InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Little Bits ❯ Reminisce ( Chapter 31 )

Mrs. Higurashi woke up, and remembered that it was Kagome's birthday.

Her 19th birthday.

And her daughter would not be celebrating it with her.

She pressed her hands against her eyes to stop the tears, and then took a few deep breaths to calm herself before getting up. Reminding herself that it was silly to cry; that Kagome had gone to be with her husband, and that she had many happy birthdays in that other time, Kagome's mother performed her usual morning ablutions and dressed, before heading towards the kitchen.

She was mildly surprised to discover that she was not the first person to reach that room. "Good morning, Inuyasha."

The aged hanyo looked up from the glass of water he had been contemplating and smiled at her. "Good morning … mama."

She returned his smile, studying his face. He looked so much better than he had that day weeks before, when he had unexpectedly shown up on her doorstep, filthy, bedraggled, and monstrous, nearly unrecognizable in his sane-youkai form. Overriding any attempts to protest, she had made him stay. Now, after several weeks of good food and ample rest, it was much easier to see the youthful Inuyasha who had stolen her daughter's heart. He had gained weight, most of the pain had left his face, his hair had regained luster (if not thickness), and his ears were once again upright, furry triangles of restless movement. Even his youkai features had shrunken or faded, if not entirely disappeared.

As she studied him, he studied her, tilting his head slightly, ears focused on her. His smile slid away. "You're sad," he whispered. "Why?"

She blinked, and then swallowed. "Today's Kagome's birthday," she said. "I was just feeling sad, that I couldn't celebrate with her."

His red-hazed eyes looked away. "But you don't regret letting her go."

He had asked her variations on that question several times during his stay, and it probably wouldn't be the last.

"You know I don't," she replied, walking around behind him and reaching down to scratch gently the base of his ears. "She wasn't my little girl any more--how could I forbid her to follow her heart and leave to be with the man she loved?" He made a small sound of pleasure, tilting his head back. "I'm not the only mother, over the centuries, who knew she'd never see her daughter again after she married, or expect never to hear anything about her." Her hands slid down his hair and then his chest, as she leaned over to press her head against his in a gentle hug.

"You've given me such a gift, Inuyasha," she continued. "To fight to stay alive all those years, so you could come to me and tell me about your lives together … yes, I'm sad, because it hurts to know I'll never see my daughter again. But I'm also happy, because of you."

Inuyasha leaned into the hug, his free hand coming up to cover hers, his human heart soaking in the love and warmth Kagome's mother offered. He had fought hard to keep his memories about her clear over the centuries, knowing that his only gift was to return to her and to tell her about his and Kagome's life together. But over the past decades, as he had been reduced again to little more than his sword and his pride, the planned meeting had become no more than a means to an end. His end. He had become so tired, in so much pain, and so lonely, that fulfilling his self-imposed duty had come to mean only that he would then be free to find a way to die.

What he had forgotten was her generosity. Once she had gotten over the initial fright from his appearance, she had welcomed him. Not just the story and the package he had brought, but him. She had insisted on bathing him and feeding him before even letting him start talking. She had insisted that he was staying here, that he was one of the family; that he wouldn't be leaving, even if she did ever reach the end of her questions.

Unafraid, curious, loving, generous: someone who saw his ears only as irresistible objects to be petted, instead of badges of shame.

With a mother like that, no wonder Kagome was someone who could fall in love with--and be loved by--a hanyo.

"Morning, mom--morning, Inu no jii-chan! What's for breakfast?"

Inuyasha opened his eyes as Mrs. Higurashi startled and pulled back. Sota grinned at him from the other side of the table, his school jacket hanging unbuttoned, his hair still uncombed. "Hey, Inuyasha," he continued, "I had a great idea for tonight! You know today's the day that Kagome fell into the well, right? So tonight, why don't you talk about that day, what it was like, waking up and meeting her!"

Inuyasha blinked at the almost teenager. With school and the shrine keeping the family busy during the day, they had quickly started a routine of spending several hours in the evening talking with him and asking questions. But, all the questions so far had been about his and Kagome's time together after the well closed.

"Sota!" exclaimed Mrs. Higurashi, her voice mildly scolding. "He might not want to talk about it…"

"I don't mind." An image leaped into his mind: Kagome furiously declaiming her name, hands fisted, as he tried to cope with the embarrassment of having mistaken her scent for Kikyo's. What an angry, hot-tempered, sulky youngster he'd been! Inuyasha found himself chuckling, and he grinned at the now anxious-looking boy.

"Start at the beginning, hunh?" he said. "Sounds good to me."

As the boy crowed the success of his idea, Inuyasha exchanged a glance with Mrs. Higurashi. She smiled and nodded, before turning to the sink. Inuyasha rubbed his aching shoulder with one hand, while he felt in the other Tessaiga giving a faint pulse of contentment.

Family. His beloved's family had chosen to invite him into their hearts, and now into their lives. He would spend his final days reminiscing, sharing his past life with them, as they shared their current life with him. He would not be alone again …

And that was no small thing.

Author's Note: This one-shot was originally posted in the IY_Themes community in LiveJournal on June 29, 2009, for the theme 'Anniversary.' It took first place. This story is a follow-up to #19 of this series, "A Monster at the Door."