Please Take care of her when I'm gone
"I knew she would leave the nest someday but I never thought of her marrying someone as selfish as him and having his child." The old shinto priest mumbled to himself as he entered his daughter's home.
His daughter lived in a large home just outside Tokyo, a big difference from the humble shinto shrine she had grown up in. She had married a wealthy politician, who only cared for his job not her or his child, he cared to give her money and a nice home but he would never show love.
His daughter told him to let himself in as the door was unlocked, it was an odd request but he listened to her as his visit wasn't going to be like his usual ones. This was the day where he would meet his newborn grandchild, he had no idea if it was a daughter or a son but all he knew was that the child was a week old and he loved them already.
He stepped into the living room, there was his daughter, the beautiful young woman with shiny long raven hair and vivid violet eyes, sitting in a rocking chair. Cradled in her arms was a tiny pale, raven haired sleeping bundle in a red blanket, in her arms, the newborn child was beautiful.
"Risa…" The grey haired man's violet eyes glared at his beautiful daughter and the infant in her arms.
"Hello Papa, meet your granddaughter." Risa beamed glaring down at daughter whilst caressing her cheek.
"She's beautiful, just like her mother. Congratulations. " The old man's bright violet eyes could not stop staring at his granddaughter, she was the spitting image of her mother, some of the most beautiful people he had ever seen just like his late wife.
"Thank you Papa. " The young woman smiled slightly, replying to her father as she gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek.
He could tell just how much the little girl was loved, while her father was mainly absent, anyone could tell how much her mother loved her, just by looking at the both of them.
"Please take a seat, you can hold her if you desire to." Risa advised her father.
"My dear Risa, I would love to hold my granddaughter." The man took a seat on the sofa, by the rocking chair.
"I think she'll be keen to be held by her grandpa." The wavy raven haired woman got out of the rocker walking over to her father.
She gently placed the tiny girl in the shinto priest's arms.
"Please support her head." Risa nervously asked.
"Risa, my child, I know how to hold a baby despite it being years ago when I held you." The grey haired man chuckled slightly.
"I know, I just never want anyone to hurt her. " The new mother frowned
"It's okay darling, I have always felt the same about you, even though you are grown up, I still want no one to lay a finger on you." The elder man frowned, looking down at his beautiful granddaughter in his arms.
The newborn girl was just so beautiful and fragile. He had forgotten what it was like holding his own daughter when she was that tiny, until he held her daughter. The little girl opened her eyes slightly, the most beautiful vivid violet eyes looked up at him. They were the same as his daughter's, her mother's, they were also his eyes.
"I think she's saying hello to her grandpa!" Risa's violet eyes lit up as she sat next to him.
"Hello darling." The grandfather murmured to the baby in his arms. "She has your eyes as well, well my eyes." The man continued.
"I know, I knew you would be happy about that." His daughter's violet eyes locked in with him as she replied.
"It really did, she's so beautiful. Anyway darling, have you decided on a name for her?" The man asked his daughter.
"I was waiting for you to ask that so I could tell you, her name is Rei. Takashi thought she was a boy when I was pregnant and had no ideas for a name when she was born due to his instinct. I had a feeling that she was a girl all along, despite my husband's strong instinct. I had considered maybe one other name during pregnancy but as soon as I saw her, I instantly knew she was Rei Hino. " Risa answered.
"Hino.. she has our last name too rather than her father's original name,I'm happy." The old man chuckled.
"Papa!" His daughter chuckled.
"Rei however, it really suits her, such a beautiful name for a beautiful girl." The old man went on. "Nice to meet you Rei." He greeted the infant as her tiny violet eyes looked up at him.
"It does,it's my most favourite name, it is just perfect for the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You sure love your grandpa Rei." The mother stroked her daughter's raven hair, the same colour as her own, as she was in the arms of her grandfather.
At that moment Rei started to wail and stir slightly.
"I think she wants to go back to her mother." The moustached man nodded as he handed the infant back to his daughter, coincidentally the baby's cries stopped as soon as she went back to her mother. "She really loves you. She's only a week old but you can tell, she feels safe and happy in your arms." The man continued as Risa walked back to the rocking chair.
"She's extremely intelligent like that, she of course loves you but she knows she'll always be safe with me, hence why she cried when she wanted me to hold her. She doesn't like Takashi though, she could be fast asleep when he is holding her. I kid you not that she will wake up and scream for me." Risa chuckled as Rei looked up at her.
"You were a lot like that aside from the fact you did love me but who knows maybe she will grow to love Takashi." The old man remincised back to when his own daughter was a baby.
"Maybe she will and the same may apply to him, I know he loves me but I don't think the same applies to her. It could be the fact he's hardly home due to his busy state as a politician and due to her only being a week old. He has never bonded with her but still… I just wish he would show his daughter some love. For all I know is that she'll be happy with a mother, who loves her more than she could ever know and a grandfather that loves her so much even before he met her." The violet eyed woman frowned.
"Oh darling, I never wanted a cold son in law like him who only cares about his job but seeing you love him that's all I cared about. I wish he could show more love to you and not just leave you alone all the time. Does he ever help you with the baby?" The man frowned at his daughter.
"He's hardly home but the times he is, he never really does even when I was giving birth. He will occasionally change her diaper or watch her for a few minutes while I take a bath but that's all. I know he obviously can't feed her since she is breastfed but I wish he could help out more. He will never help me bathe her, play with her, put her to sleep or calm her down when she's crying, even though she has only been home for five of those seven days of her life. I wish he could help more." The new mother responded, her face still downcast. "Of course I love taking care of her, more than anything in fact, but I wish I could have some help from him." She continued, beaming down at Rei.
"He is her father, it is his responsibility to help you, I wish he would care more about his own wife and daughter more than his job." The elder rolled his violet eyes. "On the other hand, how has motherhood been for you?" He asked his daughter.
"I wish as well." Risa frowned. "Motherhood is the best thing that's ever happened to me but it's hard. It's not Rei's fault, she's perfect but there is so much I don't know. Breastfeeding is hard and stressful, it feels like I just can't give my baby enough food despite me feeding her all the time. I was told that this was normal during the first few weeks but I'm worried. I can deal with those sleepless nights but I just want her to be fed and happy. " The new mother frowned. "Bath times are always my favourite, she loves it, it's just so cute. I love play time, of course there isn't much she can do due to her age but those simple bonding things just make me feel like I am doing something right. Diaper changes aren't easy and of course, it can be gross but it's my job as a mother to make sure she is comfortable and clean. The sleepless nights are hard and painful, I comfort her as much as I can but I wish that I could do more. I feel bad, I feel like I can't give her enough, despite all my love" She continued.
"Oh darling, you are doing such a great job I know it's hard but Rei loves you so much. The way she stopped crying when you held her says a lot about you as a mother. While, of course don't know what being a mother is like , as a father I understand and you are doing amazing." The old man leaned in and gave his daughter a gentle hug.
"Thank you Papa." The young woman shed a tear. "I love you Rei." She teared up kissing her daughter.
"On another note maybe when she's older , she'll become a beautiful miko at Hikawa Shrine!" The man beamed.
"Papa! Already planning your granddaughter to work at your shrine just like you did with me!" Risa chuckled, her mood clearly changing.
"Well, it's her decision but hopefully she will become a gorgeous miko just like you were!" The shinto priest beamed.
"Well you can hope that she will, I wouldn't be surprised if she does want to become one!" The raven haired woman chuckled, caressing her baby's cheek. "On another note Papa, I have something to ask you." Risa's facial expression quickly changed to a concerned look.
"Yes my dear, what is it?" The old man replied.
"My health is declining, I've known for a long time, I don't think I have much time left. I know by time my baby has grown into a strong beautiful , young woman, I won't be there. I know someday I'll find people who cherish her and care for her like I do. I feel she has a destiny that neither you, I or Takashi will be part of, she will be saving others while protecting that person she will cherish, along with the others. I have a feeling I'll leave before any of that happens and knowing Takashi, he won't care but if I go, please take care of her when I'm gone." The beautiful woman asked her father as she held Rei closer to her.
"I will. I never want you to leave but if you do just know, that Rei will be safe with me. I love you Risa." The old man responded.
"I love you too, Papa. I know my baby will be safe with you." Risa replied, kissing Rei's cheek.
The elder Shinto priest watched his granddaughter sweep the shrine grounds, she kept growing day by day, he couldn't believe she had just started high school. She was becoming a lot happier than she was a few years back before she had found friends. She had grown so much from that six year old girl who had just lost her mother and had just discovered her psychic powers.
She was becoming more absent but he knew it was for a good reason, he was proud of her, she was not only beautiful but she was an intelligent and strong young woman, like her late mother had wanted her to be. She did end up becoming a shinto miko like he wished her to be and her dream to take over the shrine after he would pass but he knew someday she would leave, like her mother, his daughter did. She was becoming more like her late mother day by day, he would tell her often.
He remembered the first time he held her as a newborn baby she was so tiny, delicate and beautiful ,he remembered his daughter being so stressed but so happy. That day was one he would never forget, he remembered how much his daughter loved her. The conversation with his daughter was one that had changed him forever.
"Please take care of her when I'm gone." The words his daughter had said to him, that same day he held his newborn granddaughter for the first time.
"I did Risa. She became that strong, intelligent and beautiful young woman you knew she would become." He teared up, glaring at his granddaughter.
"What was that Grandpa?" The violet eyed raven haired teen turned around.
"You became the person your mother wanted you to be Rei. She would be proud of you." The old man cried.
"I know mama would. I love her like she loved me." Rei beamed.