Akane sat at the dining table alone, sipping her tea. She stared at the cup nursed between her hands. Sighing heavily, she watched her breath produce ripples across the surface of her tea. She was not looking forward to tonight. Just thinking about it made Akane bite her lip in anxiety. Why oh why did she agree to it?

"You thinkin' about me again?"

She looked up to see Ranma sitting across the table, a grin plastered on his face. A scowl was Akane's immediate reaction, but it soon turned a small smile. "No," she denied, shaking her head. Her heart began to pound in her chest, the way it did every time Ranma chose to show up randomly. "You wish."

Ranma shrugged. "Just had to ask."

She raised her cup to her lips and sipped. "Honestly, Ranma," she began, as she set her tea back down on the table, "don't flatter yourself." She watched his face carefully, trying to see a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes, but she saw nothing: just amusement. If Akane were to be honest, the fact that Ranma always showed up with a smile annoyed her greatly. Didn't he ever regret, or even feel guilty about anything? "Ranma," she said, suddenly tired, "what are you doing here?"

"I came to see how Akane Tendo's doing. What, can't I do that anymore?"

She shook her head. "First, it's still Akane Saotome." She raised her left hand to show him the gold band wrapped around her ring finger. "And second, no, you can't just pop in here anymore unannounced. It's… well, it's rude!"

"Still Akane Saotome, huh?" he asked, ignoring her last remark.

"Yes, still," she bit out. "We never divorced, you know." Her expression softened as she looked at her husband. "Ranma," she started exasperatedly.

"Your hair looks real nice like that," he interrupted her, nodding in her direction.

Consciously, she raised a hand to touch a curled lock, of which the end reached the top of her shoulder. Throughout the years since she'd known Ranma, Akane had gone through several hairdos, all of which Ranma liked. It had been years since she had the pageboy cut she sported in high school (admittedly Ranma's favorite haircut). But every time she had her hair changed Ranma, almost routinely, told Akane he liked her hair. This particular do, a bob temporarily fashioned with curls, seemed to pass the Ranma Saotome test.

"Nabiki…" She cleared her throat. "Nabiki gave me money to go to a salon to have it done."

"Got a hot date?" he joked.

She lowered her head, her gaze focused on her teacup.

"Wait, you really do?" Ranma's voice sounded genuinely surprised.

Still unable to look Ranma in the eye, she answered, "Well, I wouldn't exactly call it hot. Nabiki practically bullied me into it. It's just some businessman Nabiki happens to know. I don't even think I'm ready to…" She looked at him, eyes widening. "Ranma, if you want me to cancel, I'll do it. Just let me call—"

"Did I say I wanted you to cancel? I just wasn't expectin' it."

Akane frowned, eyebrows knitting together. "Geez, can't you even be bothered to be jealous?"

"I am jealous," Ranma replied calmly. Akane watched his right hand, which rested on top of the table, slowly clench into a fist. "God, believe me. It's just…there's really nothing I can do about it. You're technically free to date. Just do the guy a favor: don't wear the ring to the date, okay?"

"I'll wear it if I want to, Ranma," Akane snapped. She could take everyone else telling her how to run her life, but Ranma? He had the nerve to tell her how she should live her life? His suggestion was near maddening. "Don't rush me into getting over you. Don't be…" She swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked the tears away. "Don't be like everybody else."

"Akane." She heard him sigh.

"I miss you, you know. Sometimes I wonder how my life would have turned out if you hadn't left me." She let out a shuddering breath. "Well, one thing's for sure, people wouldn't pity me. And they wouldn't try to take care of me all the time. I wouldn't have to depend on people. Or even have them worry about me. And Nabiki wouldn't force me to try and start dating again. And Takeru would have a father who's there for him. It kills me that he barely knows who you are. I just…" A small sob escaped her, and tears began to spill. "Sometimes I wonder when it's going to stop hurting so much."

"Akane," Ranma said slowly, "I hate myself for hurtin' you this way. And I hate not being there for you and Takeru. But I've been gone years now, and I want you to be happy."

"But I want—"

"Akane?" a voice called out from the front door. Akane whipped her head to the direction of the voice and then quickly to where Ranma sat. But his spot was already vacated—as soon as a new voice emerged, Ranma had left without another word. Nabiki walked in, clad in a black blazer and black pencil skirt, with a slight frown on her lips. "Akane, who were you talking to?"

Akane shook her head, wiping her eyes with a sleeve. "No one," she lied. There was no way she could explain the conversation she just had.

She saw Nabiki raise an eyebrow, but she didn't press the matter. "You were crying," she observed.

"Why isn't Takeru with you?" Akane asked, changing the subject. Shakily, and with her sister's help, she got up on her feet.

"He's staying at Daddy's tonight," Nabiki answered. Akane simply nodded and sighed. Sometimes it was still hard for Akane to believe that Nabiki had turned into a caring and loving sister. All throughout their lives, Nabiki had only cared about making money. But when Ranma had suddenly left Akane, leaving her pregnant and terrifyingly alone, Nabiki was the one who took care of her, often bringing her groceries and taking her to her ultrasound appointments. When Takeru was born, Nabiki was by her side. Even now, as her nephew grew, Nabiki was consistent at being a wonderful aunt.

"Akane…" Nabiki hesitated. "I know things have been rough since Ranma's death, but things are going to get better, okay?" Akane replied nothing as Nabiki paused for her to process her sentence. She just hung her head and stared at her feet. "Now let's get you ready for this date." The two began walking towards Akane's room.

"Okay," Akane answered, her voice a little hoarse. She nodded, not knowing whether she was agreeing to the date or Nabiki's assumption that things would get better. She honestly didn't know. "Okay."

AN: Thanks to N for the editing. I wrote this in contrast to "H is for Home." Similar to the story, I kept the cause of death intentionally vague.