sana and momo's story started like most childhood sweetheart stories do.

they met at school when they were just kids, and became inseperable within the first week of getting to know each other.

they couldn't imagine life without each other. they did everything together.

wherever sana was, momo was too.

it was in high school that the two both realised they had some kind of attraction to girls.

then it was in college, after months of their friends pushing them together, that they decided to date.

and they never looked back.

a few years later, they were married, and had two children together.

it was supposed to be the beginning of the rest of their lives together.

so now why was momo all alone?

"miss minatozaki." the doctor called out.

sana got up from her seat in the waiting room and followed the doctor down the hallway to his room. they both sat down and the doctor read through some documents on his computer.

"so, what is it then, doc? do i need some medicine to make me better? i'll be fine, right?" sana laughed.

the doctor looked up at sana. "i'm very sorry, miss minatozaki. but the condition is terminal. you most likely have a month left to live."

sana stared up at the doctor. "this is a joke, right? you're kidding! say you're kidding, please..." she began to tear up.

the doctor sighed, shaking his head. "it's very serious, miss minatozaki. i am sorry."

sana left the doctors that day, wondering how she'd tell momo.

in the end she decided that she wouldn't. she'd do nice things with momo and the kids, before leaving. she'd leave them a letter and some other things explaining what had happened. but she wouldn't dare to let them know what was wrong whilst she was still around. sana couldn't watch their hearts break.

"mommy's home!" akari, the oldest of their two children, squealed with delight.

an excited screech came from the living room. that was hana, the youngest one.

sana took off her jacket and waddled into the living room to hug her daughters, before going into the kitchen to find momo.

"hi! i missed you." sana said with a bright smile, wrapping her arms around momo tightly.

"i missed you too. how was work?" momo asked as she pecked sana's lips.

"it was alright! just the usual stuff. did you do anything nice today with the girls?" sana asked.

momo shook her head as sana let go and went back to preparing food. "hana said she had tummy ache, so we stayed in and watched movies."

"we should go out tomorrow." sana said.

momo frowned. "don't you have work?"

"i took the day off! i want to be with you and the girls." sana giggled. "i feel like we haven't spent enough time together lately. and i was also thinking we should take a vacation this month too! it's been a while since we went anywhere nice."

"that would be perfect, my favourite little squish." momo smiled, turning to kiss sana again. "let's talk about the vacation later when the girls are asleep."

it was decided later on at night that they would go to kyoto for a little vacation. after that discussion, momo went to sleep, but sana couldn't.

she was slowly dying, and she couldn't tell her wife, or her friends.

they went on the vacation to kyoto, and it was the best. akari and hana loved it and spent most of it playing with each other and running around, whilst sana and momo struggled to keep up with their fast pace. sana wouldn't have changed anything though. she got to spend time with the ones she loved the most.

but it was getting hard to ignore the pain now, and how weak she was starting to feel. she knew that she would have to begin to say goodbye soon.

one day when momo was at work and the children were with mina, one of their close friends, sana decided to write the letter, and also record a few videos.

the letter read:

dear momo,

you know how much i love you, right? well... just know, what i'm about tell you and what's happening... i'm doing it out of love. i'm dying, momo. when i told you i've been at work sometimes, i've been at the hospital getting treatment... but it wasn't working. the doctor told me i don't have long left, only a month... well, that was almost a month ago now, so my time's almost up. i can't face the thought of telling you and the girls and breaking your hearts, so i'm going somewhere you won't find me. when i've passed, please don't come to see my body. i just want to be given a quiet funeral. i don't want you to see how weak i will have become. i don't want you to remember me in death. i want you to only remember the good times. so don't shed any tears over me, okay? unless they're happy ones! i'll be watching, momo. i want you to be happy. i'll be watching over you and the girls every day. i'm already so proud, momo. i know you're probably confused and scared, but you're doing so well. i need you to do well for me every day, okay? i also want you to watch the videos i've left behind. you can show them to the girls too. i've put labels on what order to watch them in. i'm also leaving you a photo album. it has the pictures of my happiest memories in them. you've been a part of all of them, along with all our friends and of course the girls. i really wish i didn't have to go, momo... i wish i could stay forever, but the world isn't perfect, and i've had to leave a little too soon.

i love you with my whole heart. never forget that, momo.

love sana.

then sana got to making the videos. she spent most of them talking about memories and good times that she know would cheer momo up. but then came the last video.

sana pressed the record button again and sat back down.

"hi... well, i guess this is it. this is the last video. i could make hundreds of these, but you'd be sat forever watching them! you need to go do stuff! momo, promise that you'll be okay. you need to eat all your meals, drink lots, and get enough rest. if things get hard, take time off work. focus on things that make you happy... like the videos of the corgis dancing! or the pretty trees outside. take a walk! you love walking. just take care of yourself for me, okay? i love you. akari, my big baby girl. you need to take good care of your mom, alright? make sure she's looking after herself! do lots of nice things with her. and you better look after youself too! or else how is mommy gonna get you a dog if you're not taking good care of yourself? and you need to do all your homework too! do me proud, okay? i love you lots. and finally, hana. you're all squishy and soft currently, i hope you'll never ever stop being squishy and soft. you're in charge of making sure mommy and akari are happy, okay? you're so good at that. you always make me happy, so i know you'll do well. look after yourself, grow up to be big and strong. i love you."

sana paused for a moment, she was beginning to cry. she quickly wiped her tears away.

"i... i really don't want to stop recording or talking, but it's time for me to go. please don't forget about me, okay? because i won't forget about any of you! or any of our friends. i need you to all look after each other. and if you're mad at anyone, be mad at me. and you can always talk to me, or yell at me, or whatever emotion you're feeling. i'll be listening! i promise i'll be watching over you all, every single day. do well for me, okay? i love you all."

sana stopped recording and instantly broke down in tears.

this was it.

a week passed and it was almost a complete month since the doctor told her she was dying. she could definitely feel it now. so she needed to go. momo was at work and the girls were at school, so she left the letter and the videos on the kitchen table along with some chocolate for akari and hana. then she packed a bag of essentials, and left the house that she'd shared with her family for the past six years.

walking away was the hardest decision she'd ever had to do.

but she couldn't face them.

when momo arrived home and it was dark and silent, she was confused.

"sana? are you here? sana?" momo called, looking around.

but there was no sign of sana.

then she saw the letter and videos on the table. at first she thought it was sana being romantic and leaving her notes, but after reading it, a feeling of dread filled her whole body. she instantly grabbed her phone and dialed sana's number. but there was no answer.

"no... no no... no... please..." momo mumbled as she began to cry. "sana... no..."

she called everyone that night, but none of them knew were sana was... not even sana's parents.

a few days later, momo received a call.

"is this the wife of minatozaki sana?"

"y-yes... it is." momo said, her chest starting to ache at the thought of sana. "is she okay?"

"miss minatozaki has passed away. i am very sorry."

momo's world had completely fallen apart.

a week passed and the funeral was planned. momo had been staying with her parents and the kids had been with sana's parents. momo had gone home to collect some clothes, when she saw the videos again. she decided to watch them.

she put the first disc in and sat on the couch.

"hi momo! it's me!" sana's voice chirped from the television, along with the image of sana's bright smiling face.

momo couldn't help but smile too and say hi back. she spent the next three hours watching the videos, laughing and crying as she did. although it was comforting to see and hear sana, it hurt when it was over. she would never see sana again in person. never hug her, never kiss her, never sleep next to her, never go out for walks with her, never watch their daughters grow up with her, and she would never be able to feel sana's presence and warmth as soon as she entered a room.

the funeral was the next day, and many people came. momo was sat at the front along with her parents, sana's parents, and mina, their closest friend. there were also a few other friends that the two had met when they'd been to seoul when they were younger and kept in contact with. together, they all cried for sana and remembered her.

at the end of the funeral when everyone was gone, momo walked up to the coffin and put her hand on it.

"i love you too, sana... i love you so so much..." she whispered, before she stepped away and left.

momo never really got over sana. yes, she did find someone who made her happy, and had another child, but everyone knew that sana was momo's soulmate. but sana would want momo to be happy, and momo was doing her best. but she knew at the end, she would be reunited with sana, and everything would finally feel right again.

it was always sana and momo. it had to be.