(3 years ago)
Kouh Clinic, December 23, 1979
A doctor was looking at a woman with black hair streaked with purple highlights. She sat at the edge of a chair directly in front of his desk, dark circles shadowing her eyes.
The doctor studied some papers and ultrasound images, taking a slow breath to gather his words, and finally looked up at her with quiet concern.
The woman noticed the pause and grew nervous. "So… is everything alright?" she asked.
The doctor's lips pressed together. "I… I'm very sorry," he said carefully, keeping his tone gentle. "It seems the pregnancy isn't developing the way we hoped. The fetus has stopped growing."
Her hand tightened instinctively on her stomach, trembling slightly. She blinked rapidly, as if trying to process the words. After a long pause, she whispered, "Is… is there any way to save it? Anything at all?"
The doctor shook his head slowly, his expression softening. "I know this is incredibly hard to hear. Medically, there's nothing that can restore the growth. There are a few options to ensure your health: waiting, medication, or a minor procedure. But right now… take your time. You don't have to decide immediately."
Her gaze dropped to the floor. Her shoulders slumped, Her eyes glistened, but she blinked rapidly, refusing to let the tears fall
"I… I just…" she began, voice catching, "Okay...."
The doctor offered a reassuring nod, giving her the space she needed. He didn't speak again.
She left the office shortly after, walking slowly through the hospital corridors. Her movements were mechanical, her mind fogged by sorrow. By the time she reached the small park near the hospital, her steps faltered. She sank onto a bench in front of a pond, watching the ducks glide across the water. The quiet life around her, ducks swimming, a few distant children laughing, only sharpened the ache in her chest.
Her tears finally spilled over, uncontrolled and hot. She buried her face in her hands, letting the grief she had tried to hold in the office finally pour out. The weight of loss, pressed down on her, and she finally allowed herself to break completely.
Images of Jonatan came unbidden, sharp and vivid. His laugh echoing in the quiet of their apartment, the way his hand fit perfectly over hers, the mornings when he brewed coffee just the way she liked it. Not even a few weeks had passed since the plane crash had taken him from her, and the wound still throbbed as though it were fresh. She could almost feel him beside her now, a presence that had been ripped away far too soon.
Her chest tightened, a mixture of longing and despair pressing down like a weight she could not lift. She had already lost so much, the man she loved, and now she had also lost their child. The world felt impossibly cruel, and she let herself sink fully into the grief, letting the tears run freely and the pain claimed her, as the fragile hope for a future that had once seemed bright slowly died.
QUACK!
A sudden noise broke through her thoughts. She looked up to see a man standing a few feet away, tossing small pieces of bread into the pond. The ducks hurried toward each crumb, quacking and flapping their wings in eager anticipation. The man moved with quiet grace
Her sobs caught in her throat as she watched. There was something calming about him, something warm. For a moment, she forgot the pain that weighed her down, her eyes drawn to the simple, peaceful scene, the man, the pond, the hungry ducks, and the white robes he was wearing.
The man paused, sensing her gaze, and turned slowly. His hood shadowed most of his face, but a gentle light in his green eyes softened the features that were visible.
He then walked up to the bench and sat across from her, and they both remained silent for a moment. The man watched the ducks scurry about, while she couldn't take her eyes off him. There was something about him that didn't feel natural, though she couldn't explain why.
He then asked, "Is everything alright?" He could practically feel the sorrow rolling off her.
She shook her head slightly, eyes fixed on the pond. "I… I don't know," she whispered, voice barely audible.
The man noticed the tears threatening to spill over and remained quiet for a moment, letting her gather her thoughts. Then he spoke softly, his voice calm and steady. "Sometimes… having someone to share your thoughts with can make the pain a little more bearable."
She blinked, her gaze still fixed on the pond. For a long moment, she said nothing, only let out a shaky sigh.
"I… I don't even know where to start," she whispered, her hands twisting in her lap. "Everything just… feels so wrong."
The man stayed silent, offering her the space she needed to speak.
"I lost him…" Her voice cracked. "My husband… Jonatan. Not even a few weeks ago… he was on a plane coming back to Japan… one that crashed, leaving no survivors." She swallowed hard, tears spilling over despite herself. "And now… this…" She pressed a trembling hand to her stomach, shivering as if the weight of it all might break her. "The last thing he left me… our child, yet to be born… I've failed him."
She gently rested a hand on her stomach, as if trying to cradle what remained.
The man stayed quiet for a moment, letting her words settle in the air. The ducks paddled gently on the pond, quacking softly as they nibbled at the bread.
"You didn't fail him," he said finally, his voice calm, steady. "What happened… was not your doing."
His gaze softened as he looked directly into her eyes, the pale green of his eyes warm and steady. A gentle nod acknowledged the weight of her grief, conveying understanding without the need for further words.
After a pause, he spoke again, his voice quiet but sure. "Even in sorrow… life can still hold moments of hope, if we let them."
Then he said something she did not expect, his tone calm,
"Your child… he is not lost."
She froze, her hands tightening in her lap. "I… what do you mean?" she whispered, voice trembling.
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze steady and warm. "Even when the world has turned against us… even when loss surrounds us… life still moves through the smallest of hearts. Your child is a gift. If he were here, would you cherish him, as he has been given to you?"
"I… I would," she whispered finally, her voice trembling, tears spilling over once more. "I would love him." She spoke the words almost without realizing, as if answering a question that had been echoing in her heart.
Then he extended his hand toward her, palm open, inviting her to take it. A sudden breeze caught his hood, sweeping it back and revealing long, golden hair that shimmered in the soft light. Her eyes caught the pale glow reflecting off his skin, and without fully realizing it, she reached out and took his hand.
A gentle smile touched his lips. "An amazing answer, Tomoko," he said softly. Her eyes widened,
'how did he know my name?'
He closed his hand gently around hers, and his voice lowered, as if speaking only to her heart. "May life flow through him, and may he be a light for the world."
As he spoke, a warm, bright glow began to radiate from him, surrounding both of them. She blinked, shielding her eyes, and felt a strange, comforting warmth seep through her fingers, eventually spreading all over her body.
FLAPPP!
She heard the loud flap of multiple wings, and in that instant, he was gone, leaving only the lingering warmth in her hand and a quiet peace in her chest. She looked down at her hand, still tingling from the touch.
She stood up, her legs shaky, and looked around, searching to see if the man was still there, but he had vanished.
For the rest of the day, Tomoko Higashikata tried to focus on her life, carrying on as best she could. It wasn't until she returned to the hospital to make a decision about the miscarriage that the doctors noticed something extraordinary, the child was… growing again.
They exchanged puzzled glances, murmuring among themselves. It was an unprecedented case, one that defied every explanation science could offer. Tomoko's heart raced, a mixture of disbelief, fear, and a fragile spark of hope. she understood that Something beyond understanding had intervened and it was most likely that man she meet in the park.
A couple of months later, a child was born. He had the same dark hair with purple highlights as Tomoko, but on the back of its shoulder was a small, distinct birthmark… shaped like a star.
*****
Present day ( 1984, April 7th)
Haru was sleeping peacefully, cocooned in his blankets, no worries in the world.
Standing in front of his bed was his mother, severely pissed.
She had been trying to wake this lazy bum for over ten minutes so he could get ready for his first day of preschool. Finally, fed up with her time being wasted, she yanked the end of his covers and pulled him out.
Haru's eyes shot open at the sudden movement, and before he could react, he rolled onto the floor.
"WOOOOOW!" he exclaimed as he scrambled upright, still half-caught in the shock of being ripped from his cozy cocoon.
He looked up to see his mother's face, twisted with anger for some reason, and he stammered,
"Uh… hi…?"