"Father"

~Momo~

"Mom?"

"Mom, there are you."

"Don't cry."

"Don't cry, Mom."

Mom has sobbed for the better of a week. This is so much. She went from feeling guilty about neglecting me to her husband's murder.

I feel like I should be upset. I only cried once. After all, he was my father. Why do I not feel pain?

Because he never loved you.

Even when I was a little girl, Mom was always the one who parented me, Dad was just there and barely paid any attention to me except dressing me up so I could model stiff dresses for grade schoolers.

He never really much cared for for being in my life. And so now that he's dead...

There's barely a difference.

Shoto knocks on the door.

"Hey, Shoto."

"Hey. You wanna go somewhere or just hang out here?"

"I can't leave Mom right now. She still needs me. She barely eats or sleeps nowadays," I explain. "She's just in no state to be alone in the house right now."

"When's the funeral?"

"This weekend. They're playing it on the news. I don't even want to be there. Tanaka's going to be there."

Shoto's gaze hardens at the mention of him. "They're letting him out for that?"

"Makes no sense, does it? He's going to be guarded by police officers the whole time, but I still feel uncomfortable knowing he'll be there," I sigh.

"Well then... let me come with you," he suggests. "I'll come as your guest."

I think about it. That could work. And it's not like Shoto being there will make me want to go but it will make feel better.

"Sure, To-Shoto. You'd do that for me?"

"Of course." He holds my head behind my ear and kisses me slowly. Then I melt into his arms in a warm hug.

"I love you. I don't know where I'd be without you, Shoto."

We don't have much to talk about, since I think Shoto seems uncomfortable talking to me about everyday things considering what has happened, but he doesn't know that I could care less. I believe the true reason I cried was because of the shock.

-Flashback- (Spongebob Narrator Voice)

I watched as Dad walked up the porch after signing some papers somewhere all day. I glared at him as I watched him walk inside. 

But just before he touched the doorknob, a gunshot, my father fell sideways onto the ground.

"Genji!!!" My mother ran toward the door, but I grabbed her wrist.

"Mom! If you go out there, what if you get hit?"

She realized and told me to crouch low as she dialed 911. 

-End of Flashback- (Spongebob Narrator Voice)

It just... happened and I didn't know what to feel except shock. But I can't make myself care and I almost hate myself for it.

~Shoto~

I'll never know what Momo is going through. When they called Mom crazy and had her sent to the hospital, she was still alive.

If my Father died, I'm not sure I'd feel anything. Definitely not sadness.

"Shoto... if your father died, how would you be?"

"Are you reading my mind?" I think for a moment. "I don't know what I would exactly feel. I know I wouldn't be sad, maybe I just wouldn't know what to do, since I'm used to him always being there, yelling at me." I don't tell her he doesn't do much of that yelling anymore.

"Well, I'm kind of like that, except for the last part. Know how I told you he was gone for a year?"

"Yes."

"Well because of that, I'm used to him being gone. He was around for some months, but he was only screaming at me the whole time. But a few months and a year are different. For a year, he was gone and I'm used to that. There's no change, really."

"Oh. So... you don't mind if I talk about, let's say, school?"

"Not at all."

"Oh." My mood changes. "Well how are you looking forward to Ashido's log cabin next month?"

"Oh, looking forward to that a lot! I can't wait to be in that toasty cabin during the cold winter."

"I just can't wait to see you in more sweaters," I randomly blurt. I did not at all mean to say that.

She covers her mouth as she laughs. "I can't with you, Shoto!... Do you really like my sweaters?"

"Not the sweaters," I smirk, "I like you in them."

She blushes instantly. What am I saying? 

"Don't act like Mineta, now," she warns, giggling.

"I'm different. I recognize you've got it all. Body, beauty, and brains."

"Ahh! Shotooo!" she blushes with fury and turns away from me. I come up behind her and kiss her neck.

She shakes her head. "Why did I miss you?"

"You can't get enough of me, Momo."

She settles down and becomes serious again. "Well, your father's assassination pushed Tanaka's trial back," I sigh.

"All of this crazy stuff keeps happening to us. But at least I'm talking to someone who understands."

And she's right. Similar things revolved around my family after my burning and Mom's being sent to the hospital. The news always revolved around me and I wished the family could just be left alone.

I lean forward and hug Momo, realizing what she's going through. She hugs me back and we just stay that way, healing ourselves in our embrace.

~Momo~

"Do I look okay?"

"You're always beautiful, don't worry."

I love when he says stuff like that.

We join hands and walk out of my house together. I notice Mom there, so I extend my other hand to her, and she takes it.

--

Cameras are flashing at us with every step we take into the building. Shoto begins walking a bit faster, and I follow him. I want to be rid of these photographers as fast as possible. 

Once we get inside, I am shocked to see that there is still half the number of photographers inside that there was outside. A sick feeling is in my stomach and I sit in the front pew with Shoto one side of me and Mom on the other side.

--

The funeral was long and depressing. I felt like I didn't belong with all of these grieving people, when I didn't know how to feel.

Mom is still sobbing and blowing her nose through the hankie. Kyoka, who I also invited, is gently rubbing my shoulders. Shoto holds onto my hand as we walk toward the limousine that came to take us home.

I decide to just go home. Shoto's working on Tanaka's trial and when we're together we usually flirt, which we both decided was inappropriate today. 

I get home and get out of my formal wear. I walk into the shower and turn it on. The warm water falls against my pores and I exhale. I hold my hand out and poor shampoo into it. I then rub my hands together and bring my hands to my head, massaging my scalp and lathering my hair.

I squirt the shampoo onto the loofah and gently scrub my shoulders, neck, torso, back, thighs, legs, ankles and feet.

After my shower, I wrap myself in my towel and dry off. Then I put on my robe and bring out the moisturizer, applying it to my now dry skin. 

I catch up on homework for the rest of the day.

~Shoto~

What would I do if my "father" died? Would I care? Would I be in shock or would I be sad?

He has always been there, so I assume my life would change without him. I'd be lost on what to do next. But with Momo, it's not the same. Her father hasn't always been there so, I can't imagine how she feels.

Tanaka's hearing is tomorrow. I feel so bad for Momo it hurts. First her father's funeral and now a court session where she was the victim of threats and sexual harassment? I wish I was with her right now so I could hug her. I can't wait until this is all over and we can go on the winter vacation Ashido invited us on.

I open my phone and stare at the picture on my lock screen. It's me and Momo on one double date we once went on with Hagakure and Ojiro. Hagakure had taken the picture.

She's so cute, I think to myself.

~Momo~

"Hey, mom, are you okay?"

I slowly creep into Mom's room. She's sitting on her bed, gone halfway through a box of tissues.

"Oh, Mom... I don't like to see you like this." I go to her and hug her, burying my nose in her soft hair, the same texture as mine.

"Oh, Momo. He was there, and then he was gone. And as soon as he came back, he was gone again! He did awful things to you and this family by inviting that Tanaka character in, so why do I still miss him?"

"Because you knew him before, Mom. The man who just passed away is not the same man you fell in love with."

"And you never got to know the man I fell in love with. And for that, I'm sorry, Momo."

"It isn't your fault, Ma." I hug her tighter and she hugs me back. She cries on my shoulder for a while before she falls asleep. I tuck her in and throw the tissues into the trash. I look back at her once more and close the door.

Tomorrow is court day.

Out of one incident and into another.