“Are you happy?” Jiro asked.

Selina remained quiet.

“I begged my father to get his private jet,” Jiro said and got up. “So how’s Chun’s mother?”

“Good,” Selina replied with a smile.

“You didn’t do anything else right?” Jiro asked. “Besides accompanying Chun?”

Selina smiled and ran toward Jiro throwing her arms around his neck.

“I gave him a hug,” Selina said, “like this, but I didn’t do this.”

Selina tip toed and gave him a kiss. Jiro smiled and returned her kiss which turned into a deep passionate one. Before Selina realized it they were already in her bedroom. Jiro pushed Selina over smothering her underneath him. She felt his warm breath caress her neck and travel back up to her face. With another long kiss Jiro finally paused and looked down at her with a smile before rolling off to the side. Selina to her side and clutched Jiro’s arm.

“I think I can see stars on my ceiling,” Selina said.

“You want me to get one for you?” Jiro joked.

Selina smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder.

“I’m glad you’re back,” Selina told.

“Me too,” Jiro agreed.

They laid together silent for a while.

“You said your mother fell ill,” Selina said, “don’t you think it’s time for me to see her?”

“Do you want to? I think she’ll be happy,” Jiro replied. “I told her a lot about you.”

“You have? They’re good comments about me right?” Selina asked.

“I told her you were fat,” Jiro said.

Selina laughed and hit Jiro’s arm.

“You’re fat too,” she told.

After a simple breakfast the next morning Selina and Jiro set out to buy flowers for his mother. After buying flowers Jiro and Selina arrived at the hospital hand in hand. They stopped at the reception desk and waited for a minute and proceeded on. However, as they traveled down the hallway Selina began to feel nervous and her heart began to race.

“Your mother’s a nice person right?” asked Selina stopping in the middle of the hallway.

“What are you talking about? She’s the best mother around,” Jiro told.

Selina smiled and laughed, “I guess I must be nervous. My heart’s beating very fast right now.”

“You’ll love her,” Jiro said and walked toward the door.

Selina followed after him.

“Mom,” Jiro said as they walked in.

Selina walked in with a smile which soon disappeared after she stopped beside Jiro.

“You brought your friend,” Jiro’s mother said. “Your girlfriend right? She’s so beautiful. What’s her name Jiro? Quickly introduce her to me.”

Selina felt her mind shatter. Was she seeing things? Was this real? Was she just dreaming? Her lips began to tremble and she let go Jiro’s hand. Did she not recognize Selina? Selina felt tears well up within her eyes. Her mother was so thin…lying on the bed looking so weak.

“Mom this is…” Jiro began, but Selina had turned around and ran out the door.

Jiro turned around alarmed.

“I’ll be right back mom,” Jiro told and hurried after Selina.

But as he reached the first floor Selina had already disappeared from sight. Selina ran around the corner and kept on running and running and running until she didn’t know where she was going anymore. Her mind was lost. Was it real? As Selina saw the woman laying on the bed smiling at them and talking to Jiro Selina let out a scream and dropped onto her knees. Tears rushed from her eyes as she clawed at the cement beneath her.

***

Chun was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He looked up from his papers and picked up the phone.

“I think I found her,” it was Derek. “She’s been located in Taipei’s Hospital.”

***

Jiro hurried back upstairs and picked up the flowers that he’d dropped on the ground.

“I’m not sure where she went mom,” Jiro apologized, “but she was really excited to see you.”

His mother smiled back.

“She looks like a nice girl. You’re lucky Jiro,” she said. “What’s her name?”

“Selina...Selina Ren,” Jiro told.

His mother’s smile dropped and her face became blank. All of a sudden she began coughing and reached her arm out. Jiro hurried toward her panicked.

“Mom! What’s wrong?” Jiro asked then turned around screaming for the nurse.

An hour later he found himself waiting outside of the room. He’d tried to call his father, but he wasn’t picking up. He’d also tried to call Selina, but she wasn’t picking up either. Jiro felt frustrated and scared. What had happened exactly?

“Sir,” it was the doctor.

She walked toward Jiro.

“Your mother has a fever,” she told, “we’ve also stated before that her virus has spread into her organs…I don’t think she has much time left.”

Jiro couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“No!” he shouted suddenly causing the nurses to jump back. “No! You have to save her! My mother can’t die! You’re lying!”

“She wants to see you. Don’t tire her out she can’t speak very well right now,” the doctor said before walking away.

The nurses scurried off after her. Jiro stared at the ground with disbelief then looked into the room. He made his way slowly to his mother. Her eyes were open and she stared up at the ceiling silently. When Jiro looked down at her he could make out tears in her eyes.

“Mom,” Jiro said with his lips shaking.

It couldn’t happen…no. His only mother couldn’t die. Tears began to form in his eyes.

“Picture…” she said in a whisper.

“What?” Jiro asked leaning toward her.

She grabbed Jiro’s hand and held onto it tightly.

“My daughter…I want to see her,” was what Jiro could make out from her slurred words.

Jiro turned to look at her and found tears strolling down her eyes. He wanted to cry too. As he walked out of the hospital he debated on whether he should do what his mother wanted first or if he should go find Selina. As he stepped outside Jiro walked toward his car. Of course, his mother would have to come first and wherever her daughter was Jiro would bring her to see her mother.

Jiro rushed into his home and made his way toward his mother’s bedroom. It had been a while since she’d been in there, but the maid had always kept it clean. Jiro didn’t like snooping around through other’s belongings, but since his mother had asked him about a picture Jiro needed to find the picture he’d heard of when he was little. It would be in his mother’s room for sure.

Jiro tossed books around and searched through the drawers and closets but didn’t find anything. He let out a loud frustrated scream and sat in the middle of the room. His heart seemed to beat in his ears. Where could the picture be? Where would his mother keep it? Looking around once more his eyes landed on the bed then shifted elsewhere. Under the bed…his mom had kept a box under the bed. Jiro reached his arm under the bed and pulled out a dirty, worn out box. As he lifted the top he found a doll. Jiro frowned and took the doll out. As he placed the doll on the ground Jiro froze. There laid the picture of his mother when she was younger and a little girl on her lap. A round face, bright eyes, and a happy smile. Jiro stared at the picture in shock. She looked exactly like Selina.