A knock at the door startled them. Anna set down her book. "Yoh, who
could that be?" she asked. "None of our friends ever knock."
Yoh shrugged. "I'll go see who it is," he said.
"Konnichwa, ototo-chan," his brother said.
"Hao?" Yoh gasped. "You...what...it...I" He relaxed and grinned at his big brother. "It's been a while, Hao."
"I know," Hao said. "I've been in Indonesia for the past few years...but our kaa'san told me the news."
"Yoh?" Anna called. "Who is it?" Her eyes widened and she ducked behind Yoh as she realized who it was.
Hao raised his hands. "It's all right, Anna," he said. "I only came to see how you were doing." He smiled kindly at her. "You look lovely."
"Thank you," she said, a bit grudging. She did look pretty. Her hair was longer and she had added just enough weight to her small frame to alleviate her pinched, bony waif look.
"So did you come just to drop by?" Yoh asked.
"Yes," Hao admitted. "Just to see if...if you were happy." He smiled, but it was a little strained. "And I see that you are." He turned to leave.
"Hao," Yoh said suddenly. "Would you like to see him?"
He turned around. "Hai," he said. "I would love to meet my nephew."
Hana, now four months old, was sleeping soundly in his crib, tucked into a little ball with his blanket cuddled against him. His uncle stood over him, watching the baby. The parents stood in the doorway.
"He is a beautiful child," Hao said. "In looks he is so much like Anna, but with Yoh's sleepy personality, ne?" He reached into the crib and traced one finger along the curve of Hana's cheek.
"Would you like to hold him?" Anna asked. Yoh squeezed her shoulders.
"Hai," Hao said.
Anna lowered the bar of the crib and lifted her son out lovingly. "Hold out your arms," she instructed. She placed the dozing baby in Hao's arms. "Oh, no, no, not like that!" Anna exclaimed. "Keep his head steady."
Hao rocked his nephew. "Such a tiny thing," he said. Hana roused a little bit and blinked sleepily at his uncle. "Good morning, little one," Hao smiled.
"This is you oji-san," Yoh said to Hana. "Can you say konnichiwa to Uncle Hao, Hana-chan?" Hana-chan babbled something that sounded nothing like konnichiwa, but at least it was a happy noise.
"You know, Hao," Anna said. "We haven't chosen a godfather for our Hana."
"Will you be Hana's godfather?" Yoh asked.
Hao's eyes sparkled. "I would be honored, ototo," he said. "Arigato."
Hana, a little more awake, started to whimper. Hao kissed his forehead and handed the baby to Anna. "Arigato," he said again. "You...have no idea." He walked past them to the door. Then he turned around.
"Once..." he said, his voice soft. "...once, I was a father."
And then he was gone.
Yoh and Anna watched him go. Yoh wrapped his arms around Anna. She pressed soft kisses on her son's face as he cooed at her.
Author's Note: Okay, NOW the story's done. Thanks to DraketheDuelist for the Hao idea!!
Yoh shrugged. "I'll go see who it is," he said.
"Konnichwa, ototo-chan," his brother said.
"Hao?" Yoh gasped. "You...what...it...I" He relaxed and grinned at his big brother. "It's been a while, Hao."
"I know," Hao said. "I've been in Indonesia for the past few years...but our kaa'san told me the news."
"Yoh?" Anna called. "Who is it?" Her eyes widened and she ducked behind Yoh as she realized who it was.
Hao raised his hands. "It's all right, Anna," he said. "I only came to see how you were doing." He smiled kindly at her. "You look lovely."
"Thank you," she said, a bit grudging. She did look pretty. Her hair was longer and she had added just enough weight to her small frame to alleviate her pinched, bony waif look.
"So did you come just to drop by?" Yoh asked.
"Yes," Hao admitted. "Just to see if...if you were happy." He smiled, but it was a little strained. "And I see that you are." He turned to leave.
"Hao," Yoh said suddenly. "Would you like to see him?"
He turned around. "Hai," he said. "I would love to meet my nephew."
Hana, now four months old, was sleeping soundly in his crib, tucked into a little ball with his blanket cuddled against him. His uncle stood over him, watching the baby. The parents stood in the doorway.
"He is a beautiful child," Hao said. "In looks he is so much like Anna, but with Yoh's sleepy personality, ne?" He reached into the crib and traced one finger along the curve of Hana's cheek.
"Would you like to hold him?" Anna asked. Yoh squeezed her shoulders.
"Hai," Hao said.
Anna lowered the bar of the crib and lifted her son out lovingly. "Hold out your arms," she instructed. She placed the dozing baby in Hao's arms. "Oh, no, no, not like that!" Anna exclaimed. "Keep his head steady."
Hao rocked his nephew. "Such a tiny thing," he said. Hana roused a little bit and blinked sleepily at his uncle. "Good morning, little one," Hao smiled.
"This is you oji-san," Yoh said to Hana. "Can you say konnichiwa to Uncle Hao, Hana-chan?" Hana-chan babbled something that sounded nothing like konnichiwa, but at least it was a happy noise.
"You know, Hao," Anna said. "We haven't chosen a godfather for our Hana."
"Will you be Hana's godfather?" Yoh asked.
Hao's eyes sparkled. "I would be honored, ototo," he said. "Arigato."
Hana, a little more awake, started to whimper. Hao kissed his forehead and handed the baby to Anna. "Arigato," he said again. "You...have no idea." He walked past them to the door. Then he turned around.
"Once..." he said, his voice soft. "...once, I was a father."
And then he was gone.
Yoh and Anna watched him go. Yoh wrapped his arms around Anna. She pressed soft kisses on her son's face as he cooed at her.
Author's Note: Okay, NOW the story's done. Thanks to DraketheDuelist for the Hao idea!!