Family Portrait
Written for the avatar_500 prompt 66 Regret. I've written this up quickly and although I've checked it, I haven't slept in a while. so it's probably not that good. I imagine before his wife died that Hiroshi Sato wanted to spend as much time as possible with his family despite his work-load.
Family Portrait
It was late at night when Asami snuck out of her room and crept down the stairs towards the sound of two people talking in quiet voices. Asami pushed the door open a crack, peaking in to see Mom and Dad sitting in the living room together. The hinges creaked and both parents immediately turned to look at her. Mom frowned.
“Asami, it’s past your bedtime. Why are you still awake?”
“Can I have a story?” Asami asked shyly, stepping into the room. She hadn’t been able to sleep.
Mom and Dad shared a look, before Asami’s mother turned back to look at her only daughter. “Okay, one story. Which would you like me to read?”
Asami played with a strand of hair. “Can Dad read it? I want to listen to the story about the girl and the dragon. He does all the voices really well.”
“Asami, your father’s had a tiring day at work,” her mother admonished and Asami looked down guiltily.
“It’s fine,” her dad agreed, walking over to her. “One story, and then you go straight to sleep. Agreed?”
Asami eagerly nodded, grabbing her father’s hand and practically dragging him up to her room.
He picked out one of the books whose edges were so warn that it was threatening to fall apart. Carefully, he brought it over to Asami, who had already settled herself in bed.
“In the ancient days…”
Mom walked into the room just as Dad was getting to the best part of the story. Hiroshi Sato imitated the dragon, grabbing Asami and making her squeal with delight. Asami grinned up at her mother, who just rolled her eyes at the two before sitting on Asami’s other side, wrapping an arm around her daughter and leaning her head on Hiroshi Sato’s shoulder.
Asami looked at the family portrait that had been taken a few months before her mother had died, slowly tracing the three smiling figures. Her eyes lingered lastly on Hiroshi Sato, wondering how the father she loved had become the man who tried to kill her.
Family Portrait
It was late at night when Asami snuck out of her room and crept down the stairs towards the sound of two people talking in quiet voices. Asami pushed the door open a crack, peaking in to see Mom and Dad sitting in the living room together. The hinges creaked and both parents immediately turned to look at her. Mom frowned.
“Asami, it’s past your bedtime. Why are you still awake?”
“Can I have a story?” Asami asked shyly, stepping into the room. She hadn’t been able to sleep.
Mom and Dad shared a look, before Asami’s mother turned back to look at her only daughter. “Okay, one story. Which would you like me to read?”
Asami played with a strand of hair. “Can Dad read it? I want to listen to the story about the girl and the dragon. He does all the voices really well.”
“Asami, your father’s had a tiring day at work,” her mother admonished and Asami looked down guiltily.
“It’s fine,” her dad agreed, walking over to her. “One story, and then you go straight to sleep. Agreed?”
Asami eagerly nodded, grabbing her father’s hand and practically dragging him up to her room.
He picked out one of the books whose edges were so warn that it was threatening to fall apart. Carefully, he brought it over to Asami, who had already settled herself in bed.
“In the ancient days…”
Mom walked into the room just as Dad was getting to the best part of the story. Hiroshi Sato imitated the dragon, grabbing Asami and making her squeal with delight. Asami grinned up at her mother, who just rolled her eyes at the two before sitting on Asami’s other side, wrapping an arm around her daughter and leaning her head on Hiroshi Sato’s shoulder.
Asami looked at the family portrait that had been taken a few months before her mother had died, slowly tracing the three smiling figures. Her eyes lingered lastly on Hiroshi Sato, wondering how the father she loved had become the man who tried to kill her.