Hinami's POV

It wasn't long before my mother was being kept overnight to get treated for her illness. This was the third time since she's been on stage 3 where she was passing out from how weak her body was. It was only a matter of time where everyone had to hear the disheartening news.

By how young I was, I thought they were talking about her being cured from the illness and everything being okay again.

"She only has 6 more months of this. If this illness isn't treated soon, even sooner." The doctor would say as my father and grandmother were silent, hearing this news.

"This is very heavy news to hear but this is what we saw and looked into based on her testing and her medical records. We will get in touch with her medical team back in the states whenever we can to transfer more information but until then, Naomi will have to stay here overnight to get treated some more." The doctor would walk back into the room my mother was in and that was that.

I was being held by my grandmother as she and my father were sitting on the waiting room chairs near the ICU, which is where my mother was being held.

While we were waiting, the assistant and my dad's old coach decided to split up after this to give their family some time at the hospital to support and would give my dad a call once we returned back to our hotel.

"Unbelievable." Nana would say with disgust, she wasn't happy with the news at all. "Why hasn't she been taking care of herself? She has been doing well. I told her she didn't have to travel from the States but no⏤"

"I have to keep battling these matches…I wanna win to save my wife." My dad cuts her off as his face is full of determination. He was still filled with adrenaline from this previous fight. My father sees every challenge as if it was some type of war, including physical illnesses. I guess it's in our blood.

"Kyo, Ki lanfè ou ye? (What the hell are you on?)" Nana would look at him with a tired look on her face, she was over his behavior at this point. This was the first time I saw my nana this upset. "This isn't some sumo match, dear. This is my daughter's wife on the line and you're worried about another sumo match?!"

"Mari, listen. I am providing as much as I can to help my wife and my daughter. I can't and WILL NOT lose to this disease my beloved is getting ridden with! I will make sure my wife survives and your daughter thrives. We are the Mizuchis. We never back down. EVER." This made my grandmother look away from him.

"Childish, I tell you. If you just take a break from these goddamn matches, we can do something about this illness Naomi is still struggling with. 6 MONTHS? That's not enough time."

"Ms. Pierre, I will not give up⏤"

"THEN GET UP AND DO SOMETHING THEN, KYO!" I would cover my face with my arms, shivering from everyone yelling. I didn't understand what was going on back then, I just knew I needed my mother right now, I wanted to be in her arms.

"I want momma." I would say quietly, my nana heard it. "Where's momma?"

"Hina dear." my grandma ended up lifting me up and pulling me close to her. "She's currently…in a room, getting patched up."

Dad would get up and start walking back and forth around the waiting room, his patience would be just as thin as mine. Our prayers were answered and the doctor came in to tell us we were ready to visit her.

Once we had the opportunity to enter the room, I would see my mom in all these tubes coming out of her nose, arms and head. It looked like she was a fish of some sort and it made me laugh, it wasn't that appropriate for someone in this state to be humored with but I was only 4 years old, I didn't know much. "HeHeHe! Momma looks like a jellyfish!"

Naomi would recognize my voice and would give a genuine smile. She looked…happy to see me. She would also grin over at my dad and nana. Nana was already in tears, she hated this situation. She hated seeing her daughter look like this. My dad was still looking determined and brash.

"Hinami…come here you-" my mother would slowly reach her hand out. Nana would lean closer to have me near my mom's embrace. I hugged my momma close once I was in her arms.

"Hi momma…" As clueless as I was, I still wanted to be near my mom. I held her close. I didn't want to let her go. She was weak and brittle looking sure, but her heart was beating the same as mine. Slow and steady. I would smile up at her. She looked down at me with the same look.

"Hinami baby. You are going to grow big and strong like your dad, I know you will be as beautiful and radiating as yours truly." She would giggle. I would laugh with her, mimicking her soft giggle.

"Yes momma!" This is where my father's strong and stoic demeanor begins to soften, his heart sank as he saw his wife and daughter interact in a way where he didn't want to lose this visual memory. His eyes were watery. He looked a lot less upset than he did before. He truly did love my mother at that time. Still to this day, surprisingly.

Throughout that night, it felt slow and calming, as if time was a lot steadier compared to the recent events that occurred today. My mother sang to me the song "Sunshine" in Creole as she was helping me fall asleep. It definitely worked. Her voice will forever be buried in my subconscious. Her voice was a soothing as Mariah Carey or Lana Del Rey, fused into one!

I loved my mother very much. Despite the changes in my life that has happened, I'm still forever grateful for her.

Her being in that hospital that night, it felt destined in a way. Like I needed to be near her. I'm glad I got the chance to embrace my mom one more time. I would look back years later. Wondering if I stayed in the hotel room with nana and never saw my mother afterwards? If I never even got the chance to traveled to Japan and stayed home with nana?

My mom's touch was tender, like she was meant to be a mother. Her kind nature, her sense of nurture, her beauty, her charm, something one day I can possess as a hero myself.

But the morning that entered, all of our lives were changed as my mother was unresponsive, holding me in her arms. Her warm skin was no longer as she laid there, emotionless. My father and nana would remove me from her embrace. My nana wept and screamed in agony as she begged, pleaded, retorted at the doctors to do something. Nothing worked. The doctor, as devastated as the co, they wondered, researched and discussed intentionally during the biopsy about whether or not the illness had passed the 4th stage or my mother's very own body just…gave up?

My father was not showing any emotions, as if he was keeping it in, if he was in denial at the fact that my mom was officially dead or if he was just dreaming. It was just the worst of his days. He went from being a famous sumo-wrestler; winning a match the night prior to having to plan the funeral and burial procedures for his late wife and becoming a widow.

Life doesn't stop, not even birth nor death. Not even winning seasons or losing ones. It just keeps going.

My young mind back then, believed that she was still sleeping. Even during her funeral and burial, I still thought she was just sleeping and had to go on a trip underground to travel within the earth, somewhere.

Then the funeral happened, her gravesite would be near the Richmond District, near the Golden Gate Bridge, about 10 minutes away from our home.

Nana would keep that innocence within me alive as I kept believing it, my father didn't. In fact, he was slowly losing himself as the days, weeks, months went by.

Everyone was slowly moving on, grieving, healing…My father was going a completely different direction.

The pain that insured within him about my mother was soon hitting him… Unlucky times are ahead for him, and I have to be the one to carry that burden as a biproduct of his trauma.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Very dark chapter... well it only gets worse before gets better! Well until the next upload. I'll be adding small comics to my art Instagram if you want a visual novel of what we are being seen from this fanfic.

Well until next time! See ya then! Thanks again for reading. I greatly appreciate it ^^