Panthers Love (A Grimmjow love story)

Chapter 3

 The smell of fresh jasmine rice wafted through the kitchen. Emiko's red miso soup bubbled cheerily on the stove. I molded a mound of rice on the corner of her plate. Then put some pickled daikon and boiled egg on the other side. 

The little girl soon peeked around the corner, “Mommy?” 

I glanced over, “Come, Emi, breakfast is ready” 

I set her plate and bowl of miso on the table and returned to the kitchen to get mine. Today was going to be a good day. On the way to the sunnakku I resolved to look for Emi's white butterfly. Yesterday had been a good first day of having a job myself. So, many diverse people came and went. Renji showed me how to take orders and point out the regular customers. Emiko got along great with Rukia and the other children.

 She almost didn't want to leave but when she saw the other parents from the food arena come and fetch their children, she took my hand, “Are we coming back tomorrow, Mommy?” 

This morning she ate in a hurry.

 “Emiko, we aren't leaving until this afternoon.”

 She smiled at me, “I know, but I wanted to see if my friend was in the yard before we left.” 

I chuckled, “Okay, Emi. Be careful though. Friends in backyards can be crazy.”

 “Oh, no Mommy. He isn't crazy. He's just like you, an Arrancar.” she refuted. 

I gulped. Another Arrancar? That was just impossible. All of them died in the war including my parents. When I tried to remember them, all I could see were faint faces. There was something else that I should remember but it seemed to be blocked off by a steel wall. But when I close my eyes, I can still smell my mother's kitchen. 

So many delicious smells. “I'm done, Mommy. You haven't even eaten yours.”

 I looked down at my plate coming back to the present, “Yeah, I guess so.” 

She squirmed out of her chair and placed her dishes in the sink, “Can I go, Mommy?”

 I attempted a smile, “Yeah, of course.” 

I waved her off and she bounced into the back yard. Would Emiko want to be a Panther too? There were no Arrancar left so who would teach her the ways of being a Panther? I sighed and pushed my food around my plate. There were always questions about the future. Finally, I finished my breakfast and went to the kitchen. It was so nice to have running hot water. With my ex I always had to boil a pot on the stove to wash dishes. Yeah, I went without a lot of things. Like food, new clothes and basically everything good in life. I folded the washcloth and went to my room to dress for work. I paused in front of the clothes hooks. 3 dresses is all I had. I brushed my finger against the worn silk. I pulled off my black and white one. The flowers were faded but the night I got the job, Emi drew a butterflies on the white parts. I wrapped the kimono around me and tied it with a silk cord.

 Sinking onto my mattress, I placed my hand on my baby, “Little baby, can I be happy here? I don't have nice clothes or an obi sash to wear. I would quickly quit here if only I could go home to my Mama and Papa. To the other side of the mountain where the big pond was full of koi and the sounds of laughing children. To before the war.” 

The little boy rolled over and stuck his itty bitty foot on my bladder. Oh, dear. I rushed to the bathroom  but barely made.

 “You little rascal.” 

After that incident, I wandered to the back door. I slid it open and heard Emiko laughing. She said something but I couldn't understand it. 

“Emi!” I called.