Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Dust Clears

I made sure to grab my coat before heading out for the day; while the weather was still warm and summery, the hospital tended to be chilly. Since I knew I'd be spending part of my chilly time with my shirt off so the doctors could examine my shoulder, I wanted the extra coverage to help warm up right afterward. "I'm off," I called after swapping out my shoes.

"Okay, Daddy; see you later," Ushio said as she bounced into view. "Oh! When will you be home? Do you think you'll be home in time for lunch?"

"I hope so, but I'm not sure," I told her. "Depends on what the doctors say."

"Just like all the other times," she giggled.

"Yup," I chuckled. "Well, I'm off; see you later."

"See you later."

I threw my coat over my shoulder as I headed to the train station and allowed my mind to wander. Of course, it wandered to my girlf-…my lov-…to Mika. "What is she to me?" I wondered out loud. My problem with figuring out what she was wasn't due to her age; it was just that I didn't feel any of the anxiety that I did back when I was getting to know Nagisa. "I feel…comfortable with her." Maybe it was because she'd been over nearly every day for the past-

"Companion?"

I nearly jumped in surprise at the voice that suddenly intruded from beside me. "Wh-What the-! You surprised me!" I gasped as I looked over at the voice's owner. He looked to be about my age, black hair, average build… Just a typical Japanese man approaching mid-life.

"I'm sorry for startling you," he said contritely, "but I heard you thinking out loud and wanted to see if I could help."

"No problem," I said as I worked on restarting my nerves; I must have really been deep in thought.

"You have a lady in your life that you are close to, but you're not sure how to think of her. Am I correct?" the man asked as he easily fell into step with me.

"Yeah, something like that," I grunted.

"But you're too old for this 'boyfriend, girlfriend' nonsense, is that it?"

"I think so," I replied. "I dunno, it seems so…immature."

"Immature due to your ages or due to the nature of the relationship?"

I thought about his question for a moment. "I'm not sure. I hadn't thought of the 'nature of the relationship' bit, but now that you mention it…I think that could be it."

"She's done a lot for you, hasn't she?"

"Yeah," I said, smiling as I allowed myself to remember while still paying attention to where I was walking. "After my shoulder injury she made all of my dinners for me, helped out around the apartment…"

"Tried to be a good example to your daughter, too," he noted. "Where I come from we'd call that kind of woman a 'wife', but you haven't made that commitment yet, have you?"

"Not yet," I admitted with a chuckle as we rounded a corner.

"But it sounds like you'd like to," he said. "What's stopping you?"

"I dunno," I replied. "I guess it's that we haven't known each other for very long."

"But you've known each other for months," he pointed out. "She came to your home and stayed for hours, nearly every day, didn't she?"

"That's true," I admitted, then sighed. "I guess we know each other better than I thought."

"You two know each other better than most married couples I've seen."

I glanced over at him with a friendly smile. "You've seen a lot of them, huh? Are you a counselor like…? Hey, do you know Jeff Ashton? He's the pastor of that Christian church, 'Glory to God' or something like that."

"I know him," the other man replied. "And I wouldn't say I'm a counselor, but I can say that…" He paused in his speech, apparently to gather his thoughts. "…he and I work for the same guy."

"I…don't get it…"

"Don't worry about it," he said, waving his hands. "We're talking about you and Mika."

"Right. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," he repeated in an easy tone. "So, if she's not your wife yet but you feel very close to her, then maybe you could think of her as a 'companion' for now."

I mulled over his suggestion as we entered the train station. "Yeah. Yeah, I think you're right," I said, relief washing over me. "Thanks."

"No problem," he replied as he followed me into the waiting area. "Well, do your best, Tomoya-san."

"Thanks," I said, feeling an unusually warm feeling at his encouraging words.

I exchanged a wave with my unexpected friend as I boarded the train. It wasn't until I had taken my seat that it hit me: "Wait a minute!" I nearly shouted as I spun to look out the window. "How did he know about…?"

The man was nowhere in sight. Most of the crowd had boarded with me, leaving a few people on the platform, so finding him shouldn't have been too difficult, and yet… I fell back into my seat, puzzled. When had I told him Mika's name? Or mine, for that matter? And how did he know about Ushio? I suddenly felt very vulnerable.

I was still worrying over it as the train arrived at the next station, and in spite of my anxiety I smiled at the sight of Mika lightly bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited for the train to stop. My smile faltered slightly at the sight of two teenaged-looking boys admiring her from behind, if their grins and gestures toward her were any indication.

Fortunately, she didn't seem to notice as she hurried to board the train, and I stood and took hold of one of the support rails, partly to make it easier for her to find me, but mainly to open up the seat for her. "Over here, Mika."

The expression of happiness on her face when she saw me was indescribable. "Good morning, Tomoya!" she greeted as she nearly threw herself at me, latching onto the front of my shirt. "I've missed you so much!"

"Thanks, but we saw each other yesterday evening, didn't we?" I replied with a chuckle, figuring that I knew how she'd respond.

"But it's been too long," she pouted cutely, confirming my theory as she snuggled into my shirt, apparently unaware of the attention she was drawing. "Besides, I've been looking forward to this since…well, since you said I could come with you."

"Here, why don't you sit?" I said, indicating the vacated seat; I wanted to reply to her statement, of course, but the train was starting to move. "I saved a seat for you."

"No, thank you," she replied. "I'm right where I want to be."

I opened my mouth to protest…until she turned her honest blue eyes on me, and I gave in with a chuckle. "All right, but you're going to have to hold onto something other than just me."

"Okay," she replied, and took hold of the rail with one hand as she pressed herself against me with the side of her face resting against my chest.

I smiled down at her display of affection; it was kinda neat, seeing a side of her that I'd never seen before. With the way she'd laid into me at our first meeting at the school, I never would have thought of her as the snuggly type. "Are you comfortable, then?"

"Very," she murmured, and I couldn't help but smile as she nuzzled my chest some more.

"Okay," I chuckled again as I wrapped my free arm around her and took hold of the rail to keep her stable as the train rocked slightly; well, partly for stability. "You enjoy that, then."

We were quiet for the rest of the trip, and it wasn't long before the train pulled into the station where we'd need to get off. "We're here," I announced quietly as I gently shook her, wondering if she'd somehow fallen asleep on her feet.

She pulled away to smile up at me. "Let's go."

She took my hand as we got off the train, and I felt a little awkward at the sensation; after all, I hadn't held anyone's hand in a long time…since Ushio was little, if I remembered correctly. The last time I'd held Nagisa's hand was… I quietly cleared my throat.

I felt the familiar coolness as we passed through the doors into the hospital proper, and I noticed that Mika kept hold of my hand all the up to the reception counter. "Good morning; I have an appointment with Dr. Fujibayashi in the Lab section."

"Good morning, Okazaki-san," the receptionist greeted as she started tapping on her computer's keyboard. "Yes, I have you right…here…" she said thoughtfully, briefly studying her screen before looking up at me with a smile. "Go on ahead; I'll let him know you're on your way."

"Thank you," I said, returning her smile as I led Mika toward the first of many hallways that would take us to the lab. I noticed, however, that she was moving more slowly than her usual, and I looked back to see her with a distracted look. "Mika? Are you okay?"

"Huh?" She shook her head to clear it. "I…I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" I pressed as I slowed to match her pace.

She blushed as she looked at me with an expression of uncertainty. "You seemed really friendly with that girl… Do you know her very well?"

Ah, so that was the problem. "I know her a little bit; she's worked the front desk for as long as I've been coming here for my treatments."

"I see…"

"But I don't really know anything about her personally, if that's what you're asking," I finished while trying to suppress a smile.

"It's just that…"

"Are you jealous?" I asked in the most sympathetic tone I could muster.

"Well, yeah," she pouted. "I did all that cooking for you and made myself confess to you, and then I find out that you're all friendly with…" She trailed off, apparently too upset to finish her thought. "Do you think she's pretty?"

"No," I replied easily as I brought us to a stop, "and here's why: I've never thought of her that way."

"I don't understand," she said, shaking her head.

"I mean that she's just someone I've had to talk to in order to get to my appointments," I told her. "It's not like I'm going to go around and evaluate every woman I see for…" I waved my free hand as I tried to think of the right words, "…attractiveness or compatibility or anything like that; that'd be exhausting if nothing else."

"Okay," she giggled, finally allowing a smile to appear as she gave my hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry for doubting you."

"I forgive you," I said as I drew her into an embrace. "I figure we'll both have stuff to learn as we grow as a couple."

"A couple…" she murmured, and I saw tears starting to form in her eyes. "That's right; we're a couple."

"Yup, we're a couple. And because of that, it's going to be hard for anyone to come between us." I cupped a hand under her chin to tilt her face up, allowing me to see her large, beautiful eyes. "Including hospital receptionists."

She giggled again as she playfully whapped my chest. "You're so silly."

"Thank you, but I'm also going to be 'so late' if I don't get going," I said, smiling as I indicated a nearby wall clock. "Do you need to stop by a washroom to clean up? There's one near the lab, but I really have to be there on time."

"No, I'll be fine," she replied, rubbing the back of her hand across her face as she pressed into me. "Let's go."

I took her hand again, making sure to link my fingers with hers as we continued down the hall to the lab. The 'waiting room' for the lab consisted of a couple of chairs just outside the entrance, and I remained standing while Mika took a seat.

"Aren't you going to sit?" she asked invitingly as she patted the seat next to her.

"I might be sitting for a long time once I'm in there," I told her. "I don't want to sit out here and then sit in there for upwards of an hour; I'd go crazy."

"Okay," she giggled. "I understand; I'd go crazy, too, if I had to sit for a long time. In fact, at school…" She never finished her thought as her smile faded, replaced by a look of thoughtfulness.

I had a pretty good idea of what had caused the sudden change in demeanor. "Are you worried about what your classmates will think of you dating someone so much older than you?"

"Yes and no," she admitted. "I know my friends will be happy for me, but if anyone who doesn't know you found out…"

"Are you having second thoughts?" I asked while shoving down a mild panic.

"No, no, not at all!" she exclaimed as she got to her feet to press herself into me yet again. "Being with you like this is a dream come true! I guess it's just that…"

I kept quiet, unsure of what to say.

"I guess I just don't want to deal with anybody teasing me about it," she finally concluded. "I want to focus on maturing as quickly as I can so I can be more of an equal in our relationship."

"That's…impressive, Mika," I said, feeling oddly proud of her insight. "If it's any consolation, simply recognizing a shortcoming and wanting to overcome it is a sign of maturity in and of itself."

"Thank you," she said with a blush. "It's just… I don't want you to feel like you're marrying a child or something. I know I'm legally an adult, but just because the law says I'm one doesn't mean that I'm mature like one… Right?"

"True," I acknowledged, remembering an earlier conversation with Pastor Jeff. "But as long as you want to take responsibility for your decisions and actions, and want to take care of others more than you want to be taken care of, I think you'll be well on your way. Did that make any sense?"

"Sort of," she giggled while stepping back to wipe at her eyes again. "I'm still fighting the urge to blame others when things don't go well, but I don't want to marry you just so you can take care of me; I want to marry you so I can take care of you."

"I appreciate that," I said as I tried to fight a pressure behind my eyes at her words. "And…I want to take care of you, too."

Just then, the door to the lab opened, and the familiar friendly face of Dr. Fujibayashi appeared. "Ah, Tomoya-san! Good morning!"

"Good morning, doc."

"And who is this lovely young lady?" he asked, indicating a fiercely-blushing Mika; then he snapped his fingers. "Ah, yes! You're Nurse Hiiragi's daughter, aren't you?"

"Y-Yes, sensei," she replied meekly. "Hiiragi M-Mika. I-I've been responsible for To- I mean, Okazaki-sama's diet."

"So I've heard," he said, glancing briefly at me. "Well, I must say that you've impressed us with your efforts; his shoulder has been regenerating superbly, and we believe that it's due in large part to your efforts."

"I'm…just glad I could help," she squeaked.

"Maybe you'd better sit down," I suggested as I led her back to her seat. After settling her in, I knelt down to look into her reddened face. "Are you going to be okay?"

She said nothing, but nodded quickly.

I smiled and laid a hand on her shoulder. "We'll talk later; I promise."

Another quick nod along with a shy smile.

I gently caressed her cheek as I got back to my feet and followed the doctor through the door.

"How has your shoulder been feeling lately?" he asked as we headed into the lab proper.

I chuckled softly. "Honestly, I'm at the point where I've forgotten that it was ever injured."

"So, no pain or discomfort?"

"No, none at all," I replied as we entered the examination room, where Drs. Mori and Miyamoto waited. "I've been doing the exercises as much as I can, and I've been just using my right arm as much as I can in general."

"Excellent," he said as he gestured to the exam table. "Well, hop on up and we'll see how things have been going on the inside."

I got up on the table and took my shirt off, feeling the usual discomfort at having three guys looking at my half-naked body. Granted, they were doctors, but still… "Brrr…." I complained. "Hey, doc; could we turn the heat up a bit?"

"I thought I'd forgotten something," Dr. Mori said before moving to a nearby wall to fiddle with the thermostat. "My apologies, Okazaki-san; I'm not sure how much good it'll do now, but I've adjusted it."

"Thanks," I shivered.

They performed the usual barrage of tests: poking, prodding, and using their scanning gizmos while they had me hold my arm at varying angles.

After all was said and done, Dr. Fujibayashi smiled broadly as he clapped his hands. "Well, Tomoya-san! I think we're all done! Congratulations!"

I blinked. "We're done? You mean I don't have to come back for any more exams?"

"That's right," Dr. Miyamoto replied as he and Dr. Mori stepped into my line of sight. "By your charts, your regeneration has progressed much more quickly than we had anticipated."

So it was all over? I was free? The thought made me happy, but… "This might sound weird, but… I'm gonna miss you guys."

Dr. Mori chuckled as he crossed his arms. "How about you put your shirt back on before you say things like that, okay?"

I looked down at my shirtless torso and chuckled. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

"I would like you to include a visit to the lab with your annual physicals from now on," Dr. Fujibayashi said as I dressed. "It wouldn't be as long as your exams have been; we'd just like to see how you're progressing, see if there are any unexpected side effects-"

"Side-effects?" I said, pausing in my buttoning. "What do you mean, 'side effects'?"

"Well, this was an experimental treatment," Dr. Miyamoto reminded me. "We can't be certain about any long-term effects."

"Oh, that's right," I said as I slipped my coat on; in all the excitement, I'd forgotten about my 'guinea pig' status. "Yeah, I'll make sure to set up an appointment, then."

"Thank you," Dr. Fujibayashi said as I slid from the table, fully covered. "It's been a pleasure working with you, Tomoya-san. Thank you for helping us out with our research; your generosity could help many others in the future."

"I'm…glad I could help," I said, humbled by his expression of gratitude. "And I'm glad I could get my shoulder back in the process."

"As are we," Dr. Mori chimed in.

"Before you leave, I'd like a chance to chat briefly with Nurse Hiiragi's daughter," Dr. Fujibayashi said as the four of us headed toward the exit. "She came with you, yes?"

"Yes, sir."

"Is she planning on going back with you?"

"As far as I know, yeah," I replied.

"Would you mind waiting for just a minute or two?" he asked. "I promise I won't be long."

"That's fine," I shrugged. "I don't have anything planned after this, anyway."

We exited the lab, where I waited a respectful distance away as the doctor talked with Mika. I couldn't figure out what they were talking about, but she appeared to be uncomfortable talking about it…well, part of it at least, which had me concerned.

Eventually they finished, and she bowed to him before heading toward me. "Are you okay?" I asked her, waving to the trio of doctors as we headed away from the lab. "You seemed upset while talking with him."

"I'll be okay," she said. "I think Mom told him about us."

I glanced over my shoulder back toward the lab. "You think so? If your mom's working today, we could ask her. You did tell your parents, right?"

"Y-Yes, I did."

I blinked with an awkward grin as we walked back toward the entrance, our fingers linked again. "I just realized; your mom didn't have to tell anyone for Doc Fujibayashi to figure it out. With the way we were acting when we arrived, I think anyone could have figured it out."

"Y-You're probably right," she giggled as she briefly hugged my arm. "Oh! Speaking of Mom and Dad; I don't know if I've brought this up already, but they asked me to invite you and Ushio-san to dinner tonight."

"Tonight?" I repeated. "That should be fine, but I'll need to check with Ushio to see if she has anything planned. I don't think she's doing anything, but… Anyway, I'll check with her."

"Thank you!" she beamed.

"Hey, you two!" a voice called out, and we turned as one to see Pastor Jeff heading toward us. "What brings you out to…? Oh, that's right!" he exclaimed with a snap of his fingers. "You have your appointment today, don't you?"

"That's right," I replied as he joined us. "My last one; in fact, I just came from it."

"Last one?" he said as a smile spread across his face. "Does that mean you're done, then? No more exams?"

"No more exams," I confirmed, feeling some of his excitement. "I'm a free man."

"Congratulations!" he gushed, clapping me on my shoulder; my right shoulder. "That has to feel good."

"It does," I agreed. "Doc Fujibayashi would like me to visit the lab as part of my annual physical, but otherwise…" I spread my free arm as though to present myself.

"Well, good for you," he replied, then stepped back to look at both of us. "And how are you two doing?"

Mika and I shared an awkward smile. "We're…fine, I think," I replied, looking to her for confirmation; at her nod I continued. "It's taken some getting used to; I'm not sure how to act around her anymore."

"Same here," she added, hiding a blush behind her hand. "It's like, 'Now that I'm with him, what do I do?'"

"Unfortunately, I can't help you much with that," he said with a smile and a wink. "You'll have to figure that out as you go. I'm available as a sounding board if you need one, but…" He paused to check his watch. "I'm sorry, but I have to go; I have a patient waiting for me."

"Go ahead, Pastor," I said with a wave of my hand. "Talk to you later."

"See you later, Uncle Jeff," Mika added in farewell.

As we left the hospital and headed to the train station I couldn't help but notice that she seemed to be lost in thought. "Everything okay?" I asked. "You seem preoccupied or something."

"I'm fine," she replied almost reflexively. "I mean, nothing's wrong."

"We'll have some time on the train, if you want to talk about it," I suggested.

She sighed heavily. "I was hoping that we could talk to Uncle Jeff about this, but…" She flashed a smile up at me. "I guess I could at least bring it up on the way, so…okay."

I gave her a smile and a squeeze to her hand as we arrived at the station. I could feel her fidgeting as we waited on the platform for the train to arrive, and I had to resist the urge to ask her about it then. It finally arrived, however, and we quickly boarded and found a pole to hold onto while she snuggled into me again.

"So, what's going on?" I asked as the train started to move. "You seem really…agitated by whatever it is."

"I-It's 'cause I feel silly bringing it up now," she murmured into my chest.

"Timing, huh?" I said sympathetically. "Well, I can understand that, but we only have about ten to fifteen minutes, so-"

"I know," she huffed, and I had to suppress a chuckle at how cute she sounded. Well, I didn't have to, but… "Tomoya…I want to get married."

"Wh-What?!" I tried to contain my astonishment as I angled my head for a better look at her face. "A-Already? But…we only just got together. Don't you need more time to evaluate me or something?"

"I've had several months already," she countered, pulling away just far enough to look me in the eye. "I've seen you at your best, and – I'm willing to bet – at your worst."

I thought about it and realized that she had a point. "Well, you're probably right about that, but…" I trailed off with a sigh, unsure of how to finish my thought, or even what my thought was to begin with.

"But what?" she asked, her expression one of genuine concern. "You've had several months too, haven't you?"

"That's true, but…" Why was I balking? Then it hit me: "Mika, the first time I saw you, you were about eight, right?"

"Right…"

"Which means I would have been around twenty-six," I added while giving her a meaningful look. I felt safe to continue when her mouth formed an 'ah'. "Yeah. So, while I can see that you're an adult now, I still have those memories from when you…weren't. First impressions, so to speak."

"I see." She briefly nibbled on her lower lip as she looked to the floor of the train car. "And I guess I have been thinking of you…that way…for a really long time."

"There's that, too," I said, then sighed. "Look, let's talk with Pastor Jeff like you wanted. He's been good at giving me different ways to see things; maybe he can help with this."

"Okay. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," I said reassuringly as I gave her a squeeze. "Shoot, if you're still interested in an old fart like me after all this, I guess I could accept that there might me something special about me...or something."

"You're not an old fart," she giggled as she smiled up at me, "but I think I understand. Maybe we could talk to him after church tomorrow?"

That wasn't a bad idea; after all, I hadn't been to a church gathering since my first visit. "We could do that," I told her. "Go for the 'get together' – or whatever it's called – and then see if he could spare some time for us."

"Then it's okay?" she said, perking up noticeably.

I couldn't help but feel some of her enthusiasm. "Sure; let's do that."

"I'm home," I sighed as I exchanged my shoes in the entryway.

"Welcome home, Daddy!" Ushio greeted as she bounced into view. "How did your appointment go?"

"I'm done," I said with a smile as I straightened. "Doc Fujibayashi would just like me to visit the lab whenever I have my annual physical, but otherwise I'm a free man."

"Hey, that's great!" she exclaimed while clapping. "Are you excited?"

"Not yet," I told her. "I guess it still hasn't hit me yet."

"Well, I'm really happy for you," she said with a warm smile.

"Thanks. Listen, Mika told me that her parents have invited us over for dinner, but I told her that I'd need to check with you to see if you have anything going on."

"I don't have anything planned," she replied with a shake of her head. "I'd love to go. It's odd that Mika's dad didn't just call or text you, though." She giggled. "For a while, it seemed like you two were talking every day."

"That's because we were talking every day," I quipped. "Seriously; remember that I'd call him or Mika's mom to let them know she was on her way home after making dinner."

"Oh, that's right," she said, smacking a fist into her hand.

"Anyway, I'll give the Hiiragis a call to let them know that we'll be coming," I told her as I headed down the hallway with my phone. After I got into my room and closed the door behind me, I had my phone dial Kappei's number.

"Damn, Okazaki; it's been a long time!" he greeted, and I grinned as I held the phone away from my ear.

"Yeah, I know; it's good to talk to you again," I replied.

"Thanks. So, are you calling about tonight?"

"Yeah," I replied. "And yeah, we'll be there. What time?"

"Is five okay? I know that doesn't give you a lot of time, but…"

A glance at the clock told me that Ushio and I would have plenty of time to get ready and travel to the Hiiragi's house. "Yeah, that's fine." I paused to gather my thoughts. "Listen, is this about…? You know…?"

"Sort of," he replied, his voice noticeably sobering. "Don't worry; I'm not planning on giving you the third degree or anything like that. That's for the…less-mature crowd. Ryou and I just think that…"

I figured I knew what the dinner was about but decided to keep my thoughts to myself.

"…you know, just…where we're gonna go from here, what you think of the whole situation…and…"

"We haven't eaten together in a while?" I suggested with a grin, trying to ease our awkwardness.

"Yeah, that's it!" he laughed. "I know that Mika's… Well, we'll talk when you get here, all right?"

"Sounds good," I replied, looking forward to seeing my energetic friend again. "See you around five, then?"

"Yeah. Laters!"

I ended the call, my smile fading as I realized that I wasn't even sure how things were 'gonna go from here'.

"You look fine, Daddy," Ushio said with a giggle as I messed with my shirt while we waited outside the front door to Ryou's and Kappei's home.

"I know I shouldn't be nervous," I said as I fidgeted, embarrassed that I felt like a high-school boy meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time. "It's not like I don't know her parents; I was in the same grade as her mother, for crying out loud."

"Maybe it's because you were in the same grade as her mother," she giggled again. "Poor Daddy…"

"You're probably right," I decided as I gave the bottom of my polo another tug. "I guess I'm not sure how I'm supposed to relate to them now."

"Just do it like you always have," she suggested with a shrug. "From what I've seen and what you've told me, you and Mika-senpai's dad have always gotten along really well; I don't see why it should change just because you agreed to be with Mika-senpai."

"You're probably right," I repeated, then gave my shirt one last tug as the door opened.

"Good evening, Tomoya-san," Ryou greeted from the other side of the doorway. "It's been a while."

"Y-Yeah…" I managed. "Yeah, it has. It's good to see you again."

"And you as well," she replied s she stepped aside to let us in. "Thank you for accepting our invitation."

"You're welcome. Where's Kappei?" I asked as I slipped into the guest shoes.

"Right here!" he replied as he stepped into the entryway. "Damn, Okazaki; it's been a long time!"

I chuckled as it occurred to me that he'd started our earlier conversation the same way. "Yeah, it has."

He clapped me on the shoulder before turning his infectious smile on my daughter. "Ushio-san, may I borrow your dad for a while? We need to have a man-to-man talk."

"O-Of course," she giggled, then looked to our hostess. "May I help in the kitchen?"

"That would be wonderful," Ryou agreed. "Mika's helping me already, but another pair of hands would be very helpful, and we could have some 'girl time'."

I perked up at the mention of my companion's name, much to my embarrassment.

"Okay!" Ushio chirped, then waved to me as she followed Ryou out of the entryway. "Good luck, Daddy!"

I sighed as I returned her wave, then looked to Kappei's grinning face. "I guess I'm ready, then."

He chuckled as he clapped me on the shoulder again. "You look pretty wound up, man," he said as he turned to head down the hallway toward his study. "Relax! You're with friends, right?"

"Right," I said, chuckling as well. "Honestly, this whole thing with Mi-…with your daughter has me not knowing what to do."

"If it helps any, Ryou and I feel the same way," he replied over his shoulder as he angled toward the door leading to his study. "We figured she'd start dating someday, of course, but we never thought it would be someone our age."

"Kappei, I know I've said this before, but I never did anything to encourage her," I told him as we entered the study and headed for our usual seats.

"Yeah, you've said that before, and I believe you," he said as he settled into his armchair. "But I do think that you encouraged her."

I paused on my way down into my seat before settling the rest of the way. "Wh…What do you mean?"

Apparently he found my reaction humorous, because he laughed heartily. "You're a good man, Okazaki! You have a strong sense of right and wrong, you have integrity, and you've been nothing but great to my family in all the time I've known you!" He leaned forward to wiggle his eyebrows at me. "And don't forget; I know how my wife felt about you back in high school."

"Y-Yeah…" I wanted to sink into my seat and through the floor. "Sorry."

"For what?" he laughed, sitting up again. "For being a neat guy? Yeah, you're guilty as hell!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at his words. "Thanks… I think." I lightly scratched my cheek as my gaze drifted toward the unlit fireplace. "Anyway, how's work treating you?"

"Same as always," he replied with a grin. "Busy, busy, busy."

"I'd think things would settle down during the summer," I remarked.

"Are you kidding?" he laughed. "This is Japan! We're always moving!"

I suddenly felt very grateful for my weekends.

"Anyway, the kids don't seem to mind," he continued. "Most of them are doing what they love, and I think they like trying to impress me with their dedication."

"That's good."

"How about you?" he asked, his smile broadening. "You're probably the only guy in Japan who gets weekends off."

"I have a great boss," I replied humbly. "Besides, I get all my work done during the week, and…" I trailed off as I felt my face heat up, "…I think the boss thinks my job's pretty important."

"Accountants are pretty valuable," he remarked. "I don't think I could ever do what you do."

"It's…not that hard," I said as I tried to regain my composure. "I just crunch numbers and try to keep the company from going under."

"You're told me about your job before, Okazaki," he said in an admonishing tone. "You're more important than you think."

"Fine," I grunted. "I'm important…and grateful for my weekends."

He laughed as he reached out and clapped me on the knee. "Well, keep up the good work, Numbers; if my daughter has her way, she'll be counting on you."

"Y-Yeah…" I murmured. Uncomfortable with where the conversation had suddenly turned I tried to change it. "A-Any word on how Jeff and Kyou's wedding's coming along? It's coming up pretty soon, isn't it?"

"August 13th, yup!" Kappei chirped as he settled back into his seat. "And from what I've heard, it's going fine."

"You've heard?" I repeated, a little puzzled. "You sound like you haven't seen either of them recently."

"That's because I haven't," he confirmed with a nod. "Jeff's been busy doing his usual hospital and church stuff, and Kyou's been working on getting caught up on whatever teaching stuff she missed over the last ten years, as well as getting her applications out there. On top of that, they've both been working with those church ladies on wedding planning."

"I guess that could make one seem reclusive," I noted with a grin, to which he laughed. "I'm just glad she's doing better."

"She's really looking forward to her wedding, that's for sure."

Just then, there was a knock at the door and Mika stuck her head in a moment later. "Dinner's about ready."

"We'll be right there," Kappei said to her. As the door clicked shut again he looked back to me with a smirk. "Speaking of weddings…"

I sighed. "I figured that would come up again."

"I'm not going to try to talk you into it," he said as he rose from his chair, "but I know you'd be good for her, and I think she's already been good for you."

"You're right about that," I replied with another sigh as I joined him. "About her being good for me, at least."

He gave me another grin before opening the door and leading me to the dining room. We got there and found Tadashi placing bowls and plates around the table, while Ryou and Mika brought out bowls of food.

"Anything we can help with?" Kappei offered.

"No, thank you," Ryou replied. "Just wash up and come to the table."

A few minutes later we all sat around the table; as usual, Kappei sat at the head, while I sat to his right at his insistence. Mika sat on my other side, while Ryou sat across from me and next to her husband, while Tadashi sat next to his mother and across from his sister, which left Ushio at the other end of the table. We put our hands together and thanked someone for the food, then dug in.

"Hey, this is really good!" Kappei exclaimed after taking his first bite; it was a mix of pork and vegetables that I hadn't seen before.

"Thank you," Ryou blushed. "I wanted to be creative this time, so I just took the flavors that we all like, and…experimented."

"Well, Dr. Hiiragi, it looks like the experiment was a success," he replied before taking another bite.

I exchanged a smile with Mika before gathering my chopsticks and taking a bite. "Wow, Ryou; this is really good. Thanks for all your hard work."

"It…wasn't really that hard…" Ryou murmured, her blush intensifying. "I just took what flavors that I know everyone likes and just…" She shrugged as her blush deepened. "…threw it all together."

"Well, nice throw," I said as I gave her a thumbs-up.

"You're so funny," Mika giggled from beside me, and I tried to not jump as I felt her pat my leg a couple of times.

"Th-Thank you," I replied as I worked on regaining control of my chopsticks. In an effort to distract myself from my self-consciousness I addressed Mika's brother. "S-So, Tadashi-san; are you looking forward to heading to school again?"

"Yes and no, sir," he replied in his typical stoic fashion. "While I eagerly look forward to returning to my studies, I do regret that I did not avail myself of more…social opportunities during summer break."

"What would you have wanted to do differently?" his mom asked.

The boy's face scrunched in concentration. "I'm…not sure, to be honest," he finally replied.

"Maybe that's it, then," Kappei said between bites. "Maybe you've been so 'study, study, study' that you haven't given yourself the chance to think of fun things to do."

"That could be…" Tadashi said, his eyes losing focus.

I thought I saw Kappei glance at me with a grin before looking to Mika. "What about you, cherub? Looking forward to hitting the books again?"

"S-Sort of," she stammered. "I mean, I'm looking forward to seeing my friends every day again and being able to learn new things, but…" She trailed off as she glanced my way several times.

"You'll still see him every day after school," Ryou said sympathetically.

"I know," Mika said, her voice starting to tremble. "It's just that…I…and we… Please excuse me." She suddenly bolted to her feet and ran from the table, and I was sure I could hear her start to cry as she left the room.

I gave her father an uneasy smile. "Do you mind if I go check on her?"

"Give her a minute," he replied with an understanding smile. "Do you know where her room is?"

"No, I don't."

"I'll take him there when it's time," Ryou offered. We ate for a couple more minute before she gestured to me as she got up from her seat. "Come with me, please; I'll take you to her."

I got up from the table and, without a word, followed her up the stairs and down a short hallway to where it intersected with another. "Wow, you have a lot of rooms, don't you?" I remarked awkwardly.

"That's one way of looking at it," she said cryptically, then pointed down the other hallway. "Her room is through the second on the right."

"Got it," I said, then patted her on the shoulder before I realized what I was doing. "Thanks."

Her response was to bow with a soft smile before turning and heading back the way we had come.

"Good grief; I could get lost in this place," I sighed as I started down the hall to knock on what I hoped was the door to my gir-my companion's room. "Mika? You in there?"

I heard soft scuffling before the door slowly opened to reveal puffy eyes and tear-streaked cheeks; my heart sank at the sight. "H-Hi, Tomoya," she hiccupped.

"M-May I come in?" I asked, my heart breaking for her more than I expected.

She simply nodded as she stepped back and opened the door further, allowing me entrance.

I stepped into the room and briefly scanned it; even though it was decorated with more feminine tastes, with more frills and lace, it didn't seem particularly 'girly'. More mature, like a single woman's apartment…that's what it made me think of.

Ultimately, I turned my gaze on my companion. "Are you okay, Mika?"

"W-Would you h-hold me?" she asked with hopeful eyes.

"Sure," I replied without a second thought, and received an armful of crying girl in return. I couldn't think of anything to say so I just held her, occasionally giving her gentle squeezes to hopefully let her know that I was there for her, that I cared about her.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed when she'd settled down enough. "It's just… I know we'll see each other, but…"

"Is it because something great happened, and you feel like you're leaving it behind?" I suggested carefully.

"Y-Yeah," she chuckled as she pulled away from me enough to wipe at her eyes, though not far enough to leave my embrace. "I know I'll still be coming over to make dinners, but I'm still going to miss you. Stupid, huh?"

"I don't think that's for me to decide," I told her with a sympathetic chuckle. "Do you think it's stupid? It seems to mean a lot to you."

"Y-Yeah…" She snuggled into me again, pressing the side of her face against my chest. "I mean…. I don't think it's stupid, but I feel kinda stupid getting all upset like this; does that make sense?"

"It does," I said, giving her an extra squeeze. "Your heart and your mind don't quite agree, huh?"

"No," she giggled. "No, they don't." She pulled away to look me in the eyes as her hands moved from my chest to the back of my neck, pulling me down for-

Suddenly aware of our surroundings, I gently tugged her arms as I gave an apologetic smile in response to her confused expression. "I…don't think that'd be appropriate right now," I told her in a low voice, "regardless of how much we'd both like it."

A smile broke through her confusion. "Y-Yeah… You're right."

"So you two think you could come back to dinner now?" We jumped at the sound of Kappei's voice, and looked to find him just outside Mika's bedroom with his wife and a smirk. "You've been up here a while, so we came to check up on the two of you." He rapped on the open door. "Thanks for leaving this open; it helps with the trust."

"I-I'm sorry, Daddy," Mika whimpered as she broke our embrace. "G-Go ahead and go back to the table, Tomoya; I'll be there soon."

"You sure?" I asked as I studied her expression. "I could-"

"I'll be all right," she said, interrupting as politely as she could. "I just need to stop by the washroom; then I'll be down."

"All right," I replied, releasing her completely. "See you shortly." I then headed out of her room, and I could feel Kappei clap me on my back a couple of times. "Sorry for taking so long," I told him as we headed back to dinner.

"Don't worry about it," he said cheerfully as we descended the stairs. "She needed what she needed, and I figured that I won't be able to give that to her anymore."

I grunted in acknowledgement; Mika was transitioning away from her parents and starting to reach out to new, adult relationships, and her relationship with me would be the strongest of them…all else being equal.

We got back to the table, where Tadashi and Ushio were talking quietly, and got back to eating. A few minutes later Mika and her mother joined us; I hadn't realized that Ryou hadn't followed us down, but I figured that she must have stayed behind to help her daughter freshen up. "I'm sorry for causing a scene," Mika apologized as she reclaimed her seat.

"Don't worry about it," Kappei said as he smiled lovingly at his daughter. "New experiences can be pretty intense, huh?"

I watched with fondness as her expression shifted from distress to one of relief. "Yeah. Yeah, thanks Dad."

He gave her a wink before stuffing another bite in his mouth.

I smiled to myself as I gathered up another bite as well, but before the food got to my mouth I could hear Mika whisper. "I'm sorry for being so immature."

I pretended to blow on my food to give myself the chance to whisper back, "We can talk later."

She gave me an adoring smile before picking up her chopsticks to eat again.

"Don't forget to check your mailbox when you get home," Kappei reminded me as Ushio and I stood on the front steps to the Hiiragi home; the entire family was there to see us off. "I know they sent you an invitation," he told me, then grinned. "Maybe you stuffed it to the back without realizing it."

"Yeah, maybe," I chuckled. I glanced over at Ushio, who nodded, and we bowed as one. "Thank you for having us over; we had a great time, as always."

"Same here," Kappei beamed. "Always awesome talking to you, man."

"I enjoyed our conversation, Okazaki-senpai," Tadashi said to my daughter. "It is unfortunate that it was at the expense of my sister's well-being."

"I don't think it was like that," Ushio giggled. "We just took the opportunity to talk while waiting for the others."

"O-Of course," he replied, jerking his head in a nod. "In any case, I enjoyed our conversation, particularly your insights."

"Thank you," Ushio replied with a light blush. "I-I enjoyed it as well."

Kappei looked down at his daughter as she studied me, then smiled as he patted her on the shoulder. "Don't be too long," he instructed before heading further into the house. "Catch you later, Okazaki."

"See you," I said as I returned Mika's gaze.

"I'll wait by the gate," Ushio said, and I could hear the smile in her voice.

"See y-…I mean, okay," I replied, still unable to break my companion's gaze. "I'll be there shortly." Once her footsteps faded I asked Mika, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she giggled as she looked to the side. "That was so embarrassing."

"I won't tell anyone if you won't," I quipped. "Seriously, though, your dad's right; new experiences can be pretty scary."

"Do you ever get scared, Tomoya?" she asked with honest eyes.

"Sure," I said, then swallowed. "I'm scared right now."

"You are?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening. "What are you scared of?"

I couldn't think of the right words, so I reached out and took hold of her hands. "This."

"What do you mean?"

I licked suddenly-dry lips. "I haven't been in a relationship like this in…a really long time."

"Almost as long as I've…been alive, right?" she breathed.

I nodded awkwardly. "And I don't know…how good I'm going to be…at…this," I said as I squeezed her hands. "We're from different generations, I'm damaged goods trying to find restoration…." I shrugged. "I don't know what kind of man I'm going to end up as."

"A good one," she said, her lower lip trembling. "No, a great one."

My chuckle came out more like a scoff. "I wish I had your faith when it comes to me."

"But you do have it," she said with a teary smile as she linked her fingers behind my neck. "You're just getting it from me right now."

I had to swallow a lump in my throat. "Thanks, Mika."

Her smile flickered as she pulled me down for a way-too-brief kiss, then pulled me further for a hug. "I'll always be here for you, Tomoya," she whispered.

"You seem happy," Ushio remarked as we headed for home.

"Yeah, I am," I admitted, feeling kinda stupid. "It's kind of a weird feeling, knowing that someone cares about you so deeply."

"Is it like the way a parent feels toward their child?"

I thought about her question for a minute. "Sort of," I finally answered. "Not quite the same…but similar, I think."

"That's neat," she replied, but she sounded distracted. "Daddy? What do you think of Tadashi-san?"

"Tadashi-san?" I echoed. "Well, he seems like a neat kid. I'm not sure what to think of his seriousness, but he seems like a, uh…sincere young man. Why?"

She didn't reply right away, and I looked over to see her with her head drawn into her shoulders. "I…I think he likes me."

I blinked. "He does? Er, you think so?"

She straightened again as we turned a corner. "I'm not sure… Like you said, he seems so serious, but he really seems to like talking with me for some reason."

I experienced a rare flash of intuition. "Do you like talking with him?"

"Oh, I do!" she exclaimed, her expression brightening. "I like how he's so mature and takes his studies seriously and just generally wants to be the best he can be!"

"He does seem pretty serious about being a 'real man'," I noted, seeing my suspicions confirmed. "Maybe when I get our internet situation figured out you could exchange e-mail addresses with him or something."

"That would be awesome!" she squealed, adding a bounce to her gait. "And maybe we could use Strype to talk face-to-face!"

"But online," I added; I'd heard about the service. "Sweetie? Are you sure he likes you? Or is it the other way around?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, her face turning an interesting shade of red.

I crossed my arms as I brought us to a stop. "I think you like him but are afraid to admit it."

"I-" She looked around wildly before huffing cutely. "I…I do not! Not like that, I mean! He's a neat guy who… Ooooooh, can we go home now?" Without waiting for a reply, she turned and stomped off toward our place.

I followed her, though I walked more slowly. "So my little girl's in love…" I murmured with a smile. Until I realized… "…with Mika's younger brother. Damn."

The Okazaki and Hiiragi family trees were going to be so warped.