A/N: Not much to say about this except it’s the nostalgic visit of one orange-haired shinigami to his mother’s grave.

Happy Mother’s Day, Everyone! Love, Trinity

Disclaimer: Don’t own. Can’t own. Want to own. Damn.

Laughter

-“Pooh?” whispered Piglet.

“Yes, Piglet?” said Pooh.

“Oh, nothing,” said Piglet.

“I was just making sure of you.”-

For all the mothers,

And all their children that love them.

This wasn’t the first time that he had been here. This wasn’t the first time that his eyes had glazed over as he stared at the stone. This wasn’t the first time that his heart ached with a strange sense of nostalgia. No, this wasn’t his first time here, but it was special.

“Hey mom,” He said to the stone. “It’s me.”

He remembered his mother in vibrant, graphic detail. The smell of her hair, the color of her eyes, the pitch of her lighthearted laughter. Everything shone like a priceless gem in his mind, flawless and unscathed. She had been a beautiful woman, young and exuberant. She loved life, and life loved her.

Her hair had been long and waved like the waves of an ocean, her eyes a unique hue of honey brown. He remembered the way her eyebrows arched when she would be surprised. He remembered the way her lips would curve into a perfect arc when she smiled. She was kind and quiet except for when she laughed.

He had never seen her mad or sad or scared. She had been fearless and sweet and he felt like she had been his guardian angel in disguise, for nothing less than heavenly could describe her being.

His mind took him back to winter breaks where the scent of cookies and cinnamon would float on the warm and inviting air of their home when he would walk in from the snowy cold of outside. After playing in the snow with his little sisters, he would always rush into the kitchen to assist his mother in her baking.

Before he became even decent at martial arts, he would sit and cry in the ring after losing. The sight of his mother with her smile and holding out her hand to take him home would dry his tears and make him smile.

His mind then shifted to one particular rainy day. They had been walking home from practice, his mother shielding them with an umbrella. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a girl standing by the river. Not knowing that it would be his most cherished person’s demise, he ran for her. Terrified for his safety, she ran after him. He awoke entwined in his mother’s arms, her body cold.

His amber eyes dulled a bit at the memory.

“I know I haven’t been here in a while and I’m sorry for that. There was some stuff going on at home, and it’s just been hectic. Since being appointed as a captain in the Gotei, it’s been crazy. I’ve had nonstop paperwork, missions, and not to mention the personal life. You would laugh if you heard everything that’s happened.”

He paused.

“He’s gone, mom. The Grand Fisher, I mean. I think dad already told you about it, but he kicked his butt some years ago. I’m just sorry that I didn’t do it. I still feel that it’s my fault though. That you’d still be here if I didn’t run off… If I wasn’t so stupid.”

He paused again, then smiled.

“I don’t know why life’s been so kind to me lately. I couldn’t protect you, and countless people have been hurt because of me. But I want you to know that I’m doing better. I’m getting stronger so I can protect them. And now I have to get even stronger because I’ve got someone else that I have to protect now.”

“Ichigo!”

He turned to see his small wife trot up the path, her light blue sundress fluttering behind her in the early spring breeze. “There you are baka! Don’t run off like that!” Her eyes of rough sapphire bore deeply into his smooth amber, but with a gentle intensity. Her raven hair had gotten longer since when he had met her. It was now almost to her shoulder blades.

She looked down to the tombstone and immediately understood. “Do you want me to wait for you down the path?” she asked softly. He shook his head.

“No, you actually had pretty good timing showing up here. I was just about to tell mom about you two.” She smiled, handing the small bundle in her arms to her husband. They turned to face the tombstone again.

“I didn’t want you to know about her until today because I thought that today would be the most appropriate day to introduce her. This is your new granddaughter, Kurosaki Masaki.”

The baby laughed happily in her father’s arms. He smiled tenderly down at the bubbly child. “We named her after you because she has your smile. Rukia thought of the idea first, but we weren’t sure until she was born. The moment we saw her smile at us, we knew that no other name in the world could fit her as well as yours could.”

Rukia smiled as she took the squirming baby from Ichigo’s arms. “She’s getting fussy, so I’ll start back down. Come and meet us when you’ve finished.” Ichigo nodded.

Once the silence settled again, he continued. “I’d better go now before Masaki gets any more temper-mental. She’s got her mother’s patience level, that’s for sure,” He chuckled. “I promise I’ll visit again soon, mom. I love you, and happy mother’s day.”

A minute afterward, he started down the trail towards his awaiting wife and daughter, the occupying memory of just a moment ago floating through his mind.

It may have been a trick of the light or even his imagination. Maybe the nostalgia was getting to be too much for him. For when he had turned to leave, there was the faint silhouette of a woman with hair long like waves and eyes the shade of honey brown. And he would never be fully sure, but he could have sworn he heard her laughter.

A/N: Happy Belated Mother’s Day! R&R! Domo arigato!

Ja ne,

TrinityFire13Guardian137