The time stood still as the two ladies from different generations staring at one another with shock. The two men looked at both of them. The young one supported the young lady while the older one just stood motionless near to the bed of the older lady.
"How... How could this be?" Masami was the first to get out of her daze. Her eyes remained on Tsubaki's face but her question was directed to Mr. Souma, "Hisato... How could..."
The unadulterated shock was evident on the woman's haggard and pale face.
"Your daughter is here," Mr. Souma was as nonchalant as always, "Well, don't bother me. You guys should just talk among yourselves."
"No, wait..."
Mr. Souma walked out of the room, leaving a baffled Masami. Before he left, he silently glanced at Tsubaki who couldn't move her gaze away from her own mother.
A thought rose up in his mind.
Finally, everything returns to its original state.
It's just, you're not here, Takahisa.
Mr. Souma closed the main door of the room, leaving the three of them inside. He couldn't see nor hear them but, he chose to ignore it.
His part had come to the end.
Inside the room, Tsubaki and Masami were still looking at one another. None of them spoke. Their expression cast a heavy air around them.
"Greetings, Mother," Ren took the initiative to break the oppressing silence. He calmly stared at his mother-in-law, "I'm not sure if Mr. Souma has told you about me. I'm Fuse Ren, Tsubaki's husband."
"Ah... Yes, I've heard about you," Masami slowly gathered back her senses. Even so, she appeared so flustered. She vigorously rubbed her eyes, trying to wipe her tears away, "That... Why do you... I..."
She didn't even know from where should she start.
"How could... you are here?" The frail woman sobbed, "That Hisato... Did he do something again? I've told him... To not tell you about me..."
The tears she wiped continued pouring out of her eyes. She tried hard to muffle down the sound of her crying.
Tsubaki felt her heart was twisted painfully. The burning tingling sensation spread all over her heart. It rose up to her throat, almost choking her.
"Mother," Tsubaki took a step toward the bed. She swallowed a lump in her throat, "Am I... allowed to call you that?"
Masami's shoulders jolted. She dazedly lowered her hands from covering her face.
Once again, their eyes met.
"...Could I?" Tsubaki asked again. This time, her voice was so small as if she was afraid she would receive a rejection.
Masami shook her head tearfully, "How could you... Am I worthy to be called that?"
She had dreamed of her daughters calling her 'Mother', but, did she deserve it?
From the day they were born until now, her nights would always be accompanied by her beloved lover and children, living happily.
But, her situation was far from reality.
"Of course," Tsubaki replied firmly, "Mother. You are my mother."
Masami wept again. This time, she didn't cry alone. Tsubaki approached her. She awkwardly lifted up her hands and gently embrace the skinny figure in her arms.
It was the first time she hugged her mother. The heavy smell of medicine lingered on her body. It ached Tsubaki's heart when she was reminded of the fact that her mother was gravely ill.
How long she had suffered alone?
"Mother... I'm here... I've found you..."
Tsubaki burst into tears. She wept and wailed. The sound of her crying got louder and more heartwrenching when a pair of fragile arms hugged her back.
"Tsubaki... Don't cry... Please, don't cry..." Masami's cries intertwined with her daughter's.
Tsubaki tightened her arms around the woman who gave birth to her.
You sacrificed so much for us. Even though you didn't physically exist in our lives, it was because you loved us too much, forcing you to be separated from us.
From now on, I would hold onto you.
The mother and daughter, who met directly for the first time, only ceased crying after a long time. Ren acted as support when he handed two glasses of water to the two ladies. He also gave tissue to his mother-in-law before he proceeded to wipe his wife's face.
"Thank you..." Masami took the tissue from the respectable-looking young man.
Strangely enough, although she was terribly shocked to see her daughter here, her troubled heart calmed down. There was a lingering sensation of heartache but the tranquility overcame the pain.
Masami silently looked at her daughter and her son-in-law.
Before, Hisato would always show her the photos of them. She could only ease her longing for her daughter by seeing the photos taken from afar.
But, at this moment, her daughter was here, right in front of her.
Her eyes were stung again. Even so, Masami forced herself to not cry.
"Mother, we're sorry if our appearance has startled you," Ren was calm as he gently rubbed Tsubaki's back, "We didn't mean to. But, as you have met with Tsubaki, it's better if you two talk."
"...It's nothing," Masami lightly shook her head. Her smile was rueful as she dazedly stared at the empty glass of water in her hands. Her eyes went to Tsubaki who was also looking at her, "I really... don't know how to talk to you and... I didn't expect to see you..."
"Mr. Souma didn't tell you anything?" Tsubaki still asked even though she had guessed the answer.
Her mother shook her head again, "Hisato didn't mention anything. But, to see you here..."
"Mother, I've known the truth," Tsubaki carefully cut her off, "I've known about you and Father, about Souma family and... that you left me to my adopted mother. I've even read the postcards you sent her."
"How did... you find out?" Masami gasped, "Since when?"
"It's a long story," Tsubaki smiled, "It's just, ever since I knew I was adopted, never did I expect that I could see you..."
Masami lowered her eyes. A wave of guilt slammed the shore of her heart. She was ashamed of herself.
Happiness burst forth within her, as well as sadness and guilt when she finally could touch and hug her daughter. The only times she could do so was when both of her daughters were only a few days old.
The last time she held them dearly in her arms was the time she had to send them away to other people's care.
She couldn't even hug nor kiss her firstborn before Hinata was cremated.
On the day of Hinata's funeral, her heart shattered into countless pieces as if it was made of glass. Unable to control herself, she sneaked in among the visitors.
While the close family could accompany the deceased, she could only assume the role of someone who came to pay the last visit.
"...I'm sorry... I couldn't protect you and your sister... I'm useless... Both of you suffered so much... It's better if you don't know me..."
The tears Masami tried hard to hold back finally rushed out of her eyes. They rolled nonstop, resembling a broken dam. Her cries quickly filled the room.
Tsubaki was startled. She lunged forward and hugged the fragile older woman.
"Mother, please, don't say that... Don't ever say that..." Tsubaki hiccuped. She desperately held onto her mother when Masami tried to struggle out of her embrace, "You've done enough. You've done enough for us. You did all of that because you love us."
"...I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Tsubaki, Hinata, Takahisa... I'm sorry..."
All of the sorrow and grievances she kept silently finally poured out. Masami no longer struggled. Her bony hands were now gripped Tsubaki's shoulders as if she was afraid if she let her daughter go, Tsubaki would disappear from her life again.
"I'm here, Mother... I'm here..." Tsubaki pressed her face on Masami's shoulder. Despite her tears falling down her face, she gently persuaded her mother, "Father and Sister aren't with us but... We have each other, we have each other from now..."
So, Mother, it's time for you to rest and be happy.
Ren wore a complicated look as he sullenly staring at the two women who were now crying once again. A sense of uneasiness swept his heart. It irritated him because he couldn't pinpoint why did he feel so.
With the appearance of her mother-in-law, the mystery regarding his wife's past had come to the end. Even so, he still couldn't resolve the matter of the accident that happened that night.
The only conclusion he arrived at was...
The accident was not premeditated.
It just happened on that fateful night, thus, changing the course of their lives for five years.
Ren inadvertently clenched his fists.
Did what he assumed was correct?
That...
Tsubaki erased him from her memories because...
Ren vigorously shook his head, pushing the dreadful assumption away. His action went unnoticed by the two ladies who were still focusing on one another.
No... This was not time to think of it yet.
He would rather she didn't remember anything if that...was true.