He opened the door without knocking. He sees that she is still asleep. He walks to the window. He pulls the curtains back. She has always been a person that takes her time getting up, especially on a weekend day like today. The sun blankets her; she simply rolls over shielding herself from its brillance. He stands by the window watching her for a few minutes. Knowing that this isn't working . He decides to take matters into his own hands. He walks up to the slumbering occupant of the bed. He knows what he had just done has left her half awake. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he starts shaking her. "Hey, wake up...You're going to be late...Hurry, we have to get ready...You're uncles, aunts, and cousins are coming, along with our friends." She tries to swat him away, but fails. "I'll be right up...please leave so I can get ready, father."

As she is getting ready, she thinks of the stories her uncle and father have told her over the years about her mother. She stops to look at the picture on her nightstand. "Ohayo!" It has been the greeting she has given her picture every morning, since her father had given it to her. She starts thinking of what has happened, the things she can still remember. She is thinking of when her uncle Mokuba had finally gotten married to his girlfriend. She had been ten. She had never seen her uncle so happy. She meant he had been happy before that when he had been with her father, her, and her brother. However, there had always been a display of sadness. When he had married Rebecca though, it had disappeared.

She has just finished putting her shoes on. She is now thinking of the problem her father had one to two years, after her mother had died. She understood to an extent, even back then to be patient with his quickly released anger. And since she had been a child, her innocent love gave him some measure of support. Her plane of thought shifts. She hasn't seen her uncle Jounouchi and his family in years. After the night, Kaiba had been found with Kisara; and after her mother had told Jounouchi what had happened, her uncle has yet to fully forgive her father for the pain he had caused her mother.

After her uncle Mokuba had married Rebecca, he had decided to buy a place of his own. He told her his brother didn't need him as much as he use to. Due to his busy life as vice president, he hadn't managed to see them often. She has yet to meet her cousins. They have two with a third on the way. He had told her the news last week with they had been on the phone. He had told her that ever since he had married Rebecca, he had taken his duties as vice-president more seriously. He would find himself at the office at all hours. Rebecca never started an arguement over his constant absence, nor would she ever. He always made sure he spent enough time with his children. Once they started having children she gave up her occupation. She didn't let him having to neglect her bother her either. She knew he loved her unconditionally, so she never saw it fit to get upset over. It would just be a waste of her time. Actually, they never fought over anything.

She suddenly recalls her father and Mokuba telling her and Suzaku how their parents wedding had gone. Mokuba had started laughing when he explained Kaiba's sudden lack of speech. "It had come time for your father to say his vows, when he froze up...Your mother had always managed to make your father nervous...The entire audience I'm sure became worried he would display his cold feet right then, calling the whole thing off." Kaiba turned on him, speaking with slight annoyance and anger. "I would have never done such a thing." His brother had started laughing again, only at his expression and defensive mood that time around. "He was suppose to say traditional vows...Just when I had started to think he was going to abruptly leave...He had started speaking...I won't repeat his vows...I don't want to embarass him anymore." 'Though I had never had the privilege of hearing my brother saying something romantic before that, or after for that matter.'

To this day, she is still a little curious of what he had promised her mother, when they had been at the altar. Last year when it had been the anniversary of her mother's death; he had told her he had never been one for big crowds or spending expensive items strictly for himself. But for her, he would have done anything. He wanted to make her happy; and if she had wanted all their friends and her family there, he had made sure it happened that way. It helped that normally she didn't want the things his money could supply her with. She loved him wholeheartedly, and that had been more than enough for him. When it had come to each other; they had preferred to spend time in each other's company in their own home, rather than have gone to a public place.

She looked at her mother's picture. At times like this she longed for her companionship, more than anything in the world. She laid on the bed crying her heart out. There had been times she had doubted she and her brother were her parents' children. She had stopped thinking this though; the one time she questioned Kaiba about it. They had been having a conversation. "Father, I have to know for there are times I wonder...Suzaku and I look nothing like you or mother, are we really your children?"

The slap stunned her into silence. The action had shocked her. She hadn't been expecting his answer, nor the unintended force behind the blow. "What's the matter with you?...How could you have even conceived such a ludicrous idea?...Your mother loved you and Suzaku more than anything, even more than me...I mean she died so that your brother could live, and here you are throwing that emotion in her face with your doubt." He had been unable to continue. His anger would have made him do something he would regret. He stalked away from her. Slamming the door in his anger, she had been left alone with regret for being unable to hold her tongue.

She hadn't blamed him. If she had been in his shoes, she would have reacted the same way. She put her pants on knowing everyone would be arriving soon, if they hadn't already. She heard banging on her door. "Aoi, hurry up; our guests will be arriving soon." She heard her brother run away laughing after that. The boy had been born with a smile on his face. It was extremely rare that it left his face. She had just finished putting her shirt on. She is currently holding her balance; while putting one of her shoes on. The next moment she put the other one on. As she had been doing so, the doorbell rang.

' Crap, father is going to be happy with my tardiness...And I still have to get ready.' She finished fixing her hair, and putting on make-up as quick as possible. She finished half an hour later. Walking out the door that leads to their backyard, she notices everyone socializing with each other. Her cousins are playing with each other; since they are around the same age group. Yugi, Anzu, Honda, Otogi, Ryou, and Jounouchi are talking amongst themselves. Her aunts, Isis, Rishid, and Malik are watching her cousins, Yugi's and Ryou's children, and her brother who is currently teasing them. Yugi's children took after him and Anzu. She looks in the opposite direction to see her father and uncle watching the hamburgers cook on the grill. Feeling that someone is watching them, they turn to face her. Her father graces her with a genuine smile. She returns it. She walks up to them. She looks at the man who had more involvement in raising her and her brother. The eighteen year old jumps in his arms. "How are you, Uncle Mokuba?" He just nods his head smiling. Putting her down, the three watch the patties continue cooking. They are soon joined by the rest of their guests. Looking at every single one of them, she greets them with a smile. "Its about time...You took long enough, sis." "Sorry." She still loved Suzaku, despite how annoying she could find him to be. ' Yes, life is definitely good.' Shielding her eyes, she looks to the sky and sun. ' Where ever you are okaasan, we are all together again...We love you...I love you.'

Owari