One Light, One Hope

by lighthope

One year later, the story is finally finished! Yay! [The sequel to Together Again] Looking back on their life together, T.K. tells the story of how he and Kari met, how they fell in love, and how ultimately, she became a part of him.

15. Chapter Eleven: Ambiguity

AN: Hello again! Yes, I am alive. And you will be seeing more of me on a regular basis.

If you didn't read my author's note before, on November 7, this story will have been published for a year. I'm thisclose to finishing the story (one more chapter of the actual book, another interlude, and the epilogue), so I figured, I will finish it by that date. That means, you get updates once a week. Hopefully. It's really hard balancing this with homework and church, but I'll manage. I have a very good idea for yet another sequel, making it a trilogy, but the sequel will only be a one-shot. I also have other plans for it, but you'll see if it gets there.

Now, if you don't know what ambiguity means, it means that a subject is not just black, or not just white—there are lots of gray areas. I titled this chapter this way because it's supposed to show the ups and downs of being married so young. This is where things start to turn… if you're perceptive, you'll pick it up (I hope).

There was supposed to be more of the main plot for this chapter, but my limit was 10 pages and it wouldn't have fit in 10, so I'll add it to the next one, to make that one long enough, too. =D

Oh yeah, answering reviews…

Azn Angel Hikari: I like video games too! That's why it's funny. (Or supposed to be, anyway. =|)

Uncle Remus: No, I am not a twin. But I happen to be mildly obsessed with them. Hence the three sets of twins (I didn't even realize that!).

Savoan Locc: Umm… I didn't quite get your review. I am also a Taiora supporter too… but yeah. Well I'm glad you like my fic even if you don't like Jyoumi. Sorry. If it really bothers you, don't read.

Hope you enjoy! Remember, they're not mine, except for the kids. And Michael (you'll see who he is later).

Chapter 12 coming soon!

Reviews welcomed! I love reviews! =D

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 SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1One Light, One Hope

Chapter Eleven: Ambiguity

            "Welcome to your new home."

            Kari giggled as I ushered her and Aaron into our new, small apartment. Aaron gurgled happily at the sight of his parents' happiness. Baby Aaron was now eight months old, and, enjoying newfound success with the publishing of my first novel, I had found my family an apartment not far from Mimi and Joe's place. I breathed in the scent of the new apartment, trying to get a feel for it, and then tried not to choke. It wasn't the biggest place, that's for sure, but I thought it could be a little nicer, and a little cleaner.

            "Light, we have to do some major cleaning this weekend."

            Kari half-smiled. "Yes, it does look like it needs a bit of work." She looked at me. "Did you bring up the crib?"

            "Yeah." I set down the portable crib I had carried up and set it up so that Kari could put Aaron down. "Here you go, big guy." I took our son from Kari and placed him in the crib, along with a few toys. He grinned as he found one of his favorites and promptly began throwing it out of the crib.

            "Aaron, you're not supposed to do that," Kari said scoldingly, taking the toy and putting it back in the crib. "You know that."

            He looked carefully at his mother, and then threw the toy again, only this time at the other side of the crib. It bounced back and nearly missed hitting him. Aaron got a look of surprise on his baby face, and then resorted to peacefully playing with the rest of his toys. Kari shook her head. "Aaron, don't hurt yourself, okay?"

            This whole time, I had been watching them from the doorframe, and I smiled slightly, at the sight of my wife and my son. I still couldn't believe that I was this lucky. But I shook myself out of my reverie as Kari turned to look at me. "Hon, we have to get all our stuff in here."

            I nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm on it."

            Later, thanks to the help of Mimi and Joe (well… actually, more like just Joe), we had gotten all of our things up and at least into the apartment. I wiped my brow with the back of my hand and said, "Thanks, guys, for all your help."

            "Of course. We know how hard it is to start over. You'll do okay."

            Kari smiled half-heartedly. "I'm not sure about that," she said, slowly.

            Mimi patted her on the back. "Well, I am."

            "Thanks for your vote of confidence," I told them, sincerely. It really meant a lot that they had a lot of faith in us.

            "You guys had the guts to leave and start over in a whole new place, on your own, with a kid to boot. With that kind of perseverance, there's no doubt you two will make it through the rest." Joe smiled kindly. "And besides, we'll be here too."

            "That is a comforting thought." I smiled at them.

            "Just remember, if you need any help, let us know, okay?"

            "Okay."

            The weeks and months passed. It was interesting trying to get settled into married life and life in the States. Kari was still going to college, trying to be a teacher. Somehow, I had gotten that novel published, which resulted in us moving, and was working on another one, and going to class part-time, while taking care of Aaron. He was a wonderful baby. Sure, he had his temper tantrums sometimes, but I didn't mind those too much. Life wasn't easy. Sometimes I found myself wondering what I had gotten into so early in life, but then I berated myself when I thought of my beautiful wife, whom I had loved since I was, what, thirteen, and our little boy.

            One particularly straining night, I was sitting at the computer, trying to finish a brutal mid-term paper, to no obvious avail. I rubbed my tired face as I stared at the computer screen. The publishing company, somehow, wanted another manuscript soon. I wasn't suffering from writer's block; it was just the fact that I had so many other things that I had to take care of, like classes, home, trying to find a job, etc. (AN: TK's lucky. I've had writer's block for a while. =þ) I looked sadly over at the dark room that held my wife. I felt really bad that we hadn't seen each other, really seen each other in a while. She had mentioned something she wanted to tell me, but I had being rushing to finish something and I had asked her if she could tell me later, when I could really concentrate on what she was saying.

            Now, looking up at the silent room, I sighed. I should have been in there, sleeping next to my wife, instead of letting her go to sleep in an empty, cold bed. Kari always said she understood, however; never complaining, just accepting resignedly, which made me feel so much worse. T.K., you knew what you were getting yourself into, I scolded myself slightly, as I glanced wearily at my computer screen again. Sighing, I realized the things that I was writing right now weren't coherent enough to pass off even as BS, so I began to shut off the computer. As I waited for it to shut down, I heard Aaron start to cry. I rushed, quietly, so as not to wake Kari up, to his room, to find him trying to pull himself up using the sides of his crib. I smiled. "Need a little help there, bud?" At the sound of my voice, he looked up, and he stopped wailing, although he still had a sad look in his big blue eyes. He put his arms out and I picked him up. "What's up, big guy? Did you have a bad dream? It's okay. Daddy's here now." I held him close to me as I rocked him, soothing him back to sleep. As I held him, I breathed in his scent, that scent that all babies have, and was just overcome with all the love that I had ever felt for Aaron. I just held him there as he made those baby noises that no one really understands, and after a long while, I looked down at him. He was wide awake now, and he wanted to play. "You're a night owl like your dad, huh? Come on, you can hang out with me." I set him down on the floor, where we had set a little track for him to crawl from his room to the outer part of the apartment, so he wouldn't crawl on dirty wood floors. He started moving, pretty fast, and I smiled amusedly as I followed him to the living room, where he stopped at his favorite toy—a little book that we got him that read certain things when he touched them. Aaron was very fond of that book. He liked to scribble in it a lot, too, now that I'm remembering.

            But anyway, I let him play while I rebooted the computer and tried to finish off my essay. Thankfully, I had gotten a bit of energy, so I tried to form some decent sentences as I watched my son. I managed to pull together some coherent points and sighed happily as I saved it and turned off the computer. I turned to collect Aaron and put him to sleep—and gasped.

            He had managed to pull himself up to standing, using the couch. That didn't surprise me—he'd been doing that for a while. What did surprise me was that he was using the couch as a support as he unsteadily walked the length of the couch. "Wow, Aaron, you're getting there," I urged him on, and he looked at me, not too confident in what he was doing. "Don't worry, big guy, this is only the first time you've done this. You need to practice more."

            Aaron just continued to hold on for dear life as he discovered he could actually walk, and I shook my head and smiled. I watched him for a bit longer and then said, "Okay, big guy, time to go to sleep. Daddy's tired."

            He showed his agreement with a huge yawn, but didn't want to let go of the couch. "Hey, you want to show Mommy what you can do? Come on, let's go show her." I took his hand and he tentatively started taking baby steps, but as he realized he could do it, he went a little faster. "That's it. Over here, now…" I guided him with my hand to Kari's and my room. He hesitated, as the room was dark, but I whispered, "It's okay. Mommy's just sleeping."

            Aaron gripped the bed as he had the couch, and padded over to the other side of the room, the side Kari was on. Kari, who was always a light sleeper, felt the small movements and began to stir. "T.K.?" she asked.

            "I'm right here." I could see her sleepily turn to the sound of my voice, which was at the door. "You're still up?"

            "Yeah."

            "I felt something…" She looked around to try and find the source of her awakening, when she heard Aaron's signature gurgles. "What…" She looked down to see her son smiling at her. Her eyes lit up. "Wow! How did you get here, little man?"

            "He walked," I said, matter of factly.

            "He did what?" Kari repeated, her eyes wide. She turned on the small bedside light to get a better view, and then looked down at Aaron and lifted him up onto the bed. "Is Daddy lying? Or did you really walk here?"

"He did walk here. But he was holding my hand."

"Oh." She sounded a little irritated that I woke her up just for that, but I knew she was tired, and was around that time of the month. "I'm sorry we woke you, Light, but I knew you'd want to see it first hand and would kill me if you didn't see it."

Kari smiled. "Yeah, you know me too well. What is Aaron doing out of bed this late anyway?"

I yawned hugely again. "He started crying, and I went to go see what was up, and I tried putting him to sleep, but he didn't want to sleep, so I let him play a little while I finished my paper."

"So you're done then?" Kari asked hopefully.

"Yup. I'm just gonna go put this little guy to bed and I'll be back soon." I took Aaron from her, but not before she kissed her little boy good night. I kissed her forehead and whispered, "I'll be here soon, I promise," and carried Aaron back to his room, as he was tired again and didn't want to walk anymore. Too much adventure for one day, I guess.

After I was sure Aaron was nodding off, I went back to Kari's and my shared room and got into bed, wrapping my arms around her tightly. "Sorry it took me so long."

"That's okay. Feeling this is worth waiting forever." She turned and kissed me. "I love you."

"I love you more, Light."

The next day, I woke up to wonderful smells in the kitchen. I stirred and found the bed empty. Rubbing my eyes, I took a glance at the clock—ten-fifteen in the morning. Luckily, I had no classes today, but it was a bit late for me. And why was Kari still here this late?

I padded my way into the kitchen and found Kari cleaning up the last of the dishes. "Hi, love," she greeted me. "Good morning."

"Hey yourself, Light." I kissed her on the cheek and looked at the meal, however small, she prepared. "What are you doing here so late?"

"Class got canceled until two," she explained. "So I decided to make you something. I know how you can get when you've stayed up really late."

I laughed. Every time I stayed up late, I happened to get really hungry. Kari set a plate of food in front of me. "Here you go."

"Thank you, Kari." I stood up and gave her a hug. She hugged me back, and then pulled away so she could look at me. "What was that for?"

"What, can't a husband hug his wife once in a while?"

Kari shook her head. "T.K., you are impossible."

"Just kidding." I kissed her forehead lightly. "I just wanted to say thank you and remind you that I love you."

"T.K., you are too good to me." She smiled and then motioned to the food. "Come on, eat up. I have to leave for class pretty soon."

"How soon?" I asked, between mouthfuls of food.

"Ew, close your mouth when you do that," she chided me, and I grinned sheepishly. Less than a year of marriage and she was already nagging me. "And to answer your question, in about…" she glanced over at the clock in our kitchen, which now read ten twenty-seven, "thirty minutes."

I nodded. "Okay. Wait—that's fifteen minutes before you usually leave. Why so early?"

"That has to do with what I wanted to tell you," Kari said, mysteriously.

"Well, what is it you wanted to tell me?" I asked.

"I thought you didn't want to know because you didn't seem interested yesterday," she retorted.

I raised an eyebrow. "You have no faith in me," I told her, shaking my head. "The only reason why I was saying that is because I didn't want you telling me without me really concentrating on what you were saying."

"Oh." She looked relieved, and then, as an afterthought, she said, "I'm sorry."

"That's okay," I said. "Don't worry about it. I just want to know what you wanted to tell me."

"Oh yeah!" Her eyes lit up and got that familiar sparkle. "I have a job!"

"What?!?" I exclaimed, dropping my fork in the process. "Why… why didn't you tell me?" Kari looked at me pointedly and I laughed. "Oh. Right. But… what happened?"

"Well…" Kari began. "I was waiting for the subway home last night, right? And there was this band playing in the station. They were really good—not really the kind of music I'd listen to, but they were only a few years younger than us, and sounded really great. So I told them, 'You should try and get a record deal or something.' And the lead singer was like, 'Really? You think we're that good?' And I was like, 'Yeah! I could never do something like that. How long have you guys been playing together?'

            "So they go on to tell me that they've been playing together since they were like, thirteen. I'm like, 'How did you guys play that good at thirteen?' And they're like, 'Actually, we weren't. It took a long time for us to get to where we are now—we just started playing in public a few months ago.' And by now there's a crowd surrounding them, waiting for another set. But my train is about to leave, so I tell them, 'Good luck and I meant what I said—you should get a record deal,' and I leave."

            "And…" I asked, wondering what this had to do with her job.

            "So I get on the train, and the guy who is sitting next to me, coincidentally, happens to be making his own new record company. And he saw the exchange between myself and the band, and he needed people to find new talent so he could start signing artists to his label, and he was like, 'You know that band you were talking to? They sounded pretty good. I also heard you tell them they should have a record deal. Would you like to give it to them?' I'm like, 'What the heck are you talking about?'

            "Right then and there, he offers me a job as a talent scout. I was like, 'So I get paid for sitting and listening to music all day?' The guy—his name is Michael, by the way—nods, telling me he's just starting out and he needs people desperately. So of course, since Kari needs money, I said yes."

            "Kari, that's awesome." By this time, I had finished my food. "So, when do you start?"

            "Well, first of all, I have to get the name and a CD from that band, today—that's why I'm leaving early—and then I get to send it to him. I told him that since I'm in the middle of my last college quarter that I couldn't come in to the office right away, but I said that during the summer I'd be able to come into the office, and next year I could arrange my schedule so that I could go in two ore three times a week," Kari reasoned.

            I nodded. "I know you said you wanted me to go to school full time, but I want to do my part here, too. We can't live off of royalties forever, unless you write another novel… and even then, it's not enough," Kari continued.

            I sighed. "I know it's hard, Kar, and I'm trying."

            Kari came back from the other side of the table and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. "I know, love. This will be good for us—we won't have to struggle too much anymore."

            Nodding absently, I sighed. "Yeah." Kari rested her head on mine and we just sat there, for a few moments, in a reflective silence, only to be broken by Aaron's cries. I smiled. "You want to get him or should I?"

            Kari looked at the clock. "I should get ready to go."

            "Okay, then I'll get him."

            "Wait." I stopped. "Let me," Kari asked, as an afterthought, I guess. "I won't get to see him any more today, and I just wanted to give my little man a big hug and kiss from his mommy before I leave."

            I smiled. "You just love that boy, don't you?"

            Kari smirked. "Of course! I'm his mom."

            Later, I watched Kari leave, conflicting emotions in my heart. I didn't want Kari to have to work—chivalry or something, I guess—but at the same time, I was proud of her. And then, I felt bad, because I had nothing to give to her in congratulations.

            After cleaning up the table and changing and feeding Aaron, I let him play a bit. "Hey, buddy. Your mommy has school today. And she got a new job, isn't that exciting?" Aaron looked up and happily gurgled his response. "What should we do for her?" I asked him, half expecting a response.

            Before I could interpret any of his many gurgles to mean anything significant, the phone rang. "Takaishi residence, T.K. speaking," I said into the phone.

            "T.K., you sound so old when you do that," a familiar male voice groaned in reply.

            I laughed. "Hey Tai! What's up?"

            "All's good over here. How about my favorite brother-in-law and nephew?"

            Rolling my eyes, I retorted, "I'm your only brother-in-law and Aaron's your only nephew."

            "Oh yeah." He laughed. "Anyway, T.K., I was calling to ask you something."

            "Yeah, what is it?"

            "Well, um… Sora and I are flying over there in about a week."

            "Really? That's awesome! Do you want to stay with us?"

            "Oh, no, I wouldn't want to impose on you guys… the reason why we're flying over there is because I applied for a job as an ambassador to the Digital World. It's kind of a long story, but Izzy and Cody helped me out with it. They want to interview me, but they said I had to go over there. It may take a few weeks, even a few months, so I don't want to impose on you guys for that long. I'm sure we can find somewhere else to stay."

            "Nonsense. If you have to, you can split it even between Mimi and Joe and us, but we're not letting you stay in a hotel for a month," I said firmly.

            "Are you sure? What about the baby and everything?" Tai asked, sounding very… unsure.

            "Hey, he'll have his uncle and auntie here to keep him company. Tai, this is too good of an opportunity to pass up. If you get it, you'll be the first ever ambassador to the Digital World! Come on, that's something all of us have waited to see for a very long time."

Tai sighed. "Okay. But only if you're sure it's okay."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well…  we're not sure yet… but we're thinking Sora might be… well, Aaron might have a little cousin soon."

"Really." I raised an eyebrow.

            "Yeah. It's not confirmed yet, but we're almost positive." I could hear the hint of excitement in his voice. "Are you still sure you want us to stay with you?"

            "Of course, now more than ever! Remember, Kari did have a child before, she'll know how to take care of Sora."

            "Thanks, T.K. I'm glad I can count on you."

            "Isn't that what family's for?" I asked. "So when are you guys coming?"

            "My interview is in four days, so we're gonna leave probably tomorrow… in about two days, we'll be there."

            "Okay, I'll tell Kari. I'm sure she'll be thrilled."

            "Can I talk to her?" Tai requested.

            "Actually… she's at school right now. She won't be home until late."

            "Oh… okay. Well, I guess I'll just call later, or we can talk when I get there. I have to go now, T.K. … Sora's bugging me to pick a nice suit for my interview. And to cut my hair. So, I'll call you or e-mail you with the flight times, and then we'll take it from there."

            "Okay. I'll talk to you later, Tai, okay?"

            "Okay. And thanks again, T.K."

            "No problem. Bye now." I hung up the phone. "Hey buddy, your Uncle Tai and Auntie Sora are coming to visit us. We're gonna have some fun, okay?" Aaron smiled up at me. "We still need to get something for your mommy though." I looked around. Our apartment was nice, but it was kind of empty. Our computer was our only real luxury; all our other appliances were old and second-hand, but still ran well. We didn't even have a CD player…

            "Hey! I know!" I grinned. "Aaron, you and I are going on a little shopping trip, okay?" As I said that, I swear I saw his eyes light up. He loved going outside. I packed up a diaper bag and his stroller, and then dressed him in some cool clothes and we set out on our quest—to buy our favorite girl a CD player for her new job.

            "Aaron, I don't know what I got myself into," I admitted to my son as we exited the store.

            I had, in my possession, a new CD player. It wasn't much—there were a lot nicer models—but I didn't want to spend all our income on that. Kari would have a fit, even if the CD player was for her. Now my dilemma was, how was I going to carry both the CD player and push the stroller? I shook my head at Aaron. "I shouldn't have taken you. I should have left you with your Auntie Mimi."

            He just let out a happy squeal. I rolled my eyes. How was I gonna get home?

            "T.K.?" A familiar voice resounded in my ears and I turned. Speak of the devil—it was Mimi. "You look like you could use some help."

            "Meems—wow, fancy meeting you here. What are you doing here?"

            As soon as the words came out of my mouth I regretted it—this was a store. Mimi was a girl, a girl who loved to shop. No sooner had I thought this when she answered me…

            "Shopping, of course!" She let out this high-pitched giggle. Seriously, I love Mimi, but sometimes, just sometimes, she can be really immature. Like now. Thankfully, she sobered up a bit. "Do you want me to push or to carry?"

            "You can push Aaron. I think he likes the company." After cooing and making faces at Aaron, Mimi took the handle of the stroller and pushed as we walked side by side. "So, what have you guys been up to?" she asked me.

            "The usual—school, work, taking care of this guy, you know the deal."

            "How are you guys holding up?" Mimi asked, concern evident in her kind eyes.

            I sighed. "We're getting by. It's hard sometimes. Oh, Kari got a job. That's why I'm here buying this for her." I held up the CD box. "I figured she might need it."

            "Why would she need a CD player for her job?" Mimi asked, perplexed.

            "She's now an official talent scout for a new record label," I said, proudly.

            Mimi's eyes lit up. "Really? Oh, wow… that's so cool." She smiled. "I'm so glad for you two."

            "Thanks." We had approached the stairway that descended to the subway station. "Mimi, thanks for your help again. I can handle it from here."

            She looked warily at the stairs. "You sure? A stroller is hard enough on stairs."

            "Well… maybe I might need help down the first flight of stairs."

            Mimi grinned. "You have overcome your manly pride and admitted you need assistance. Good for you."

            I laughed. "That's what being married does to you."

            "Hey. I take offense to that statement. My Joe is nothing like that. Come on, let's get down these stairs." She maneuvered the stroller so carefully, more carefully than I could ever or had ever done, down the stairs, and got me down to the landing. "There you go."

            "Thank you so much, Mimi—I don't know how I'd have done it without you."

            "You know, you could have just called me and I would have watched Aaron for you while you went shopping," Mimi said thoughtfully.

            I shrugged. "Oh well. Hey, call us later—Tai and Sora are coming in a few days."

            "Really?" she squealed. I nodded. "I'll keep you posted, okay?"

            "Okay, thanks!"

            "T.K.? Love, I'm home."

            It was late that night when Kari got back from school. I was grateful that Aaron was asleep—I needed my time with Kari. As I was coming home from the station, I realized that the next day was our anniversary—one year of marriage!—and so I had stopped by the store by the subway station to get stuff again. I also had planned a day that Kari and I could just be with each other. So I had waited up for her to let her know.

            "Hey, Light. How was school?" I asked as I wrapped her in an embrace.

            She sighed. "It was okay… I guess."

            I hugged her tighter. "Is there any way you can skip school tomorrow?"

            Kari pulled away and she raised her eyebrow ever so slightly. "T.K…. what are you up to?"

            I grinned. "You read me too well. I was just wondering because I want to spend the day with you tomorrow."

            "And why…" Then she gasped. "Oh my God! I can't believe I forgot!"

            "It's okay… we're both busy…"

            "No, it isn't, I should have remembered, I chose that day."

            "Kari." I silenced her with a kiss. "It's okay. Don't beat yourself up for it."

            She looked up at me, a tender look in her eyes. "I love you, Takeru," she said suddenly, and I smiled as I remembered the very first time had said that to me, so many years ago. I kissed her again, replying, "I love you more, Hikari Takaishi." She smiled at that and kissed me again, and our kiss deepened as I picked her up and carried her to our bedroom.

            And so, we celebrated a year of marriage with lots of love and romance. The next day, we picked up Tai and Sora from the airport, and our first order of business, other than showing Tai where he would be going, was to get Tai and Sora over to Mimi and Joe's. Mimi and Sora exchanged hugs and squeals when they saw each other, not unlike the squeals Kari and Sora had exchanged at the airport. Joe, Tai and I looked at each other and rolled our eyes. "What have we gotten ourselves into?" Tai asked, voicing the question that I had been thinking. Mimi turned and glared at him, and we all laughed.

            "Joe, there's something really important that we need to ask you," Tai said, after the girls had all settled down and we were sitting comfortably. Kari had put Aaron in the little area that Joe and Mimi had for their own son, Steven, and the two boys were playing happily, but with the occasional fight over the toys. Kari smiled affectionately at them and then turned to the discussion at hand.

            "We think… we think that Sora's pregnant, but we haven't been to a doctor yet," Tai continued. "We were hoping…"

            Joe nodded before Tai could continue. "Come on over here, Sora. Tai, you can come too. I just have to do a simple test to check." He led them off into another room, away from sight. Kari sighed. "Wow, I might be an aunt."

            "Yeah, it's crazy—we're all old and starting families," I agreed. "It's just so… surreal sometimes."

            Mimi nodded. "Speaking of families, are you guys gonna have any more kids?"

            My wife and I exchanged glances. "We've been thinking about it," Kari admitted. "But we're really busy right now… we're probably gonna wait for a while before we have another one. But we're going to have at least one more."

            Mimi raised an eyebrow. "At least?" The girls giggled.

            A month later, we gathered around again to celebrate Aaron's first birthday. He was the cutest thing, in the birthday outfit his Auntie Sora had bought for him. Sure enough, she was pregnant, and Kari and Mimi were taking good care of her, as they both had sons of their own. Kari and I had bought Aaron a bunch of new toys, like a camera, a children's notepad with crayons, a talking book, and his own little play area that we were setting up in the apartment.

            That morning, when he woke up, he toddled (because now he knew how to walk without holding on to anything) over to our room, and said, "Mama." Kari and I had already been awake and discussing stuff when we heard that. Kari raised an eyebrow. "What, honey?"

            But he didn't say anything, just smiled. Kari leaned over, picked him up and put him in between us on the bed. "Good morning, big guy. Do you know what today is?" I asked him.

            He mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "birthday," but I wasn't too sure about that. "Well, it's your birthday, which means a year ago today, you were born. And you know what else it means?"

            "Dada!" he suddenly yelled, and Kari and I laughed. "No, it doesn't mean that. It means that you get presents and you get to be the center of attention. Fun, huh?" Kari finished for me. I smiled at her. "You get to open one of your presents now," Kari announced, and Aaron's head snapped up and looked at her excitedly, like he understood exactly what she meant. I reached under our bed and pulled out one of his presents (the book) and handed it to him. "Here you go, Aaron. Happy birthday."

            He took the present and kind of shook it with his hand, and then, after inspecting it for a while, gave it to Kari, who smiled. "No, you open it like this, see?" she said, and tore off a small section of wrapping paper. Aaron had great fun with this as he ripped open the paper and found the book. He grinned and started pressing the buttons on the book, and kind of jumped back and squealed when it made a sound. I smiled. "He'll have fun with this one, I know it," I told Kari.

            After that, we all got changed, and we went for a walk in Central Park. It was the middle of summer, and quite hot, but we all survived. We took him to the petting zoo, where he had the best time (especially around the penguins), and when we got back to our apartment, his aunts and uncles were waiting for him, along with his friend Steve.

            I look back on that day with bittersweetness, because it was such a good memory, but after that, life got harder—a lot harder. I think it's been one of Aaron's only happy birthdays… that I've seen, anyway.

            Kari was beginning to work longer days at the new studio/record building—with her help, Michael was finding more and more talent to work with, and even flipping through random magazines, I could see that Stratus Records was going to become very, very big. I sighed. I missed her a lot. I was writing my novel, but it wasn't anything exciting, that I could tell. Aaron was also getting bigger, saying more words, and I was sad that Kari sometimes wasn't there to see it.

            It was around this time that I started getting fan mail from readers of my first novel, and frankly, I was quite surprised. It made me feel really good that people enjoyed my writing, and it gave me the inspiration to write more. Soon, I found myself writing for hours at a time and not even realizing it. I was able to finish my novel in a few more months, and sent it out to the publishing company, who found it suitable for publication. I was excited—that meant more money for us and to be able to support ourselves.

            The summer rolled by, and with it lots of wonderful and not so wonderful things—we found out that Tai was getting further in his goal to become ambassador, and he needed to stay longer. He and Sora needed to stay until the end of October, which was a good two months more, and we decided that he would stay with us, because they had been staying with Mimi and Joe for the last month and a half. We also discovered that Tai and Sora were going to have twins. Tai would be going through training and briefings on why we needed a Digital World ambassador, so he was gone most of the time, too, and Sora stayed home and was a great help in watching Aaron. If Tai succeeded in becoming ambassador, then he would have to spend his time equally in New York City and Washington, D.C., as both the United Nations and the U.S. Government would have to work closely with him. To that end, Tai was debating on moving to Washington. It wasn't too far away, he argued, and he had a feeling the Government needed more convincing than the UN. "I promise, we'll be out of here by the end of October. I just need that time to put all my affairs in order, maintaining that I do get the job that I want."

            I smiled. "Tai, you sound like Joe now. Using big words like 'maintaining.'"

            "Hey, when you live with the guy for two months, you get used to it." We laughed at that.

            Surprisingly, the two months went by pretty fast. Aaron loved having his aunt and uncle there, and Tai loved playing with his only nephew. He is going to make a great father, I thought, as I watched him playing with Aaron. Tai was tossing him up in the air and catching him, while Aaron squealed happily, his unruly brown hair flying in response to the wind resistance. I grinned as I realized how much they looked alike.

            On the second to last night of their stay, we all went out to dinner and celebrated the fact that Tai had indeed captured the job as Ambassador to the Digital World. We were all really excited about that and had gotten in contact with some of the Digimon over there to tell them the good news. Anyway, at the dinner, Tai announced that they had found a place in Washington and were going to move pretty soon. "I want to thank all of you, my sister, my brother-in-law, and two great friends, for making us feel welcome in your homes, for taking care of my wife and two daughters when I couldn't (because we had not only found out that the babies were twins, but we had discovered that they were girls), and for extending part of your life to make sure we were okay." Kari had tears in her eyes at her brother's heartfelt thanks. I was feeling sad myself—I didn't want to see them go.

            However, when Kari and I returned that night, we did admit that we had missed our privacy. As soon as the door closed behind us, Kari jumped up and kissed me with more passion than she ever had recently. "Wow, what was that for?" I asked, a few minutes later.

            "I missed you," she said, simply. "We haven't really seen each other and even when we did, my brother was here."

            "I know," I replied, in between kisses. "But we're alone now." And truly alone—Mimi and Joe had offered to take Aaron and let him spend the night, since he and Steve were becoming great friends.

            Kari raised an eyebrow. "I'll be back. I'm just going to change into something more comfortable." She winked seductively and I could feel my insides stirring. We hadn't been close like that in a long time, and I was feeling just how much we hadn't been together. Feeling as young as I was all of a sudden, I decided not to wait for her and ran into the room after her.

            The weather had turned colder and soon it was the Christmas season. The first snow of the year had fallen in early December, effectively making both myself and my son squeal with excitement. (Or, rather, making Aaron squeal with excitement and myself gasp.) We had taken him out to play in the snow, and also ice skating in Rockerfeller Center, and we all enjoyed this greatly. However, while we were heading back in the subway, Kari sighed and rested her head on my shoulder. "You okay, Kar?" I asked her, knowing fully well that she wasn't.

            She closed her eyes. "No," she whispered. "I feel sick."

            "I'm sorry, Light," I said apologetically, while I rubbed her back soothingly. She smiled very faintly at the gesture and I continued, as Aaron, being the toddler that he was, ran around in the train, until Kari physically got up and snatched him from doing anything drastic. "Aaron, you sit there, okay?" she said, a hint of irritation in her voice, although I knew she was trying to keep it even. "Mommy's tired and she can't run after you any more today."

            "Don't worry, Kari," I whispered in her ear. "I'll take care of him." I let him sit in my lap and play a little while Kari continued to lay her head on my shoulder. I could tell Aaron was kind of sad, when he saw how much discomfort his mom was in. "It's okay, buddy. Mommy's just tired, like she said. She'll be okay."

            Finally, after we got home, I put Aaron in his room and instructed Kari to lie down. I was in the kitchen, bustling around getting some ice for her, when I could hear her in the bathroom. I rushed over and found her heaving up her lunch, so I pulled back her hair and stroked her back gently until she was done. "I feel horrible," she said weakly. "I hate throwing up."

            "Well, then, you need to rest. I knew letting you go out in the cold was a bad idea. Come on, you're going to sleep."

            "But T.K., I have an interview tomorrow with—"

            I cut her off with a hand to her mouth. "I don't care what you have to do. You are not feeling well, and you are going to rest for at least twenty-four hours."

            She glared at me as I picked her up and carried her to the bed, and I knew I was being overbearing, but it was my job as her husband to make sure she was okay. Don't look at me like that—I wasn't trying to be a control freak, but I wouldn't let her do anything if she was feeling the way she was.

            I let her settle in the soft sheets and the pillows before getting her some 7-Up and some saltine crackers. "Here, this might settle your stomach a bit," I offered, taking a washcloth and dipping it in a basin full of water on Kari's nightstand, then sponged it carefully onto her head. "Come on, you have to admit that feels better."

            Kari smiled. "Maybe…"

            I grinned. "See? What did I tell you? Now drink a little soda and eat a few crackers—that's all you can handle at the moment."

            She obediently did as I asked her, and after a while, she said, "T.K.?"

            "Yes?"

            "Thank you for taking care of me." She smiled.

            I leaned over and kissed her forehead. "It's my job. I promised you, remember? 'In sickness and in health,' right? And besides, I don't like seeing you sick. So just rest, okay?"

            Kari nodded, and I could tell she was starting to fall asleep. So I tucked the covers around her and whispered, "Sleep tight, my angel," and then closed the door, so that nothing would disturb her.

            Two weeks later, she didn't seem to be getting any better. I was really worried about her, because I knew how prone she was to getting sick. Thankfully, neither Aaron nor I had caught the bug, so at least she wasn't contagious. Finally, after another restless night of Kari being sick, I suggested, "Why don't you go see Joe?" Finally, Joe had his own office in a nice building full of all kinds of specialists. Even though he didn't specialize in gynecology, we still trusted him more than anyone and he was well versed in the subject, too, thanks to Kari, and then his own wife, and then Sora. "I mean, you've had decreased productivity in the last two weeks—don't you want to find out what's wrong so you can work again?"

            This brightened Kari's face and I could tell that she was becoming a workaholic, the prospect of which perturbed me. "Okay. I'll see him tomorrow, I promise."

            "Kari."

            She turned. "Yes?"

            "Promise me one thing."

            She blinked. "Anything."

            "Try not to get better so you can work—try to get better for yourself, okay?"

            Kari sighed, not a wistful sigh, but more of an irritated sigh. "Okay."

            "Please, Light… I don't want to see you overworked," I told her, with a pleading undertone.

            Her face softened. I knew just exactly how to get to her.

            The next day, I had to go in to talk to the publishers—some kind of deal—so I left Aaron with Mimi, again, to talk to them. I inwardly sighed as I heard their demands—they wanted me to write three novels a year, at least. Otherwise, they would terminate my contract. I had to agree—how else would I be able to publish my stuff and support my family? They also required me to go to a writer's convention in Chicago next summer, around the time of Aaron's birthday. I nodded again, wishing all the while that I could have an independent publishing company or something.

            When I got back home, Kari was waiting for me—surprisingly—and happier than I had ever seen her in a long time. "I take it you saw Joe and you're okay now."

            Kari nodded. "But it's so much better than that, love."

            "Really?"

            Kari nodded her head up and down quite fast. "What is it, then?"

            She grinned—involuntarily, I think, like it was pasted to her face. She was positively glowing. The only time I had seen her like this was when she was pregnant with Aaron… oh. Realization dawned on me—her being sick, the timespan…

            "Kari, I think I know what it is."

            "Do you?" she said, excitedly. "You should. You're a smart cookie."

            I laughed. How was I going to say this? I was still floored by the possibility. "Okay. Me." I pointed to myself. "You." I pointed to her. "Am I good so far?"

            "Yeah, but…" Kari had a puzzled look on her face,

            "Okay. Love." I put a hand to my heart. "Family." I gestured around our house, to include Aaron. "Baby." I put a hand gently on her stomach.

            She giggled. "How did you know?"

            "I should have known. Come on, think about it."

            "Yep, I guess the raging hormones are still there, huh?" Kari laughed. "But yeah. I'm pregnant."

            I sighed. "Wow. Again."

            My wife laughed. "Yep. Again. T.K., I know that it's not the easiest of times right now, but I've always wanted another baby. I love Aaron, but he can't be with Steve all the time."

            "Kari, love, you don't have to make excuses. Has it occurred to you that I might want another child too?" I opened my arms to her. "Come here." She walked willingly into my embrace and I hugged her tight. "I love you. You're my wife, the mother of my child—children. You are the reason for everything I do. You have no idea how happy I am right now."

            Kari hugged me back tightly. "Oh, T.K…. I'm so lucky to have you."

            "I'm the lucky one." We stayed there like that for a long time, just being content in each other's arms.

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