December 23: Tuesday

Theme: Substitute. Family

At 3am, the shrill of the phone broke the silence of the night. Hiro moaned, groping in the dark for the vibrating nuisance. Flipping it open, Hiro snarled, "What?" A single word that promised the immediate death of the person who was calling if it wasn't an emergency.

"Hiro?"

In an instant, all sleepiness fled like a spooked rabbit. Hiro snapped awake, sitting up in his bed. A quick glance at the caller ID on his cellphone confirmed Hiro's suspicions that this was not a bad dream.

"What is it, dad?" Hiro snapped into the phone, bitter and angry. His relationship with his father has been volatile at best, non-existent at worst. His mood already dark from being woken up at such an early hour.

"You're not home." His father actually sounded perplexed by this.

Hiro snorted. "Did you not find the letters?" Hiro had only taped a letter to the back of the front door explaining that he was going to move to San Fransokyo to attend SFIT. To be extra sure, Hiro had left one taped to the bathroom mirror, in the fridge, by the phone, on his father's bed and on his father's closet door. At that point of time, Hiro was not only drowning in guilt and grief, but the fact that his father wasn't there to offer any comfort was all too similar of a response after his mother's death made Hiro a tad more vicious than usual. It had been over three months since Hiro had last seen his father at that point and Hiro simply didn't care.

Hiro didn't even bother trying to call, already to use to being told "Sorry, I can't talk right now, too busy."

"No, I did," his father said.

"Dad, it's 3 in the morning. Get to the point," Hiro said, rubbing his hand across his face.

"Christmas is in two days and you're not home."

This is what his father was calling about? "I decided not to go back to New Yosaka," Hiro explained slowly as if he was talking to a child. One could never be sure when talking to his father.

"Why?"

"Why not?" Hiro snapped. "It isn't like we actually celebrate Christmas as a family. We haven't done that since mom died."

"Now, Hiro."

"No!" Hiro felt his patience snap. This entire month had been an emotional rollercoaster for Hiro. Trying to make peace with Abigail's death, developing friendships, trying to figure out his feelings for Tadashi, Hiro did not need his father to add to the pile. "This is the first time I've talked to you in ten months. Ten months! When did you find my letter? Last week?"

"Last month," his father admitted.

Typical. His father hadn't been home or had but ignored the letters until last month. Even after reading it, his father didn't pick up a phone to even ask why Hiro left! "Sometimes I think I lost both my parents the day mom died."

Hiro didn't feel an ounce of regret at the sharp intake of air from his father. "Mrs. Yamashita next door has your Christmas gift since I didn't know when you were going to be home next. Merry Christmas dad. I'm going back to sleep."

"Wait, Hiro!"

Hiro ignored him. "I'll call you back when I've calmed down, or you can the next time you remember you have a son." Hiro snapped the phone closed and tossed it onto the table. He wrapped himself back up in his blanket, curling up into a ball, trying to push away the desperate ache of loneliness.

"Why did you have to die mom?" Hiro whispered. His eyes squeezed shut, lulled back into the dreamland by the memories of a happy family.

So tada! Hiro's dad. You know for those of you asking if we were going to meet him. Granted Hiro didn't exactly let his father speak. I swear this is the last emotional upheaval of the story...