'It's good to be back,' Kuu thought to himself as he made his way through the foyer of his old home.
It was a traditional Japanese house, around half-a-century old, willed to him by his late grandfather. He and Julie refused to sell the property even when they settled in the States. Instead, it served as a vacation home when they were in Japan.
Then, half a year ago, they presented the house as a wedding gift to their son when they discovered that their new 'daughter' hailed from Kyoto. His son had the place renovated and was able to move in with his wife all within the span of three months.
The tatami felt good against his bare feet, and the smooth wood of the engawa was still warm from the heat of the afternoon sun. He sat down and admired the small man-made lake next to the ancient sakura tree. A wooden bridge spanned its width, leading to the winding pathway through the flower gardens and back to the house.
He felt, rather than heard, someone approach, and looked up to see his son holding out a can of beer.
"I placed your luggage in the upstairs guest room. Mom's taking a nap. Must be the jet lag."
Kuu nodded his thanks before popping the can open. "By the way, I like what you did to the old place."
"Thanks." Kuon smiled proudly, eyes scanning the landscape. "It was a big decision to leave Tokyo, but we really like it here."
"So, when can I expect my first grandchild?" Kuu asked, taking a deep draught of the cool drink.
"We haven't even gone public with our marriage and you want a grandchild?"
His son yelped in pain when Kuu saw it fit to reward him with a sharp flick on the forehead for the lame comment.
"Wrong answer." With a finger poised over his son's forehead, Kuu tried again, "You do plan to have children, right?"
Kuon was quick to slap a hand over his forehead for protection and argued, "Of course! But I'd rather you quit nagging us about it."
"That reminds me: I need to check on my beloved daughter!" Kuu stood up and brushed the seat of his jeans.
His son almost choked on his drink, "Will you stop calling her that?! You make it sound as if I'm guilty of incest."
"She married into our family - so, technically, she is my daughter," Kuu explained, surprised that his son still had a very American mindset when it comes to such things.
The younger man sighed in defeat and nodded towards the direction of the kitchen, "She's been slaving over dinner since I picked you guys up at the airport."
"Stay here." Kuu smirked over his shoulder at his son's mutinous look. "Last I heard, she banned you from the kitchen."
His son looked away, but not before Kuu spied the embarrassed flush that colored his cheeks, "Fine, I'll be watching TV in the den. Call me when dinner's ready."
Kuu whistled happily as he stalked through the walkway that connected the dining area and the kitchen.
"Hizashiburi, Kyouko-chan!" he cheerfully called out as he shouldered pass the dividing curtain.
The raven-haired beauty glanced up from the dessert tray and smiled brilliantly. "Otousan!"
Kuu warmly returned Kyouko's welcoming hug. When they parted, he scowled mockingly and continued in a serious tone. "My dear, when do you plan to make an honest man out of my son?"
"I already married him, didn't I?" she retorted, waggling her fingers to show-off her wedding band.
"Well, WE know that. Any other time, that ring is on a chain around your neck." Kuu casually filched a mochi from the tray and decimated it in two bites. "The question is: When will the world know that you two are shacking up? Legally."
"The people who are supposed to know ARE in the know," Kyouko replied evasively as she resumed her chopping. "That ought to be enough. For now."
"Those who attended the dinner party? But they hardly numbered a dozen! You can't possibly be-" He was about to argue his case when he spied a familiar-looking bracelet on the kitchen counter.
He barely realized that he had moved until he was holding the trinket in his hands. The platinum chain was cool under his fingertips, the precious stones seem to sparkle more brightly, as if coaxing a half-forgetten memory to the forefront of his mind.
"I never dumped her. She walked out on me."
"Sounds like she got smart," Kuu stated, but not unkindly.
"Yeah. She did." The boy took out a platinum bracelet and attached the heart charm, along with the other two dangling from the chain. "And I'm an idiot for wanting her back."
"Kyouko-chan," his voice sounded far away and foreign even to his own ears, "Did the person who gave you this also knows?"
"Of course." Her smile, though sweet, was weighed down by memories. "It was after all a wedding present."
***
Kuu always deferred to the school of thought that one can never think clearly on an empty stomach. Hence, he had to temper his curiosity and sat through the longest dinner of his life. His son accepted his seemingly innocent invite for an after-dinner walk, leaving the two women to catch up and plan their outing for the weekend.
They made their way through the gardens, down the path towards the small lake, and finally parked themselves on the bridge overlooking the water. He reached into his shirt pocket for a box of cigarette, offered one to his son, which was politely refused. He lit a stick, took a deep long drag and exhaled a smoky stream into the stifling night air.
"Did you know that Fuwa Shou, was in love with your wife?" He started without preamble, eyes trained on his son's face.
Kuon's gaze narrow from beyond the haze. "Yes"
"Well, I sure as hell didn't." He recalled the incident a year ago, of how he met the singer and even empathized with the poor schmuck who wanted desperately to win his girl back. "If I knew he was talking about Kyouko-chan, I don't think I would've been so."
"Yes, you would." Kuon cut him off, exonerating him from the guilt. "Because you're fair that way."
He winced at the truth in his words. The very thought of having given unsolicited advise to his son's love-rival was almost enough to cause him indigestion.
"He was her first love." His son continued, "When he discarded her, it was no surprise that she hated him with the same passion"
"You were jealous?" It sounded more of a statement than a question, voiced at the end of a smoky exhale.
"Of course." Kuon bit out a short laugh, "Love or hate, whatever she felt for him, consumed her. The lukewarm feelings she had for me simply paled in comparison"
"I don't think that's a fair comparison." Kuu argued, remembering his first impression of Kyouko and her steadfast loyalty to 'Tsuruga Ren'. "Her feelings for you were anything but 'lukewarm' even back then."
"She had me on a pedestal. But he was her watermark - the one she would measure herself against time and time again." Kuon scowled, and Kuu knew there was a vein of deep-seated regret that had been left untouched for a long time. Memories assailed him, sentiments of the other person who sought to take back what he lost.
"But she's worth it. The view from the top isn't that great without someone to share it with."
Kuu figured the idiot still got a long way to go, but at least got his priorities straightened out. He finally raised his glass in a toast: "To second chances"
"Sometimes, it doesn't really matter who loved her more - you or Fuwa." Kuu contemplated the burning end of the stick dangling between his fingers. "In the end, it was only her choice that truly counted."
"Whether she knew it or not, Fuwa Shou wrote and sang those songs, for HER. While I, on the other hand, could not even begin to describe how much I feel for her." Kuon turned towards the house, his eyes tracing the silhouette of his wife on the windows. "There are simply no words."
"So, if my advice emboldened him, made him be more forthright about his feelings, communicating them through his songs, would you forgive me?"
"Yes." Kuon smiled with quiet gravity, "Because despite all that, she still chose me in the end."
"And had it been otherwise?" Kuu asked, his Italian sole grinding out the dying light of his cigarette against the wooden plank.
"Then I would have raged against Fate itself and won her back."