Welcome back! I hope you are excited for an epilogue. Because I have finally brought it to you after about three and a half years. This is the whole reason I wait until a story is completely finished before I post it. The good news is I have been working on more stories. The bad news is they are nowhere near ready. This epilogue comes to you after I had found this story cross-posted onto Wattpad. Though the person did credit me as the author they did not inform me or ask for my permission. But through that, I have found even more people that love it and have read so many more reviews that it got me back into writing again.
To Catch Someone's Eye Epilogue
Shino sat behind his desk and looked out to the tiers of seats where his students sat with bowed heads, diligently taking their tests.
He opened the bottom drawer of his desk and removed the materials for his current project.
He wanted to surprise his wife with a special gift but it was taking a lot of time and effort on his part. Unfortunately, the only place he could work on it was at work where Sachi would not be able to know about it.
Several minutes of meticulous work later, one of his more studious pupils came to turn in their test and spotted his work.
"What are you doing sensei?" the boy asked.
He snapped the book shut realizing his window of opportunity to work on his project was closing.
"Nothing of your concern," he said lightly. "If you are done with your test you may proceed outside for kunai training."
It took him several weeks of grueling translating and carefully working over the book till he had finally felt satisfied with the finished project.
When he arrived home that evening he was greeted with a chorus of "welcome home daddy", from his wife and two daughters.
"How was your day?" Sachi asked him.
"Uneventful, and yours?" he responded, receiving hugs from his daughters.
"Tori learned to say a new word. Tell daddy what you learned today, Tori."
"Napkin," the little girl enunciated. Shino smiled she, was learning quicker every day.
"Daddy, what's that?" Shina asked, pointing to the present he brought with him. "Is it for Tori's birthday? It's only a few weeks away."
"No, it is not for Tori, why? Because her birthday is too far away for a present today. This present is for your mother."
"Mommy, mommy," the toddler shouted, running from her father to her mother. She quickly grabbed and tugged on her mother's finger.
"Alright, let's sit and I will open it."
Though it was unnecessary, Tori led her mother to the couch.
They all settled on the couch and the girls crowded around their mother as if it would let them see the present sooner. "What's the occasion?" Sachi asked as she lifted Tori into her lap.
"I need no excuse to dote on you. Because I love to see you all happy."
Sachi beamed and took the present he offered. Tori hastily ripped at the paper, Sachi only helping when she got stuck on a corner.
"What is it, Tori?"
"Book!" the little brunette shouted.
Sachi ran a hand over the book hoping to find lettering with her fingers. "Classic fairytales," she read aloud.
"Daddy read?" Tori asked, turning her large brown eyes to her father. "please," she added as an afterthought.
It was a nightly ritual for Shino to read to his children before they went to bed. Each of his girls loved their storytime with their dad.
"This is a book for your mother to read to you," Shino explained.
Though he enjoyed reading to his daughters just as much as they enjoyed being read to, it was something that Sachi had never been able to participate in. He wanted her to have that opportunity.
"For me?" Sachi questioned quietly. She flipped to the first page and ran her fingers across the braille lettering. "'The princess and the pea.' Shino," she exclaimed, "where on earth did you find this in braille?!"
These books were rare in the shinobi world, even after almost 3 decades Sachi had only managed to compile a handful of them.
"I didn't. I bought the book and pressed in the marks myself. I thought you would enjoy reading to the girls."
"Mommy read?" Tori asked as her mother was overcome with emotion.
"Yeah, Tori," Shina said to her sister. "Mommy can read this book to us. Dad, that's so cool!" She hopped up from the couch and hugged Shino tightly.
Sachi wiped at her gray eyes as they filled with tears. "Shino, that is so thoughtful."
"Mommy, read?" Tori asked again.
"Can we read it now?" Shina asked her father, brown eyes looking at him imploringly.
"As long as your mother wants to."
"Mom, can we read it now?" Shina asked as she sat back down next to her mother.
"Of course we can," Sachi said with a smile.
Shino watched with a light heart as Sachi pulled Shina in close, adjusted Tori in her lap, and began to read with reverence.
These last few years have not been the easiest but I can confidently say things are far better than they ever were. I hope now that life is permitting I will have the ability and desire to get back into writing. I would like to thank each and every one of you for every view and every review. You are what makes writing worth it. Thank you.