Chapter Eleven: The Photograph

"It's my parents. Both of them" Tohru said.

"Mhm" Kazuma nodded as he sat back down, "Like I said before I knew your father very well."

"But um, who are the other people besides you in this picture?" she asked.

"Oh well, those are Kyo's parents. That's Rei and Sakura."

"Kyo's parents?"

"Mhm."

"Wow. I've known Kyo all this time, and to think, our parents actually knew each other. How is that possible?"

"Well let's see, where to start? Like I told you before your father, Rei, and myself we grew up together. In fact you could even say that at one point Rei and Katsuya were very good friends."

"Oh?"

Yes. Friends and rivals. You see your father was very gifted in not only in academics but uh athletics as well."

"He sounds a lot like Yuki."

"In a lot of ways he was. He was very gentle like I told you and very popular with all the girls, however he was a lot more outgoing. I met him about the same time that Rei did, and we hit it off from the beginning. It's true that him and Rei often competed at almost everything. But I was more the friend in the middle. You could say we were like, Hatori, Shigure, and Ayame in that way."

"Wow. What else?"

"Hmm? Oh your mother?"

"Mhm" she nodded.

"In our final year of high school, Katsuya started to take classes at a local college. He always wanted to be a teacher. And he eventually got a job as a student teacher at a local middle school. That's how he met your mother."

"Yea. I know that story."

"But he already knew about her. We all did."

"How's that?"

"Well by her reputation. It was a well known fact what the Red Butterfly looked like."

"Oh."

"And not only that, a lot of guys in our high school found that quite attractive. Your father was no exception. So when he met her, he already knew who she was, so it was very easy to approach her."

Kazuma took a sip from his teacup, which Kunimitsu had brought in earlier, then continued.

"At the time, your mother was going through a lot of problems with her family."

Tohru nodded.

"Yea. My grandparents are very wealthy and have a reputation to uphold themselves. But back then, my grandfather was very tyrannical. He drank and hit any of his children that were well pretty much not on the level. The last time he did it, my mom had refused to marry someone and straighten her life out."

"That's when Katsuya rescued her. Despite everything. He cared so much about her and he didn't want to see her in that environment."

Tohru nodded again.

"Anyway. I met Kyoko, a few days after that incident. Rei and I both did. At the time Rei was dating Sakura. Kyo's mother. But when your father brought in Kyoko, it was an absolute shock for Rei. And even the fact that your father said that he was going to marry your mother, just out of high school and she hadn't even started, well that was surprising too. For all of us. But that's the way it turned out. I was supportive because he was my best friend. Rei on the other hand" Kazuma sighed, "Wasn't. He was very jealous and quite infatuated with your mother."

"Really?"

"Mhm. He didn't even come to the wedding. Which was very small, only a few people. Katsuya's family didn't even come now that I think about it. Except for his father. I'm not sure about the relationship between the two of them, because Katsuya never talked about it, but he did support the marriage. Sometime after that Rei got married to Sakura and the rest is history."

Tohru looked at the picture and looked up again.

"Did my mom know Sakura?"

"Oh how silly of me. Yes as a matter of fact it was a funny thing. She knew your mother in middle school. In fact I believe, she was the only one who really noticed your mother was there and was always kind to her. Kyoko never forgot that. So when she saw her again, she recognized her. And they became fast friends."

"It's amazing."

"What is?"

"I was just thinking. If my mother and Kyo's mother had lived, Kyo and I might have met each other a lot sooner than we did."

"Maybe" Kazuma nodded with a smile, "You never know. Any way I think you should really have that picture. I wanted to give it to Kyoko, but never really had the opportunity to give it to her."

"Kazuma" Tohru paused, "Could I ask you one more question?"

"Sure."

"My father. Were you friends till he died?"

"Yes" Kazuma nodded slowly, "In fact I was at the funeral. Your mother was so distraught that day. I did all I could to comfort her. It came so suddenly you know. I mean I had just talked to him days before he passed away. But when it came to being sick, your father always pushed himself. A little too much" Kazuma sighed, "He caught Pneumonia somehow and it just got worse. After that I tried keeping in contact with Kyoko, but then the whole situation with Kyo happened about three years later, I just stopped completely. I wish I hadn't. I read about her death in the paper sometime when it happened.

"Yea."

"It must have been so hard on you,

"It was. But I always remembered mom's words about my father. She said it was difficult to overcome someone's death, but that that person would be sad if you didn't move on with your life and stayed stuck in one spot. And that that wouldn't be good for anybody."

"She's right. Katsuya used to say that. Your mother learned everything she taught you from him."

"I know. She never hesitated to tell me that either" Tohru said with a smile, "Kazuma if my father had lived, what would he be like right now?"

"What would he be like?"

"Mhm."

Kazuma smiled and leaned his head back.

"He would be the same man I knew. Kind, caring, and generally in love with his family. Do you know that when you were born, he was so thrilled. You see growing up; we would often talk about what sort of family we would want. Katsuya always wanted a daughter. And when you were born, he got his wish. He loved you and your mother so much. And now that they're together, I know that they are watching over you, and they're so proud."

"Thank you" Tohru replied the tears welling up in her eyes, "And thank you for this" she said pressing the photograph into her chest, "I will treasure it forever."

"My pleasure, and Tohru."

"Hmm?"

"Any time you want to stop by and talk about your parents, I'm available."

"Thank you," she repeated as she wiped a tear from her face, "I would like that."



That night Tohru washed the dishes and gazed at the photograph. It was now in a frame, which Kazuma had given her. Yuki came in with some dishes.

"Here's some more for you Miss Honda," he said with a smile.

"Thank you Yuki" she replied, "You can put them right there."

"Miss Honda" he said looking at the picture surprised, "What's this?"

"Oh that's a picture of my parents" she stopped washing as he picked up the frame, "See" she pointed, "That's my mom and that's my father."

"I know. But aren't these" he started to say as Kyo walked in.

He stopped when he saw the photograph and snatched it out of Yuki's hands.

"What's this? Where did you get this?" he asked Tohru.

"Oh I got it from your master Kyo" Tohru answered.

"My master?"

"Those are my parents. Your master knew them."

"Yea but, those are my parents," he pointed.

"I know isn't that funny? We've known each other all this time and we didn't even know that they knew each other."

"Totally ironic" Yuki replied.

"Yea" Kyo said with a bit of a frown on his face as he handed back the frame and walked out, "Weird."

"Kyo are you" she started to say but he was already gone.



Authors Note: Well there you have it. I hope you enjoyed it. This chapter and the next are really foreshadowing chapters for the last book. The next chapter after this one is going to be very short, just so you know.

Next Chapter: Wondering

The characters ponder about the future!