Author's Note: I will now be using [ ] instead of " " to indicate when Japanese is being spoken. English dialogue will still use regular quotation marks. The aim is to make it more clear and concise but if you all hate it, or find it confusing, please, let me know! Okay, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter Thirty: Unveiled

[Hello, this is Ash…..yes…..I got your number fro-...yes…..I have a question-well more like a favor to ask of you…..yeah…..Um so, Eiji and I are moving this week, and my birthday is coming up…..yeah, yeah we're still in Izumo…..like ten minutes away…..it's funny actually- actually never mind…..anyway we are hosting a get-together to celebrate…..yeah, I was hoping you would be able to make it…..no, I'd cover that…..no, I want to…..no, really, I insist…..yes…..look I know you're busy, but it would really mean a lot to all of us…..it would…..next weekend…..Saturday…..yes, she will…..it would mean so mu-...maybe this is something you should make time for…..they love you…..yes, they do…..and they miss you…..I really think…..okay, okay I appreciate that…..yes…..just let me know…..I'll cover all the costs…..yes, it's important to me-to all of us…..okay, okay, thank you…..I appreciate your time…..you too…..thank you…..bye.]

Ash hung up and hung his head in his hands. He breathed deeply, shaking slightly and sweating. He hoped he hadn't said any of the Japanese wrong. He sat on his bed, surrounded by moving boxes.

He and Eiji were moving into their new place in just a few days. Everything Ash owned, save a few outfit changes and a toothbrush, was boxed up and ready to go. Not that he owned much. Mostly he owned clothes and books and a few movies. Eiji had more things than him but still, they'd be buying all new furniture, so there wasn't much to pack.

He stood and exited his room to find Aki. She was sitting in front of the TV folding laundry on the living room floor. Miyuki and Eiji had gone to the park to play some tennis. Tennis wasn't really Ash's thing, but the real reason he stayed home was to make that phone call in private.

"Hey. I called," Ash said as he entered the room.

Aki glanced over her shoulder at him. [And?]

"Said he'd think about it."

Aki shook her head slightly. [What's there to think about?]

Ash shrugged, "I don't know. I said I'd cover the flight and a hotel." Ash sat on the floor beside her. He grabbed a towel from the pile she was working on and began to help her fold. "He sounded kinda nervous."

"Nervous?" Aki raised a brow. She was pretty sure she knew that word, but it seemed out of character.

"Yeah, nervous. Like anxious or stressed or a little fearful."

[Why would he be nervous?]

Ash shrugged. "Maybe I made him uncomfortable by calling- I guess I did kinda put him on the spot."

Aki considered it, but she didn't look convinced.

"But I think it's more likely that he is worried it will be awkward. You all know me so well and it will be clear how distant he is once he visits and hardly knows the person his son is engaged to."

Aki nodded in agreement. "Yes, that sound more likely."

"But I told him multiple times how much it would mean to everyone. Miyuki really misses him."

[She does?] Aki glanced at Ash with a bit of surprise.

Ash furrowed his brows in disbelief. He thought it was obvious. "Yes."

[She doesn't talk to me about it. Eiji, Eiji, I know about. He misses his dad. They used to be so close and now? Now they hardly talk. He was angry for so long. He might not be angry anymore, but he misses him. I can see it in his face when his name is brought up or when we all get together like at Suzume's wedding. He misses the way things used to be.]

"Oh…" Ash said, a bit puzzled. "I thought he'd accepted it."

[He has, but he still misses him too.]

"Huh." Ash sat in thought as he continued to help with folding towels. Eiji hid that well. Miyuki did too, for the most part, but she'd broken down in front of Ash and he'd understood how she felt then. His hands unconsciously stopped their work as he gazed at Aki who was quietly folding towels with impressive efficiency. Her kids resemble her in many ways, including personality. Ash realized she probably had her own hidden feelings.

"And you?" He asked, causing her to pause and meet his eyes. "I'm sure you miss him too? Or at least miss the way things once were."

[Of course, I do.] She said simply, returning her attention to the laundry.

Ash didn't know how to respond to that so he didn't. An awkward silence fell between them before she finally spoke again.

[There was a lot of pressure on him, Ashu, to take the job in Tokyo. From his company and his boss. And his parents. They were intense, to say the least.]

"Were?"

[His mom has since passed, but his dad is still living. She was more intense than him, but he is uptight in his own way. She was always worried about us. Never thought Shun made enough money when we all lived here.]

Ash looked confused for a second. And then he realized she obviously meant Okumura-san. It dawned on him then that he didn't know his first name until she said it just now.

[But we always had enough to get by. She folded her towels with more fervor now, obviously getting worked up. He was grown and could make his own decisions...but still...I always blamed her. I don't think he would have taken the position if she hadn't put so much pressure and guilt on him.]

"But she ended up breaking up the family. That couldn't have been what she wanted," Ash replied, struggling to understand.

[She never cared for me much.]

Ash dropped the towel he was folding. "What? How could she not like you?" He asked with genuine surprise and subdued anger.

Aki surprised him further when she laughed. [Ha! Ashu, not everyone is as kind as you! I was like Miyuki when I was younger. Loud and bubbly and not at all the traditional, submissive, obedient woman she thought a wife should be. That's why Shun liked me and that's why she did not.]

"That's ridiculous!" Ash yelled. Aki looked up at him, surprised by his sudden anger. She'd heard him yell from other rooms before, sometimes in jest, other times in actual anger towards the past, but she'd never actually seen it. "Fucking- sorry -tradition! God, it makes me so angry! I'm sure divorce isn't very traditional! Did that not bother her?!"

She gawked at him but didn't tell him to calm down or not yell. His anger was justified and it was how she wished she could act, but never let herself.

"She died, Ashu, before we...divorce. He tell her lie. That we were still happy...making distance work," she told him calmly in English.

Ash calmed a bit, slightly embarrassed by his outburst. [Sorry.]

She patted his leg, "It is okay. I wish I could yell that way…" [But I never let the kids see my true anger. That was their grandma and their dad. And that wouldn't be fair to them.]

"They aren't here now. I don't care if you yell," he smirked, "In fact, I encourage it."

Aki chuckled. He could tell she was thinking about it.

"I have not yell in long time," she said with her eyes to the floor.

And that was true. Her kids were grown. Neither of them were rebellious, they didn't really do anything wrong. The worst they did was forget to do their laundry or occasionally complain when it was their turn to do the dishes. Occasionally she'd scold them, but she had very few reasons to legitimately yell. The last time she yelled was at Eiji over the phone when he was in New York, begging him to come home. She had been so scared for him then. Even then though, she yelled out of fear, not anger.

"Yell now," Ash said softly. "It feels good. Let it out."

[If I yell, I'll curse. I won't be able to stop myself,] she said as an excuse.

"So? You think I care about that? I cuss all the damn time."

She smiled sadly. She didn't think Ash cussed that much, which told her he altered his language for her.

"Think it would help?"

"It always helps," he said seriously. "It's just like crying...sometimes you need to let it out."

She pursed her lips and nodded slowly. She inhaled deeply and Ash smiled because he knew she was about to really yell for the first time in years and he knew just how cathartic that would be.

[You were always the problem, never him!] She shouted loudly at the living room wall.

Ash was stunned. For such a small woman, she could sure scream. He also hadn't expected her to yell as if her mother-in-law was right there listening. He expected her to scream about her but not at her.

[Always so condescending! You wanted everyone to be perfect! But you weren't so perfect, were you?! We were in love, you bitch! And you fucking stole that from us!]

Ash winced. Eiji made it sound like they fell out of love, but maybe there was more to it than he knew.

[It was your fault he went to Tokyo and it was your fault he left us! He didn't want to fucking leave! You wore him down until he was exactly what you wanted and exactly what he hated!]

She threw the towel she was folding violently to the ground. [I never understood why you hated me so much! Because I stole your son from you and you were left in a loveless marriage?! Because you thought I wasn't good enough for him?!]

She stood, abruptly, and kicked over the stack of towels she just finished folding mere minutes ago and stormed into the kitchen. She stuck her hands in the sink and began angrily washing dishes. Ash was left bewildered in her wake. He picked up the fallen towels and stacked them back up nicely. He set them inside the laundry basket and stood cautiously.

'Was that all she wanted to say?' Ash wondered to himself. The thought felt incomplete, like there was more there that she wasn't voicing. Maybe it was too overwhelming, or maybe there were things she didn't want him to know. Or maybe she just didn't have the words to express herself. He knew that feeling. He'd been there countless times.

Quietly, but not so quietly that she couldn't hear him coming, he walked into the dining room and leaned over the counter, peering into the kitchen. She didn't seem to notice his presence, so he cleared his throat. She still showed no sign of acknowledgment, but he knew she must have heard it, she wasn't deaf.

"Eiji told me you two fell out of love." It was a statement, but it sounded more like a question.

"We did...in a way," she said, never looking at him. Her head was low, scrubbing dishes just to give her mind something else to focus on. [But maybe we never would have if she hadn't pressured him into taking that damn job.]

"You blame her," he observed.

She whipped around, [Yes I fucking blame her!]

It felt like she was yelling at him, but he knew she wasn't. She was rightfully angry, and she'd held it in for so long. He was glad she was finally getting it out of her system.

"That's it, let it out, Aki. Tell her off," he encouraged. It felt so strange to call her by her first name, but for some reason, he felt he should.

[Nothing he did was ever enough! He was happily married with a stable job where he was happy and it still wasn't good enough for you! And your grandkids were happy and doing well in school and sports and they actually liked each other. Do you know how rare that is?! For families to get along as well as we did?! And the three of us still do! But now Shun is ashamed of leaving us and will never come back!] She whirled back around and tossed the sponge she'd been using back into the soapy water. Her shoulders shook and Ash knew she was silently sobbing.

So there it was. The real reason he'd left. They did fall out of love like Eiji said, but there was a reason behind it after all. It was more than just not missing each other. There was pain behind the scenes that they didn't let their children see. Aki had felt rightfully betrayed when Okumura-san left them for Tokyo. His mother's opinion influenced him more than it should. After he'd been gone long enough, he felt too ashamed and out of the loop to return. Returning made him feel guilty. And maybe he should have felt guilty, but Ash couldn't help but feel sorry for him in some weird way. It always shocked him that Okumura-san agreed to let Ash marry Eiji so easily. But perhaps he recognized what real love looked like and he didn't want to repeat the mistakes his mother made with him.

Ash entered the kitchen and walked up to her, making more noise with his feet than he normally would so that he wouldn't spook her. He placed a tentative hand on her shoulder. He'd seen her cry tears for him before, but never for herself. For some reason, this made it more awkward. He didn't have all the details on her hardships like he did his own, so he wasn't sure what to say. But he tried his best. He tried to think of how Eiji comforted him, even when Ash wouldn't say what was upsetting him because the memories were too painful. He'd work with what he did know and go from there.

"Hey," he said softly as he placed his other hand on her other shoulder in a comforting motion. "You never deserved to have any of that happen to you...but you made the best of your situation. You took the hit and the rest of the family suffered, of course, they suffered, but it would have been so much worse if they saw the truth."

She turned and looked at him with red, dripping eyes. He dropped his hands from her shoulders. "What you said was so true. A love like you all have? That's rare." [Rare.] He repeated the word in Japanese because it was what she had called him not too long ago, and she hadn't known the English word then, she had had to translate it. "And maybe it wouldn't still be that way if they saw you fight. Because you must have fought, right? But you hid it from them?"

Her eyes studied the tile beneath her feet. "Yes. Yes, Ashu, we fought. Of course, we fought. And it was not easy to hide...the hurt. That is why he stopped…" [visiting] … "it was too painful for me. I ask him to stop." She started crying again and Ash realized she must have some guilt of her own.

Ash didn't recognize the sympathetic sound that left his own throat as he saw her break down. "Can I hug you?" he said, his own voice breaking slightly.

She fell against him and muttered, [You don't have to ask, how many times must I tell you?]

He smiled slightly through his tears, "I'm always gonna ask, you might as well get used to it."

She half-laughed, half-sobbed into his shirt. He comforted her as she cried for a long while. All the while, he was thinking. Thinking about the way she yelled at a woman that wasn't there. A woman who was now dead. And thinking about the words she'd said to him. This all hurt her so much because she still loved him. Deep down she'd never stopped loving him. And he was ashamed of returning because he obviously still loved her and their children. Eiji was pissed, even if he had come to terms with it all, and Miyuki was hurt and afraid of losing more people in her life, because they both still loved their father. There was a lot of pain, but it seemed they all still loved each other, even if they didn't realize it.

"You know…" Ash began after a long bout of silence, "I don't think this is beyond fixing."

She pulled away from his arms and gazed up at him with a red face and puffy eyes. "What do you mean, Ashu?" She asked tearfully.

Ash stepped away from her and reached for a glass. He filled it with water and handed it to Aki. "I mean, it sounds like you all still love each other...so maybe you could work it out."

She accepted the water and gulped it before answering. "He might love them but not me. He is...friendly...but no love." She took another drink. [We see each other only when we have to. Like Suzume's wedding.]

"He didn't have to come to that, that was your side of the family."

Aki looked taken aback, like somehow she hadn't realized that. "Oh...oh that is true."

"It's like you said...he's ashamed. He knows you were right, that he should have done what was good for his family, not what his mother wanted, especially since it ended up hurting you all. If he really didn't love you, he'd be indifferent."

"Indifferent?"

"He wouldn't care one way or another. The fact that he's embarrassed, even ashamed, of his past actions, means he still cares."

"How do you know that?"

"Because my own parents were indifferent towards me. They never really loved me. My mom left me and my dad for another man and never looked back. And when I- when bad things happened to me as a child, my dad didn't care and he didn't come looking for me."

Aki set her empty glass in the sink and slid down the countertop to sit on the tile floor. She sighed loudly. "What if it's hate and not…" [Indifference]?

Ash sat down beside her.

"Hate looks much different than this. He doesn't hate any of you. Maybe himself, but not you."

"How do you know?" She asked a second time.

"I don't. Not for sure. But I'm good at reading people and I have a feeling I'm right about this one."

She sighed again and brought her knees to her chest. She looked so small and childlike then and Ash's heart couldn't help but ache for her.

"What's the worst that can happen? If you talk it out. Either he'll confirm what you already think- which I can't imagine happening -Or you both cry and cry because you realize all this time you were still in love but both too hurt and ashamed to say anything."

She shook her head and considered the words. "When?" She said after a minute of contemplation. "When would we talk?"

"Well, if he comes to the house-warming party, you could talk then. Or I'd be happy to go to Tokyo with you and let you speak to him alone before then," he suggested. "Or you could always call."

[If we talk at the party he'll think that was the reason you invited him,] she whined and put her head in her hands in distress.

"Is that really so bad? I invited him because Eiji and Miyuki need a better relationship with their father. But you need closure too. You can talk privately, we'll leave you alone. I'll fill Eiji and Miyuki in on everything if that's what you want."

[But it's our old house,] she worried aloud.

"I'll warn him about that over the phone. I'll explain that I booked the tour without knowing and it just kinda...worked out. It's awkward for me, but it wasn't your decision, so you shouldn't feel weird about it."

For several long minutes, she didn't say a word. And neither did Ash. He'd said everything he wanted to and now it was time for her to decide.

"Do you think I should?" She asked finally.

"It doesn't matter what I think. It's your life," he told her firmly.

"I want to know. You are obviously good with this stuff."

"You have nothing to lose and everything to regain. I think you should go for it."

[But what would I even say?] She looked up at him with child-like fear in her eyes.

"That he hurt you, but you still love him...And you miss him...and your children miss their father. His mother's dead. Ask him to come home," he suggested boldly.

Just then Ash's phone rang. He stood and pulled it from his back pocket. It was Okumura-san. He held the screen to Aki so she could see. She pressed her lips together with palpable anxiety. Ash answered the phone.

[Hello?...Yes, thank you for calling me back...] Ash's voice trailed off as he listened carefully to the Japanese on the other end.

Aki watched him closely. Okumura-san spoke softly, so she couldn't make out his words, but she knew Ash's facial expressions would help her decipher the conversation. Ash smiled and Aki's heart pounded in her ears.

[Oh, they will be so happy to hear that…..they all wish they could visit more often…..they really do…..this will be perfect, they'll be so happy…..]

Aki got to her feet. Her eyes sparkled like Ash had never seen. She was hopeful. Ash flashed her a big smile.

[Okay, we will see you then. And I'll cover the plane ticket cost and the hotel and- oh...] Ash's face changed into an expression Aki couldn't read. The life drained from her face and her eyes glazed with tears. But Ash shook his head and smiled again.

[…..Yes…..Yes, we would be more than happy to have you stay with us…..]

Aki looked as if she might faint from joy or anxiety, Ash couldn't tell which. He held out his free hand and she grasped it, anchoring herself so she wouldn't fall.

[It would be no trouble at all…..We would be honored, really…..Okay, okay…..Eiji will be overjoyed…..Alright…..Thank you, you have a good one too…..Bye.] Ash hung up, he'd break the news that this was the family's old home in another phone call later on. He didn't want to scare the man off.

Ash smiled and Aki started laughing, joyful tears began to fall.

"He's coming and he wants to stay with us..." Ash said, shock seeping through his words. Aki hugged Ash tightly. Ash returned her hug. "And there's more..."

Aki pulled away to hear the rest of the news.

"He's coming in on that Friday night and he took off Monday so he could stay the whole weekend. He said he'll leave Monday morning." He smiled, "That will give you plenty of time to talk with him."

Aki looked like this was all a bit too much. She shook her head in happy disbelief. [Why? Why, Ashu? Why is he staying so long? That's not like him.]

"He said he wants to take the time to get to know me...And I think he's a bit flattered to be invited. I told him earlier on the phone that it was important to us all that he be there and I think that stuck with him."

"You...you...you might actually fix our family…" she whispered in disbelief.

"That's the plan," he whispered back.

Eiji had fixed Ash, now it was his turn to fix the pain he saw. The ultimate 'Even.'

That evening, Aki decided to take Eiji and Miyuki to dinner and explain the full story to her kids. Ash insisted on staying behind. She told them about their grandma and the rocky relationship she had with her. She told them about the pressure their father had from his parents, namely his mother, to take the position in Tokyo. She explained that he likely wouldn't have taken it if that pressure wasn't there. But at the time, that didn't matter to Aki. At the time, it still hurt and angered her. For years she convinced herself and her kids that the pair had simply 'fallen out of love' but that wasn't truly the case. Truly, she was hurt, and seeing her husband as they grew apart only made things worse. It was Aki that asked him to stop visiting. If he wasn't going to stay, she couldn't bear to see him. And she told them her and Ash's theory; that their father was likely ashamed of his actions and that's why visits were few and far between. She told them what Ash said about indifference and love. And finally, she told them about their father's upcoming visit and her plan to speak with him at long last.

Ash tried to read while they were gone, but he found himself reading the same page over and over again, absorbing nothing. His thoughts were with the Okumura family, wondering how they were reacting. Were they angry? Sad? Numb? In Shock? It was eating away at him to not know. He dropped his book and paced for a while in thought. Then he turned to the kitchen and tried to force some food down, only to find the thought of eating made him nauseous. He abandoned food and tried the TV instead. He flipped through a dozen channels before settling on something that looked mildly interesting. But just like the book, he absorbed nothing. His eyes followed the movement on the screen, but his mind couldn't stop worrying about the Okumuras. About his family. Maybe it would have been better for him to go. Aki seemed to think so. But he hadn't let himself. This would come as somewhat of a shock, he didn't want to hinder any authentic reactions and emotions.

Ash got fed up with the TV's noise and turned it off. He gave up on doing anything altogether and just laid on the couch, staring at the ceiling anxiously.

Hours ticked by and finally, the bolt sounded and Ash sprang into a sitting position as the door unlocked.

It was Aki who walked in first. She looked drained, like maybe she'd cried, but she didn't look unhappy. Eiji followed looking about the same, only a bit more dazed. Miyuki followed behind him, actively wiping her eyes in an attempt to hide her tears.

Ash sat frozen on the couch, unsure what to do. Eiji walked right past him like he wasn't there, and maybe he really hadn't noticed him in his sedated state. Aki went to the kitchen and placed the leftovers in the fridge. Miyuki sat on the couch beside Ash, staring into space.

"How did I not know?" She asked softly. "How did I not realize my own mother was in so much pain for so long? How did I not know?"

He wasn't sure if she was talking to him or if the question was rhetorical. Still, he answered. "It's not your fault, she hid it from you on purpose. She didn't want you to know."

She turned to him, "Then how did you know?"

Ash shrugged. "Neither you nor Eiji is truly over it so I figured she must not be either."

Miyuki stood. "I'm such a fucking idiot," she muttered to herself. Her feet carried her numbly from the couch.

"Stop. Don't say that!" Ash raised his voice but it didn't stop her. She simply glanced at him and made her way upstairs.

"They will be fine," Aki said, emerging from the kitchen. "Just need time to…" [process] "everything."

"And you?"

"I will be okay as soon as they are okay." She flipped off the kitchen lights. "Am going to bed, Ashu." [Good night.]

[Good night,] he replied as she shuffled down the hall.

After a few minutes spent gazing into space, eyes unfocused, Ash rose from the couch and walked to the foot of the stairs. He looked up, listening for any signs of life. There were none. Eiji was probably in bed by now. He needed space, Ash decided, and opted for his own bed. He couldn't remember the last time they slept separately. It felt so wrong. The world felt too cold without him there snuggled up beside him.

An hour later, a soft knock pulled Ash from his sleepless thoughts. He opened it to find Eiji looking worried and confused with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

"Why are you down here?" he asked softly.

"Thought maybe you needed space…"

Eiji shook his head. " I need you," he whispered. "Let me in," he said as he weaseled his way under the arm Ash had resting against the partially open door.

Eiji stepped over a cardboard moving box and flopped down onto the bed. Ash was just a step behind him.

"I was angry at him for so long and once I finally got over it, Mom tells me I never knew the full story? Now I don't know what to think," Eiji said, face to the darkened ceiling. "And now he's coming to stay with us? At our new house? My childhood home?"

"Are you angry? I should have asked you first...I thought you'd be happy…"

"I'm not angry, it's just so much to process all at once."

"Mmm."

"Mostly I just feel like an asshole," Eiji confessed after a moment of quiet.

Ash rolled over to look at him, but all he could make out was his shape in the dark room.

"Why would you feel like an asshole?"

"I was angry when he left and I definitely said some nasty things to him and about him...but it was my grandma that basically made him take that job and it was Mom that told him not to visit if he wouldn't stay…"

Ash panicked slightly. He reached out and placed a gentle hand on Eiji's arm. "Don't blame your mom. Please. She only did that because she was devastated."

"I'm not saying I blame her...I just...understand now why he stopped visiting. All this time I thought he didn't love Mom...and didn't love me or Miyuki either...but that was wrong…" Eiji's voice trailed off.

"Oh, Eiji…" Ash said sympathetically. He scooped Eiji up in his arms and pulled him into his chest. "How could he not love you…?"

Eiji didn't cry, just let Ash hold him for a long while. Until, that is, a wave of guilt flooded Ash's system. His hands left Eiji and he sat with a strange sort of urgency.

"What's wrong, Ash?" Eiji asked anxiously.

"Where's Miyuki?" His heart pounded in his chest as he thought of her crying herself to sleep in the solitude of her room. "How horrible are we?!" Ash worried aloud before Eiji could answer. "She's upstairs alone-"

"Ash," Eiji cut him off. "She's sleeping in Mom's room. Mom came up to get her before I came down here."

An audible sigh of relief, as if he were a decompressing machine, escaped Ash's mouth. He laid back down and now it was Eiji who sat and looked down at Ash.

"And what would you have done if she was up there alone?" Eiji asked almost humorously, but there was something more in his voice...he was touched.

"I-I didn't think that far ahead." His mind raced, trying to think what he would have done. "I probably would've suggested we all make a bed of blankets in front of the TV or something…"

Eiji smiled. "You're so good to us," he leaned down and kissed his temple.

Ash caught him and pulled him close. "Only because I know what it's like to hurt all alone."

"Then why'd you leave me all alone?"

Ash grimaced, cringing at his own actions. "You walked right past me on your way inside...I- I thought maybe you wanted to be alone."

"Sorry," he replied flatly.

"Don't be. You're allowed to react however you need to."

Eiji sighed. "It's just all a shock...but if Mom talks to him...and they come to an understanding...maybe things can start to heal...and maybe someday he'll come home."

Ash nodded. "Everything's gonna work out, lovely," Ash cooed and tucked a strand of hair behind Eiji's ear.

"How can you know?"

"Intuition."