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“Yeah, no I know!” You agreed, nodding your head, phone pressed into your shoulder as you carried the laundry basket up the stairs. You bump the door to the basement closed with your heel and prop the basket of lavender smelling clothes on your hip. “Ok, ok! Mhm, I’m being careful, Sou. You’re gonna get fired if you keep calling me every twenty minutes!” You laugh brightly, a smile lighting up your features. “Love you too, see you soon.” Heaving a good-natured sigh after hanging up with with your husband, you deposit the basket of clothes on the couch in your airy living room and smile down at your son where he was entertaining himself with a few toys on the floor.
“What’s up big guy?” Your grin, moving to pick him up and earning a pleased giggle from him. “Today’s your big day huh? One year old wow!” You watch him fondly for a moment, before returning him to the floor so he could resume playing. You hum to yourself as you make your way into the kitchen and pull out a cookbook. Setting it down on the counter, you flip through the pages, coughing slightly as some flour, that had been hiding between the pages, make its way into the air.
Today was your son’s first birthday and you had decided to bake a cake for him. It was only going to be a small party, consisting of yourself, your husband and son. You would have invited your parents but to be honest, you weren’t on great terms with them. See, because of your severe diabetic condition, your doctors had warned you time and time again against having children due to the fact that it could cause you to have fatal kidney failure. Despite this, you knew you were going to have a child no matter what. Nothing was going to stop you. Once you and Sousuke had returned from your honeymoon bearing news of your pregnancy, your parents were, undoubtedly, very distraught. Determined to have the baby, you had argued with your mother that the medications you were taking were sure to help and that you’d be fine. Despite your reassurance, your parents had slightly distanced themselves from you.
Now a year since your son’s birth, and with no complications, you were confident that your meds were doing their job brilliantly. Sousuke would be home from work in a matter of hours, you all would enjoy a home cooked meal and celebrate the special day even if it was just the three of you. You began setting about making the cake for your son, grabbing eggs and butter from the fridge and flour and oil from the pantry. Humming to yourself as you diligently mix the chocolatey batter, you pause, eyebrows drawing together. Eyes widening, your trembling hands grip the marble countertop, as your breath begins coming short labored gasps. Your legs abruptly give out beneath you and you clutch at your heart as you hit the ground, wincing and letting out as silent shout of pain. The pain in your chest swells incredibly and your eyes flutter shut as you wordlessly cry out for your husband.
"You gotta let me know if Junior like his present ok?” Rin grins as he walks, side by side with Sousuke, out of the police station, “Gotta get him into law enforcement at an early age.” The lively redhead had gotten you and Sousuke’s son a soft, stuffed German Shepherd plushie, and child sized police hat and a few mini police cars.
“I’m sure he’s gonna love it Rin, but yeah we’ll call you and thank you ok?” Sousuke rumbles, plucking his hat from his head as he reaches his car. “I’ll see you tomorrow Rin!” He calls across the parking lot. Rin waves his hand in acknowledgement without turning around. Sousuke sets his hat and briefcase down in the passenger seat and flicks on the radio before buckling up and pulling away from the station.
With every reason to be in a good mood, Sousuke parks his car in the driveway, before grabbing his things and heading inside.
“I’m home!” He calls happily, slipping out of his shoes and setting his hat and briefcase down on the side table. With no answer, he furrows his brows and walks down the hall. “Y/N-” He starts, but is cut off as he picks up on the sound of his son crying in the living room. Your son had accidentally pinched his finger in Sousuke’s recliner in the process of trying to retrieve one of his toy cars and was now bawling.
“Woah! Buddy, what’s wrong?!” Hair prickling with unease, Sousuke quickly and gently frees his son’s finger, kissing it until the boy calmed down. Once placing the toddler in his bouncer, Sousuke calls for you again. He makes his into the kitchen looking around worriedly. Why would you just let your child cy and endure the pain of his pinched finger?
“Y/N?!” He calls again, it’s then that he spots the tipped mixing bowl. Sousuke’s stomach drops as he bolts around the large counter top in the middle of your kitchen. Spotting your lifeless body on the polished hardwood floor, he let’s out a strangled sob and drops to his knees pulling you into his arms. “Y/N! Y/N!” He shouts, shaking you softly. Eyes widen and hands shaking, he brushes your hair behind your and and presses an ear to your chest. Oh thank God! He internally gasps. On unsteady feet, he tenderly carries you to the living room, laying you down on the couch with utmost care. His hand then flies for his phone, dialing 911 and barking at the operator to send and ambulance as quickly as possibly.
As you’re whisked away on a stretcher, the EMTs talk in raised voices. Sousuke stands outside your home, running his hands through his hair as the ambulance siren blares and the vehicle speeds away down your quiet street. Dashing back inside, he quickly dials your parents, explaining the situation begging them to come take care of Junior. They hastily agree, and before they can say another word, Sousuke is pulling on his shoes and bolting out the door.
Once Sousuke and your parents, along with your son, had all reached the hospital, they were informed that you had fallen into a coma due to kidney failure. Your parents had left the room with broken sobs, their worst fear finally having come true. Days turned into weeks since you collapsed and Sousuke hadn’t left your side, not once. Rin had come to pay you both a visit, and gingerly urged Sousuke to get out of the hospital for a while, to get some fresh air and a real meal. That conversation had ended with Rin receiving a black eye.
“You think for one second I’m going to leave?!” Sousuke had roared, eyes blazing with sadness and anger. “What if in the five minutes I’m gone she wakes up, huh?!”
Tonight was like any other, your life support machine beeped slowly and steadily and Sousuke sat in a chair next to your bedside, exhausted eyes scanning your face for any sign of movement. He knew what was going on outside the room and so he took these last few moments to gently pull your hand into his own and rub circles on the back of it with his thumb.
In the hall, the doctors solemnly hand your father a clipboard asking for consent to disconnect your life support. Your father’s hands shake as he takes the offered clipboard and signs his name at the bottom. You hadn’t shown any positive signs in five weeks and so they decided it was time. Quietly entering the room, the female nurse who had so diligently been watching over you, approaches the machine keeping you alive, and gently turns the switch to the “off” position. She bows slightly to Sousuke before slipping out of the room and closing the door behind her. Sousuke’s eyes fall closed as the beeping of your heart monitor gradually begins to slow down. He bites his lip and screws his eyebrows together in attempt to fight back his tears. Once the monitor reaches a steady flat line, signaling your peaceful passing, he opens his dull, teal orbs and gazes down at your pale face, tears now freely making their way down his cheeks. Leaning down, he presses a kiss to your forehead, before rising to his feet, and shuffling out of your room.
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Years had passed since your death and Sousuke doing a fine job of raising your son. Now seven years old, Sousuke had packed him a lunch and dropped him off at school. Every year around the anniversary of your death, the police station gave him a few days off. Sitting at home, on the closed in porch, a bittersweet smile creases his lips as he looks through photo albums of the two of you. You’d left him too quickly, he didn’t know how to raise a child, wasn’t even sure if he was doing it correctly now. Your life had ended too soon; you still had so much more to offer and so much more joy to bring into his life. Everyday since you left, he’d never gotten used to the empty space beside him when he woke up, never got used to the dark house when he and Junior came home, never got used to making every meal, never got used to the lack of your smile, your laugh, your gentle touch, your voice, or your sparkling eyes. Everyday of his life, he supposed he would never be over losing you.