Yuuichiro slammed the door behind him and ran inside his small suburban home. "I'm home!" he yelled out into the direction of the kitchen where he knew his mother was cooking his birthday dinner.

"Welcome back, honey!" she called back. "Your father is in the den."

Yuuichiro quivered with excitement, his dad promised him a huge present of his 10th birthday and he had waited anxiously for years to get it. His dad had dropped him little hints on his birthdays in the previous years and he had written them all down. Every time he looked at them the more cryptic they would get. He had been given the hints on his 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th birthdays; and yet he still didn't know what he was going to get.

He ran into the back room with the paper that had the hints on it paper clutched in his hands. When he saw his fathers kindly face he gave out a cry of joy and ran over to hug him. Tadashi wrapped him in a bear hug and they shared the embrace for a few minutes, not wanting for it to end. "I missed you, papa," Yuuichiro said.

Tadashi let go of his son and nodded. "Yes, I know, it's been awhile hasn't it?"

"Awhile, it's been 13 months and 22 days!" exclaimed Yuuichiro.

Tadashi put his hand on his son's head. "I know, and I'm sorry, but as I'm sure you know," he winked "I have a surprise for you."

Yuuichiro jumped up in his own little expression of excitement. "You mean…" he started.

Tadashi nodded. "Yes, but did you figure it out from the clues I gave you?"

Yuuichiro made a face. "No, they were too hard!" he said in an almost whiny voice.

Tadashi laughed, "Why don't we figure them out together," he suggested.

"Awww, but can't I open it?" asked Yuuichiro.

Tadashi shook his head. "No, you have to earn this present."

Yuuichiro sighed and sat down next to his dad on the over stuffed couch. "All right, I've got the clues here."

"Well, open it up and let's see."

Yuuichiro opened the small piece of paper and read the first line. "Never allowed to be alone, waiting for its own home. Papa that makes no sense!" said Yuuichiro, starting to get impatient.

"Read the next one," Tadashi pushed gently.

"Always an excellent companion if you can overlook certain short comings."

Before Yuuichiro could complain Tadashi said "Now the next one."

"Very good with people like you, make sure you are good to it too. Come on papa, it's a poem."

Tadashi raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is it?"

Yuuichiro read the last line. "Is always looking for a companion and it will be yours next year."

Tadashi sat back in the couch and closed his eyes. "Think about it son."

"Well, you always refer to the thing in the clues as an it, so I thought some kind of pet, but you know mom is allergic to everything under the sun. So that can't be it."

"Nope, it's not an animal," Yuuichiro laughed.

"Then I don't understand, it's obviously referring to a sentient being," said Yuuichiro.

"Tell me, did you ever think about a little simpler way of those clues. I practically spelled it out for you," Tadashi chuckled.

Yuuichiro looked at the set of clues again, and his eyes widened. "I am the biggest idiot alive," he said, then he actually read what his dad was referring too. "N, A, V, I, navi? You got me a new navi?" he asked breathlessly.

Tadashi handed his son a very large looking PET with a small AI program inside. "Happy Birthday, son. You may program him as you wish, but be careful, this is a big responsibility."

Yuuichiro flung his arms around his dad, almost hitting him with the PET that was now in his hands. "Thank you so much papa!" he cried out happily.

"Time for dinner you two!" called Yuuichiro's mom from the kitchen.

"I wonder what she made?" asked Tadashi.

"I hope it's spaghetti," Yuuichiro said happily.