For day 1 of Chichi Week on Twitter - Stories
"That's your daddy"
The 5 year old boy tilted his head in wonder as he stared at the photo album in front of him, his mother's words running through his mind.
That's your daddy ...
Daddy ...
He knew this man. He saw pictures of him before around the house, most notably in his mommy's room. It was placed on her vanity and she always looked at it.
He had asked her many times before ... who is that, mommy?
But his mommy never said it was daddy before. She told him he was someone she loved and she would tell him about him someday.
He had asked his big brother about him too. Big brother told him he was the greatest man in the entire Universe and he was his hero. Gohan promised to tell him about him one day too.
Was today that day? Was today the day he found out about daddy?
He knew what a daddy was. Trunks had a daddy, and he would spar with him and take him to the park sometimes. Trunks said his daddy was the best!
Goten quietly observed the photo in front of him. His daddy looked just like he did! He had the same hair as him, the same eyes and the same big smile. His daddy looked happy and really strong. Goten liked that.
Goten smiled as he continued to stare at the photo.
Chichi felt a lump forming in her throat.
She knew this day would come, but she had secretly hoped it would be a little while longer until it did. And it wasn't because she didn't want to tell her son about him. It was because she didn't know if she could.
She was heart broken, to this very day. There was a lingering emptiness inside of her that never went away.
She missed him so much.
Goku.
Her Goku.
"Where is daddy?" she heard a little voice ask.
She swallowed hard. Here it comes.
"Your daddy died, honey" she began, her fingers trembling as she glided them over Goku's face in the photo album, "he died to save us, not long before you were born".
Goten turned in his mother's lap, to face her fully.
"Daddy saved us? Is that why Gohan said he's his hero?" Goten asked her. Chichi held a pained smile on her face.
"Is that what Gohan told you?" she asked her youngest son.
"Gohan said that he was the greatest person in the whole universe and he was his hero" he told his mother enthusiastically.
Oh, her heart.
"Well, Gohan was right about that" Chichi gently told him, tapping his little nose affectionately. Goten giggled and turned back to the photo album. His little hand turned the page, finding more pictures of his daddy.
There was one of daddy with Gohan when he was small; daddy was holding him in his arms and they were smiling outside of the house. There was one of daddy sleeping on the sofa, which made Goten chortle because he had his mouth hanging open, just like he did when he was sleeping. There was one of daddy and Gohan fishing in the river by their house. There was one of daddy and Gohan sat by a camp fire cooking a fish.
Daddy was always smiling ... daddy looked like fun!
Goten wished he could do all those things with his daddy.
"I wish daddy was here" Goten suddenly murmured.
Chichi swore her heart collapsed in her chest.
"I wish daddy was here, too" she whispered, letting her chin rest on her little boy's head. Goten turned another page.
Chichi inhaled sharply. It was that photo. One Gohan took on the sly during the 3 years before the Androids.
It was her favourite photo ... and it was the photo that made her cry the most.
Goku was sat at the dining table, with her straddling his lap. He had her encased in his arms, his face buried into the crook of her neck, and hers in his. To Gohan, it was a simple moment of his parents hugging. To Chichi ... it was a moment of complete relief.
Things had been bad between her and Goku. They had been so distant with each other for months when Goku returned home from Yardrat. Things were icy, they bit at one another, they argued. So much had happened between them prior to this. It was one nightmare after another, one heart break after another. Their lives had been thrown into complete chaos and it absolutely crushed her.
Her lips formed a small smile as she delicately touched the photo. She remembered that day well. And it was a moment that was just so perfect and they both needed it.
Chichi had not long finished cleaning up after dinner and Goku had remained seated at the table. Gohan was supposed to be studying, and Chichi went to leave the kitchen but when she walked past Goku, he grabbed her and pulled her to him. For a few moments she was just stood in front of him and he had wrapped his large arms around her waist, holding her so tightly, as if he was too scared to let her go, his face buried in her chest.
She remembered that hold. Her husband always held her like that when he was troubled. He would always hide himself against her chest.
But this was the first time he had held her this way since he came home. It was overwhelming.
Chichi had gently put pressure on his shoulders, signaling for him to pull back. She never forgot that look in his eyes. It was painful, grief-stricken. She removed his arms from her waist and she got into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, and snuggled into him. She felt his whole body slump and relax and he brought his arms around her, holding her closer to him as he nuzzled her neck.
They stayed in that embrace for several minutes, no words were said.
It was her favourite photo ... she would never forget that photo.
"Are you hugging daddy?" Goten questioned her, shaking her from her thoughts.
"Yes, baby, your daddy was the best at hugs ... well, not quite as good as you" she teased, nuzzling his cheek making him squirm and giggle.
Goten stared at the photo of his mommy and daddy a little longer. Chichi wondered what he was thinking.
"Mommy" he called.
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Do you think daddy would have liked me?" he asked her innocently. Chichi pouted.
Her sweet Goten. Her beautiful, sweet Goten.
"Baby" she began, tilting his chin up so his eyes could meet hers, "He would have loved you"
"You think so?"
"I know so"
He beamed. It was a smile so like his father's that it both melted her and broke her at the same time.
Goten continued to look through the album and as more and more photos resurfaced of his daddy, he asked more and more questions. Chichi answered every question he threw at her, and as the time went by, it became easier to talk about Goku. Goten was so excited to hear about his daddy, his eyes lit up with every new thing he learnt about him.
"I wish I could see him. Do you think I will meet him one day, mommy?" Goten wondered as he closed the photo album.
"Daddy never really left, baby" she softly spoke, poking his chest with her finger, just where his little heart was beating, "your daddy will always be right here with you".
"Really?" Goten cocked an eye brow ... a look of confusion plastered on his face. Chichi chuckled lightly. He was his father's son alright.
"Someone may not be in your life, but they will stay in your heart. That's what happens when you love someone. A part of them will always be with you". Goten's curious little eyes drifted from his mommy's face and down to his chest. He put his little hand over his beating heart, a look of wonder gracing his handsome little features.
"I think you're right, mommy" he cooed.
"You do?"
"Yeah, I think I can feel daddy. 'Cuz my heart's beating real fast right now"
Chichi choked back a whimper and pulled her little boy into her arms for a hug. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, fighting off the tears that threatened to fall.
"See, I told you" she whispered.
