Lasting Love

Chapter 3 ~ Mr Miyagi

Marie received a call at 8:00 that made her stomach churn the second she took it. The phone had awoken her from sleep, her voice still filled with sleep when she spoke.

"Hello?"

"It's Daniel." Daniel's slightly panicked voice replied. "You need to get over here. The nurses... They think this is it."

Marie's head dropped in her chest. "I'm on my way."

She hung up and got dressed in minutes. She ordered an Uber, grabbing a complementary roll from the kitchen before it arrived and brought her to the hospice.

Walking inside, Sam and Anthony sat on the couch, seemingly bored while Lucile and Daniel stood with them. "The nurses are giving him some meds." Daniel explained immediately as she walked up to them. "It shouldn't take too long."

"What's his condition?" Marie asked.

"Not sure. The nurses called me right as I was making breakfast for the kids." Daniel replied. "I was told to get down here asap."

"Do they have an estimated time frame?" Lucille asked.

"Sometime today. Maybe tonight." Daniel answered.

"In that case," Lucille began. "I'm gonna get the kids breakfast, and us coffee. I'll be back in a bit." Lucille disappeared out the door just as a nurse called Daniel's name.

"Go ahead, Daniel." Marie ushered. "I can watch them."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Daniel, go!" Marie exclaimed, making Daniel nod and disappear with the nurse.

"Hi Ms Johnson." Marie looked down at Sam.

"You can call me Marie, Sam." Marie replied with a chuckle. "How can I help you?"

"What is this word?" Marie took the tablet, reading over the highlighted paragraph and selected word.

"Ginormous. It means very large." Marie explained, handing the tablet back. "The story is discussing the ginormous bear."

"Ooh. Thank you." Marie nodded as Sam returned to her task, sitting on a chair nearby the kids on her phone. "So Mr Miyagi taught you karate?"

"Yup." Marie replied. "Just like your dad."

"Mr Miyagi taught me karate too." Sam continued. "I'm really good at it.'

"Really?" Maire asked, playing along. "You'll have to show me sometime."

"Yeah!" Sam exclaimed, excited as Marie chuckled softly. "Did you ever compete in any tournaments like my dad?"

Marie shook her head. "No, back when I was younger, girls weren't allowed to compete."

"Well that's stupid." Sam said with narrowed eyebrows, making Marie chuckle again.

"Yes, very stupid indeed." Marie agreed. "But things have changed now, at least."

"Yeah, I guess." Sam replied with a shrug.

"You think you'd ever compete?" Marie asked, making Sam shake her head.

"No. I don't do karate anymore." Sam explained. "It was fun while I did it, though."

"I understand that." Marie nodded. "I only got into karate in highschool. You're, what, in fourth grade?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah..." Marie hummed. "So you've got some time. Figure yourself out, you know?"

"Marie." Marie looked up, finding Daniel in the lobby. "He wants us. One of the nurses said she'd watch Sam and Anthony for a minute."

Marie stood with a nod, following Daniel through the halls and into Mr Miyagi's room. The room was dimmed slightly, the beeping machines softly filling Marie's ears as she and Daniel walked to Mr Miyagi's side.

"Daniel-san. Marie-san." Mr Miyagi's voice was weak as Daniel and Marie settled on either side of him.

"We're here, Mr Miyagi." Marie spoke softly, taking his hand. "We're here."

The hours passed, but Maire and Daniel refused to leave Mr Miyagi's side as he spoke softly about memories of his life. Both Marie and Daniel listened, retelling memories the three had shared back in the day.

Slowly, Marie noticed Mr Miyagi's chest rise and fall slower and slower, the tears springing in her eyes in seconds. She used her free hand to wipe her eyes, unable to keep herself from sniffling.

"No cry Marie-san. No cry." Mr Miyagi said softly, squeezing her hand.

"I'll try, Mr Miyagi." She spoke, watching the heart rate monitor by Daniel. "I'll try."

"We love you, Mr Miyagi." Daniel spoke, getting choked up as well.

"Ay, Miyagi love you too..."The tears began flowing freely as the heart monitor slowed down, Marie clutching Mr Miyagi's hand as the heart monitor slowed to a stop, letting out a final beep.

Marie sobbed quietly as she released Mr Miyagi's hand, Daniel's hand holding her shoulder comfortingly as they mourned.

~ ~ ~

Maire hated how she felt. Grief had a special reaction in Marie, or that's what it seemed like. She swirled her drink carelessly, slightly slumped over in her chair as she took a sip.

Daniel watched Marie from the bar stool beside her, his face clearly holding exhaustion and his own form of grief.

"You gonna be ok?" Daniel asked, making Marie nod.

"Yeah...it's just...grief has this kinda effect on me, you know." Marie answered, making Daniel nod. "Kind of expect it at this point."

"Well," Daniel started, pouring both of their glasses half full. "We drink for Mr Miyagi."

"For Mr Miyagi." Marie repeated with Daniel, raising her glass and downing it. "Why do I feel like drinking is the worst decision?"

"Probably because it is." Daniel replied, making Marie chuckle.

"I'm gonna head out then, let me...shit..." Marie muttered, pulling her now dead phone from her pocket.

"What?"

"My phone's dead, do you have a charger?" Marie asked, making Daniel shake his head.

"Not for a Samsung." Marie groaned. "Look, I'll drive you to the hotel-"

"No, you have kids here that you can't leave alone." Marie disagreed. "Just give me the keys..."

"You are drunk, absolutely not." Daniel looked around as he thought to himself. "There's a guest room upstairs. It's open, and what I would suggest instead of the alternative being walking since you won't let me drive."

"Fair enough." Marie agreed. "I'll take the compromise."

"Thank you. Believe it or not, there are some weirdos in California." Daniel said with a chuckle.

"Trust me, I know a few." Marie said with a slight laugh. "Goodnight Daniel."

"Goodnight Mar." As she walked past, Marie patted Daniel's shoulder, nodding before disappearing upstairs.

Daniel watched her go, sighing to himself before walking off into his own room on the first floor.

Upstairs in the guest room, Marie sighed to herself before laying down into bed.

Deep down, both knew they were being pulled in too deep.

~ ~