SUMMER - any summer's story tell
Yahiko asked him once, after Megumi and Sanosuke left, where he himself imagined he would be ten years down the road. Kenshin had taken his time before answering - there was no sugar-coating anything with the boy, and they both knew well how things did not always turn out the way they were planned to. He had carefully chosen his words before looking up from the logs he had been cutting, a soft smile on his lips.
"Somewhere where I can look back on the past ten years and think, "this went better than I thought it would", I hope."
Yahiko had seemed surprised, but had whole-heartedly agreed after thinking the words over. "Yeah, that'd be nice."
Ten years later the sun still rises and the summer birds still chirp, and Kenshin has known much worse mornings than waking up curled around his wife with his arms around her waist, keeping her close.
The wind chimes sing, announcing that Kenji is stepping down from the engawa and into the backyard. Kenshin can just imagine him, barely grazed by the morning sunrays, and waits for the small flicker of ki that indicates that his son is now going through the most basic kata of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu to warm up.
He will quickly move to more advanced stages and, just like every other morning, still sensing for his ki, Kenshin will be amazed at the boy's talent. Granted, Kenji is his parents' son, but everyone, including even Hiko, agrees that his fast progress is nothing short of impressive - or frustrating, according to Yahiko.
A second set of footsteps, lighter and slightly unbalanced, and Kenshin cannot hold back a smile. At four years old, little Yukari takes after her mother and is far more interested in shinai and kenjutsu techniques than in her dolls and toys. He can just picture her kneeling on the wooden boards, big blue eyes all but staring at her brother, taking in all of his moves. She will begin her formal training when she turns five next spring, and he knows Kaoru could not be any prouder of their children.
Kenshin feels pride, too, and love, and it is all bigger, stronger than him. His world has been turned upside down and the phrase "protect those before my eyes" took on a whole new meaning the day Kenji was born. He has resolved to stop trying to analyze it and to simply enjoy it. Wise choice, if the - genuine - smile that graces his lips more often than not is any indication. If anything, Kaoru approves, and that is more than reason enough for him.
Their extended family is still holding tight: Sanosuke came back (right on time for lunch, of course) and now spends most of his time in Aizu. Renowned-doctor Megumi still pretends to be annoyed, but she knows she is not fooling anyone. Yahiko is dancing around Tsubame - he is still as shy as she is on certain matters. As for Misao and Aoshi, they have been getting their fair share of knowing looks.
Kenshin used to think⦠he used to think he would never be happy. Content, maybe, but happiness had been out of the question entirely until he met Kaoru. And here he is now. Twenty years after he first set foot out of Kyoto on a clear winter morning, all the pieces have come together.
