Chapter Five: Home Delivery

"Ushio, can we talk before you go?"

My daughter turned wary eyes on me as we ate at the kotatsu. It was just the two of us this morning; Kyou had gone out to give us the time we needed. "O-Of course."

I sighed. "Look, I'm not sure how to say this, but…I'm sorry for the way I treated you last night. I guess I was just shocked at your behavior, and just wanted to get you and Kyou-sensei away from each other. I can't…I just can't remember you ever acting like this before."

"I'm sorry too, Daddy," she murmured. "I shouldn't have hurt Kyou-sensei the way I did. I was…surprised…to…seethetwoofyoulikethat."

"For what it's worth, I was just as surprised as you were." I reached out and covered one of her hands. "Look…I don't know if this'll make any sense, but she's feeling empty in her heart right now. She hasn't felt loved in a long time, so she wanted me to…well, love her." I obviously wanted to keep the more intimate aspects of the situation to myself, for Ushio's sake as well as Kyou's.

"She looked like she wanted to have sex with you," she said, pulling her hand out from under mine.

My vision blurred briefly as I started to choke on a noodle. "Wh-What makes you say that?" I managed to wheeze after sending it down the correct pipe.

"The way she was sitting on you and how warm it was in the room," she replied, looking down at the tabletop.

"H-How do you know about these things?" I sputtered, and then my blood grew cold. "You…You haven't been-"

"NO!" she yelled with her eyes squeezed shut and her hands fisted. "I-I'm saving myself!"

"Good," I breathed, my heart rate returning to normal. "Sorry, with the way you were talking, I just…"

"I-It's okay, Daddy; it makes me really happy that you're worried about me." She sighed sadly as she lifted her eyes to mine. "I've…heard my classmates talk about it at school."

"I see…"

"So when I saw you and Kyou-sensei like that…" she cast her gaze to the side.

"I understand." I gave her a lopsided smile. "Well, I guess I could thank you for trying to protect me."

"Y-You're welcome. I guess at this point, the right thing to do would be to apologize to Kyou-sensei and to you. So, I'm sorry."

"I forgive you," I told her. "If it helps, remember that she'll be going to her sister's on Saturday morning."

She giggled behind her hand. "It doesn't, but I think I know why you'd say that. Like I said, I was surprised and acted before I thought. I'll miss her."

"Hey, it's not like you'll never see her again. Do you know where the Hiiragis live?"

"Sort of," she said. "I think I know where the neighborhood is, but I don't know which street or house."

"Well, when I get the address from Kyou's sister, I'll make sure to give it to you."

"Thank you, Daddy. And I'll make sure to apologize to Kyou-sensei when I get home from school."

"Sounds good," I said as I watched her collect her book bag. "Look, I hope this hasn't ruined your day; I hope you have a good one."

"You, too," she replied. "It was kind of a rough start, but I'll be okay." She stepped up to me and hopped to her tiptoes, putting a hand on my shoulder and kissing me on the cheek. "I love you; have a good day a t work."

As I saw her off I wiped the corner of my mouth with my handkerchief; her aim had been a little off and she'd accidentally caught the corner of my mouth. After that, I grabbed my briefcase and headed off to work.

"You have all your stuff?"

"Yup!" Kyou chirped as she closed her bag. "But if I've left anything here, you can use it."

"Nooooo thank you," I said. "I don't think I'd go through that much hair spray in a lifetime, anyway."

"Hey!"

We both chuckled as we headed out the door. "Are you nervous?" I asked as I wrestled with the lock.

"A little. I mean, the last time I saw Mom and Dad was about two years ago, but I haven't seen Ryou since…god, when was it?"

"The wedding?" I asked half-jokingly.

"No," she said as we started to walk, "I think I saw her once after that… Anyway, I know it's been years."

"That's too bad," I said, unsure how else to respond. "In any case, I'm glad you two'll be able to see each other again."

"Me too," she breathed. "I can't wait."

We were quiet for the next few minutes as we headed to the bus stop. To get to her sister's place, we would need to ride a bus for about fifteen minutes; then it'd be another ten- to fifteen-minute walk to the house.

"I haven't ridden a bus in ages…" she sighed as the bus pulled away from the sidewalk.

"Do you miss it?"

She appeared to mull over my question for a bit. "Sort of. No, I do miss it. I liked being able to ride in a limo, but I didn't like what it cost me."

"I hear you."

We didn't say much for the rest of the bus ride; I mainly watched Kyou as she looked out the window, sighing occasionally.

The bus stopped, and we got off and started the last leg of our trip.

"Shio-chan apologized for tackling me the other night," Kyou said out-of-the-blue.

"She told me she would, but thanks for letting me know."

"Yeah…" She was quiet for a few more minutes, then: "I'm sorry for trying to seduce you. Everything I said was…was true, but I still shouldn't have done that."

"Don't worry about it," I told her. "I can't say that I understand your situation, but I can see that you've had it rough for the last few years."

"Tomoya?" She slowed, bringing us to a stop. "I was ready to…to force myself on you…more than that, I mean. Will you forgive me? I really need to be forgiven."

I blinked in surprise; was she really that desperate? "I…I forgive you. I didn't know your feelings were that strong."

"I mean, it probably would've been fine if I never told you…that," she said, ducking her head, "but the guilt would've eaten me up eventually."

"You were starved for affection," I said sympathetically, even if I did take a half-step away from her. "For what it's worth, I feel bad that I can't give you what you need."

She smiled softly as she moved closer to rest her hand on my cheek. "You're a good man, Tomoya, you know that?"

"I'm not-"

"Yeah, you are," she insisted. "You put up with my crap in high school, then lost Nagisa, nearly lost yourself, but…" She shook her head. "You managed to pull yourself together, and raise Ushio to be an amazing young lady."

"Pops and Sanae-"

"Pops and Sanae raised her for five years, I know. But you took over after that, and now look at her!" She blinked a tear away. "She's smart, cute, graceful, gentle…all the things I wasn't."

"Knock it off, Kyou," I scoffed softly. "I knew you were a kind girl; I just never understood why you were so harsh with me and Sunohara."

"Sunohara? It's because he was a jerk. You? Well," she said, starting to blush, "I think you know why now."

I felt my own face heat up at the recollection of her words from…the other night. "Y-Yeah…"

She stepped even closer and rose up on her tiptoes to gently kiss me on the cheek. "I may not be able to have you," she whispered, "but I hope I can find someone almost as good."

"Th-Thanks," I stuttered, feeling a little overwhelmed.

"Let's go, huh?" she prompted, stepping away from me to head down the road again.

"Sure," I said with a slight smile.

I barely had my hand up in greeting before Ryou charged across her lawn and nearly slammed into her twin sister. "Onee-chan! ONEE-CHAN!"

"R-Ryou!" Kyou staggered under the expected yet unexpected affection, even as tears started to flow. "It's s-so good to see you, too!"

I watched with a smile as Ryou held her sister out at arm's length. "Look at you!" she gushed. "Ten years, and it doesn't look like you've aged a day!"

"Oh, I've aged," Kyou said, running her fingers through the barely-gray hair at her temple, "but…it's not as bad as it was when I first got out."

"Y-Yeah…" Ryou gazed at her sister briefly before bursting into tears and pulling her close into an embrace, Kyou joining her shortly after.

"Hey, Okazaki!" I smiled at the familiar voice, and shifted my attention to Kappei, who was heading toward me with a huge smile and his hand extended. "Man, it's been a long time!"

"It sure has," I replied, looking puzzled at the proffered hand before I remembered that he'd been out of the country several times. "It's good to see you again, too," I said, awkwardly shaking his hand.

He sighed as he stepped up next to me to study the women's interaction. "She's been waiting for this for years," he said, the emotion clear in his voice.

"I'll bet." I waited for an awkward moment, unsure of what to say. "So…how's the world of business these days?"

"Good. I miss my running days, but it's nice being able to coach the next generation of runners," he said with no small amount of pride. "And the endorsements? I never thought my name would be worth so much; it's actually kind of humbling," he admitted.

"Is that manly?" I asked with an impish grin.

"Ha!" He punched me gently in the arm. "Of course it is! It's not manly to be prideful and arrogant."

"I know, I know; I'm just pulling your leg."

He started to cackle again, only to be interrupted by an armful of Kyou. "Kappei! It's good to see you, too!" she squealed as she glomped onto her brother-in-law.

"Hey, Kyou! Nice of you to stop by!" he exclaimed as he returned her embrace. "Seriously; congratulations on your freedom."

"Th-Thanks," she said, stepped back again to dab at her eyes. "And…thanks for letting me stay with you two."

"Hey, you're family! Besides, if it makes Ryou happy, then it makes me happy!" he declared. "Where's your stuff? We can take you to your room."

Kyou held up a single, small bag as her sister joined us. "This is it."

"Seriously?" Kappei asked with a look of disbelief. "Did he take everything else from you?"

She shook her head. "Naw, I left most of my stuff with Mom and Dad when I first moved out; I planned on coming back for the rest of it after getting settled in with my…with Sato."

"Kyou…" Ryou breathed sadly.

"Well, let's get you inside," Kappei said, stretching out his arm to indicate the house. "Okazaki, would you care to join us for tea?"

"I'd like to, but I really need to get back home," I replied, tapping my watch. "Ushio should be home soon, and she doesn't have a key. Besides, I wouldn't want to cut into your family time."

"Thank you for being so thoughtful," Ryou said as she and her sister turned to head back to their home. "Feel free to visit anytime."

"…on the weekends," I added with a grin.

"R-Right…"

"Good to see you again, Okazaki!" Kappei exclaimed as he pumped my hand again. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"

"Sure thing," I replied, smiling as I returned the gesture. "Take it easy."

I rotated my neck as I entered my apartment. The last couple of weeks had been exciting, with Ushio turning sixteen, Kyou's surprise visit along with all the drama that caused, getting her to her sister's… At least things could get back to normal…or, at least, what passed for normal for the Okazaki household.

I headed over to the stove and fired up one of the front burners to prepare some tea. Ushio was due home in the next few minutes, and I wanted something warm for her to drink. The weather may have warmed over the past two weeks, but not by much. At least the snow wasn't as bad as it had been.

I smiled as I heard the door open and my daughter's voice call out, "I'm home!"

"Welcome home, sweetie," I called from the kitchen. "I'm heating water for tea; do you want any?"

"Yes please!" she chirped as I heard her shoes drop on the floor near the front door. A few moments later she hurried into sight with her bag, plopping down at her spot at the kotatsu. "How did things go? Did you get Kyou-sensei to her sister's okay?"

"Yeah, it went fine," I told her. "It was a pretty emotional reunion, but I'd have been surprised if it wasn't."

"Yeah… Hey, did you see her niece? Or nephew?"

"Nope," I grunted as I poured the hot water into our mugs. "I planned on being gone before then so they could have their family time."

"That was thoughtful," I heard her say warmly.

"Thanks." I carefully took the steaming mugs to the kotatsu and set hers before her. "Careful, it's…what am I saying, you're a big girl now."

"It's okay," she giggled. "I'm glad you still care."

"Well that's an odd thing to say," I remarked. "Of course I still care; you're still my daughter."

"Y-Yeah…sorry." She reached for her mug, then quickly jerked her hand back, sticking a finger in her mouth with an embarrassed look. "Fee? Iff a good fing you warned me."

I chuckled as I carefully lifted my mug to my mouth and took a sip.

Eventually Ushio was able to pick up her mug and start drinking. "Hey, do you know how Botan's doing?" she asked between sips.

"I…No, I didn't think to ask." I 'humphed'. "Good grief, she was here for two weeks, and I never thought to ask her about him. Of course, she wouldn't know since she's been gone so long, but still… Next time I talk to her, I'll ask."

"Okay," she said with a cute smile. "I miss being smaller and being able to slide down his back."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "That was quite a sight. Shoot, if he kept growing, maybe you still could."

"That would be nice," she giggled.

We both looked up to the sound of my phone ringing. I quickly put down my mug to retrieve it. "Huh, it's Ryou. I wonder if Kyou forgot something," I said, pressing the 'connect' button as I lifted the phone to my ear. "Hello? This is Okazaki."

"Hey, Tomoya." I smiled as I recognized my old sparring partner's voice. "Miss me yet?"

"You wish," I quipped. "What's the matter? Did you leave something here?"

"Only my panties," she replied, and I could hear the playfulness in her tone as my face heated up. "Could you run them over here?"

"All right, Kyou; knock it off. What did you need?"

"Just wanted to let you know that I'm settled in here. Mom and Dad will be here tomorrow, and they'll be bringing Botan!" she finished excitedly.

"Hey, that's great!" I said. "Funny you'd mention Botan; Ushio was just asking about him."

"Yeah, I don't know if she could slide down him anymore; he's…pretty old."

"Heh, Ushio mentioned that, too," I chuckled, though the thought was a little sobering. "Well, we're just glad that you'll be able to see him again."

"Thanks."

A long pause.

"Did you need anything else?'

An embarrassed chuckle. "I miss you…both of you."

"Already? It's only been a few hours, and you're with family now."

"I know… I think it's because you were the first people I stayed with after I was kicked out, and we have a history, and…well…"

I figured I knew what she was talking about. "Thanks, Kyou. I'll admit that things won't be the same around here without you."

"Whaddya mean by that?" she huffed, but I could tell that she was messing with me. "Do you mean better or worse?"

I wasn't going to take that bait. "Let's just say I'm glad we could help out and leave it at that, okay?"

"Very diplomatic answer," she chuckled. "Maybe you're in the wrong business; maybe you should be a negotiator."

"I'll keep that in mind," I chuckled as well, wondering how we'd gotten off-topic.

"All right, I guess I'm done tormenting you," she said, her voice still laced with good humor. "Could I talk with Shio-chan for a minute?"

"Just a sec," I said, then muted the phone as I looked up to my daughter's gentle smile. "You up to talking with Kyou-sensei?"

"Sure!" she chirped, reaching out with eager hands. I unmuted the phone and handed it to her. "Hello? Hi, sensei! Yeah…"

While she talked with her beloved teacher, I studied my daughter. As she drew a lock of hair over hear ear, I thought about how hard it would be to let her go, but I knew that I'd have to someday. I'd done my best to teach her all the right things to do…or, more importantly, to be.

"You must be very excited to see him again…" I figured she was talking about Botan, bringing a smile to my face. "I miss sliding down his back. Hey, do you think we could come visit tomorrow?"

"Ushio," I scolded gently; I didn't normally interrupt other people when they were on the phone, but… "They should have some time together as a family."

"Oh! Right," she giggled. "Sorry. Hey, sensei? Once you're settled in, I'd like to visit you and Botan. Would that be okay? Great! No, we don't have to plan it now; I don't want Daddy scolding me again," she said, giving me an impish grin. "Okay. Take care. Wait; let me see if he needs to talk to you again." She glanced at me, to which I replied with a slight shake of the head. "He says 'no'. Okay. Have a good day, sensei." She looked at the front of my phone, then pressed the button to end the call. "So, she's home."

"Yup," I agreed, "and it looks like she'll have quite the time ahead of her."