Sixteen

She opened the closet doors to find some decent clothing to match the weather.

It's below freezing and there's supposed to be partial snow.

She put her hands through a cashmere wool knitted sweater then notice the folder on her dresser.

"I forgot all about this—I wonder what's in here."

She picked up the folder single-handed and pulled out the papers then read the information that was provided. Her eyes widen at the photos of her father and the location

"Town Towa is just walking distance from here... What should I do?" She input the address in her phone and stared at the maps

"What kind of man abandons his family?"

She grabbed her jacket then headed out of the apartment to visit her brother in the hospital.

The swelling went down, and the tumor is successfully shrinking

"Please wake up Hideaki with all the bad happening in life, I deserve some good news. I promise I will take care of you forever—I thought I was going to lose you when you had surgery."

It scared her to death and visited the hospital a few times a day for long periods. She waited for him to open his eyes every day.

10 O CLOCK – Visiting hours are over

Kotori stood in front of the train station and looked at the different routes then saw Towa on the billboard.

She mustard up the courage to buy a ticket and to walk on the train then found a seat near the window. So many thoughts raced through her mind

"Meeting father…."

To find out the truth scared her and she felt many other conflicting emotions. Her heart was pounding against her chest.

"Arrived Towa City" The speakers shouted.

She nervously steps out of the train with other people then inputs the address in her cell phone. It was just a few minutes from the station, and she followed as instructed.

She lifted her head across the street from a nice-looking house. It pained her to witness her father publicly showing his affection to another woman and her children.

When he was alone, she decided to approach him." Dad."

Those were the only words she manages to say but to him, it was a painful reminder.

"How in the world did she find me? I thought I hid my traces…" He straight out his back and grabbed her ball from the ground." Hello, daughter! How have you been? Come here and give your father a hug."

She snapped with anger, all her emotion took over. "Are you insane? – You don't get to do that like everything is fine! You are playing house with another person and completely abandoning your family. We are suffering all alone. You are our father, your flesh and blood and you can't even be a father to us. How can you do that? Leave Hideaki to die and me alone to fend for myself."

" Sweetheart, this is all part of the plan." He convinced and told her things that she wanted to hear." It's just a huge misunderstanding and I will fix it so we can become a family again."