The curtain closed. I got hear polite claps rumbling in the distance. I collapsed on the floor while Kyou, Ryou, Kotomi, and Nagisa cheered at the success of the play. It went without a hitch and I was grateful for all the rehearsals. Nagisa had some trouble and the beginning as she had the first play we put on but quickly got over it. I could see Nagisa's parents in the audience with Hisako next to them, bouncing Kimi on her lap. I didn't see my dad. We got out of our costumes and made our way to the front where we had promised to meet the parents. We all knew we were too tired to explore the parade at all. Nagisa and I rushed over to our guardians. They were all complimenting us but Hisako couldn't look me in the eye.

"Congratulations, guys. It was great." She said talking to Nagisa. I looked away from her. Seeing her struggling made me feel bad. We walked home. All Akio could do was gush about his daughter.

"Though the end, I don't know. A kiss? Why couldn't a firm handshake wake her up?" He asked being serious. I chuckled as we exited the school grounds. We walked up the path that Nagisa and I so normally took. I saw my father standing a few feet in front of us. All he did was nod and walk away. That was the last time I saw my father.

We arrived home and Sanae prepared a big lunch. Nagisa and I both commented on how the lights on stage were slow moving and barely followed us and could picture Mei criticizing her brother and that very moment. Lunch was served, the pork roast we had bought the night before was served. I devoured the food. I had only an apple from the night before, and had rushed out before I could even think about breakfast.

"Want to slow down. Tomoya?" Nagisa giggled and patted my back. She quickly withdrew her hand when she realized her parents were watching. Akio spoke up.

"I don't like how you guys touch all the time. Stop it. Didn't I say no talking without parent supervision?" Akio said. I could see the death rays emitting from his eyes.

"Uh no, aren't you the parental supervision? Wouldn't you be watching us right now?" I said sarcastically.

"Kah, don't give me that attitude. And besides I'm saying it now." Akio said. I wondered how that rule would be enforced.

"You haven't had sex have you?" Akio said. I felt the fork drop from my fingers and Nagisa choked on her drink.

"No! Why does everyone keep asking that?" I yelled. Akio's stare got deeper.

"Everyone? Who's everyone? Why are you even thinking about it?" He asked but before I could respond he gasped and looked to his daughter. "You know what that IS?" He asked staring at his daughter in horror.

"Dad!" Nagisa yelled in embarrassment. Our faces were the same color this time, a solid maroon. A smiled played on Hisako's face, she broke into a fit of laughter. She even slapped her knee, twice. We stared at her until finally I join in. The rest of the group followed suit not knowing what we were laughing at.

"You guys are hilarious! I feel like I'm watching a rerun of Full House," She said. She sighed. "I guess I should say this now while everything is still nice. I have some money saved up, from what mom gave us." She said motioning to Sanae. "I found a little place, enough room for Kimi and I. It's next to a free daycare center. It costs a little more than I have but now that I have a steady income… The thing is I'm moving out. I wanted to thank you for all you've put up with me for. Especially Nagisa, for sharing a room with me. Especially Sanae, because you let me stay in your house. Especially Akio for forgiving me, Especially Tomoya, because you saved me." She stayed silent for a while. "I just wish I could stay longer." She said and then shook her head. "I'm lying. I am interrupting your rhythm, your pattern. Forgive me for that, but not for anything else. I'll leave by the end of the month." Her voice wiggled as if she would start crying, she regained her composure quickly though. I wasn't surprised at this announcement, I could feel her anxiety since the moment I met her after the play. I couldn't say I was disappointed, I only felt remorse when I thought of Hisako. Baby Kimi walked over to me, her arms spread as an eagle. I put her on my lap and continued eating my food as if nothing had happened. I felt bad for Kimi, although I thought we would see each other regularly, as she would never feel this connection to me again. Her innocence seemed to so angelic now but I couldn't picture this with out thinking about how she would grow up one day and not remember who I was. The thoughts were blurred with her child like face and now I could clearly see the resemblance to my father. Our nose was the same, and our eyes a chilling blue. I really wondered where her hair came from. Lunch finished quickly and we went our separate ways. I went straight to my room. How come everything was falling into place? Someone knocked on my door and Nagisa came in. I wanted her to go away and was about to tell her when she stopped me.

"I know you want to be alone and I know you think you can handle everything on your own, but you can't. Tell me what is on your mind and right now I will not be Nagisa, I will be someone completely different. Just think of me as your personal diary." She said and sat across from me. I was reluctant at first; I couldn't picture Nagisa as anything but Nagisa.

"Well," I started, scratching my cheek. "I don't want to be here right now. I don't want to be my father, you know?" I asked for confirmation. Nagisa nodded her head encouragingly. "I am thankful to him but I hate him all the same. I don't want to end up like him. Maybe it runs in the family, it's in our genes? I love you and all Nagisa, but I'm sure my dad loved Hisako too. I mean if we were in the same situation… I wouldn't know what I would do. I can't even picture it." She nodded again, more slowly. "I'm a teenager and I thinking that is the same thoughts my dad had, drugs have destroyed him. I want to think about you forever but the divorce rate is so high, but I can't even picture us fighting. I feel like I mean something to someone when you call out to me. I love you, I am sure of that though. I wonder what is going to happen in the future. I don't want to be suffocated in the house forever. Your dad is always focused on us, even though it might not seem that way. I want to get away one day and have my own house, with you. I want to be able to support you no matter what comes along." I was rambling now, going in and out of what I was trying to say. I wasn't even looking at Nagisa, instead at the table, a shining mahogany. "I mean Kimi is cute and all and I wouldn't mind having kids when I'm older but when I'm ready. I don't even know what I'm saying. I guess, I can relate to my father? No, that's not it. I feel sorry for that pathetic man." I was done with my rant then, swearing I would tell no more. Nagisa just nodded.

"That was fun. We should do that more often. Next time you'll be the listener. Do you feel better now?" Nagisa asked standing up. I nodded and stood up too.

"You are not even going to say anything to me about what I said?" I asked in surprise. She shook her head.

"We all need to do that every once in a while." She left with out another word. I didn't know what to make of this. I walked downstairs to find only Hisako, and Kimi of course, sitting at the kitchen table. I tried to duck away to avoid making an awkward conversation.

"Tomoya?" She called before I could escape. I walked over and sat down. "I know this is weird and this is awkward but ignoring me isn't going to do anything." She said and I was thankful she was back to normal. "I remember when I was your age, I thought my life would just unfold before me and I wouldn't have to do anything special. I just, I wish I had planed better. I know you are thinking I'm saying this because I have a baby on my hip but I don't have a specific career choice, no chance of marriage in the future, I'm broke. I stole the car." She added, throwing the last part in fast. She was mentioning the car I had first seen her in. I hadn't seen it since the first night she came. Where had she parked it? "It was my dad's. I lived with him when I had Kimi and one day I just packed up and left in his car. The cops found me, but dad decided not to press charges. I am so thankful to my parents, they put up with me despite all of my crap. I think of you and your dad like my parents and I except the roles are reversed. You take all the crap he gives you and I know you just needed to get away. I am so proud that you could do what my parents could not. Sanae was always compared to me. 'Why aren't you more sociable like your sister?' they would say to her. Now look at us." She motioned to herself and the house surrounding us. " I will stay in touch even after I leave, you can bet on that. You and Kimi better be the best siblings ever or I will hang myself." She said and I was afraid she meant it. "I'm going over to your dad's house later. I'm going to apologize and even if I don't want him to be a part of my life. I want him to a least see Kimi sometimes." I wanted someone like Hisako around when I was growing up and I felt a strange longing for the mom I never had. I wanted to do something, but most of all I wanted my mom. I felt tears roll in my eyes but quickly forced them down. Hisako got up and put her dishes into the sink. I got up too and got a quick snack, anxious for dinner. I headed back to my room.

Dinner was gratefully back to normal. Akio made his usual corny jokes while Sanae laughed politely. Hisako even added her own sarcasm to the conversation. We had just started on desert; warm brownies drizzled with caramel, when the doorbell rang. Akio answered it while we kept chatting on. When he came back, a police officer was on his heels. My eyes suddenly glanced to Hisako as I was reminded of her story that same afternoon. The policeman just shook his head.

"I am sorry to put a damper on your happiness but I am afraid we have some bad news. Today at approximately 12:30 we found a man at he bottom of a bridge. He jumped, a suicide, and it immediately crushed his neck. This man was Okazaki Naoyuki." I looked up at the mention of my father's name. What?

"I'm sorry?" I said to the officer making sure I heard him right. I had to talk over the distant wails of Hisako. The officer just shook his head.

"You are his son right? I am sorry but your father is dead." He said. Akio's face was cold as he led the officer out. I stared at my plate. I numbly felt Nagisa's hand slip into mine, when I looked at her, tears poured down her face. I looked over at Hisako who was in hysterics. She wailed and clutched onto her sister. Sanae also had tears in her eyes. She didn't even know him. Why was she crying? All at once, my senses began working again. My father who had raised was dead, I would never see him again. My face crumpled in a split second. Tears poured down my face as I wailed, probably louder than Hisako. I pulled at my hair. I felt Nagisa wrap me in her arms. What happened to a second chance? He killed himself, my father killed himself. I was spread on the floor by then, my face in my hands, curled up into a tight ball. Nagisa could not stop touching me, she was on my face, on my arms.

"I hate him!" I yelled at her, she was taken aback and scooted away not knowing what to do. Akio walked over to me and grabbed me by the shirt collar. He dragged me out of the house to the backyard.

"If you cry in front of her again. I will kill you. No matter how hard it is, you will go somewhere else and then you will cry." Was all he said. I sat on the porch, my sobs turning into sniffles then in reverse. Akio smoked a cigarette and paid no attention to me. He was gone, my father was gone. Someone whom I hated for so long had finally disappeared and now there was nothing. The blame was mine and mine alone. Akio finally roamed around, walking in circles. I looked up, snot ran down my nose.

"I don't know what to do. Why am I acting like this?" I asked him. Akio sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Because you love him, as much as you try to forget." He said simply going back into the house. I shook my head and walked back followed suit, walking into the house, regaining my composure long enough to reach my room. I didn't see Hisako or Sana and wondered where they had gone. I opened my bedroom door and to my surprise Nagsia was already waiting inside.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled about earlier. "Could you just leave right now?" I asked and felt the sobs begin to rise again. She nodded but before she left gave me a big hug.

"No matter what it is, I am here for you." She said her own voice breaking into loud racking sobs.

"I just need to be alone" I said. She left without questions.

That night I cried myself to sleep.