Chapter Text
When Asami lost her mother to a robbery gone wrong, she was only two years older than her daughter is now. She can remember crying and sitting in front of her mother’s casket during the funeral, but she can barely recall what her mother was like.
Yao always told her that watching her with Yasuko, it feels like he’s watching an old home movie. But Asami’s never been quite sure. She was pretty sure her mother didn’t get pregnant with her when she was 22.
Not that Asami would change anything. Yasuko is perfect.
She just doesn’t know how she could possibly deserve a child so perfect.
Every last minute meeting, every mother-daughter appearance cancelled, Yasuko had always taken things with grace. Sure, her daughter had her tantrums, but where it mattered, Yasuko made Asami’s life easy. She’d heard horror stories during her pregnancy.
Today was the 5th of the month, her monthly visit to her father’s home where he was serving his house arrest.
She wraps her slender fingers around her daughter’s tiny hand as they walk up the steps of the porch. Since Yasuko was born, her visits to her father have been a little easier. Yasuko’s cheerful humming helps Asami stay in the present.
Yasuko breaks away from Asami to knock loudly on the simple oak door and ring the cheery doorbell. They hear a short sequence of muffled footsteps and the door opens slowly.
“My dears,” her father greets. His face looks worn and deeply wrinkled, but the contours have finally rounded out despite his time in prison. Yasuko tackles him at his knees, embracing them tightly.
Hiroshi bends down and picks up Yasuko in his arms. “Hello, my darling. How is your wrist?” He shoulders her weight on one arm and carefully holds her wrapped wrist.
“I’m okay, grandpa!” she kisses his weathered cheek and Hiroshi gives Yasuko a look of complete adoration that makes Asami’s heart ache.
There was so much lost time.
So many things were lost.
Hiroshi carries Yasuko to the quaint living room adjacent to the doorway where he has a chess set prepared and some snacks. Yasuko’s favorite movie, Wall-E, is playing in the background. Her father’s house arrest was finalized three years ago, and since then, Yasuko’s visits have been filled with snacks and movies and games and books.
Asami watches as her father teaches Yasuko chess, similar early strategies she learned when she was Yasuko’s age. It’s hard to imagine that this was the same man who arranged her doomed, loveless marriage.
Yasuko frowns in thought as she surveys the board, the game having gone on for over an hour, before finally tipping her king.
Hiroshi only smiles encouragingly, motioning for her to reset the board. Her amber eyes twinkle as she grins, eager to put her soldiers back in place. The corners of Asami’s mouth turn upward as she recalls the same play her father had used on her at age four to win.
Yasuko and her father play three more games and it’s finally time for dinner. Like most things during their visits, dinner is Yasuko’s favorite – ramen.
As she slurps down the soup, her belly fills with warmth. “This is really good, Dad.”
Her father looks at her surprised. However, his shock passes quickly as he smiles in response. “Thank you. I’ve been trying different recipes all week. How do you like it, Yasuko?”
“Ish gud!”
There’s ice cream for dessert and Yasuko finishes the night by falling asleep as Bill Nye the Science Guy plays in the background. Asami brushes back her daughter’s wavy hair as she reaches down for the remote.
Included in the house arrest, Hiroshi Sato could not have any overnight visitors.
“How are you?”
Asami tenses, as she turns to her father, watching in the doorway. She looks at him, and he’s never looked older. Regretful. However, she recognizes this look. She’s seen it in board rooms years ago, when she was still learning how to run a Fortune 500 company.
“I’m fine, Dad.” Asami follows her father into the kitchen where he has two steaming cups of tea set out. “You know, busy running a company, raising a daughter. Trying to create new Satomobile designs.”
Hiroshi takes a long sip of her tea, pausing a bit before asking, “How’s Iroh?”
Asami’s lips form a tight line. “Fine. He’ll be back onshore in time for Veteran’s Day, so he’s planning on visiting Yasuko then.”
“You’re much too kind,” he tells her. His voice is soft and not critical. He knows it’s her kindness that brings her and Yasuko here every month. “Will Yasuko be okay? If I remember correctly, this will be the first time she’s seen her father since the divorce.”
She nods. “Three years. I’m glad she doesn’t remember most of what happened.”
Asami wishes she didn’t remember. She had been cheated on, ridiculed, and abandoned. It was Yasuko and sheer strength of will that had pushed her forward. She’d protected her company and her daughter.
“She kind of remembers him. We have some pictures in her room at home.”
Hiroshi hums thoughtfully. “She’s a forgiving girl, just like her mother.” Her jade eyes meet her father’s.
“Shall we play a quick game of chess before I leave? I’m pretty sure I’ll beat you, Dad,” she smirks.
He grins. “I’ve been practicing all day. We’ll see.”
She adjusts Yasuko’s slumbering form in her arms. Her father sets down her bag by the door. He briefly takes Yasuko for a gentle embrace to give Asami time to organize herself.
“All set?” he asks.
Asami nods, taking Yasuko back into her arms. Luckily, the walk to the car is short; she’d hate to wake up her sleeping princess.
At the doorway, her father gives her a kiss on the cheek and places a kiss on Yasuko’s forehead. “I’ll see you next month?”
She shakes her head, glancing at the chessboard still visible in the kitchen. “We’ll see you next week, Dad.”
Even in the dim light of the hallway and the porch, she can see his eyes glistening. He nods again, places a final kiss on her cheek before closing the door behind her.
When she arrives home with Yasuko, she tucks her daughter in herself, singing the same lullaby her father would sing before bed.
“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.”