folded arms, as they leaned against the edge of the bed. He felt his own heart shattering, the shards falling like broken glass inside his body. All Shizuru could do was hug him with all her might and never let him go.
The couple arrived at the hospital, in Shizuru's red Honda. Greeting them in the lobby was a pale-faced Kasuya, leaning against the Information Desk, rubbing his eyes. "So good you made it here, Shuu. You too, Shizuru." "What is going on with Mother? Why is she here?" "Her illness has returned." "The one that nearly took her life nine years ago?" asked Shuu. "I thought you said you wished her well into a mirror?" asked Shizuru. "The Forlorn Hope? I did. That wish should have held." "This time the illness has spread, and." paused Kasuya, his voice becoming choked with tears. "How long has she got?" asked her son. "Not long, she's about done with this life," Shuu's stepfather answered. "Can I see her?" Kasuya nodded silently and led the couple down the hallway of the hospital to her room.
"Shuuichii," she called in a weakened voice, watching him and his wife come into the room. He knelt down, next to her bed; Shizuru did the same, reaching her left hand out to meet Shiori's left hand. The skin in Shiori's palms felt like waxed paper. Life was quickly draining from her hands. "I see you have Shizuru with you," she smiled weakly. "I can still remember the day you told me you had fallen in love with her, Shuu. I couldn't be happier for you. I know how you expressed your feelings for her. When you married her, I felt I had gained a daughter of my own. The day you gained a son, felt almost like de ja vu. I remember watching from a distance, seeing her give birth to Saito, seeing myself in that position so many years ago when I had you." Shiori's face became listless. Her breath reeked of the pending death. "I remember seeing you there, Shiori," Shizuru whispered, her voice becoming unsettled seeing her mother-in-law upon her last moments. "When Saito was born, I noticed you standing outside my room in tears." "That is because I was remembering myself in your shoes twenty four years ago. I cannot forget the day I brought Shuu into the world. From the first moment I saw him, I was in love with him. He was the son I had always wanted, but prior to that time, could not conceive. Not until he came upon me as a spirit back then. I knew when I bore him, he was the dream I was after." The red-haired man's green eyes became reddened with tears, as he heard this memory from her. "I recall that moment, Mother. From that day on, you were there for me. You cared for me, loved me unconditionally. Prior to that I had never felt that. I had always felt alone, felt like I was just out for myself. Mother you were the first love of my life. You have shone me otherwise. I would not be the man I am today, if not for your love." Shuu's tears poured down his cheeks, past his quivering chin. Shizuru glimpsed the shine of the teardrops on her husband's face. She petted his hair and back with her right hand, trying to comfort him. Words seemed to elude her, as her voice became silent. Shuuichii was finding it difficult to collect himself. His heart felt great pain inside of it. The lump in his throat refused to go away. "Son, I hate to see you like this. I wish not to pain you so. I wish it had not come to this. I thought I was going to die old. I wanted so much to see Saito grow up. Wanted to see you graduate from Tokyo University as a doctor. But I must accept the fate that has been dealt me." "But Mother, you have always been there for me. It was your love and nurturing that shaped my very being. It was your kindness that allowed me to feel kindness for others. The love for my friends and even my worst of enemies, I learned that from you. You were there for me when I called from Makai. You were there to walk me down the aisle, when I was going to give my heart to Shizuru. You were there when Saito was conceived, and later when he was born you were there as his grandmother. Mother let me be there for you, even if only for this last time. As for love, while your body lies dying, my love for you will never part from you. You will always be in my heart forever." "Shuu, I feel the same as you. My heart will be with you forever. I wish that my spirit to remain, even while my body will no longer be. I will look in on you. I will watch as you care for your wife and for your own son and any other children you may have in the future. I will miss you." Shiori's word fell into silence. The light was quickly fading from her eyes. Her breaths were beginning to struggle.
She opened her eyes wide to see Botan in the room. "Botan," she mouthed, "I am read." Suddenly her left hand fell limp inside Shizuru's hand and her heart ceased to beat. "Mother, see you when I." Shuuichii's words became interrupted by his sobs. Words failed him, and the only thing he could do was bury his face inside his folded arms, as they leaned against the edge of the bed. He felt his own heart shattering, the shards falling like broken glass inside his body. All Shizuru could do was hug him with all her might and never let him go.