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Doc Hata met Mary Burns soon after he adopted Sunny. Mary had recently been widowed, and she had two daughters of her own. From their very first meeting, Mary boldly and clearly expressed her interest in getting to know Doc Hata better. Mary initiated every move toward more intimacy, and though Doc Hata responded positively to her advances, he also hesitated in awkward ways that complicated her feelings toward him. As their relationship progressed, Mary realized how much she differed from Doc Hata. Whereas he understood himself primarily as an individualist, she derived her sense of identity from her relationships with others. She also felt strongly that Doc Hata’s approach to raising Sunny was insufficient. Doc Hata never pushed back against Sunny’s rebelliousness, and Mary felt she would benefit from more discipline. Mary also believed Sunny needed a female figure in her life, but despite the time she spent with Sunny, they never developed a meaningful connection. These fundamental differences resulted in Mary letting her relationship with Doc Hata fizzle out. She died some years later from liver cancer.

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