AN: Girls will play a major part next chapter. Also, as much as I'm loving CH 279, I feel cautious about CH 280. It's going better than I thought but there is still the possibility of them getting interrupted or her rejecting him, so….have to be careful and guard my heart as much as Kyoko does.

Chapter Forty One

There is a lot going on tomorrow, many New Years parties but I'm glad that the girls are happy just being with us and their grandparents at home and enjoying sparklers instead of huge fireworks. I'm also glad that Father prioritized spending New Years with us over the exclusive parties that both he and Julie-san were invited to. Hopefully it'll be just one of many exciting occasions ahead of us.

At the time being though, Kuon and I are sitting outside a psychologist's office. Matt Archer. We've both read up on him, although he hasn't specialized in head trauma, he has done some focus on memories and worked with a lot of celebrities and sports players. I just don't want someone trying to tear down Kuon. I look over at Kuon who has a walker beside him. He claims to be okay without the wheelchair – although I snuck it into the back of the car anyway – but I'm going to be scared if he doesn't have some support. I also know that I'll be going into this first meeting with him especially after the last person we tried.

There is the sound of the door being opened and both Kuon and I look up to see a man about ten or fifteen years older than Kuon with a healthy body, bald patch in the middle of his head, glasses, but a positive smile across his face that makes the fact that he would look out of place on the cover of a romance magazine not matter as much. Well, he looks intelligent and down to earth, that's who we need right now.

"Mr. Hizuri, Kuon, it's nice to meet you," Matt says before holding his hand out to Kuon who nervously takes it.

"Kkk-uo'..nn'sss …ffi'" Kuon replies and Matt grins.

"Okay. We'll go with Kuon and feel free to call me Matt, now, this beautiful woman here must be your wife," he says and I pause and look to Kuon nervously. He's not hitting on me is he? I take a quick breath in as he offers me his hand and I shake it before seeing a wedding ring there.

"Kyoko Hizuri," I tell him before seeing a wedding picture of him and…his husband? He's gay? At least I know that he's not hitting on me. He's just trying to be polite and gentlemanly.

"How about we head into the room. Kuon," he says and Kuon looks up awkwardly. "It's your choice whether we have your wife sit in with us today. I do encourage that Kuon and myself do most of the talking," he says to me which I agree with, "however, if you both feel comfortable with having you, Kyoko, be an observer."

"Ye-Ye-ss" Kuon says and reaches back for my hand. I squeeze it and then kiss his cheek, helping him to the walker. He looks down embarrassed a little but at least this is a lot better so far from the previous therapist.

….

….

I don't really know how to act, I've always felt in control of the situation but I'm meeting someone who could either help me or hurt me more. I hate to admit that but people's opinions hurt a lot more now that I'm not sure how to act anymore. Matt shows me to the room and gestures to the couch, Kyoko tries to help me down being her very protective self as always.

"So, how is today going? How do you feel right now? Could I get you something to drink, tea, water, coffee?" Matt says, he sounds nervous but maybe he's just trying to be humble or hopefully he's not a fan needing to only get close to me. I look to Kyoko.

"I ca'—can' hh-a' …ccaff..ei'" I struggle to say and Kyoko grabs my hand and smiles.

Matt nods, "Not a problem," he says not mentioning the way that I can't speak very well. The previous therapist we went to made fun of me or was impatient but Matt just seems to treat it as normally as Kyoko and Dad do. "We have some decaffeinated tea and coffee."

"TTea?" I ask trying to speak slowly so that it makes more sense.

"Okay, we have black and green decaffeinated tea," Matt says and shows me the packages, I gesture to the green tea and Kyoko smiles. She looks excited.

"I'll have the same," she tells him before hugging me and I hear her holding back her tears, hopefully I haven't disappointed or embarrassed her. Matt goes to make the tea but comes right back to us whilst it's brewing.

"It'll be done soon. So, I just want to get some background information if that's okay. I've read some of the news reports but since you haven't given any media statements and very few interviews there are a lot of empty gaps on the timeline. Besides, I prefer hearing it from my clients anyway," he looks eager but genuine, "So, when did this all start."

"Ju-une?" I ask and look to Kyoko who nods. "I—I wa—the-I…" I look down frustrated, I don't really know where to start off with this. "We…were goi' to ha' llu-n'" I tell him. "Kyoko," I smile as how I've been managed to get Kyoko's name perfect even with my bad speech, I turn to her and see her blush at hearing it. "go—herrr…sh'" I gesture to my own shoe, "wa' s'uck. I…wan'ed he'…her" I close my eyes starting to feel a little overwhelmed. Matt seems to acknowledge this.

"Would it help if Kyoko completed the rest of the story, I don't want to put you on the spot," he tries to say and I nod before turning to my princess and she smiles and sits up straighter as Matt returns with the tea.

"Kuon and I were going to have lunch that day with our daughters, just a nice family lunch time but there was an incident and I got my shoe lodged in the pavement. I made sure that our daughters were both with their dad whilst I tried to get free. I couldn't do it and there was a bus that wasn't slowing down and then," Kyoko bows her head and quickly sobs before pulling out her handkerchief and drying her eyes. "Kuon's body was hit instead. They had to do surgery on his brain. That's where the cuts on his face came from. He saved my life and the doctors thought that he would die before they could treat him. He was in a coma for three months."

I feel guilty as I watch her. If it was up to me then I would have never left her for those three months.

KyKyKyKy

As I take the tea, I feel that this man, Matt, will be a help to us. Maybe we should have always gone with a male psychologist or am I being sexist or worse jealous and insecure. I turn to Kuon. He seems to feel safe enough to talk and my heart always seems to explode each time I hear him say my name. I dry my eyes again and know to continue with the retelling of the hardest year of our lives.

"Kuon was able to come home soon after that but he got really sick when our daughter got a common cold, I didn't know how much just flu bugs would cause him pain. He was attacked again inside of a hospital room but no lasting injuries. After he came home, he made rapid progress until early November when we went to our daughter's open house and that's when the man who had hurt us before attempted to murder Kuon and it was a miracle that he survived. He came home after Thanksgiving and that's where we are now. We managed to get the paperwork for the settlement with the attacker handled a couple of days ago." I take a deep breath. There's a lot more to the story but that is for Kuon to talk about if he wants to.

"So," Matt says as he looks between us, "All of that happened within the last six months? Two major head injuries, one a road accident, the second was an attempted murder, plus there has been the virus, and you're still sitting here on the sofa talking to me. Very impressive," Matt nods and I grin to Kuon before turning back to Matt.

"Isn't he? He won't believe how impressive he really is," I try to praise Kuon who bows his head to avoid direct eye contact with us.

"So," Matt says as he turns to Kuon, "What is the ideal outcome in your opinion? What is the one thing that you most want to work towards as our goal?"

"I wa'…." Kuon says before I see how insecure he is. Even if he says he wants to be an actor then we can work towards that goal and hopefully make it. I nod to him hoping that it encourages him. "Be a goo' hus'an and fath-ther."

I blink. He's already an amazing husband and father, what is he talking about?

"Do you think that you're not a good husband and father?" Matt asks and Kuon nods. I blink in shock. What is going on right now? Kuon should know how loved he is. He needs to understand that we all support him. I pause and look at him sadly.

"I can' in'er…ac' wi….mmmy…wi'" Kuon tries to say and Matt watches him. What is Kuon talking about? We interact in romantic ways all the time. "I neg'ec….my gi'rlss"

"You're not neglecting them," I tell him unable to sit silently when he's saying this. "You spend as much time as you're able to with them and maybe they don't understand every single element of your illness but they still know that although their daddy has to see a doctor, he's trying so so hard to get better. They don't feel neglected. They miss you, the old you, but that doesn't mean that they don't love you or think that you don't love them. You're a great dad, Kuon." I turn to Matt. "He really is a kind, loving, and supportive father."

"I can believe that," Matt says and I take a breath of relief. "A neglectful father wouldn't put his daughters as one of his top priorities. He wouldn't be bringing up the subject of feeling guilty that his physical and psychological injuries are hurting his children. You care so much about your daughters and I can already see that. Do you think that's true?" Matt asks and Kuon nods silently. "However, let's make your being able to spend gradually longer periods of time with your family one of our goals. Does that sound fair?"

Kuon nods again before looking at his hands, "I le' the-mm…ddddow'"

"You haven't let anyone down. We are all so proud of you," I try to tell him to reassure him of our shared love. "Think about this, you've improved so much in just over a month. It's incredible. I know how hard you're working to make things as normal as possible and I know that you worked so hard so that you can say my name clearly as well as Ana's and Rose's even when you are going through personal stress."

"Ttheyy….dddeser' a…ffa'er" Kuon argues and I can see that he's mentally getting tired.

"They already have a father that they love so much and who loves and supports them unconditionally. They already have a father who wants to spend time with them and has sat at princess tea parties and watched princess movies with them. You accept Ana and Rose for the unique people that they are and don't make an attempt to make them anyone else. You are so loved by them, Kuon."

He smiles to me and nods, not arguing on that point and I look to him again.

"And I love you. I'm so proud to be your wife and I think you're amazing, the strength that you've used to heal during this time, a period where doctors said you'd either never recover from or it would take multiple years, it's incredible." I shiver again and feel the tears in my eyes. "I almost lost you more than once. I was never truly lucky before I met you but now, as long as you're alive and the girls are safe and happy, I don't need anything else."

Kuon looks to me in a questioning manner before pulling me closer to him, I close my eyes as I rest my head on his chest. "I lovvve you," he tells me, speaking slowly and with deliberation but hearing those words means everything to me.

"I love you too," I tell him. "I always will."

End of Chapter Forty One

Thank you for reading

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Forty

Kaname671, kyoko minion