Chapter Forty-Two: Standing on Ceremony

"The church looks so beautiful today," Mika remarked, holding my arm as we approached the huge stone structure. "What do you think?"

I chuckled softly. "I think you might be a little biased, since we married here." I gave Glory to God Church a once-over. "You know, I've never really looked at Jeff's church but it is a nice-looking building."

"Isn't it?" she giggled.

"I've always thought it was very pretty," Ushio added from Mika's other side, reminding me of one of my many dreams; come to think of it, I hadn't had one in a while. "Whenever I see it, I feel…refreshed for some reason." She giggled. "I guess it makes sense, since I went through counseling here."

I nodded my agreement as we approached the main doors, where an older gentleman stood just outside. "Ah, good morning Mr. and Mrs. Okazaki," he greeted, surprising me in that he had remembered my – well, our – last name. "And little Ushio-san; good to see you as well."

"Good morning, sir," she greeted as the three of us stopped to exchange bows. "I hope the morning finds you well."

"Ah, weddings always warm this old man's heart," he replied with a clap of his hands. "Especially for someone as great as Ashton-sensei."

"Don't let him hear you say that," I said with a grin and a wink. "He'd probably try to talk you out of that opinion."

He laughed and gave us a wink of his own as he opened the door. "You're probably right about that! He is a very humble man."

We finished exchanging pleasantries and headed inside, eventually making our way into the sanctuary.

"Okazaki!" a familiar voice boomed, and I smiled and raised a hand in greeting as Kappei made his way over to us. "'Morning, Okazaki; 'morning, princess."

"Good morning, Dad," Mika replied as she hugged her father, and I couldn't help but notice a tightness in her voice as she squeezed him tightly. "I'm happy to see you."

He pulled away to look down into his daughter's face with a smile tinged with residual pain; I knew it would take a while for everyone involved to get used to the new arrangement. "Well, are you all ready for a wedding?"

"I've been excited for it since Ashton-sensei proposed to Kyou-sensei," Ushio giggled, twisting her body from side to side.

"I hear that!" he laughed. "Hey, I don't know where you're planning on sitting, but I'm planning on you sitting up with us!" He gestured toward the front of the seating arrangements where Ryou sat, looking over her shoulder to smile our direction and give us a tiny wave; next to her was Tadashi, who appeared to be studying the stained-glass art on the far wall.

"Well, I'm not one to separate a daughter from her family," I quipped, then cringed as I realized that it was likely too soon for that kind of humor. "Ouch; sorry about that, Kappei," I said as I looked over at the Hiiragi patriarch with an expression of regret. "Spoke before I thought."

He coughed a couple of times before clapping me on the shoulder. "It's cool, man; I know you didn't mean any harm. Just give us some time, eh?" He gestured toward the front of the sanctuary again and the three of us followed him, and I made sure to keep my big mouth shut…just in case.

"Good morning, Tomoya-san," Ryou greeted as we got close enough.

"Good morning, Ryou," I greeted as my wife gave her mother a hug. "This must be pretty exciting for you, Kyou getting married and all."

"We're all very happy for her," my old class rep replied evenly, though I could hear her voice tremble ever so slightly.

"Speaking of 'all'," Kappei said as he took his seat next to his wife, "where's your mom and dad?"

"They're running a little late," Ryou explained. "Mom called and apologized, but said that they should be here soon."

"Ah! There they are!" Mika suddenly exclaimed and released my hand to head toward the back of the sanctuary, where Mom and Dad Fujibayashi were just entering. They briefly exchanged words, but I had a pretty good idea of what was being said as she hugged each of them before the three of them headed our way.

"Good morning, son," Dad greeted me as he approached. Then his forehead furrowed. "Now I'm not sure what to call you anymore."

"You can still call him 'son', dear," Mom chuckled before turning her attention to me. "Good morning, Tomoya; I hope the day finds you well."

"I'm doing all right, thanks," I replied as Mika took my arm. "Still getting used to the new arrangements, but…"

"I think I understand," she replied with a motherly smile.

"You gonna sit with us, Dad?" Kappei asked, having risen from his seat to respectfully address his elder in-laws. "There's plenty of room."

"Certainly," Dad replied after sharing a smile with Mom.

I turned to Mika. "Would you mind if we sat in the second row? I don't want to keep you away from your family, but…" I gestured to the far end of the front row. "…I'd like to be closer to the middle so I'm not so far away from the action." I shrugged. "I…could understand if you want to sit with your family, though."

"Tomoya, I am your wife now," she declared, fixing her gaze on mine. "That means that you are first in my life. I still love and respect my parents, but I am yours now." She took a deep breath. "If you wish to sit toward the middle, then we will sit toward the middle."

I felt a burning on the side of my face and looked to find Ushio watching us with curious eyes; for some reason, the decision suddenly seemed...heavier than before. It was just finding a seat, dammit! "I'd…like to sit in the second row," I said, my stomach starting to churn, "but we'll be right behind your parents; is that okay?"

"Like I said, Tomoya; I love and respect my parents, but I am yours now and will trust you and follow your lead." With that, Mika fixed her gaze on mine again, waiting for my answer.

Deciding on a damned seat had suddenly become the biggest decision I'd ever made. "Do you have a preference, Ushio?" I asked, bravely looking to my daughter for a way out.

"I'm fine with anywhere," she replied. "I would like to be as close to Kyou-sensei as possible, though."

"We're sitting in the second row, on the aisle," I decided while giving my hyper-sensitive conscience a good squashing. "Ushio, would you lead the way…?"

After all was said and done I sat on the aisle, with Mika to my right and my daughter on her other side. "Are you okay, Daddy?" Ushio asked. "You seem upset."

I chuckled awkwardly as my face heated up. "I'm just…not used to this."

"Used to what?" she asked, and my face heated up further as Kappei looked over his shoulder.

"I…haven't had to make decisions for a family like this in a long time," I explained as I glanced at my wife out of the corner of my eye. "When it was just you and I it was pretty easy since ours is a father-daughter relationship." I shifted uncomfortably. "But now that Mika's here…"

"But you've always been considerate of others in your decision-making," Mika interjected as she rested a hand on mine. "I don't see how being married to me makes a difference."

I opened my mouth to retort but realized that she was one-hundred-percent correct. "You're right," I chuckled self-consciously as I pressed my fingertips to my forehead. "I just…haven't been married in years, so I guess I assumed that I'd forgotten what it means to consider a wife's thoughts and feelings."

"I don't think you have," Mika replied simply. "You've been considerate of me lone before we married."

I didn't know what to say, so I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her an affectionate squeeze, drawing a giggle from her as she snuggled into me. Sensing a pair of eyes I glanced over at Ushio, who was smiling at the two of us.

We watched and waited as the rest of the guests trickled in, taking their seats or chatting with each other while they waited for the ceremony to begin proper. Music began to float through the room, and my gaze was drawn to a young man at a piano at the front of the room, to one side. I'd not been to many weddings, but I figured that it was a cue of some kind since people started to take their seats.

I must have been lost in thought while watching the pianist, because I twitched at a light tap to my shoulder and looked up into the smiling face of the groom, whose hand was outstretched. "I'm glad you could make it," Jeff said as we shook hands. "Thank you for coming."

"Wouldn't miss this for anything," I replied, returning his smile. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." He straightened and, after patting my shoulder, made his way to the front of the room where another man waited for him, this one with the darkest skin I'd ever seen. Interestingly, he was bald.

I gently nudged Mika and gestured to the newcomer. "Do you know who that is?"

She briefly studied the dark-skinned man as he smiled and shook hands with Jeff. "I'm not sure, but I think that's Hamilton-sensei, Uncle Jeff's mentor. I've never seen him before, but Uncle Jeff has told us about him."

"Hm." I found myself wanting to talk with the visiting pastor; he appeared very open and friendly. "Maybe Jeff could introduce us at the reception."

"You want to talk with him, then?"

"Yeah, I do." I gave myself a moment to think about how to answer her question more fully. "I mean, Jeff's helped my family – me and Ushio, I mean – so much that I'd love to meet the man who helped him become who he is."

"I think I understand," she said with a squeeze to my arm. "Well, I hope your wish comes true."

"Thanks," I chuckled.

I watched as Jeff talked with Pastor Hamilton until the music changed, apparently a cue for the two men to take their places in preparation for the arrival of the bride.

The music changed again to a new yet somewhat familiar tune, and we all looked to the back as the doors leading to the lobby opened. Kyou appeared, wearing a white dress and carrying a bouquet of flowers of many colors in her hands. I grunted quietly to myself as I realized how appropriate the dress color was in her case. Sad in one way, good in another.

As she made her way to the front of the sanctuary, it looked to me like her face was nearly glowing with her smile, and a quick glance at Jeff revealed a similar expression, bringing a smile to my own face.

She came to a stop next to the front row, and Pastor Hamilton spoke: "Who gives this lovely young woman in marriage?" His command of Japanese was impressive, though his accent sounded slightly different than Jeff's; I made a mental note to ask when he'd learned our language.

I thought I heard a very Kappei-like snort as Dad Fujibayashi got to his feet, giving his son-in-law a disapproving look as he took his daughter's hand. "I am Fujibayashi Ryu," he announced as he led her up to the altar, "and it is my honor to give my daughter to Ashton Jeff."

Jeff didn't say anything as he accepted Kyou's hand, but the tightness of his lips as he gave a nod told me that he hadn't been expecting Dad's praise.

"Thank you for your kind words, Fujibayashi-san," Pastor Hamilton said as Dad headed back to his seat. Looking around the audience he said, "Thank you all for coming and it is such a blessing that you can all be here to witness and celebrate the love of Ashton Jeff and Fujibayashi Kyou. We are gathered here in the presence of God, family and friends to unite Ashton Jeff and Fujibayashi Kyou in holy matrimony. Marriage is an honorable estate, and is therefore not to be entered into lightly, but reverently, advisedly, soberly and with God's blessing. Today, they will receive His greatest gift; another person to share with, grow with, change with, be joyful with and to stand with as one when trials and tribulations enter their lives. It is fitting, therefore, that on this occasion we begin by asking for God's blessing on this marriage. If you would stand and join me in prayer…"

As we stood, I looked around to see many heads bowed, including Mika's, so in spite of my reservations I bowed mine as well.

"Lord Jesus, we gather to celebrate Your gift of love, and its presence among us. We rejoice that these two people have chosen to commit themselves to a life of loving faithfulness to one another. We praise You for the many ways You have touched our lives with loving relationships such as Jeff's and Kyou's, and we give thanks for the special love and friendship You have put in their hearts. Renew within us an affectionate and loving spirit, and enrich our lives with the gracious gift of Your love so that we may embrace others with that same love. May our participation in this celebration of love and commitment give to us a new joy and responsiveness to the relationships that we cherish. May Your will be done."

"May Your will be done," repeated many of those in attendance.

"Please be seated." Once we had settled in again he continued. "Marriage is a joyous occasion. It is connected in our thoughts with the charm of love, the warmth of home, and with all that is pleasant, as being one of the most important events of our lives. Its sacredness and unity is the most significant and binding covenant known in human relations." He regarded the couple before him. "Jeff and Kyou, I charge you both to remember that your future happiness is to be in mutual consideration, patience, kindness, confidence and affection. It is the duty of each of you to find your greatest joy in the company of the other; to remember that your love pledged today must remain undivided for a lifetime."

He looked over at Jeff, and I was surprised to see the seriousness in the older man's eyes, considering the lighter conversation they'd been having just a few minutes ago. "Jeff Ash-excuse me. Ashton Jeff, it is your duty to be a considerate, tender, faithful, and loving husband to Kyou: to support, guide and cherish her in prosperity and trouble; to thoughtfully and carefully enlarge the place she holds in your life; to constantly show to her the tokens of your affection, to shelter her from danger, and to love her with an unchangeable love."

He then turned to my old sparring partner. "Fujibayashi Kyou, it is your duty to be a considerate, tender, faithful, and loving wife; to honor, comfort, and cherish him in prosperity and trouble; to give to him the unfailing evidences of your affection; to continue making the place he holds in your heart broader and deeper; to support him, value him and work with him to make your marriage the very best that it can be." He paused, presumably to allow his words to sink in. "I call your attention to the seriousness of the decision which you have made and the covenant you are about to declare before God. The vows you are about to take are not to be taken without careful thought, for in them you are committing yourselves exclusively to one another for as long as you both shall live."

I could tell that Kyou was having problems keeping control, as I could be her shoulders shaking ever so slightly.

"If you are ready to assume the obligations and duties before God as I have explained them, please unite your hands and pledge your love and your lives to each other."

Jeff and Kyou did as they were told.

"Ashton Jeff, do you take…"

As the pastor spoke, I found my gaze drawn to my wife's face as she watched the ceremony intently. It wasn't long before she returned my gaze, though, and I started to remember our first meeting at the high school, where she had mistaken me for a truant, the card game that had gone some…interesting places, her volleyball game, our date at the park, more dinners and fun times than I could count…

"…to love and to cherish, for as long as you both shall live?"

I do I thought to myself as I gazed into the eyes of one of the most wonderful girls-no, women – I'd ever known. She blinked, and I saw a single tear slide quietly down her cheek, and I almost reached out to wipe it away with a finger before I remembered where I was and quickly produced my handkerchief and held it out to her. She accepted it and blotted her eyes.

"Fujibayashi Kyou," the pastor continued, "do you take Ashton Jeff to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," I heard Kyou reply, and Mika mouthed the words as several more tears fell, causing me to wonder if I'd mistakenly spoken my vow to her.

"May we have the rings, please?"

I looked back to the front to see Jeff receive a small box from Kappei, while Kyou received hers from her sister.

"Repeat after…" Pastor Hamilton paused before glancing at the couple with a smile. "I suppose you two can take it from here, can't you?"

I couldn't help but chuckle along with the audience, as well as Jeff and Kyou.

"Kyou, I give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness," Jeff said with a smile as he slipped the ring onto her finger.

I glanced over at my wife to find her smiling fondly at me, and I took her hand and squeezed it as I returned her smile with all the love and affection I felt for her.

"Jeff, I give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness," she replied, giving a teary smile as she slipped the ring onto his finger.

Pastor Hamilton smiled at the couple before him. "Jeff, Kyou; you have pledged yourselves to each other in the witness of these people and in the witness of God. Be firm in your commitment to one another; do not give evil a chance to take root in your marriage. Choose each day to love each other, for love is more than just a feeling; it is a choice, one that must be made daily. May He hold you both to account, and may those present also hold you to account in order to maintain and enrich this most holy of unions. Let us pray."

We bowed our heads again.

"Lord Jesus, as Jeff and Kyou leave here today, empower them to fulfill the promises they have made here today and to reflect Your steadfast love in their commitment to each other. Give them kindness and patience, affection and understanding, happiness and contentment. May their family and friends continue to support them in difficult days, so that their love for each other may continue to grow as long as they both shall live."

I probably wasn't the only one who had to swallow a good-sized lump.

"Jeff, Kyou; having witnessed your vows to each other before God and all who are assembled here, by the authority invested in me I now pronounce you husband and wife." He nodded at Jeff with what almost looked like a fatherly smile. "Congratulations, son; you may kiss your bride."

As the newly-married couple kissed I saw my handkerchief appear in my periphery, and I gave Mika a grateful smile as I accepted it to dab at my eyes; apparently she had one of her own, because I saw her blotting her eyes with it.

We all rose to our feet and began to applaud as Pastor Hamilton joyfully announced: "Ladies and gentlemen: It is my privilege to introduce you to Jeff and Kyou Ashton!"

"I am such a mess!" Kyou giggled, her eyes still red and puffy as she sat with her new husband at their table in the reception hall.

"You look fine, sweetheart," Jeff said as he carefully rubbed his wife's back; on the other side of the table, Mika, Ushio, and I watched the exchange with smiles plastered on; it was pretty neat seeing this new side of him. Well, new to me at least. "Tears are to be expected, and you wear them well."

"Thanks," she sniffled as she reached for another tissue. "I'm sorry, everyone. I guess it just hit me; after my escape, I thought I'd never find someone who'd…who'd love me." She gave me an apologetic glance, so I responded with an understanding smile and a nod.

"I'm really happy for you, Aunt Kyou," Mika said, trying not to join in on the tears but not faring very well. "If anyone deserves happiness, it's you."

"Th-Thank you," Kyou hiccupped.

Ushio was having less success, as her tears freely flowed. "Kyou-sensei; would it be okay for me to give you a hug?"

I watched with a smile as my old sparring partner took a shuddering breath as she extended her arms, and Ushio hurried around the table to lean down and wrap her arms around her beloved teacher.

I felt a hand rest on my shoulder and found Kappei smiling at the scene. "Good for her, huh?" I said.

"Yeah," he replied in a voice husky with emotion. "It's a damn shame that it took so long but-oops…" He quickly looked around. "Sorry; forgot where we are."

I chuckled quietly at his slip-up as Kyou talked animatedly with Mika and Ushio. "Yeah, it's too bad that she couldn't have had him sooner." My smile faded as I had an odd vision of her talking to him at an amusement park but shrugged it off, chalking it up to an overactive imagination. "Y-Yeah, I think things would have been a lot better for her."

The girls – er, women finished their conversation and the three of us headed to the buffet tables and started to fill our plates. I found a plate of egg sandwiches that looked interesting, so I-

"Tomoya-kun?"

I whipped my head around in surprise to find Kotomi behind me; with her was the huge security guard from her work – 'Gouda', if I remembered his name correctly. "Oh, hey Kotomi-chan!" I quickly inclined my head in as polite a bow as I could manage, considering that I held a paper plate semi-loaded with food. "I didn't see you at the wedding; it's good to see you."

"Thank you. We arrived late, so we ended up sitting toward the back," she explained.

"Got it." I wanted to ask what led to the two of them being invited but realized that it'd probably come across as rude, so I kept that particular thought to myself.

"Good afternoon Kotomi-sensei," Mika greeted, and I glanced to see her bowing along with Ushio.

"Good afternoon Mika-chan, Ushio-chan," Kotomi greeted.

As the women started to talk I directed my attention towards Kotomi's 'date'. "Gouda-san, right?"

A grunt and a nod.

"Well, it's good to see you again." I gestured back to the table where Kyou and Jeff were laughing along with some of their other guests. "Have the two of you talked to the ridiculously happy couple yet?"

"Not yet," he grunted. "We were on our way there when Ichinose-sensei saw you and asked if she could greet you first."

"I see," I replied, unsure of what else to say.

His stance shifted slightly. "Forgive my impertinence, but have you been able to contact Sakagami-sensei yet?"

Sakagami-sensei ? I blinked, surprised by his out-of-the-blue question as well as his choice of honorific. "Uh, sort of; I left a message with her secretary, but I don't know if she passed it on." Knowing Sakagami and how she felt about me, though, she'd probably have some harsh words for said secretary if that ever happened.

"I see," the large man intoned as he looked at me with an unreadable expression, and I started to feel concerned for my well-being.

Fortunately I wasn't left worrying for long, as Kotomi made her way to Gouda's side again. "Thank you for your patience; shall we go?"

"O-Of course," he stammered, his expression immediately shifting to one of awkwardness.

I smiled to myself as the pair walked away, wondering if he'd made any progress in his pursuit of my socially-challenged friend. Had I the courage, I probably would have asked him.

As we ate, I enjoyed watching Kyou and Jeff interact with their guests, though I did find myself wondering if they were ever going to be able to eat. With as exciting as my own 'wedding' had been, though, I figured that the newlyweds were probably pretty worked up and their stomachs wouldn't allow them to eat for a while anyway, so the conversations and well-wishes were probably doing them a world of good.

Eventually the meal ended, and I smiled as the younger women gathered in a large group as Kyou stood, holding her bouquet, with her back to the crowd; I'd heard of the bouquet-tossing tradition but had never seen it myself.

Kyou smiled over her shoulder before looking away again and tossing the bouquet behind her, into the crowd. After a brief 'tussle' the group started to disburse, and my jaw fell open at the sight of Kotomi holding the bouquet. "What the…?"

She saw me and headed over, studying the flowers as though they were some new discovery; not too far from the mark, I realized. "Tomoya-kun; what is the significance of this event?"

I blinked at her innocent expression, dumbfounded. "You mean you took part in it but didn't know what it was for?"

She shook her head with an innocent blink. "I was 'caught in the flow', as the saying goes. I readily admit to being compelled by curiosity as well."

"It means that you'll be the next girl to get married, Kotomi-sensei!" Mika squealed, thankfully saving me from the conversation.

"Indeed?" My childhood friend gazed at me for an uncomfortably long time. "But I fail to see the connection between the capture of a floral arrangement and successful matrimony."

"It's…more of a tradition," I told her. "I guess you could say that it's a superstition of sorts, giving people a…kind of hope for the future."

"Ah. I believe I understand," she replied with a nod. "Though I must confess that I cannot subscribe to that belief myself."

I looked around at the women who were giving Kotomi the stink-eye. "Well, maybe you could give it to-"

"ICHINOSE-SENSEI!"

My gaze snapped to the main door leading out of the reception room to find Gouda charging toward us with an intense look in his eyes. At the same time, I felt a grip on the back of my jacket, and glanced over my shoulder to find Kotomi hiding behind me, having moved faster than I thought possible for her.

He skidded to a stop before us, apparently unaware of the scene he was causing if the repeated glances sent our way was any indication. "IT IS MY-"

"Gouda!" I snapped, cutting him off. "Stop yelling! You're scaring Kotomi-chan!"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I am sorry," he said once he had calmed himself. "I was…elsewhere when I heard that Ichinose-sensei had caught the bouquet; is this true?"

I leaned to the side just enough so he could see the huge arrangement in my old friend's arms. "Kinda hard to miss, but there it is."

His eyes widened, and he stepped back to quickly bow, nearly blowing my hair back with the movement; the guy was huge. "ICHINOSE-SENSEI, PLEASE-"

"Gouda, stop yelling!" I…well, yelled as my jacket started to shake, and I experienced a flash of déjà vu, the second time that day.

"Gouda-san, you're clearly upset," Mika said, stepping to my side. "Perhaps we should go somewhere else and talk?"

"Is everything okay here?" a familiar voice asked, and Jeff joined us a moment later, accompanied by Pastor Hamilton. "Someone sounds quite upset."

"I…apologize," Gouda said straightening from his bow. "I am very anxious and am having trouble controlling my volume."

Pastor Hamilton studied me for a moment before smiling. "Do you have this under control, son?"

"Not yet, sir" I admitted, chuckling as my wife matched with a giggle. "I'm getting there, I think. We were about to go somewhere else before you came over here."

"Could they use your office, Jeff?" he asked, addressing the other pastor.

"I don't see why not," Jeff replied amicably. "You remember where it is, right?"

"Yes, sir," I chuckled. "We'll try to be quick."

I felt a little out of my league as I led the group consisting of Kotomi, Mika, and Gouda down the halls to a very familiar room. "Sit anywhere," I told them. "Other than behind the pastor's desk, of course."

As expected, the women took the seats while Gouda and I stood, and I crossed my arms as I leaned on the wall, facing the others. "So what's going on, Gouda?"

To my surprise, the huge man appeared uncomfortable, leading me to suspect that I knew exactly what was on his mind. "C-…Could I speak with Ichinose-sensei alone?"

"No," I replied, drawing on my high school days to give him my best 'delinquent' scowl; I didn't know that it would work, but I figured that it was worth a shot. "Whatever you have to say to her, you can say in front of us; we won't tell anyone else…unless you hurt her, of course."

His broad shoulders heaved as he sighed. "Very well." He moved to where he could better see my friend. "Ichinose-sensei?"

"Y-Yes?" she said, gazing up at him, the bouquet in her hands shaking slightly.

He must have noticed as well, because he gave her a gentle smile. "Please do not be afraid. I am sorry for approaching you so forcefully. The truth is that I panicked when I heard the news."

"About the bouquet?" she said, unconsciously holding the arrangement closer to her chest.

He nodded with a grunt. "Ichinose-sensei; during the ten years that I have worked as security for Sci-Tek Laboratories, I have…" He sighed heavily, and I thought I felt a breeze from across the room. "I have watched you work, both on- and off-hours, and I have become quite fond of you. I have been for a long time, in fact."

I heard Mika gasp but shook my head ever so slightly when she looked up at me.

"I understand that this will be quite sudden from your standpoint, but I wish to protect you twenty-four-seven. I wish to bask in your beauty and intelligence as…as your husband."

Mika gasped again, and my arms uncrossed to match my look of surprise; I figured he would ask her on a date or something, but…

"G-Gouda-kun…" Kotomi breathed, the bouquet starting to shake even more. "Are…Are you asking me to…to marry you?"

In an apparent answer to her question, he stepped back and bowed as low as the surrounding furniture would allow. "I am willing to prove myself as much as you require but yes, I am asking for your hand in marriage. I care deeply for you, and wish to continue to care deeply for you."

Unsurprisingly, she rose from her seat and hurried to stand before me with panicked eyes. "T-Tomoya-kun, this is so sudden; I do not know how to respond."

"It's…pretty life-changing, isn't it?" I admitted, still a bit stunned by the big guy's proposition. "I guess it would depend on what you think and how you feel about him." I felt awkward talking as though the man wasn't standing right there, but it was more important at that time to help her.

She blinked several times as her eyes lost focus. "I must admit that being bonded to one such as Gouda-kun has its appeal. We have conversed frequently, and I have found myself enjoying his company." She ducked her head meekly. "I suppose that the thought of bonding with him never occurred to me due to my fixation on you, of…of my hope of seeing you again."

"I th-think I understand," I stuttered, my face heating up as my wife giggled softly. "Thanks, I think."

Kotomi gazed at me a moment longer before addressing her admirer. "Gouda-kun; I would like a few days to consider your proposal. Would that be acceptable?"

"O-Of course," he replied, rising from his…wait, had he been holding his bow the whole time? "Please let me know when you are ready to give me your response, and I will do my best to keep myself from making you uncomfortable in the interim."

Kotomi blinked with a look of surprise; an unusual expression for her. "Th-That is reasonable."

He nodded with one of his trademark grunts before exiting the room, leaving just the three of us. "You okay, Kotomi-chan?" I asked.

"I am…unhurt," she replied, seeming unsure of herself. "I must admit that after you rejected my proposal that I would be alone – that is, unmarried – for the rest of my life. To have this opportunity…" She looked into my face. "How do you think I should proceed, Tomoya-kun?"

I sighed. "Can I be brutally honest with you?"

"B-Brutally…?"

"He just means that he'd like to be candid with you, if you're okay with it," Mika offered helpfully.

"Ah. I see." She shifted uncomfortably but held my gaze. "I trust you, Tomoya-kun; what do you wish to say?"

I took a deep breath; I wasn't sure whether I'd be stepping on her toes, but… "I think the first thing you need to do is grow up."

Kotomi's expression turned shocked and I heard Mika gasp from next to me. "G-Grow up?"

"That's the best way I can phrase it," I said apologetically. "'Kotomi-chan' is cute, but it's also childish. You're not a child anymore, and your language really should reflect it." I gestured to the door. "Gouda has the right idea by calling you 'Ichinose-san'; you're an adult and should be addressed as one… Kotomi-san."

It was Kotomi's turn to gasp, her hand flying to her chest. "But…But I cannot!"

"Can you say your first name?" I asked.

"Of course: 'Kotomi-ch-'"

"Without the '-chan'?" I pressed.

"Tomoya…" I heard Mika say at the same time I felt a touch to my arm, and I raised a finger toward my wife to request her patience.

"K-Kotomi."

"And can you say 'san'?" I followed up while reaching over to pat Mika's hand.

"…san."

I angled my head to gaze at her more intently. "Now I know that you're smarter than me by light-years, so I'm sure you can put the two together."

"K-Kotomi-san."

"Good." I breathed a sigh of relief. "Look, I don't know why you still use childish honorifics, but you haven't been a child for almost forty years. I don't know if it's because of your parents or what, but if you need to talk about it I'm willing to listen." I blinked. "Better yet, talk to Pastor Jeff; he helped me through a lot of my old hurt. In fact, you were at my last session, so I think you know what I mean."

"That is true…" she murmured, nodding thoughtfully. "I have been referring to myself as…in that way for so long that…"

"Kotomi-sensei…?"

My childhood friend shifted her gaze to my wife. "For the time being, please stop trying to call me 'Kotomi-chan'." She looked back up to me. "It would seem that I have some thinking to do."

"I hope I wasn't too rough with you," I said sympathetically.

"You were not," she replied with a sniffle. "Perhaps I have needed to hear that, for it seems oddly comforting." She stepped back and bowed. "Thank you for your candor as well as your compassion."

"You're welcome," I said, then exchanged a smile and a nod with my wife. "For what it's worth, Mika and I will be here for you as much as we can."

"Thank you," Kotomi replied. "Knowing that there are those out there who care for me is a great comfort."

I rubbed the side of my face with a hand as we entered our apartment. "That was more draining than I thought it would be," I groaned.

"Adventures sure seem to find you, don't they?" Ushio giggled as she worked on putting on her indoor shoes.

"Your dad is a great man," Mika said, and even though I couldn't see her face, I could hear the pride in her voice. "I really think that he's meant to be a positive presence in other people's lives."

"I work with what I have," I said, trying to deflect some of the praise.

Thankfully the evening was more low-key, with a quiet, delicious dinner and mellow conversation.

"I'm headed to bed," Ushio yawned before giving me a peck on the cheek.

"Good night, Ushio," Mika said, getting up from her spot at the kotatsu to give her daughter – that was going to take some getting used to – a hug. "See you in the morning."

"Good night, Mika-senpai," Ushio replied as she squeezed her stepmother. "And thank you."

"For what?" Mika asked, puzzled, as Ushio pulled away.

My daughter paused on her way to the hall. "I'm not sure," she giggled. "I just know that I'm very grateful toward you."

"Oh." My wife shared her puzzled look with me before looking back to Ushio. "Well, I'm glad that I could be a…" She trailed off, and a slight smile appeared. "I'm glad that I could be a positive presence in your life."

Ushio smiled, giving us a finger-wave before disappearing down the hallway.

I leaned back on my hands and took a couple of deep breaths, savoring the silence as I tilted my head from side to side, working out a kink in my neck that must have formed while we were at the wedding. "I'm thinking of turning in early, if that's okay." When I didn't hear a reply, I opened my eyes to look over at my wife.

…who cupped my face in her hands and gave me a passionate kiss, and I could swear I felt steam blast from my ears. "I'm okay with turning in early," she murmured against my lips. "Could we have a little…quality time…first?"

We had good quality time.

A/N: Pastor Hamilton's wedding script is a modified version of one that can be found at christian-wedding-ceremony-script/