"Here. Take this."

With her hand held out, Kari looked up at her brother in confusion before he dropped some money and their house key in her open palm. She looked at her hand for a second, counting the money he gave her before asking what it was for.

"I want you to go home and get some rest. The money I just gave you isn't probably enough for you to take a taxi home so you should take the bus," said Tai, checking his pockets to see if he had any more money. It wasn't something very easy for him to do so however with Mimi's head resting on his shoulders. She had fallen asleep awhile back and he didn't want to wake her up. "I was sure I had more..."

Kari saw Mimi briefly stirring next to Tai so she held her other empty hand to touch her brother's arm gently to tell him to stop moving. She felt terrible for her older friend and couldn't possibly imagine what it would be like to lose someone close to her.

"But I want to stay, Tai."

Tai shook his head. "No. Our grandmother is probably wondering what had happened. Go tell her that me and mom will we home later," said Tai before looking over at his mother. She was sitting on another bench in the hospital hall way with Allison trying to comfort her although she looked like she needed some comfort herself. Kari had tried to be there for her mom but she had decided that it would be for the best if her mom could talk to Allison for awhile. It felt a little strange though since today was the first time Kari had ever met Allison and since she didn't know much about her. All she knew was that Allison was Mr. Tachikawa's friend and that her mom would probably feel more better talking to someone that knew Mr. Tachikawa than someone who didn't know him too well.

A while back when their mom had went into the room where Mimi's dad's body had been lying, Kari had soon went after her when everyone had heard her mom screaming out Mimi's dad's name. After going into the room, Kari had found her mom clutching the white sheet that was covering all of Mimi's dad's body except for his head. Kari had immediately wanted to leave the room at the sight of the blood on his face and that's exactly what she had done. Tai wanted to go see if their mom was alright when he saw Kari coming right back out but with Mimi crying in his arms, he could not let himself move. She looked so vulnerable and miserable at the same time that it surprised him. Mimi had always been known as the cheerful yet spoiled girl when they were young but as he held her in his arms, Tai realized just how much time had really passed by to change them to who they were now.

"But still..."

"Don't worry. I'll stay here with Mimi until she wakes up and go home when mom's ready," said Tai, smiling at Kari in a reassurance.

Kari found herself smiling back slightly. "Alright. I'll go home."

-----

"Mimi. Wake up."

Despite the tiredness she was feeling, Mimi opened her eyes. She looked around her surroundings and wondered for a brief moment where she was. Her heart was feeling as if something heavy was weighing on it and when Mimi saw a nurse passing by, everything that had happen for the last couple of hours came back to her. That was when she realized why her heart was feeling that way and she lifted her head to face Mrs. Hinamori who was smiling at her with a forced smile. It didn't suit her at all and even though her eyes were no longer red, she looked very shaky as if she was trying to press back all of her sorrows just for the sake of others.

"What time is it?" asked Mimi, looking around for a clock. Her mind felt all jumbled up and she silently pondered to herself as to when she had fallen asleep and how she was able to sleep with what had happened to her dad. Guilt suddenly enveloped her as sadness took cover of her eyes with tears beginning blur her visions. Mimi tried to make sure that she wouldn't let them fall and she was glad that she was able to do so.

"It's nearing mid-night," said a voice behind Mrs. Hinamori. Allison walked up to Mimi with a cup of water.

"Oh," said Mimi, taking the cup from Allison but not before realizing that there was something covering around her shoulders. She touched material of Tai's jacket and looked to her right to find him sleeping.

"We are leaving, Tai," said Mrs. Hinamori, shaking her son's shoulders. Mimi removed the jacket and placed it on her lap as she stared at Tai who stirring slightly from his mom's voice. Mimi was quite surprised that Tai had stayed with her all this time. He must've had something more important to do and yet he had stayed all this time next to her. Well, he might have gone off while she was asleep but she was still thankful that he had stayed.

After few more seconds of trying to wake him up, Tai finally opened his eyes and looked at his mother. She was standing in front of him with her coat on, ready to leave. Tai abruptly turned to his left to see where Mimi was and felt relief washing over him to find her still there. For some odd reason, when he didn't feel her head resting on his shoulders anymore, it made him worry.

"What time is it?" asked Tai the same question that Mimi had asked. Allison might have chuckled if they were in a different situation.

"Almost mid-night. Allison told us that she would be driving us home," said Mrs. Hinamori and Allison handed Tai a cup of water as well. He thanked her and drank half of it.

"What... what about..." Mimi looked toward the room her dad had been in and found herself unable to finish her question. It was really just hard for her to bringing out his name. It was partly her fault her dad was gone after all... wasn't it? If she hadn't ran away when she had seen Allison and her dad... He would be still alive now and no one would be in so much pain. If only she wasn't so quick at judging things.

Picking up Tai's jacket with her head down so he could not see the fresh tears that were threatening to spill, she handed it to him. "Thank you."

"No problem," said Tai, taking the jacket but when he noticed that her face was cast downward and her shoulders were shaking slightly, he gently put his hands on her shoulders. He was worried about her. "Mimi, are you ok? It's... okay to cry."

Mimi leaned forward so her head was resting on Tai shoulders and let her tears spill freely. She didn't want to cry but she just couldn't help herself and she was glad that she had someone like Tai who was willing to lend his shoulders.

-----

The way back home had been quiet just like the low wind blowing outside. Tai and Mimi were both seated in the back of the car, staring out at the window with their minds drifting off in their own world. Tai's mom was looking out the window as well with Allison driving next to her and she was staring at the barely visible moon that was being covered by the clouds. Her eyes looked empty as if her soul had been dispersed into the thin air and despite the fact that she was dead tired, she just could not go to sleep.

"Do you have your house key, Mimi?" said Allison, slowing to a stop as the traffic light turned red.

Mimi suddenly had the urge to bang her forehead against the window. "No. I know I brought it with me but I think I left it in the taxi that I rode on my way to the hospital. I'm an idiot"

"Maybe you should call your mom. My mom told me she was back," said Tai and he frowned when he saw Mimi make a face that told him he had said something that reminded her of something very important.

"Oh no... I forgot all about mom," said Mimi as she realized for the first time with a dreaded feeling that she would have to tell her what had happened to her dad. Even though her mom and her dad had gotten divorced, she had a feeling that her mom still loved her dad but never said anything about it. Her mom is definitely not going to be happy when she tells her the news...

Mimi felt tears beginning to form in her eyes but she quickly brushed them off. She turned her attention back to the world outside of her mind and gave a reply to Tai's suggestion.

"Mom's staying at my aunt's house and... I don't know my aunt's phone number or even really where she lives," said Mimi and she was about to call herself an idiot again but stopped since she knew it wouldn't help anything. All she knew about where her aunt lived was that she lived somewhere not so far away from her home. Mimi hasn't seen her ever since her parents got divorced and she heard from one of her cousins that she had moved some place near her.

"Why don't you come stay at my house for tonight than?" said Mrs. Hinamori before she started to tell Allison the direction of her apartment.

"Ah, but..." Mimi glanced sideways at Tai while trying to find an excuse to not to stay at his home besides not wanting to be a bother. Especially since she had heard something about Tai's grandmother staying there.
"It's too late to go any where so just stay for the night," said Mrs. Hinamori and the conversation ended there. Things became quiet again.

-----

Turning on the lights to the small apartment, Mrs. Hinamori dropped her keys by the counter as Tai and Mimi walked in after her. All the lights had been turned off and there were no sounds which probably meant Kari and her grandmother had gone to bed. It reminded Mimi of how her home had been when she had first entered and called out to her dad, not knowing he was in the hospital...

"I'll quickly check on Kari and get something from her room for you to wear," said Mrs. Hinamori to Mimi and she quietly slipped through Kari's room. She walked over to the night stand and turned it on before feeling relief washing over her when she saw that Kari was just fine. She was sleeping peacefully on the floor on top of few neatly laid out blankets. She had been feeling a little uneasy about leaving Kari alone with her mother incase... she took her daughter away from her. Mrs. Hinamori knew well enough that her mother wouldn't do something so stupid but her mind was very open for any kind of possibilities. She didn't want to lose two people on the same day...

Looking at the bed, Mrs. Hinamori saw her mother lying there with her face against the wall. She couldn't tell whether she was asleep or not but Mrs. Hinamori couldn't help but cry as she stared at her mother back. She was crying for the hurt her mother had given her and for the love that she had lost. Just when she had thought she would be able to spend the rest of her life with Tom, everything just had to end like this...

At hearing someone crying, Kari's grandmother stirred slightly and opened her eyes. At first, she thought she was just dreaming until she realized that someone was actually crying and turned her head around as quietly as she could to see who was crying. Upon seeing Laura crying, she couldn't help but wanting to go and hug her like she used to when Laura was young. Kari had told her what had happened to the man that Laura was going to marry and seeing her crying like this made her realize just how much she was going through. Perhaps she was wrong about trying to take Kari away. Laura would be so much more broken and who knows what her life would become after that. Kari's grandmother couldn't possibly watch her daughter suffer more because of her.

When Mrs. Hinamori seemed to have stopped crying, Kari's grandmother closed her eyes and turned her head back around so she could pretend to be asleep. She didn't think her daughter would feel any better when she realizes that her mother had caught her crying so heartbrokenly.

-----

"I'm sorry it took me so long. I hope these will fit you," said Mrs. Hinamori as cheerfully as she could but there was no smile on her face. "Tai's grandmother is staying at Kari's room so I guess you'll have to share Tai's room with him," said Mrs. Hinamori, not fully realizing what she had said. Her lack of sleep was starting to affect her and she was only able to think back to her words after seeing both Mimi and Tai looking away from one another. "Oh, silly me. I don't know what I was thinking."

"It's ok. I can sleep out here," said Mimi, taking the clothes from Tai's mom.

"No, I'll sleep here. You can use my room," said Tai but Mimi shook her head.

"No, I'll be fine here."

"But I don't mind sleeping here."

"I don't mind either."

"Sure you do and I want to sleep out here."

"You are just saying that, Tai."

Mrs. Hinamori looked back and forth between Tai and Mimi, as their little verbal battle continued. She stood there for a while, waiting for their final decision until she decided to let them sort the problem out by themselves. Kids these days...

"I'll put out an extra tooth brush in the bathroom," said Tai's mom although she was doubtful that both Tai and Mimi had heard her.

-----

Mimi woke up the next morning when the window in Tai's room flung open by the harsh morning wind. She had lost their little argument last night and she ended up sleeping in Tai's room while he stayed in the living room. Tai won out of his stubbornness, something Mimi was lacking in. Still not fully awake, Mimi sluggishly walked over to the window to close it and noticed how rusted the hinges were. No wonder they just opened like that... She looked around the room for a clock to find that there was none. Tai probably did have one but due to the mess in his room, she just probably couldn't see it. Tai's room was just as messy as her dad's.

Mimi's face suddenly sadden at the thought of her dad and sat on the bed before bringing her knees up to her chest to rest her head on them. Few tear rolled down her cheeks before she soon found herself sobbing. She was crying for the thought of never being able to see or hear her dad talk again. She was crying for all those times she had stayed mad at him. And she was crying for the guilt that just would not leave her alone.

"Are you awake?" came a voice from the outside of the room.

Mimi nodded her head before realizing that Tai couldn't see her behind the door. "I'm awake," said Mimi, quickly wiping her eyes.

At the other side of the door, Tai frowned. "Have you been crying?"

"No."

"Are you lying?"

There was a small pause. "No."

"Ok than," said Tai, knowing fully well that Mimi wasn't telling him the truth. He could just tell by hearing her voice. "My mom's going to take a day off from work today and she's going to take us to your house after breakfast. We'll just have to somehow break in to your house."

"Ok."

Tai stared at the door, pondering on whether he should just leave or say something. He wanted to help her in any way he could but he didn't exactly know how to. All he knew was that she hurting and he wanted to help her out in any way he could because he... he... Tai shook his head and walked off to the kitchen. He did not want to think about it at the moment.

-----

Mimi's mom paced around the outside of Mimi's house worriedly. She had been trying to call Mimi since the day before but when no one picked up the phone, she decided to visit her in the morning. However, no matter how many times she rang the door bell, no one answered. It was possible that Mimi might have gone to stay over at her friend's house but still... she had a nagging feeling that just would not leave her alone.

"Where are you Mimi?"

Surprisingly, she got her answer. "Mom!"

Mimi's mom turned around in a swift movement and ran to her daughter who was walking toward her with Tai and Laura behind her. Mimi's mom slowed down and took uncertain steps as she looked at Laura with a slight surprise. She had not seen her since the day she had gotten divorced and it made her feel uncomfortable being around her.

Mimi's mom hugged her daughter with a sigh of relief until she felt tears on her neck. She became worried again. "Mimi, what's wrong?"

Mimi, lost in her emotions, told her mom without any objection. "Mom... Dad's gone. He..."