Sunrise
Suri wanted to see the courtyard and turtle-duck pond. At least, that was what she claimed. Iroh sensed that there was something else at work, but as always, he was a gentleman about it. "My," he said, "but the cherry blossoms are lovely this year. Almost makes me miss living here."
"My Keone would have loved seeing it." Suri became distant. "So many things he would have loved."
There it was. Iroh probed gently. "What was it you wanted to ask me, Suri?"
"Well...I wanted to thank you for being such a good, good friend to my boy."
Iroh smiled. "The honor is all mine."
Suri sat down by the pond. "Iroh, you and I...we both lost people we loved to the war. People we needed. How...how did you ever get over it?"
Iroh took the lady's hand. "I did not get over it. I don't think I ever will. And I hope I do not, because then..." He lowered his face. "I will not love my son anymore."
"I'm sorry," Suri said, desperate for forgiveness.
"There is nothing to be sorry about, Suri. Keone's death must have been devastating, especially to your son."
"It was." Suri was trying hard to hold together. "But I had Masa. You had..."
"I did have someone, Suri. I had Zuko." Iroh took a deep breath. "Life has to go on. I found a reason to keep going." He smiled again. "Now look at all we have."
Suri wiped a tear away. "Let's get back to it."
