A couple years ago...

Rin was sitting on her couch watching her television set, she had popcorn in her lap and no plans for the rest of the night. Her pure white shaggy dog sitting at her feet begging her for a few bits of popcorn.

"Another Saturday alone." She sighed talking to no one in particular. "Just you and me." Whispering to her dog before taking another handful of popcorn. "No begging Ah-! You've already had more than enough tonight."

Her bunny pajamas were dirty from all the butter in her bowl and lose dog fur from not brushing Ah in a few days. Rins hair the usual mess but she didnt mind at all. "Just another same night in." Thinking to herself but checking her phone again just out of habit. Nothing. C'est la vie.

Living alone was hard but it's not like she had anywhere else to go. Ah was all the protection and company she really needed. When her mother and father 'separated' Rin had decided it was time for her to separate from them as well. Nothing could end well in her parents divorce so she moved out before they made it official. She was 22 and had a little saved up to get a small apartment with enough for the cutest puppy she saw on her daily walks to and from work.

She didnt make much at her job waitressing at a pub but it was enough to get her by with the occasional help from her mother. As long as it was her, Ah, and her mother she was content with how their lives were panning out.

Rin always knew that her mothers drinking would be her downfall. It wasnt all her fathers fault they were getting divorced. It was inevitable. The lying, their cheating, and trying to use their only child, Rin, against one another. Rins mother was constantly taking Rin to her favorite hotel but at least her mother waited to drink whenever Rin fell asleep.

That night wasnt one of those nights.

The phone call came after a couple of more episodes of her favorite shows reruns. Her eyes grew heavy as the commercials lured her to sleep. Ah was cleaning himself next to Rin after he snuck to cuddle her on the couch.

Her phone rang again. And again. The ring tone seemed to leak into her dream but wasnt loud enough to wake her completely.

"Mom." Her screen read. (4) missed calls.

The ringing must have gotten on her dogs nerves because he started to lick Rins cheek until she stirred awake.

"Not now Ah." She barely muttered. A couple more wet dog kisses and she finally woke up. His brown eyes staring into hers as if he was worried she wouldnt wake up.

Her clock read 10:45pm. Way too early to have fallen asleep already. Yawning heavier she pressed the redial button after making up her mind that she'd check her voicemails after she spoke to her mother.

It went straight to voicemail the two times she tried to call back. Giving up on her mother, assuming she was already drinking and not wanting to talk to her until the morning, Rin checked her own voicemail.

It was a paramedic calling the last number on her moms phone. She was admitted to the hospital after her car skidded off the side of the road barely missing the barricade that kept her mother from drowning.

Hours after the accident.

Rin was in too much shock to even call her father. Would he care or lecture her on how much of a drunk her mother is and probably did it to herself. How could the love she grew up watching turn so quickly to hate. Her only idea of love vanishing before her eyes.

A car door slammed but Rin ignored it until she could hear the low growls coming from her dog. She hoped it wasnt for her, Ah was big enough to overpower Rin and she didnt feel the energy to fight with Ah over who might be at the door. Only luck wasnt on her side. The knock knock knock echoed throughout her house. Then the barking started. Who would be on the other side? Did her father hear about the accident while she was sleeping.

More knocks happened before the barking was more than Rin could take so she got off her couch to make the long trek to her front door. After calming down Ah she cracked the door to see her obviously drunk father.

"She finally fucking did it baby girl. Your mom finally fucking killed herself and it wasnt at the bottom at those bottles she loved so much." He shoved his way in. Rin hated seeing herself in her fathers eyes. Glossed over, but as brown as hers just the same.

He walked to her kitchen to look through her fridge. Not eyeing what he wanted he returned to the living room and sat on her couch next to Ah looking down before putting his head down in defeat and crying.

All Rin did then is stare, front door wide open. Did her father say that her mother was dead? He drove all the way here in his condition just to cry and try to drink more?

"She hit her head pretty hard trying to use the new GPS she had put in her car. Overcorrecting herself she fishtailed and ended up in the ditch where they found her. God knows how long she was out but... Shes at the hospital right now on life support but they dont think she'll make it past the week... I wouldnt let them do anything until you got to say your goodbyes..."

She shook her head. The tears finally falling in waves. This was it. Everything was going to be different after today.

Her first time at the hospital

The monitor her mom was attached to and the smell of the hospital made her queasy. Rins fingers reached down to lace into her mothers messy curls. Tangled from the accident, or possibly matted from her blood. How many days did father say she had? Less than a week? Could they afford that care for that long?

"I should let you go before its too late for even me to get out." She managed to cry out. She left before her father could come in and tell her when they were going to take her off life support.

"What was it that you always did mom?... Where should I go next if you wont be around anymore?"

As she wiped a tear from her face she looked up to see a pair of red eyes staring at her. It was more of a squint before he turned with a clipboard in his arms and headed toward her mothers room. She told herself she wouldnt return but in a state of panic she turned to run back to her mothers room to stop whatever that doctor was about to do to her mom.

"STOP!" She yelled. "Get away from my mom!" She was hyperventilating in front of a complete stranger. A stranger who was her mothers doctor.

"Rin, leave him alone. It's done..." Her father stood in the doorway watching the both of them. "It's not his fault. It's just his job..."