Chapter 1

"Umma! " Jin Mi called excitedly, as she pushed open the front door.  She had picked flowers on the way from school just for her mother. She hoped she would like her surprise. She had run the rest of the way home just to give the flowers to her. Stepping into the house, Jin Mi noticed a lack of noise and the stillness in the house. Throwing down her backpack by the door, she barely managed to kick off her shoes before running towards the kitchen.

"Umma?" She repeated as she stuck her head into the door way of the kitchen and was met with no one. Her umma wasn't in the kitchen, humming and singing sweet little songs like she usually was. There were still dishes piled up in the sink and the breakfast dishes looked like they hadn't been touched.

Furrowing her eyebrows under the dark fringe of her hair,  Jin Mi took off towards the stairs. She ran up them quickly, the flowers she clutched in her hands hitting against the skirt of her uniform. The door to her parent's bedroom was slightly open and she quietly crept over to it. Looking in, she saw her father sitting in a chair by the bed, head in his hands. She could tell that he was crying. Immediately she knew something was wrong. In her 10 years, she could not recall once when her father had cried. He was always the one wiping away her tears and telling her everything would be okay.

"Appa?" She  called quietly, pushing open the door. He immediately stiffened and wiped his eyes, turning to look at her.

"Jin Mi," he whispered softly, putting his glasses back on. He got to his feet and was there gently pushing her out of the room, "Let's talk in the hall. Your umma needs lots of rest."

Jin Mi felt herself nod weakly as she was lead out into the hallway and her father closed the door softly behind them. She looked at her father's slender face, his features puffy and red from crying.

" You're home early," Jin Mi speculated, rubbing the bridge of her nose with the back of the hand that still held the flowers. He got down on one knee so that he was eye level to her.

" Yeah, sweetie. Your umma had to go to the doctor so I was here to make sure she followed the doctor's directions and rested."

Blinking slowly, she let the words sink in. Umma was. . .sick? Ummas didn't get sick. Her brown eyes slowly widened as she realized just how big it was for her umma to be sick. She was never sick! Jin Mi furrowed her brows a bit.

"Umma is sick?" She voiced aloud, scrunching up in a childish pout.

" Ne, she is. So we have to be strong for your umma so that we can help her get better." Her appa smiled down at her and she felt the tiniest bit reassured by his words, allowing herself to nod slowly. He looked down at the bundle of flowers in her hand.

" Did you bring those for umma?" He asked and she nodded again. "Why don't we go put these in a vase that she can see them all nice and pretty when she gets up. I'm sure it will make her feel better." With that, he gently grabbed her free hand in his large one and lead her towards the stairs.

Jin Mi couldn't help but throw a look over her shoulder at the closed door of the bedroom and think back to what her appa had said. Umma was sick, but why was he crying? Especially if she was going to get better. A thought tugged at her mind. Was she going to get better? She shook her head against it. Of course she was. Ummas always got better.