There we stood, in the cold, stillness of the night, directly in front of the gravestone where my wife and son had been buried. My tears had finally dried, and Yuta and I were trying to remain strong, despite how we both really felt inside. My thoughts were gradually falling into place now...and in that moment, I actually thought that I'd be able to speak to Suri without breaking apart. I had already cried enough tonight...there couldn't possibly be anything else left in me.
I took my phone out of my pocket and quickly opened my photo library before Seraph had the chance to say anything to me. After coming across one of the photos of Suri that was taken on our wedding day, I carefully set the phone up against the gravestone using the built-in stand on its case. "I don't have any flowers for you this time," I said sadly. It was then that I felt Yuta tapping my shoulder. When I glanced behind me, I noticed she was holding out the plastic rose that had once been pinned to her dress. Smiling gratefully at her, I accepted the rose and placed it beside the picture of Suri. "It may not be real, but you don't really mind, do you, Suri?"
It was like this every year for the past three years. I would constantly ask questions aloud and laugh nervously to myself, pausing occasionally between sentences as if expecting her to say something back. And although I was fully aware she was gone, I still couldn't help but feel sad each time I was met with silence.
"You wouldn't believe what's happened to me this past year," I said in a slightly more cheerful tone. "Not all of it was good...but I definitely won't forget any of it any time soon. It's a shame you couldn't have been there to experience those memories with me, Suri. I'm sure you would have loved to meet my new friends...
"I guess I should start from the beginning, shouldn't I? Then again...where exactly is the beginning? I suppose I should start off where I first met Yuta. It was strange, to be honest...when she first spoke to me, I was confused. She claimed that I stood out among all others in that bar...'a nightingale among crows,' she said. Sounds silly, doesn't it? But I know she only meant well. In fact, I'm extremely grateful for everything she said to me that night. Yuta greatly encouraged me...put me on the right track again after I had lost my way. She introduced me to Ushio, her older brother, and Ushio went on to introduce me to Kyo. They're all wonderful people, Suri. I'm sure you would have gotten along great.
"...Yuta, Kyo, and Ushio showed me something very...how do I put this...they showed me something that established mixed feelings in me. You'll never believe this, but it turned out they had all been looking for Hanako almost as long as I had. However, they...they were much more successful than I was. They had a database with all sorts of information about the Midnight Legion, as well as a picture of Hanako in his....how you say...demon form. Despite the immense frustration I was feeling at the time, I was also incredibly relieved. After all, knowing that Hanako was still alive got me one step closer to finding him. Ever since the day I told my friends that I knew Hanako personally...my life has never been the same.
"Hmm...now where do I go from here...ah, I know. How could I forget? I couldn't possibly skip over my reunion with Niall. You and him went way back, didn't you? Mm...I wonder if he still remembers you, though. When he took a look at me for the first time in years, you should have seen the look on his face. If I didn't know better, I would have said he was terrified of me. I guess the shock of seeing someone you thought was dead would cause you to feel alarmed...so I can't really blame him. Anyway, long story short, I was able to convince Niall to come along with us on our search for Hanako. He's not with us anymore, due to some...incidents that occurred, but I'll get to that later. And don't worry, it's not like he's dead or anything. He's just been rather...distant lately.
"It wasn't until the day after Niall joined us that I found out about Jean. Considering your vast knowledge of the Midnight Legion, you probably know about him, don't you? Jean was Niall's partner, isn't that right? He was Niall's partner...and precious friend. But you know how Niall can be...always living in fear of hurting those close to him, so he kept his distance from Jean. Come to think of it, that must have been really painful for him. I know I wouldn't be able to do it if I was ever caught in the same situation with Hanako. I just don't have it in me. You know how dependent I am on him...
"....you remember Levin, don't you? Yeah, that cute little kid we once played with is all grown up now. He works at an electronics store here in the city. Turns out he's still in touch with his guardian, Ylverys. I can't quite remember who Ylverys was or what he looked like, but I'm sure I knew him in the past life. Thanks to Levin and Ylverys, my friends and I were granted the privilege of meeting Christopher and Neimi, two very nice people of the royal family in Amontyl. I know, right? It's unbelievable. Although, the truth is, I learned some things from those two that I would rather forget...but through Christopher, we were able to find Connie, who, in the long run, proved to be quite helpful to us. She is, however, just a tad bit disagreeable. To put it simply, I wouldn't really trust Connie with my life. Unlike my new friends...who I've come to trust wholeheartedly.
"I feel rather idiotic for this next part I'm going to tell you. You see, I kind of...lost track of Niall at some point. Well, to be more specific, he was captured by Reiha. And later on, so was I. Luckily, Yuta was there with me, because without her, I probably would have died out there on my own. The two of us found a cabin in the forest we were in, and you'll never believe who turned out to be living in that cabin. It was Jean. When I found out that Jean was there, I became really happy. I saw this as a sign...a sign that he and Niall were supposed to be united. But when I brought up Niall's name saying that Yuta and I were searching for him, Jean didn't even seem to recognize the name. He still offered to help us look for Niall, though, and for that I was very grateful. Because we did end up finding him. Niall and Jean...were able to see each other again...after so many years, and even though I didn't know Jean personally, I was still very happy for both of them. Best friends being reunited...who wouldn't get emotional over such a wonderful thing? Eh...probably a lot of people, actually...n-never mind, I'm just running my mouth again as always. But you don't mind, do you, Suri? I remember you did used to tell me that you always loved my stories.
"I hope you won't mind me skipping over a few of these next details, but I'm afraid my little heart won't be able to take much more if I try to explain it thoroughly. To put in simply...Niall ended up really scaring me that day. He and Connie fought each other to the point where Connie was on the brink of death. Or at least, she sure looked like it. Reiha returned shortly after the fight was over and started to beat up Niall, and when Jean tried to interfere, she...she k-..." All of a sudden I became tongue-tied, unable to utter that one, horrible word that I so despised using. "After seeing just how attached Niall was to Jean, Reiha became so angry, and she...she killed Jean. You know, now that I think about it, I'm actually relieved you weren't there at that moment...just so you didn't have to see how Niall reacted to what Reiha did. I don't want to see him wear that expression ever again.
"We haven't seen or heard of Niall since that day, but I'm sure he's okay. Physically, anyway. There's no way anyone could get over such a devastating trauma like the one he experienced. I can't even describe in words how horrible I feel about it. I was thinking...maybe if I hadn't asked Jean to help us find Niall, he'd still be alive. Could you forgive me, Suri? Forgive me for having hurt Niall...I never intended for any of that to happen. I'm very sorry...
"Off the topic of Niall and Jean, my friends and I happened to run into a rather unfortunate occurrence while visiting an amusement park on Ushio's birthday. You remember that strange man who you used to work with, right? Ezekiel. Yeah, well get this, we ran into him and Natalya that day. It wasn't a very pleasant experience, I must admit. I ended up hitting my head pretty hard, but I still seem to remember it clearly. Ezekiel is most likely...dead by now. But to be completely honest with you, I didn't like that man one bit.
"Where does my story go from here...? Hmm, I should probably tell you about the masquerade party, shouldn't I? After all, that was one of the most exciting days of my life. My friends and I went to the twins' mansion wearing masks so that we'd blend in with the other demons. It was actually quite fun at first...I even had the opportunity to dance with Yuta. However, the main reason we were there was not to enjoy ourselves. It was because we had received a letter from Connie saying that Hanako would possibly turn up at the party. He did....and Suri, I-..." I was beginning to grow breathless at this point, but there was simply no way I could stop talking now. I hadn't even arrived at the most important part. "Suri, Hanako is doing fine. He may have changed a little in the way he looks, but deep down I know he's still the same man. Even better, I'm positive he still remembers me. He almost said my name aloud in front of everyone at the mansion, and he would have, too, had it not been for Kyo. Quite a reckless stunt, my friend pulled off, but it all turned out okay in the end. We managed to escape the mansion without getting slaughtered by a bunch of angry demons. Isn't that great? Ha, if you were here right now, you'd probably slap me for doing such a thing...you were always the worrying type, despite how often you denied it.
"After escaping the mansion, we all took a vacation, hoping to distance ourselves from the demons long enough for us to be safe in Aobasani. We drove up to this lakeside cabin that was just a mile or so from a village. I even got to visit that village...not by choice, mind you. I took a walk in the forest late at night and ended up tripping and falling down a steep hill. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have been found by a little girl named Haku. Haku saved my life, and in return...I...I bought her ice cream and went to her house. I know, I know, it sounds silly, doesn't it? But I'm not going to lie, I really enjoyed the time I spent with Haku. She was such a nice girl...and guess what? She has the same birthday as Hanako. Can you believe that? I only wish there was some way I could contact her so that I could wish her a happy birthday when the time came. December 3rd...that's less then a month away. I'm really hoping I'll be able to find Hanako before then. What kind of person would I be if I didn't get my best friend something for their birthday?
"I'm...I'm nearing the end of my story now. There are just a few more things I'd like to tell you. Oh, well first I'd like to mention that I ran into Luca while we were on vacation. He said he gave up that bar he used to run, which I thought was a shame, but I guess there's not much I could do about that. Luca and I are on opposite sides now. He's trying to get his job back...meaning...he wants to be Ignis's right hand man again. I'm kind of afraid of that actually happening, especially after all those things Luca said to me...
"Last but not least, Suri, I need to tell you about what happened today. You see, today is...today is not only Hiro's birthday, but Yuta's birthday, too. Heh, my life is just full of luck and coincidences, isn't it? Anyway, the reason I'm here later than usual is because I was having a bit of trouble managing my mental stability...again. You know how I can get at times, don't you? I get sad really easily...and lonely. My friends had invited me to come see a private...two-on-two performance, I suppose you call it. It was really nice for the most part, up until the point where I.....well, I screwed up, Suri. I really did. I screwed up and disappointed myself more than I ever had before. And do you know why? It's because something was brought to my attention...something that I had been ignoring for a long time.
+++
Now here comes the part that I'm almost too scared to say...but I can't put it off any longer. It has to be said now, otherwise I'll never be able to forgive myself.
"I found out that I was in love with someone. Someone other than you, Suri. I know you must be disappointed with me, but then again...you're a very forgiving person, too. In case you don't already know who I'm referring to, I guess I should spell it out for you. I ended up falling for the woman standing right beside me..." It was at this moment that I finally tore my eyes away from Suri and gazed up at Yuta, who was still standing in complete silence, but now with tears falling from her eyes. I smiled at her as I held out my hand to her, then whispered, "Would you like to come say hello to Suri, Yuta?"
"Yes," she said, smiling back at me through her tears. "I would like that very much." She took my hand and knelt down beside me at Suri's grave, now locking her eyes on the picture of my wife I had displayed on my phone. "Hello, Suri. It's nice to finally meet you. Can I just say first...that you look absolutely beautiful in that wedding dress. I wish I could have been there in person to watch you walk down that aisle. From all the wonderful things Morgan has said about you, I know you must have been the perfect wife for him. You two sound like you were so in love...I hope you don't mind that I've fallen in love with him, too. I promise...that is, if you'll accept me, I promise to take good care of him while you're gone. Morgan means so much to me, and now that I know about you, it seems that I've got even more reason to look out for him. Thank you, Suri. Thank you for being kind to Morgan."
"Did you get all that, Suri?" I let my arm fall to my side so that I could take hold of Yuta's hand, then give it a gentle squeeze. "I found someone new to look after. I've finally gathered the courage to move on. I won't forget you, though. I never will. I'll be here the same time next year...with Yuta, and we'll be able to talk again. And maybe...if I'm brave enough then...I could even introduce you personally to Kyo and Ushio. But that's a topic for another time. There's one more thing I need to do before leaving this place." I turned to Yuta and waited until she faced me before asking in a soft voice, "Will you sing 'happy birthday' to my son with me?"
Yuta nodded slowly. "Of course I will."
"Well then, Hiro..." I looked up at my son's name that had been engraved in the stone right beneath Suri's, then closed my eyes gently. "This one's for you, buddy."
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Hiro...happy birthday to you..."
Happy birthday, my son. I know you're still young, but I want you to look after your mother for me. I know you can do it.
"Yuta?"
"Yes, Morgan?"
"There's something I'd like to show you. Something I made years ago specifically for Hiro, but it's back home. Would you mind going there with me?"
"I'll go anywhere with you."
+++
"So let me get this straight...you...you did this all by yourself?"
"That's correct. I haven't opened this door for three years, simply because I thought it would be too much for me to handle. But now that I'm with you, I don't feel afraid of that anymore."
I had taken Yuta to the nursery I had built for Hiro back before he was even born. The door had been locked ever since the day I finished the project, but I never unlocked it after that because of what happened exactly three years ago...but now that my secret was out, and Yuta knew about my wife and child, I could finally enter this room without clinging so desperately to my fear of the past.
"This is amazing, Morgan," said Yuta, running her fingers along the smooth surface of the baby crib's wood. "Were you a carpenter at any point in your life?"
"No, but my father was," I told her. "He used to let me watch him working up close, so over time I picked up on some things. I did have a manual when I built the crib, though, so I don't really deserve all the credit..."
"You're being modest," she laughed. "I can tell you put a lot of hard work into this nursery, Morgan. And for that I'm proud of you. I'm even happier that you're showing it to me. Thank you."
For some reason, hearing her say those words to me made me feel like it was all worth something after all. All those long, hard hours I spent working on the nursery, trying to make it as perfect as one man could manage alone...just hearing Yuta's approval was enough to bring a smile to my face.
"Say, Yuta..." I began, slowly making myself comfortable on top of the toy box. "...while you're here, would you care to meet another certain someone I've been keeping secret from you for a while?" Before waiting for her reply, I slipped my phone out of my pocket and tossed it to her. Yuta clumsily caught it just before it hit the floor, then shot me a puzzled look. "Just unlock it."
"...nice background," she said quietly.
"You making fun of me?"
"Not at all," Yuta laughed. "I was just going to say that you and Hanako both look very handsome in this picture."
"Just unlock it..."
"'K..."
It was just a moment after she said this that I heard a low whistle escape the speaker of my phone, followed by a very strange comment...
"Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. You're much more attractive in person, baby. Pardon my rudeness, but girl...if you were a booger, I'd pick you first..."
"Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry about this." I quickly got up from my seat and marched up to Yuta, taking my phone out from her hands, then proceeding to glare at Seraph. "I should've said something to him before I gave this to you. Please forgive his profanity, Yuta, I swear he's not usually...this..."
I couldn't help but stare in shock as Yuta snorted, then gradually began to slip into a state of wholehearted laughter. Her face turned red as she tried to look me in the eye, while at the same time struggling to say, "Your friend, he's...he's...quite the charmer."
"Wait, I ain't done yet!" Seraph shouted. "Quick, Morgan, give the phone back to Yuta. I got somethin' else I wanna tell her."
"No."
"Pleeease?"
"No."
"Oh, lighten up, Morgan," Yuta chuckled, holding out her hand. "You said you wanted me to meet him, right? Go ahead and let him say what he wants."
"...fine." I reluctantly placed my phone back in her hand, then crossed my arms and turned away. "Don't hold me accountable for anything that guy says, understand?"
"Understood."
"Heeeyy, girl, put that cupcake down. You're far too sweet already."
I slapped my forehead. "Seraph, no..."
"Are you from Jamaica? 'Cuz Jamaican me crazy."
"Seraph, stop."
"Somethin's wrong with my phone...it doesn't have your number in it."
"These are horribly bad. Please stop."
"Hey, you see my friend over there? Yeah, well he wants to know if you think I'm cute."
"Okay, that's it, I'm taking my phone back. I think you've had a good enough introduction."
"Wait, man, I got one more. Ahem...girl, if you were a transformer, you'd be a HOT-obot, and your name would be Optimus Fine."
"Give it here, Yuta."
"DID YOU SIT IN SUGAR? 'CUZ YOU HAVE A PRETTY SWEET A-"
I quickly switched off my phone and shoved it my back pocket, breathing a sigh of relief. "Yuta...I'm so sorry about him," I groaned as I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "That guy who was just showering you with lame pick-up lines is Seraph. He's a computer virus. I first met him in my dream."
"Sounds romantic," Yuta said sarcastically.
"The dream Connie sent me a while back...is what I meant." I really need to find better ways to word my thoughts... "Anyway, he's on the same boat as us. We're all looking for Hanako together now. And I'm glad...I'm glad I've finally gotten rid of all that guilt...of hiding things from you...I don't have any more secrets."
"Neither do I," said Yuta, flashing me a captivating smile. "After all, you know that I love you now."
"Yeah...and I love you, too, Yuta."