~Suzuno's POV~

It was really cold during Winter... Snow was piling up our yard and the sidewalks, including the streets were blocked with big piles of snow! But I didn't mind, I enjoyed winter... The only thing I didn't enjoy was when my mother was terribly ill... She couldn't leave her bed, she could only sit on her bed, she couldn't walk anymore. My father died abroad, so that leaves just me and my mother, I didn't go to school because of my mother's sickness, I had to stay home for her, I didn't like to see her sick... She's the only family I have, I love her...

Chapter 1: Mother's Gift

"Mommy! Look what I got you!" Suzuno showed her mom a beautiful white flower from the garden, smiling happily.

"T-that's sweet of you, Fuusuke..." Fuushyoka sat on the bed and took the flower.

"Do you like it?" Suzuno asked with a smile.

"Yes, a lot." Fuushyoka nodded and smiled back. "But it'll be more prettier, like this!" She placed the flower on Suzuno's ear, and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Why did you give it back? You told me you like it!" Suzuno looked sad.

"Of coarse I like it, but it looks prettier on you." Fuushyoka smiled.

"...You just don't like it." Suzuno looked down.

"N-no Fuusuke! I love it, but I love you more." Fuushyoka placed her hands on Suzuno's face. "...You're my flower, you cheer me up everyday, you're my sun, because you brighten up my day." She smiled.

"M-mommy..." Suzuno teared up and hugged Fuushyoka crying.

"Shh... Don't cry..." Fuushyoka hugged back and stroked Suzuno's hair.

The next day, Suzuno made some rice cakes for her and her mother, but Fuushyoka felt worse than yesterday.

"Mommy! I made you rice cakes!" Suzuno smiled and brought a tray of them.

"Thank you Fuusuke, but..." Fuushyoka looked sad.

"But what mommy?" Suzuno looked sad too.

"First, I have to give you something." Fuushyoka smiled.

"What is it mommy?" Suzuno tilted her head.

"It's right over that shelf, honey, could you get it for me?" Fuushyoka asked kindly.

"Okay!" Suzuno happily said and went to the shelf and opened it. "Which one mommy?" Suzuno looked around upon seeing so much old stuff.

"That one dear, the small box." Fuushyoka pointed at the small box in the shelf.

"Okay!" Suzuno took the box and gave it to her mom. "What is it?" She asked.

"It's my old music box, me and your grandfather made it." Fuushyoka held the small box in her hands.

"Could I listen to it?" Suzuno looked excited.

"Of coarse, Fuusuke." Fuushyoka smiled and patted Suzuno's head then lend the music box to her.

Suzuno got the music box, but she can't find the turner/ key.

"Mom? Where's the thingy?" Suzuno asked, she didn't know what to call it.

"What thingy?" Fuushyoka laughed.

"The thing you turn so you could hear it." Suzuno replied.

"Oh, the key?" Fuushyoka smiled.

"Yes! ...Or whatever that's called." Suzuno giggled.

"It's inside the box, Fuusuke, it's a small key with a color of gold." Fuushyoka said.

Suzuno opened the box and saw a key in one of the two containers inside.

"This one?" Suzuno held the key and showed it to her mother.

"Yes, that's the key." Fuushyoka nodded. "Do ten turns exactly." she added.

Suzuno placed the key in the hole and turned it ten times, then music box played a beautiful tune. (The tune's River Flows in You by Yiruma)

"It's the music you thought me on our old piano!" Suzuno turned to Fuushyoka happily.

"Yes it is... Beautiful, is it?" Fuushyoka laughed silently and smiled at Suzuno.

"Yes! Very!" Suzuno smiled back. "...But too bad we sold our old piano, I hope we can get a new one." She looked down.

"Fuusuke, I'm giving this to you, so you'll remember me." Fuushyoka smiled.

"What are you trying to say? You're going to leave me?" Suzuno asked sadly.

"...Fuusuke, mommy has a feeling that she won't last long." Fuushyoka said sadly.

"NO! I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE! STAY MOMMY! STAY!" Suzuno cried and hugged her mom tightly.

"Fuusuke... I don't want to leave you too, but, mommy's weak already." Fuushyoka hugged her back.

"...Mommy, please, don't go!" Suzuno muffled crying on her mom's chest. "...Please." she added.

"Fuusuke, have the strength when mommy leaves, okay?" Fuushyoka looked at Suzuno's teary face, and started to cry.

"No! You'll stay! You won't leave until I say so!" Suzuno looked back at her.

"Fuusuke..." Fuushyoka said.

"You'll stay, I said no!" Suzuno hugged Fuushyoka again.

"Here." Fuushyoka got a necklace from her neck and placed it of Suzuno's.

Suzuno felt a metal string on her neck and stopped hugging Fuushyoka, she held the necklace that had a heart-shaped locket.

"What's this?" Suzuno sniffled and wiped her tears.

"It's a locket your father gave me before he went abroad." Fuushyoka smiled. "Here, I'll open the locket for you." She held the locket and pressed the tiny button on the side. Suzuno looked at it.

"It's you and daddy..." Suzuno touched the gray-colored picture of her dad. "I miss daddy so much..." She sniffled. "You're giving me this?" Suzuno looked up at her mom.

"Yes." Fuushyoka smiled and nodded. "So you can remember me and daddy." she added.

Suzuno closed the locked and held it in her hand and placed it on her chest.

"Oh, and don't loose the turn key! If you'll loose it, you can't play the music bo anymore." Fuushyoka smiled.

"How can I not loose the turn key?" Suzuno replied, she looses stuff easily sometimes.

"Give me the locket and the key." Fuushyoka stretched out her hand to Suzuno.

"Here!" Suzuno gave her the turn key and the locket to her and smiled happily. Fuushyoka smiled and took them both, she placed the key along with the locket.

"There... So it won't get lost." Fuushyoka smiled as she held the two ends of the necklace with both of her hands, showing it to Suzuno. Then she placed it around Suzuno's neck again.

Suzuno held and looked at the locket and the turn key beside each other.

"..." Suzuno teared up, and hicced. "Mommy..." Suzuno looked at Fuushyoka with tears rolling down her face, then hugged her tightly again. "PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME!" Suzuno cried.

Fuushyoka didn't reply anymore, instead she hugged her back.

The next day, Suzuno woke up in her room upon the warm light shining on her face, she stretched and yawned and took her favorite toy, Yuu-chan and ran down stairs to her mother's room. (Yuu-chan is a big blue plush bunny, nearly half the size of Suzuno.)

"Good morning mom!" Suzuno said happily hugging Yuu-chan.

"...F-Fuusuke..." Fuushyoka said in a soft brittle voice, laying down her bed with her half-opened eyes.

"MOMMY?!" Suzuno ran to her. "WHAT'S WRONG?!" She asked worriedly.

"Fuusuke... I-I think-"

"NO! I TOLD YOU NO! YOU'RE STAYING WITH ME!" Suzuno bursted in tears and wiped her tears with her blue sweater's sleaves.

"F-Fuusuke... Please don't cry..." Fuushyoka stretched out her hand and held Suzuno's left cheek.

"M-mommy..." Suzuno sniffled and hugged Fuushyoka's arm.

"F-Fuusuke... Promise me you take good care of the locket and the music box I gave you okay?" Fuushyoka started tearing up.

"I'LL ONLY PROMISE YOU IF YOU'LL STAY!" Suzuno hugged her mother's arm tighter.

"F-Fuusuke... Please... Promise to me n-now..." Fuushyoka wiped Suzuno's tears with her thumb, Suzuno nodded and continued hugging Fuushyoka's arm. "G-good..." Fuushyoka smiled.

"Mommy... But promise me you'll stay..." Suzuno cried, but Fuushyoka shooked her head.

"...I-I'm sorry Suzuno..." Fuushyoka started loosing her breath. "A-at least... *gasp* I...*gasp* get to... *gasp* see you... for... the last... time..." She started to close her eyes slowly. "I-I love... you... Fuusu...ke..." Fuushyoka closed her eyes as a tear rolled down her eye, her grip on Suzuno's cheek got loose.

"M-mommy...?" Suzuno said as she didn't feel her mom's hand moving anymore, suddenly Fuushyoka's hand fell lifelessly on the bed. "Mommmy!" Suzuno shouted, trying to wake her up. "Mom! Look! I'm holding your hand! so please wake up!" Suzuno held Fuushyoka's hand tightly but there was no response from Fuushyoka anymore, then Suzuno placed Fuushyoka's hand on her cheeck again. "Mommy! Hold my cheek again! Please!" But Fuushyoka's hand fell lifelessly on the bed again. "M-mom...? MOM!" Suzuno bursted in tears. "NO! YOU CAN'T BE DEAD! YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE ME!" She hugged Fuushyoka's arm tightly, but still, Fuushyoka wasn't responding to her cries anymore.

Suzuno ran outside the house, crying and shouting.

"HELP! PLEASE! MY MOMMY'S NOT WAKING UP!" Suzuno cried outside the house that got the attention of some neighbors and went to Suzuno's house, some called the nieghbor doctor, who was one of Fuushyoka's friends.

"Fuusuke! What's wrong?!" Miki, the bestfriend of Fuushyoka asked as she rushed to Suzuno.

"It's mommy! She won't wake up!" Suzuno cried and burried her face on Yuu-chan, while pointing at the house.

"I'm here! Someone called me up." Mr. Jun, the neighborhood doctor arrived.

Later, Miki stood beside Fuushyoka's bed, while the doctor wrapped a blanket on Fuushyoka's body. (Except the head.)

"Will mommy be okay Jun-san?" Suzuno smiled worriedly. Mr. Jun started to walk to the phone but stopped beside Suzuno and shooked his head and continued walking to the phone.

Something in Suzuno snapped that made her break apart, her lower lip started shaking, tears rolled down her face, she cried and burried her face on Yuu-chan again.

"F-Fuusuke..." Miki hugged Suzuno and stroked her hair.

"Mommy..." Suzuno hugged back and held the locket and the turn key that Fuushyoka gave her. "I promise, I'll take care of the locket and the music box." she whispered.

-End of Chapter 1-