Chapter 3

The next evening, Phoenix took the bag he had packed and caught a cab to go to his parents' home that was just an hour drive out from the main city. Phoenix always loved coming home, since he was always very close with his family, and he regretted that he couldn't come home more often. With a smile on his face, he walked up to the front door and knocked.

He hoped that he would be able to forget about his relationship troubles for a few days but he knew that would be near impossible with a sister like Anka. He knew the minute he walked in the door she would be grilling him about all the things he did since the last time he came home, with relationship statuses invariably included. It was more a matter of when she would be asking him about the subject of relationships rather than if she would ask at all.

Phoenix was suddenly brought out of his thoughts as the front door flew open. He saw it was his fourteen year old sister behind it.

"Phoenix!" she said in excitement, running forward and giving him a huge hug, not even letting him come inside or put his bag down.

"Anka!" Phoenix said, laughing as he returned the hug with just as much enthusiasm.

Finally when Phoenix pulled back he playfully said, "You're going to let me inside, now aren't you?"

In response, Anka laughed and stepped aside so that he could get in the door.

As he got in, his mother came up to him quickly and gave him a hug, saying, "Phoenix, I'm glad you're home. Your dad was out on a dig consultation, and he won't be back until very late. He did say he would be back for sure tomorrow though."

Then, after Phoenix got settled into his old room when he used to live in the house, and before everyone was going to get to bed, Phoenix, Anka, and their mother caught up a little, mostly Phoenix letting them talk about what had been happening in their lives, not quite able to bring up the subject of Maya himself since he was still feeling weird about it.

Soon Phoenix got into bed, glad to finally get a break from all the cases he had been having lately. But, to his dismay, when he finally relaxed and got comfortable, he began to think about all the things he had been so desperately avoiding when he was awake. Phoenix rolled over in bed, trying to banish all his thoughts and try to get some sleep, but to no avail.

Many of Phoenix's lonely nights were spent this way, all the hustle and bustle of his wakeful life at bay at his bedroom door, leaving him only with his thoughts. And one person reigned supreme in these thoughts: Miles Edgeworth.

Phoenix sometimes wondered if maybe something was wrong with him with the way he clung so fitfully to the memory of Miles Edgeworth even after he disappeared off the face of the earth two years ago, but he just couldn't help himself. Phoenix had long accepted the fact that he loved Miles and even if Miles never returned, he would always love him.

But where does that leave me? Phoenix thought, the question being much more frustratingly rhetorical than he would have wished.

Phoenix's date with Maya made one thing crystal clear to him. No matter how much he really wanted to be able to move on, he just couldn't. Somehow Miles had won a place in his heart and his life that no one else could ever hope to have. But Phoenix felt like he had to let someone in, if not really for himself, then for his parents.

What would they think if they found out the way I'm wasting my life away, waiting for someone who most likely will never return? The fact that he's a man probably wouldn't be that easy to explain either. Phoenix thought in slight bitterness, knowing deep down that waiting for Miles would never be considered a waste in his mind.

This is when Phoenix resolved to tell his family that he was dating Maya the next day, so there would be no way he could change his mind later and back out.

I already know that Mom and Dad like her a lot, and Anka also gets along with her very well. And Maya is really caring and is definitely very interesting, and we've already been through quite a bit together, so I suppose taking the next step with her isn't so out of the blue…Phoenix thought, trying to convince himself this really was the right thing to do.

Thoughts along this line seemed to relax Phoenix's mind enough to let him fall into sleep, but a single whispered word managed to escape his lips as he drifted off, "Miles…"