Weeks passed and the siblings began to regain some sense of normalcy in their lives. Although things would never go back to the way they were, both of them found a sense of happiness just being together. Sora began to venture outside of the condo to do normal everyday things like grocery shopping and taking jogs.

The foundation work was going extremely well despite all the personal drama they had experienced. Tai was able to pull himself together for interviews and was the charming, handsome face of the organization. Sora was content to stay behind the scenes, organizing meetings and creating budgets for the different projects the foundation would sponsor. Eventually she was able to find it in herself to go around to different orphanages and foster care organizations to meet with potential partners. The people who worked there were all good people. They were passionate about this cause, just like Sora and Tai were. The children were inspiring as they continued to find joy in their lives, despite their circumstances. The siblings wanted nothing more than to pour themselves into giving those children everything they never had growing up. Meeting people like this gave Sora a renewed hope in humanity. She was even inspired to start creating sketches for a sports complex that could house all of her and Tai's ideas for children's sports programs.

Even as life became busier, Sora found herself thinking of Matt every single day. Every morning she would wake up next to her brother and wonder where Matt was and how he was doing. She debated herself whether or not to reach out to apologize more, but she knew it would do nothing to help either of their situations. Thinking of him was her way of reminding herself of how much damage she could cause someone else, and this spurred her on to make sure she did everything she could to contribute to Tai's foundation. She saw how much good she could do, and maybe, just maybe, if she did enough, it would atone for all the bad she had caused.

Tai continued his off-season training and made many appearances for his foundation. Other than that, he was completely dedicated to Sora and her wants and needs. His guilt stayed with him. Even though Sora would constantly tell him that she wanted to be with him and no one else, he knew her too well to believe her blindly. Regardless, he was happy that she with him and he wanted to make her as happy as possible given the circumstances.

One day, Tai was working on the foundation from home while Sora was out. It was rare that he was alone in his condo, but his schedule dictated that he rested from his training that day. Around noon, his condo telephone rang. Tai was a little surprised as he wasn't expecting anyone that day. He picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Kamaiya. How are you?" Saito said on the other end.

"Fine, what's up, Saito?"

"There's someone here to see you."

"Who?" Tai was utterly confused. Hardly anyone made house calls these days and he preferred it that way.

"A Mr. Illouz."

Matt? Tai thought. "Matt Illouz?"

"That's right, sir."

Tai's initial instinct was to turn him away. Hadn't he caused them enough trouble? But then again, he knew deep down that his sister loved this man and only gave him up because of him.

"Uh…well tell him Sora's not here," Tai said.

"He specifically said he wanted to see you," Saito said.

That made Tai pause. What the hell does he want with me? he thought to himself.

"Shall I tell him you're unavailable, sir?" Saito asked after a moment of silence.

"Oh, uh, sorry." Tai thought for a moment more. Maybe I should just hear him out. I've never even met the guy after all. Maybe I can tell him to fuck off for good to his face at least. "No, go ahead and send him up."

"Right away, sir."

Tai hung up the phone and scratched his head. Sora wasn't even here. What the hell did he want to see him for? He couldn't help but feel animosity toward Matt. He was the reason why he and Sora couldn't truly be happy together after all.

A few minutes later, Tai heard the doorbell ring.

Here goes nothing, Tai thought as he readied himself for anything. He opened the door to see an incredibly handsome, blonde man wearing designer clothes and a Rolex watch. He was about the same height as Tai was and had the most piercing blue eyes he had ever seen.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Kamiya," Matt said formally in English. "Thank you for seeing me. We've never met before, but I'm Matth-."

"I know who you are," Tai cut him off shortly. He couldn't help but be curt with him.

"Yes, I figured you'd know," Matt said completely unfazed. "May I come in?"

Tai said nothing but opened the door more widely and gestured for him to enter.

Matt stepped inside and Tai signaled for him to sit on the couch.

"Can I offer you anything to drink?" Tai asked, forcing himself to be polite.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you," Matt said.

Tai then sat across from Matt and folded his arms across his chest. "What are you doing here?" he asked point blank.

Matt couldn't help but smile a little. Even though he had never met Tai, he could see a lot of sibling resemblance to Sora. "I apologize for the surprise house call," he said. "Obviously, I'd like to talk to you about your sister."

"Obviously."

Matt nodded, ignoring Tai's short remarks. "Listen, I know I don't know the whole picture of what happened in your and Sora's past."

Tai tensed at him mentioning Sora by name, but forced himself to say nothing.

"I just wanted to talk to you personally so that you can understand more fully what happened between her and me. I…I love your sister." Matt looked intently into Tai's eyes trying to read his facial expressions. "Even now after she broke things off with me. Believe me, I tried to forget about her. I tried everything. But I know that I would never forgive myself if I didn't try to make things right between us, and between you and me."

Tai managed to keep his face pretty expressionless as Matt spoke, but inside he was both angry and understanding at the same time. He knew how it felt to love his sister and to be rejected by her. That was one thing he and Matt had in common. He could also tell that Matt wasn't just coming here to create waves or that he was delusional. Tai could see that Matt was risking everything to be here and speak with him.

When Tai didn't say anything, Matt took it as a cue to continue. "I know you might think that I was trying to take advantage of Sora," he said. "Given the circumstances of how we met, I don't blame you for being suspicious. I admit that I was taken with her right from the moment I saw her, but I'm not the kind of person to take advantage of other people. I know that if you asked Sora, she would tell you that I did not use my authority or power to make her do anything she didn't want to."

Again, Tai stared in silence.

Matt cleared his throat and went on. "I actually tried to stop myself from falling for her," he sadly laughed at himself. "I left Japan abruptly not because of business, but because I could feel myself getting attached to her, even in those two short weeks I was initially in Tokyo. It honestly scared me that I could be so instantly attracted to someone.

"But when I was away, all I could think about was her. I knew, even from just looking at her sketches, that she was insanely talented. I wanted to test myself to see if I was just projecting that onto her because I was attracted to her, or if my assessment was actually correct, so I asked her to send me her materials. My father, our CEO, without knowing who did what blueprint, chose hers out of hundreds of submissions. And then our partners in San Francisco chose hers out of the top ten we sent them.

"The more I got to know Sora, the more impressed I was with her, and I felt myself falling for her more and more. I wanted to meet you, because the way she spoke so highly of you all the time told me that you were the most important person in her life. Your opinion would be valued above anyone else's. I wanted you to know that I would never take advantage of her and I would love her for the rest of both of our lives. Even when she…"

Matt paused to clear his throat again. He couldn't help but choke up a little. "Even when she broke off our engagement, I found that I still love her, and I would regret for the rest of my life if I didn't try to speak with you and see if there's any way you would approve of me."

Although Tai was completely silent and stoic on the outside, his inner mind was in a fierce battle with itself. He never wanted to see Sora with another man, ever. But the main fact was that he knew Sora loved this man. She loved Matt so much that she would risk hurting him by asking if they could be just brother and sister and not lovers. Tai knew that that, in of itself, took a lot for Sora to have done. In his heart, he knew that Sora truly loved Matt and he hated himself for standing in the way of her happiness.

Tai also begrudgingly admitted to himself that he believed that Matt loved Sora the same way he did. He saw that same fierce devotion and unconditional love that he felt toward Sora in Matt's eyes. The only difference was that Matt wasn't Sora's brother. It made Tai angry to know that the world would accept Matt and Sora together, but would never accept him and Sora together. It wasn't fair…

"I…I don't know," Tai finally said after a heavy moment of silence.

Matt knew it wouldn't be so easy to convince Tai, but at least he didn't tell him that he would never approve of him. "I know that you and Sora had a terrible childhood," Matt said carefully. "I don't blame you for how you feel now. I can't imagine what that much trauma can do to someone."

"What do you know about it?" Tai retorted quickly.

"Not much," Matt said honestly. "Sora's only hinted at things. She's never really told me anything specific."

"The things we went through together, no one should ever have to experience," Tai said flatly. "It was worse than being outright abandoned. If there's one thing our childhood taught us is that we only have each other."

"But that's not true," Matt said quickly. "I know you've both been through unimaginable pain, but you don't have to rely on just each other. I want to help, both of you. Sora's always told me how important you are to her, and whatever is important to her is also important to me. You're not alone in this world."

As much as he hated to admit it, Tai understood why Sora loved Matt. Not only was he rich, handsome, and intelligent, he was understanding, honest, and sincere. He wasn't some player looking for a good time. He was serious, and even though Tai didn't want to, he trusted what Matt was saying to be true.

"I know you love her the way I do," Matt said with a sigh. "I honestly can't blame you. But I also know that deep down, you want to do what's best for her. You want to do what's right."

Tai clenched his hands into fists. He hated what Matt was saying and he hated even more that he was right.

"I know you're a good person," Matt continued. "Sora wouldn't love you as much as she does if you weren't. I know you want her to be happy, and I promise you, I will dedicate the rest of my life to seeing that she is. And that includes you. Sora would never be truly happy unless she knows you are too. I want to help you. You don't have to let your past dictate your future."

Tai felt as though he was being eaten up inside. He wanted so badly to punch Matt in the face and throw him out of his and Sora's lives forever, but he also wanted someone to come and save him from all the pain and confusion he had felt for his entire life. He just wanted to be happy and the only way that would ever happen is if Sora was happy. Could Matt possibly be the one to help them overcome their past?

Tai leaned forward and put his face in his hands. How was it that this man, whom he had never met before, and was basically his sworn enemy, was now somehow convincing him that he could help him?

Matt's heart felt incredibly heavy as he looked at Tai. Even though this was the first time he had met him, he felt a strong connection to him. Not only was he Sora's brother, Matt knew all too well the emotion Tai was feeling, that singular pain of wanting to be with someone you knew you couldn't be with.

"Tai," Matt said in a gentler voice. "I'm sorry that you feel this pain. I've felt it too. I know what you're going through."

Tai could only breathe out a silent sob, his body shaking.

"Let me help you."

Suddenly, the two men heard the door unlock and open.

Matt immediately stood up and faced the front door.

Sora entered the condo. "Tai!" she called without looking. "You'll never guess who I ran into today…" Only after she had taken her shoes off did she look up to see both her brother and her former fiancé in the living room. The pure shock of seeing them together made her drop everything in her hands - her bag, her phone, her keys. Her heart began beating out of her chest. "M-Matt?" she gasped.

"Sora!" Matt said breathlessly. She was just as beautiful as he had dreamed she was.

"Wha…What…?" Sora looked at Matt and then at Tai who was still sitting on the couch and then back at Matt. Had they been talking to each other? "What's going on?"

Matt desperately wanted to go to Sora and hold her in his arms, but he was still very aware that Tai hadn't given him any sort of approval.

Tai finally stood up and turned to face his sister. "Matt and I were just…talking a little," Tai said simply.

"Uh…" Sora said still shell-shocked.

"I…I understand why you love him," Tai said after a moment of silence. He looked down, not wanting to look at either of the other two at the moment.

If Sora was shocked before, she was now completely dumbfounded as her jaw dropped in disbelief. Tai was admitting that she actually did love Matt? Sora had always believed that Tai thought that her feelings toward Matt were just a passing infatuation.

"Sora," Matt said carefully, not wanting to step over Tai if he wanted to say something else. "I'm sorry I…I couldn't stay away."

"Matt…"

"Sora, I want you to be happy," Tai interrupted. "I want you to be happy more than anything else. If that means leaving me for him, then I won't stop you." Even as Tai said those words, he could feel his heart breaking in two.

"Tai! No, I can't-"

"I know you love him," Tai said quickly. "And I know he loves you." He covered his eyes with a hand, holding his temples with his finger and thumb. "I don't want to stand in the way of your happiness."

Sora couldn't believe what was coming out of her brother's mouth. What had Matt said to him? "Tai…" Part of her was ecstatic that her brother was seemingly approving of her having a relationship with Matt. But the other part of her was overwhelmingly worried that this would cause Tai to spiral out of control and hurt himself again, or worse. "I…I can't," she said finally.

Matt felt his heart drop. "Sora-"

"Matt, I'm sorry, I can't leave my brother," she said feeling tears well up in her eyes. "If anything happened to him, I'd-"

"Sora," this time it was Tai who said her name. He walked over to his sister and pulled her into a deep hug. "It's ok," he whispered in her ear.

"No…"

"Yes, I'm ok," Tai continued, holding her ever closer. "I don't want you living the rest of your life just for me. You've already given me everything. I want to do the same for you. I'd never be happy unless I did."

"Tai…I can't let you hurt yourself."

He shook his head. "I'm not going to do that again," he said. "I promise. Seeing you happy is the only thing I want. Even if…even if it means you won't be with me."

"But I want to be with you."

"Not like this," Tai said. "Like you always said, I will always be your brother and you'll always be my sister. The best way I can show I love you…is to let you go."

Sora was stunned. She didn't know what to say. She looked past her brother's shoulder to see Matt looking straight into her eyes. His beautiful blue eyes saw every part of her and she knew he saw that she still loved him. He had come back for her, even after she'd hurt him so badly.

Tai pulled back and pushed Sora toward Matt. "I'm going to head out for a bit," Tai said grabbing his keys.

"Wait, Tai-" Sora started to say.

"Don't worry about me," Tai interrupted. "I'll see you later." With that he promptly left and shut the door behind him.

Sora stared at the closed door. Had he really just given her his approval to be with Matt? She couldn't believe it.

"Sora…" she heard Matt say behind her.

Sora slowly turned. Matt had come around the couch and was standing in front of her.

"I'm sorry for showing up like this so suddenly," he began.

Without thinking, Sora threw her arms around Matt and caught his lips with hers. Now her tears began to flow freely down her face. Was this real? Did Matt still love her after everything she did to hurt him?

Surprised but also relieved, Matt held Sora close as he kissed her passionately. Over the last several weeks he had done nothing but dream of this moment. He was so happy he could almost cry along with Sora.

After a long, deep kiss, the couple parted lips, both breathless from the encounter. "I'm…I'm so sorry," Sora said still crying.

"Sh," Matt said as he put a finger to her lips. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I hurt you so badly," Sora said and put her forehead against his chest. "I broke your heart."

"It's ok," Matt said. It was true that she had broken his heart, but he knew that it was because of the extreme circumstances she found herself in with her brother. After weeks of mulling it over in his mind, he realized that it didn't matter to him what her past was, he only loved and wanted her, whatever else it might bring him. "I love you, Sora," he said softly as he lifted her chin so he could see her eyes. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Matt," she whispered back.

The lovers stared deeply into each other's eyes and they slowly moved in closer. Soon their lips brushed each other in a gentle dance. Both of them couldn't believe that they could actually be with the other. Could it be that Sora could really have a normal, loving relationship with a man she wanted to be with, while also having a normal, loving relationship with her brother? At that moment, Sora felt something she had never felt before: true happiness. Was it too good to be true?

But then, Sora slightly withdrew and looked back down. Her concern for Tai was showing.

Matt knew exactly what she was thinking. "Listen, Sora," he said as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I know how much you love your brother. He's a good person. I know that with some time, he'll realize that he can love you the same way you love him. He can also be happy, and I promise you, that I will do everything in my power to help him."

"Matt, I…" Sora held his hand to her cheek. "I don't deserve you."

"Don't be ridiculous," Matt laughed and kissed her forehead. "You deserve to be happy. And if I can make you happy, I would want nothing more than for you to be with me for the rest of our lives." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring box.

Sora couldn't help but feel her breath catch in her throat. Yes, she wanted to be with Matt. She wanted to marry him. And now, Tai had given her his approval. This was more than she had ever dreamed could be real.

Matt opened the box and pulled out the glittering diamond ring. He lifted Sora's hand and slid the ring back onto her finger. "It belongs here with you," he said with a smile.

Sora looked up into Matt's eyes. "And I belong here with you," she said returning his smile. "I love you, Matt."

"I love you, Sora."

They slowly kissed again. This time, they knew it would be forever.