The memorial was held the next day. Alice's mother had flown in with Ryo's will. She had made sure he wrote up an official document stating his wishes.
Ryo's body had been cremated. His ashes were given to Soma, Akira, and Elena to spread at the school. A public memorial was to be held at the outdoor stage, the same stage every class stood in front of for year one orientation. A crowd had gathered to listen to speeches and pay their respects. Elena and Prayikina sat on the front step of the Nakiri estate. Erina and Akira were already at the memorial, but Elena was too upset to go. She knew her grandmother would be there, and that brought her comfort but to see all of the people there to pay tribute to her father was overwhelming.
All of the students were in their school uniforms but Elena and Prayikina would be among the speakers so they were dressed up. Prayikina wore a white sari, to honor her Hindu heritage, while Elena wore a simple black spaghetti strap dress. Prayikina was braiding Elena's hair. "My dad told me stories about Hinduism and reincarnation. If you dad comes back as an animal what do you think it would be?"
Elena laughed. "I know what my mom would say?"
"A puppy!" both girls said together.
"Jix, you have to buy me a coke," Prayikina said with a smile.
"What do you think my dad would come back as?"
"Well since dragons don't exist I would say a tiger."
Elena wrapped her father's bandana around her wrist. "I would like to think he's a bird, maybe a seagull, so he could make it back to the port town where he was born. And he would always watch over me."
"Have you looked at your dad's notebook?"
"No, not yet. I just feel like, that would be like a final goodbye."
"Can I see it?" Prayikina asked.
"Sure," Elena said, she was about to take the notebook out of her bag when suddenly Prayikina sprang up and squealed for joy.
"Nana!"
Elena looked up to see Prayikina's grandmother Jun. Elena always thought the woman looked like a little doll. Even in her youth she never reached 5 feet in height. With her large eyes, made even more pronounced by her glasses and her high ponytail that was now mixed with hints of white. Jun was as sweet and childlike as ever. Prayikina hugged her Nana, lifting her up.
"You certainly have your father's strength."
"Nana, I can't believe you made it! Dad said you were stranded in Mexico because of the hurricane."
"I was, I should never have taken that trip so close to the Autumn finals. I wanted so badly to see you compete in the preliminaries. I have been on flight after flight for the past three days to get here."
"You're here now, that's all that matters, Dad is going to be so excited!"
"Kiki, I brought you chilies, fresh- or freshly dried- from Chihuahua." Jen produced a giant bag filled with chilies of all shapes and sizes. "Nothing but the best for my Kiki."
Prayikina took out a dried Serrano and held it to her nose the way her father held his cinnamon sticks. She then put the whole thing in her mouth chewing it like gum. "So good!"
There were tears in Jun's eyes. "My little Kiki, you're all grown up. I remember the day your father first placed you in my arms. Since Akira was already 6 or 7 or maybe even 8…"
"When you adopted him.." Prayikina added, to keep Jun's train of thought.
"He didn't call me mom, sometimes he did, but he mostly called me Jun. Once I even yelled at him for not calling me Professor. Thinking back, I'm so ashamed. Akira is my little boy, my son. You made me realize that."
Jun had been at the hospital. Erina's water had broken but the contractions were not coming. Then came the bleeding, her uterus had ruptured- Erina was at risk for losing the baby. And to make things worse had Akira disappeared. Jun looked all over for him. "Akira? Where are you?"
From the restroom, she could hear him crying. "Akira? Please open the door."
"The door's not locked."
"Oh..." Jun opened the door to find Akira sitting on the floor.
His hands were covering his face. "My poor Erina is in so much pain. I-I love her."
"I know you do. What you said to Erina at the wedding. How you would always love and cherish her for her beauty and her mind- her soul...'
"They're cutting out her uterus, the baby is suffocating. My little girl is dead and my wife will never be able to carry another child."
"You can always adopt."
"I know, but I wanted this baby. Ever since I first saw her on the ultrasound. I wanted so badly to meet my daughter."
"Where is the baby right now?" Jun asked. At the very least Jun could make arrangements for a funeral.
"They're taking Erina to surgery."
"Wait- what! Are you saying they haven't done the surgery yet! There's a chance the baby is still alive! You need to be in the operating room! You need to be by your wife's side!"
Akira stood up and splashed water on his face. "You're right, I need to be there for my wife, for my family."
Jun hugged Akira. "Akira, you have been through so much in your life. I have never seen you give up. I believe in you. If something goes wrong, just know I'll be right in the waiting room. "
"Thanks, Jun."
Hours later Akira emerged to the waiting room wearing green hospital scrubs. His hands were covered in blood. "There's someone I'd like you to meet."
Jun followed him to the room. Erina was in bed holding her little daughter.
"Erina, she's beautiful."
"Would you like to hold her?" Erina asked handing the baby to Akira.
Akira placed the newborn in Jun's arms. The woman was trembling nervously. "I'm not sure about this I've never held a baby before. Maybe you should take her back."
Akira looked to Jun. "Mom, you're the reason why she's here. You gave me the courage to be there for my family. So please I want you to hold your granddaughter."
"You called me mom. And this- she's my granddaughter. What is her name?"
Erina wiped tears as she answered, "Prayikina Jun Nakiri-Hayama or Kiki. Our little Kiki."
For the next few years, Jun was the go-to babysitter. She was there when Kiki said her first word, "Dada." And when the little girl took her first steps.
But there was one night in particular that Jun would always remember. Akira had been on a date-night with Erina.
"Dada!" the little girl cried. "I want Dada!"
Jun picked up the baby. "Your daddy will be back soon." She rocked Kiki in her arms. "I know you want to be held by your daddy. Your daddy is so amazing, he's brilliant and strong. I used to think of him as my student or my assistant, but ever since you came along… Seeing how much he loves you. I realize that's how much I love him. I'd live and die for Akira the way he would live and die for you little Kiki- probably even more so because you are so precious."
Jun turned around to see Akira in the doorway. "I love you too, Mom."
As Jun ended her story she turned to Elena. "I'm so sorry about your father. Ryo was such a kind young man. I remember the year Alice and Ryo teamed up with Akira at the Moon festival."
Prayikina laughed."Yeah, Auntie Alice nearly got both Dad and Uncle Ryo kicked out of school."
"Alice was only trying to be a friend," Jen said. "Back when he was in school it was always very difficult for your father to make friends. Anyway, let's all go to the memorial together. In this time of sadness, we need to share our strength and courage."
