What Was Mommy Like?

Aang stood outside the temple watching the sunrise. It was a beautiful moment. He had seen many before, but something about this one was special, not your ordinary sunrise.

The morning was warm, and a gentle breeze blew around him. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, all signs of a good day approaching.

But for the past five years, Aang hadn't had a good day. His life felt empty, like a hole buried deep within his heart. It was hard to believe that five years had past since he lost the waterbender he loved.

During childbirth, she passed away, leaving Aang to care for their son.

The journey since then was long, and painful. Aang was often burdened with the enormous task of raising as a single parent. Aang loved Tenzin with all his heart, but he didn't feel right raising him without Katara.

What kind of child grows up without a mother? He often said to himself.

A mother is the root of a child's life, she's the one to nurture and care for him. A father shouldn't have to do it alone.

Every morning when Aang woke up he thought about these things. How desperately he wanted Katara back with him, and how much he wanted Tenzin to know his mother.

He hadn't spoken much about her to him, not wanting to upset the boy. But as Aang thought about it more, he began to feel guilty. Was he denying his son the right to know about Katara?

No, he couldn't reveal what happened to her. Tenzin was too young, it would break his heart. But then again, it didn't have to continue to hurt Aang as he kept his feelings huddled inside.

If he talked to Tenzin about Katara, maybe, the wounds would start to heal. They could miss her together, and go on living a life in her memory.

As Aang pondered these things, he didn't hear the sound of tiny footsteps aprouching from behind. He felt a tug on his robe, and looked down to see who was there. It was Tenzin, holding the stuffed bison Katara had bought him a month before she gave birth.

"Daddy, what are you doing?" he asked.

Aang smiled. Hearing his son's voice in the morning always seemed to cheer him up.

"I'm watching the sunrise," he said. "Its something I do every morning."

"Why?" Tenzin asked, curiously.

"It's peaceful, and I find comfort in it."

"Does mommy watch the sunrise too?"

Aang's heart skipped a beat. A question he hoped his son wouldn't ask. Aang couldn't bear to bring it to himself to talk about Katara. The truth hurt too much. By telling Tenzin what happened to her, would only increase the agony deep within him.

"I don't know son, maybe" he replied.

"What was mommy like" he asked.

Aang didn't reply at once. He continued to stare off into the sunrise, letting the heat boil his eyes. Suddenly, a realization came over him. He had to tell Tenzin the truth about Katara. Who she was, and why she wasn't here anymore. Sitting down on the ledge, he pulled Tenzin close to him and gave him a kiss on his forehead.

"You want to know what mommy was like?" he asked, trying to hide the sorrow in his voice.

"Yes" Tenzin said. He seemed excited, as if he was going to hear a story. Only this story didn't have a happy ending.

"Well, she was compassionate, brave, very pretty," Aang began. "I met her when I was twelve years old. She freed me from an iceberg after one hundred years."

"What did you think when you first met her?" Tenzin asked.

"I thought she was the most wonderful person in the world," Aang said honestly. "I never met someone who had as much courage and determination as she had."

Aang fought back the tears as he continued the story.

"She was a waterbender" he said. And a very skilled one if I might add. She mastered the element when she was fourteen years old, the youngest person ever to do so." She eventually surpassed me in the art, and ended up becoming my teacher."

"Mommy taught you?" But you're the Avatar; you know how to do anything."

Aang laughed. "Well, even the Avatar needs help with a few things."

"But in all honesty, I couldn't have asked for a better teacher. She was patient; very open minded, and an overall excellent instructor."

"And the more time we traveled together, the more I fell in love with her." There were many times during our journey when I tried to puck up the courage, and profess this to her, but something always got in the way, like my nerves."

"Did she love you back?" Tenzin asked, now even more interested in the story.

Aang smiled. Oh how many nights he spent wondering if she held affection for him as well. But the moment she kissed him on the balcony of Iroh's teashop, assured him that their feelings were mutual. Katara loved him, and he loved her.

"Yes she did," Aang said proudly. "Though she didn't know it for the longest time, when it finally occurred to her how much we meant to each other, she let me know."

Tenzin scooted closer to his father and wrapped his arms around him. Aang pulled his son to his side, rubbing his hand up and down his back. Speaking of Katara like this was soothing.

Aang was flooded with memories with every word he spoke. He could tell his son felt soothed as well, as if he was happy hearing about his mother. As the two sat still for a few minutes, Aang noticed a tear fall from Tenzin's eye. The memories were pleasant, but they were also painful. Even though Tenzin never knew her, Aang could tell he deeply missed her.

"Where is mommy?" he asked sniffling.

The hardest question to answer hit like a bolt of lightning. This was the moment of truth. Aang knew he couldn't lie about a serious question such as this. He had to be open with his son, and let him know that Katara was gone, but in a better place. He pulled his son close to his chest, and softly spoke to him.

"She's in the spirit world," he said, letting the tears fall from his eyes. The words rolled off his tongue, he couldn't believe he finally did it.

"She passed away shortly after you were born," he said.

"Is it because she didn't like me?" Tenzin asked, now sobbing with tears.

"No, no, she loves you more than anything in the world, Tenzin. Sometimes, when women give birth, they loose so much energy that they cant continue on. That's what happened to mommy. But don't ever think that she doesn't love you, Tenzin. You're her pride and joy, and she watches down on you everyday. Just remember that whenever you feel alone, remember that she'll always be there for you, in your heart."

"I miss her everyday. Not a day goes by when I don't think of her. We went through so much together. She was truly the greatest thing in my life. And see what we brought into the world, was even greater. You Tenzin are the most special thing in my life. I love you with every beat of my heart. Just as mommy is, I'll always be there for you as well. You're the light of my life, my little boy."

And as the sun fully rose above the temple, Aang and Tenzin sat together in a warm embrace. Love filled the air on that day, and the hearts of father and son beat softly together. Katara hadn't truly gone away; she was there that day, and smiling down at the two she loved the most.

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.

This is a very special one-shot for me. I lost my mother when I was thirteen years old. Next week will be the fourth anniversary of her death. I miss her everyday, and often wonder if she's proud of the man I've become. I hope you enjoyed this fic.

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