Chapter Forty-Nine: Things You Don't Know

The week following Aki and Ash's trip to Tokyo, Shun moved back to Izumo. It was a whirlwind of a weekend, filled with lots of tears for lots of reasons. Aki and Miyuki cried when the moving truck arrived at their front door, and they cried again when Ash and Eiji arrived an hour later after picking up Shun from the airport. For the first time, Ash saw Shun cry, which for some reason caused his eyes to prickle, but when Eiji noticed, he blamed it on the dust from the moving boxes. Aki cried again when she realized Shun had left his own bed behind in Tokyo. [All happy tears,] she said multiple times. The guest bedroom on the lower room was rearranged to fit Shun's desk and bookshelves, allowing it to act as a bedroom and a study.

Ash, ever interested in books, volunteered to unload the heavy boxes of books onto the set of shelves now housed in the guest room. Ash took his time unloading the books, intrigued to learn what Okumura-san read in his free time. Some were related to his work, but for the most part, they appeared to be recreational. Eiji poked his head in the doorway at one point and told Ash to hurry it up, there were more heavy boxes they needed his help with. But Ash argued that one could learn so much about a person by what books they read and he was learning more about Shun now than the soft-spoken man ever offered on his own.

There were some historical books on wars and samurai, which didn't surprise Ash. Shun seemed like one with an appreciation for the past. And there were books on the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Several books, actually, as well as some related to the Olympics more generally. In fact, there were enough on the topic to take up an entire shelf. It must have been a fascination of his. Ash didn't know how old Shun was, but maybe he was old enough to remember the '64 Tokyo Olympics. Or maybe his dad told him stories about it as a kid. Or maybe he just liked sports, but Ash didn't think that was likely. But then again, Eiji had been seriously into pole vaulting, maybe that love came from Shun's love of the Olympics. Ash made a mental note to ask him about it later. Then, Ash found an old yearbook and after paging through it, he realized Shun had been a pole vaulter as well. He found a picture of him posing with his team. The resemblance between a high-school-aged Shun and Eiji was spooky. Ash had to do a double-take at the yearbook cover to make sure it wasn't one of Eiji's. From what Ash could tell, Shun didn't make it to the Olympics either but was still quite accomplished in his sport.

Then Ash found books on various hobbies, some instructional, some informational. Origami, writing, poetry (lots of beautiful poetry books which were mainly from a certain, obviously loved, author), cooking, watercolor, violin. There were several on violin (including a plethora of sheet music), he seemed to get good at that hobby. Ash decided these books and hobbies filled his newfound free time when he moved to Tokyo for good. That, and they probably distracted his tormented, guilty, heartbroken brain. The thought made Ash's eyes burn as he imagined Shun alone in that sterile apartment, desperately trying to find things to distract himself.

And then Ash found something that caught him off guard. Eleven books that looked newer than the rest. He'd purchased them within the last year, judging by the dust jackets. Yet they were all marked up with pencil and highlighters and tabs indicating pages he wanted to revisit. Two were about the history of New York, complete with pictures and things that would interest the average tourist. Another was about the US in general, the highlights of its history, and then some. There was one about American authors and classical literature, the type of thing Ash enjoyed reading. One was a novel of Hemingway's, The Sun Also Rises, translated into Japanese. Judging by the wear on the pages, yet the lack of bookmark, he'd finished it. Then there were three about learning English. One entitled, English for Dummies, was heavily annotated. Then, there was a textbook that one might use for a high-schooler learning a second language, with an accompanying workbook. With tears in his eyes, Ash smiled at Shun's appalling handwriting in the workbook. It was beautifully endearing to picture him struggling to learn some English just for Ash's sake. The ninth book was all about American food and culture. It even contained recipes that Shun had tried. He could tell because Shun left little comments on each one he tried, such as [Good, but next time add more spice] or [10/10 for flavor...0/10 for my arteries.] Ash smiled at the stupid joke Shun had left for himself.

The final two books on the 'study of Ash' as Ash thought of it knocked the air from his lungs and brought tears to his eyes. The first, translated into Japanese, was entitled, [Regardless of Gender: A Guidebook For Loved Ones On Understanding Sexual Assault] dealt with understanding sexual assault in both males and females. It explored the motives for rape and assault, as well as how to help those who've been affected. The second was entitled, [Acting As An Ally: Helping Victims of Childhood Abuse.]

Shun walked in as Ash paged through the final book, eyes glazed with tears. His eyes widened in horror as he saw the book in Ash's hands.

[Ash...I'm so sorry...I...I don't mean to offend-]

Ash dropped the book and wiped the tears from his eyes. [I'm not offended. I'm touched.]

He hugged Shun then, it was the first time he'd done so for a reason other than a greeting or a goodbye. It was a brief hug, but it meant a lot to them both.

[You should talk about yourself more,] Ash said as he stepped back from Shun. He gestured at the books beginning to fill the shelves behind him. [I've learned more about you just now than I have in the whole time I've known you. And you're an interesting guy with good taste,] he teasingly nudged the Hemingway book with his foot.

Shun's mouth hung open. [You think I'm interesting?]

[You're an ex-pole vaulting violinist who also cooks and paints and reads and] he gestured to the books behind him, [has dabbled in loads of other hobbies. You are interesting.] Ash looked at his feet and scratched nervously at his arm. [And I- think it's very sweet- that you'd take the time to learn about my country and traditions- and the shit I've been through.]

[It's the least I can do. I'm not like Aki or Eiji or Miyuki, I find it hard to express how I feel.]

Ash punched his arm lightly. [I get it. They're a different breed. Before Eiji, I was a stone wall. Minus a few good friends, most people only saw my rage and destruction. Eiji saved me and taught me life isn't only a pile of shit. And he learned from Aki. Eiji has fond memories of you being a loving father….and now that you're back, you can be that again, and they'll help you get there.]

Since that day, Shun had been making a point to follow Ash's advice. He'd read and learned so much, but for the most part, everything was bottled inside. But once he moved back in with Aki and Miyuki, he began to find the voice he had once lost.

Eiji and Ash began coming to family dinner for at least two more additional nights during the week. Saturdays were still devoted to dinner and a movie or game night and Sundays still held family breakfast on the agenda. It turned out Shun was a great cook and an even better violinist. At least twice they'd convinced him to play for them. His skill and emotion brought tears to their eyes each time, even Ash.

Ash had taken and passed his JLPT N2 exam. Miyuki had nearly deafened him with her proud screams when he told her the good news. She had kissed his cheek excitedly, in a way that very much reminded him of Aki, and then immediately apologized. Ash simply laughed and gave her a bone-crushing hug. She gave him a new list of books to buy to prepare him for passing the next, and final, level. The N2 was considered proficient enough for most jobs, but Ash was Ash and he wanted to pass N1. So he and Miyuki continued studying together on Saturday mornings. Ash wondered how on Earth there was still more kanji to be learned, but there always was. By March, Miyuki was barely a part of his studying. She was graduating high school in less than a month, and she spent every second of their time at the library diligently working on her own assignments and studying for finals. She'd answer the occasional question of Ash's, but for the most part, he was on his own.

Miyuki graduated on the 23rd of March. It was a joyous occasion filled with shouts of joy and tears of parental pride. As much as she would enjoy attending university in Tokyo, or even abroad, she decided to stay in Izumo. With the addition of Shun, the family had just been truly reunited for the first time in years, and she was in no hurry to leave. Her brilliant mind landed her a spot, and academic scholarship, at Shimane University where she would begin to earn her Bachelor of Science with a degree in Speech-Language Pathology.

The Okumura's celebrated Miyuki's accomplishments with the extended family, as well as many of her classmates. It was a true test of Ash's Japanese competency that left his brain aching by the end of the day. Eiji was so incredibly proud of him.

As March wound down, the stress of the quickly approaching wedding tightened like that of a bowstring. Everything was planned down to the smallest details, yet Ash constantly ran over everything, convinced he had forgotten something. Staggered plane tickets for his guests from New York, hotel rooms for them to stay in, Blanca's details, he wanted to double, triple, hell fripple, check it all. And there was all the basic stuff, like catering and music and the venue, etc. He knew it was all booked correctly, but that didn't stop him from having nightmares that it wasn't. At least once a week he would dream that he never booked a catering service and all their guests went hungry. So he continued to obsessively check all the details each night. Sometimes it helped him sleep, but mostly it just drove him mad.

"You'll drive yourself crazy," Eiji said one evening as Ash stared into the blue glare of his computer screen, running over all the details of the wedding and their honeymoon plans. Eiji stood in the doorway of Ash's office with a mug of matcha for Ash. "Here."

Ash accepted it but simply set it on the desk without even tasting it. Eiji threw a hand on his hip. "Hey. If you're not gonna drink it, give it back and I will."

Ash sipped it. "It's very good," he said dryly.

"Ash. Come relax with me. You've been staring at that for hours. It's all perfect. And it was perfect when you looked over it last night and it will still be perfect when you look at it tomorrow night." He stepped into the office. Gently, he pulled Ash's round glasses from his face. "Come on, let's watch a movie or read or take a bath or whatever you want...just...let that be?"

With a smile and a yawn, Ash gave in. He shut down the computer and carried his tea from the office into the bathroom where they enjoyed a luxurious bath, complete with bubbles and classical music. When they finished their bath, sleepy and dressed in their typical pajamas, boxers for Ash and actual pajamas for Eiji, Eiji kissed Ash into a delirious, love-drunk haze. When Eiji straddled his lap, Ash tenderly pushed him away.

"What? You alright?" Eiji asked. It had been a very long time since Ash had put a stop to any form of intimacy, so the gesture worried Eiji.

"I'm fine," Ash said as he caught his breath.

Eiji cocked his head to the side, "Then what's up?"

"I've been thinking…" Ash began coyly.

Eiji grinned, already delighting in whatever it was Ash was going to suggest. He leaned back in and peppered Ash's jawline with kisses and gentle nips of teeth, just the way Ash loved. "Yeah?"

"Mmm," he hummed pleasurably. He peeled Eiji off him once more. "I've been thinking," he began again. Eiji stared at him with flushed cheeks and dilated eyes. "Our wedding's exactly one week away."

"It is," Eiji said slowly, trying to figure out what Ash was hinting at.

"And neither of us are virgins."

"Aaaand?"

"Aaand, in order to make our wedding night extra special…" Ash started with a mischievous glint in his eye, "let's wait."

Eiji actually pouted. "Uh, Ashhh," he whined, "seven days is a longgg time."

Ash smirked. "It's only seven days." He slipped out from underneath Eiji's legs, leaving Eiji desperately wanting more. "Just pretend I said no out of panic. You've always respected that before."

Eiji continued to pout. "But I know that's not the case."

Ash shrugged. "So? It's only seven days," he repeated, "It'll be more fun this way." Ash smiled and leaned forward to kiss Eiji's lips, maddeningly slow. "Besides," he said as he pulled away, "I'll make it worth your while," he added with a wink.

Eiji blushed, "Will you?"

Ash pulled a blanket up over himself. "Mmm, you know I will."

Eiji gave in, "It's only seven days," he said, more for his own reassurance than Ash's.

Ash nodded with a smirk, "Exactly."

But it turned out that seven days was a much more difficult commitment than Eiji thought it would be, because Ash kept looking at him. And kissing him chastely. And teasing him with purposeful, innocent touches, like a brush of their hands when he gave him his coffee or 'accidentally running his fingers over his clavicles as he tied Eiji's tie. He was driving him crazy. On purpose. Eiji hated it. No, Eiji loved it.

Seven days felt like forever.

Four days before the wedding, late in the evening, something came in the mail. Eiji had to sign for it. Curious as to what was inside, he immediately went to the kitchen for a pair of scissors to cut it open. Ash yelled for him to stop the second he realized what the package was. It took every ounce of willpower Eiji had to not stick his fingers inside the slice he'd created with the scissors. He had no idea what was inside the fluffy package, but he was convinced it had something to do with Ash's spontaneous trip to Tokyo a few months back. Ash refused to give any details on the matter and, in Eiji's mind, that confirmed it.

Ash snuck out of bed at 2 AM to try on what had come in the mail that day. It was exactly how he wanted it, a three-piece, white kimono fit for the gods.

Except it didn't fit.

It was too short and too small in the shoulders. That's when he realized Eiji had the same idea he had. Eiji never snuck off to Tokyo. Ash wondered how the hell he'd managed to get someone in Izumo to make him a white kimono. With a teary-eyed smile, he huffed at the irony of the unintentional 'Even.' With careful reverence, he neatly folded the kimono and placed it back in the package.

In the morning, Ash had to tell Eiji he'd accidentally spoiled Eiji's surprise for him. He lied to Eiji and said he had ordered something completely different and expected it to be inside the package. Apparently, Eiji had ordered it so far in advance he had forgotten about it. It was Ash who was caught up in all the details, not Eiji. Thankfully, he was just excited to marry Ash, he didn't care about perfection. Eiji was bummed that Ash saw the kimono, but he believed Ash's lie and was none the wiser to Ash's own kimono. It came the next day in the mail while Eiji was at work. Ash was grateful for the bout of luck.

That same day, two days prior to the wedding, another surprise arrived at his front door. Ash had sent out tickets to a select few in New York. Everyone from his old life that had been invited had scattered arrival times as well as destinations. Ash highly doubted anyone was still suspicious of his death, but he did it to humor Blanca. Max and his family arrived in Osaka the day before and took the train to Izumo. Now, two days before the wedding, he was unable to stop himself from making a surprise visit.

Over bowls of homemade ramen, Eiji and Ash bickered about a TV show they had been watching together. It was a murder mystery about a small coastal town in which fishermen were mysteriously disappearing every full moon for the past six months. Locals blamed all things supernatural, from witches to Bigfoot, but anyone with any logical function suspected a killer who was simply playing into the superstitions of the town.

Eiji was convinced that the show was written to have the viewer write off the townspeople's ideas as merely crazy superstitions, and then shock the audience when that was actually the case. Ash couldn't disagree more. He was convinced the show's detective, and main character, was correct in believing a serial killer, with a keen knowledge of his audience, was to blame for the murders.

The discussion had become heated when a knock at the door made them both jump. Buddy ran to the door barking. They didn't get many unannounced visitors and neither of them were expecting any more packages. Ash went cautiously to the door and peered out the peephole.

"HOLY FUCK!"

Eiji ducked under the table, expecting the worst.

Ash nearly ripped the door off its hinges to reveal Max, Michael, and Jessica standing on their front steps.

"No fucking way!" Ash shouted as he caught Max in a soul-rattling hug.

"Language!" Jessica scolded with a smile hidden beneath her façade of annoyance.

Eiji crawled out from underneath the table, hoping no one noticed his fright. He joined them at the door.

"EIJI!" Max boomed, slinging an arm around his neck and shoving a fist into his hair. His hair looked like a ruffled pigeon who'd barely escaped a fight for the last piece of bread by the time Max released him from the strange show of affection. He'd been back in Japan long enough to forget how weird Americans could be.

"Dang, Michael! You've grown so tall," Ash remarked as he stared at the quickly-growing child.

"Speak for yourself," Max swatted Ash's arm with the back of his hand. "You've grown kiddo." He gestured with his hand to measure Ash and Eiji's heads. "Several inches by the looks of it." He poked Ash's gut, eliciting a curse, "Filled out a bit too, huh kiddo? Eiji feeding ya well?"

Ash swatted his hand away. "I make dinner most nights," he argued. He failed to mention that it was Eiji's presence that made eating so easy. And it was thanks to Aki that Ash knew how to cook so well.

"But I made dinner tonight and it's rather good," Eiji chimed in. "And there's plenty to go around." He gestured for them to step inside and join them.

Max seemed larger than Eiji remembered as he stepped inside their home. He inhaled deeply, making a show of it. "Smells good, kiddo." His head swiveled like an owl as he took in the house around him. "Nice place," he said, swatting Ash's arm lightly. Ash saw a glimmer in his eye that he suspected was a tear, but then it vanished as the teasing returned. "But I know you could afford nicer." He looked at Eiji, "Shoulda made him buy you a castle, Ei-chan."

Eiji laughed, "Believe me, he tried." Ash smiled up at Ash who was trying his best to look pissed, the way he had in New York, but Eiji knew better. He knew Ash had changed since then. He was happy now and so much softer around the edges. Eiji looked back at Max, "But I didn't want some huge fancy mansion."

"There's nothing cozy about a mansion," Ash couldn't stop himself from saying, images of Dino's damn fortress filled his head.

Eiji smiled, "See? Smaller is cozier."

Not that their house was small, but it couldn certainly be larger.

There was a lull of silence before Jessica spoke, "So where's this good food I smell?"

Eiji began walking into the kitchen, "This way." He motioned for them to follow.

In the kitchen, Max stared down into the huge stockpot of ramen. "Jeez, Eiji, make enough to feed an army? You didn't somehow know we were coming, did ya?"

Eiji shook his head and grabbed bowls for their three guests. "No. My sister is staying here with Buddy while we're on our honeymoon, so I thought I'd make enough for her to have leftovers."

Ash laughed to himself, "She's gonna be pissed. You owe her a stockpot of ramen, pops."

Eiji elbowed Ash. "Just don't tell her and she'll never know."

"I'll leave her money for food." Ash sat back at the table.

"You're already paying her to stay here, and the fridge is stocked. She is capable of making food, Ash." Eiji ladled a bowl for each of the Glenreeds. "But Ash loves to spoil Miyuki," he revealed.

Everyone expected Ash to bristle at the teasing, saying something like 'Eiji! Don't rat on me like that,' but instead, he shrugged and said, "Eh, she's great, how could I not?"

Max, now holding his piping hot bowl of ramen, stared at Ash with wide eyes. "Who are you and what have you done with Ash Lynx?"

"Hey, I tried to tell you months ago he'd gone soft on you," Eiji began, "Remember the hair?"

Now Ash did look ticked. He glared at Eiji. "You just had to bring that back up?"

Max's booming laughter filled the house. He set his food at the table and immediately fished his phone from his pocket so he could find the picture of Ash with pink hair for Jessica and Michael. Michael laughed and Jessica simply let out an amused "Huh," upon seeing the image.

They sat and began to eat. Max talked a mile a minute, catching Ash and Eiji up on gang-related information. Ash interrupted him every few minutes with a question about a certain guy. "How's Alex dealing with the responsibilities of boss? How's Sing doing in Chinatown? Anyone kill Yut-Lung yet? Is Bones still as crazy as ever? Any new members since I left? Anyone injured? Anyone die?" Max did his best to answer Ash's never-ending stream of questions.

As they talked passionately, Eiji looked across the table at Michael and Jessica who were both struggling with the food, though for different reasons. Michael struggled with his chopsticks, every time he'd manage to grab some noodles, they'd slip off the chopsticks before they reached his mouth. Jessica, on the other hand, was having a hard time handling the spice factor. She guzzled water between each bite.

Without a word, Eiji found a spoon and fork for Michael, unsure which he would prefer. He brought them heroically to the table as Max and Ash continued talking. He looked at Jessica. "Too hot?" He asked.

She nodded as she gulped down more water. "Very good," she coughed, "I've just been having a hard time with spice lately."

Eiji cocked his head. "Lately?"

Jessica dismissed it with a wave. "I used to have a good spice tolerance. Guess I'm old or some shit," she said with an annoyance directed at her own palette.

"Oh." Eiji looked concerned. "Gosh, I hope that doesn't happen to me when I'm old." His face turned five shades of red as Jessica stared at him like she might kill him. "I'm sorry!" He squeaked. She threw a cubed carrot at him. "I was only using your words! I didn't mean to say that you're old!"

The commotion captured Max and Ash's attention. [You should know not to mess with old women, Ei-chan. Don't you know they're always the scariest villains?]

Jessica's head snapped away from Eiji and towards Ash. "What did you say, punk?" Her hair created a circle around her as her head whipped back to Eiji. "What did he say, rice boy?"

Ash jumped up from his seat. "What'd you call him?!" Ash snapped ferally.

Jessica stood and met his eyes. "Rice. Boy." She told Ash slowly, emphasizing each word.

"You bit-"

"ASH!" Max and Eiji yelled in unison. Max gestured to Michael.

"Calm it, you two!" Max shouted. "Everyone...just...relax. Sit back down," he glared at Ash, "And eat." He looked at Jessica sympathetically and with care and compassion said, "Honey, I'm sure Eiji didn't mean it. English isn't his first language, cut him some slack."

Ash squinted at Max. "And you have the nerve to call me soft? What's with that? You've never talked like that before-"

Suddenly Jessica's chair skidded across the floor. She stormed off in search of a bathroom.

Max leaned across the table and whispered to Ash, "She's been acting weird these past few weeks. She's in some type of funk. Don't take it personally."

"And the" Ash gestured vaguely, "voice?"

"I was trying to calm her down," he explained earnestly.

Down the hall, the bathroom door slammed. She'd found the bathroom. They all flinched.

"Like I said, weird" Max gestured with his head down the hall.

Eiji cleared his throat. "Well let's talk about something so she doesn't think we're discussing her," he suggested softly.

Ash leaned back in his chair. "So, how tall is Sing now? He must've had a growth spurt by now, right?" Ash asked loudly so the change in topic was clear, even down the hall.

Max ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, he's about Eiji's height now."

Max continued talking about Sing's height and then Ash asked another question and another and another and Max continued answering them. Eventually, Jessica returned from the bathroom with red eyes. Everyone noticed but no one said a word. Max was right...that was strange. Ash noticed a strange smile on Eiji's face but decided not to ask.

After all the food was gone, they continued to talk at the table. Eiji cleared all the dishes. He informed the Glenreeds that they didn't have any desserts, but they did have a variety of teas, coffees, and beers on hand.

Eiji made Michael a matcha latte, adding honey since the American boy was bound to be used to sweeter things. Michael watched him closely as Eiji frothed the milk for his drink. He took it back to his seat excitedly. Eiji brought a case of beers to the table on his return trip. He handed one to Ash and Max and offered one to Jessica.

Embarrassed by her previous outburst, she politely declined.

"No? Are you more of a wine person?" Eiji asked curiously. "Or maybe coffee?"

She shrugged, "I'll take one of those," she said, pointing at Michael's lattes.

The same curious smile Ash saw earlier returned to Eiji's face. "Okay." He made Jessica a matcha and returned to the table.

"No beer for you, huh Ei-chan?" Ash teased.

Eiji puffed his cheeks with annoyance. He'd learned his lesson since the last drunken incident. He was convinced he wouldn't be drunk after one beer, but after Ash had been teasing him all week, he wasn't about to risk it. He didn't trust what he might say.

Ash turned to Max, "Eiji doesn't hold his liquor very well. And he has a bad habit of saying things he regrets when he's drunk."

Max smirked. "Is that so...Well, in that case, I think Eiji should have a beer. Don't you, Jess?"

She sipped her tea and summoned up some of her usual spark. "Yeah, come on, Eiji, treat us to a show."

Ash nearly choked on his beer at her choice of words. He imagined a drunken Eiji with flaming cheeks, dancing around the kitchen declaring his love for Ash.

"I'll have one if you do," Eiji said flatly. He held out a beer to Jessica.

"Forget it," she swatted the bottle away and swung her head to the side with a huff. "I've given up beer."

Max raised an eyebrow. "First I've heard of that. You feeling okay, hun?"

"Too many calories in beer," she reasoned. "I've been watching my weight."

Max looked puzzled. He hadn't mentioned it, but if anything he'd have guessed she'd put on a few pounds recently. But then again, maybe that's why she was watching her weight. He brushed it off with a shrug.

Eiji smiled. "No beer for me then."

Eventually, they moved to the more comfortable seating arrangement in the living room. Michael played on the floor with Buddy for quite some time.

After finishing the puzzle Max had sent Ash for Christmas, Ash decided he was, in fact, a puzzle person. He'd been buying them since. There was currently a half-finished puzzle of Vermeer's Girl With A Pearl Earring on the floor. After he had exhausted Buddy, Michael worked on the puzzle. Ash helped him, though he wasn't much help since his mind was partially distracted with the conversation.

The Glenreeds stayed for about another hour before Jessica began falling asleep on Max's shoulder. Eiji offered to drive them back to their hotel, an offer which Max gratefully accepted.

When Eiji returned, Ash was already in bed with his nose in a book.

Eiji changed into pajamas and climbed into bed. "Hey," Eiji said with a mischievous smile plastered to his face.

Ash studied him closely, "Whaaaat…?" He drew the word out for several extra syllables.

"I learned something veryyyy interesting tonight."

Ash let the book he was reading find the nightstand. He sat up straighter, causing the headboard to rattle at the loss of his weight. "What, on the drive back to their hotel?"

Eiji smiled and shook his head.

"Then when? What is it, Eiji?"

"Ohhh, it's just something I picked up on during the night."

"What?" Ash asked again, this time more desperately.

"You had all the same clues I did, you should know."

Ash opened his mouth to argue, but Eiji silenced him with a finger to his lips. "Think about it, Ash."

Ash closed his mouth and tried to think. He suddenly remembered Eiji's strange smile at dinner. "Is it something they know you know?"

Eiji shook his head.

"Who's it about? Max?"

Another shake of his head.

"Michael?"

"No."

"Jess?"

"Mhmmm."

Ash was silent in thought. "I dunno, Eiji, just tell me."

Eiji smiled wider. "She's pregnant," he said triumphantly. "Or at least I suspect she is."

Ash's eyebrows disappeared into his hair. "What?! How'd you figure that out?!"

"Well...first there was the ramen. She said it was too spicy but normally she can handle spice. And then there was that outburst and her eyes were red when she came back to the table and Max said she'd been acting weird...and then the beer thing...plus she refused the coffee...And I don't know about you but I'd say her face is rounder than when we saw her last."

Ash was staring at him with an open mouth. "Oh...Oh my God, you're right...she's gotta be pregnant." He exhaled a laugh. "Shit." His eyes widened as a question dawned on him. "Do you think Max knows?"

Eiji held a finger to his lips. "Doesn't seem like it. We gotta keep hush-hush."

Ash let himself fall backward onto the bed as the gravity of the whole situation hit him. "Wow," he muttered to the ceiling. "Wow. There's gonna be another baby Glenreed."