The sky was bright when my plane landed in Narita Airport. I looked at my wristwatch, noticing that at that rate I would probably be late. I hailed a cab and told the driver where I wanted to go. It was almost half an hour later that the vehicle halted at my destination. I told the driver to wait for me before getting off.

I looked again at the watch. I was indeed late. I stared at the name display of the building for a moment before striding into its yard. I saw there were still few people around. I headed toward a certain direction, but had to halt my steps, curving up a smile and softening my gaze, when I saw the one I was looking for sitting on the terrace.

“Sora-chan!” I called out to the little girl who then immediately snapped her head at my direction.

Once she saw me, her smile bloomed and she broke into a full run, her ponytail swaying cutely behind her head.

“Tou-chan!” she hugged me tightly when I received her within my embrace.

“Sorry, Tou-chan is late,” I apologized.

She pulled away, gifting me with her cheerful smile, “Grandpa didn’t tell me Touchan would pick me up.”

I looked at her innocent face that had resemblance with her mother, cannot help being a bit sad. “Have you waited for long?”

She shook her head, “Not long.”

I smiled back at her before standing up and taking her bunny-bag into my hold. Holding her hand, I greeted and thanked her teacher for keeping her company.

Once we were in the cab, Sora asked me, “Tou-chan, what bag is that?”

She pointed at my suitcase, and before I could answer, she asked more, “Touchan will go again?”

I draped  an arm over her shoulder, pulling her to me, “No, Sora-chan, this time Touchan will stay with you for good.”

“Really?”

I nodded.

“Yeay!” she exclaimed happily and hugged me.

I dropped a peck on the top of her head, feeling really guilty for not being able to be by her side anytime she needed me.

Still not letting go of her hug, Sora spoke, “Tou-chan, why we not stay together again?”

“Tou-chan have work far away from here,” I answered. “But it’s going to finish soon. So we will stay together again.”

“With Kaa-chan, too?”

I mustered a smile, “Yes.” I hope so.

“But Kaa-chan is not here. Grandpa said Kaa-chan working in far away and can’t go home yet,” Sora sadly nestled to my arm. “I miss Kaa-chan.”

“You know what, Sora-chan,” I replied with more cheerful tone. “We’ll go to visit Kaa-chan today.”

Sora pulled away with a big hopeful smile, “Really?”

I nodded, and then diverted the talk by asking various questions about her days and school.

We got off before the city cemetery, and I led Sora-chan to enter the quiet place.

“Why we here, Tou-chan?”

“Before we meet Kaa-chan, we’re going to visit your Otousan first, okay?”

“Eh?” Sora exclaimed in mix surprise and happy. “So, Otousan is here?”

“Yes. Tou-chan has promised you to bring you to visit him someday, right?”

“Uhn!”

We walked in between graves until we reached the one which carved with the letter spelling Hasegawa Ryuu.

“Here he is, Sora-chan,” I told her, then guided her, “You squat down and make a prayer for him now.”

Sora nodded and crouched down before the grave, clasping her small hands together and shutting her eyes. I squatted down beside her, but instead of praying, I stared back and forth between the tombstone and Sora.

I and Mirai never hid about Ryuu from Sora. We told her that she had another father with the name Hasegawa Ryuu. She might not fully understand it yet, but at least she knew that Ryuu was an important person. As she grew, she would slowly grab the reality, that I was not her biological father. I hoped that once she did, she would also realize that even though we didn’t share the same flesh and blood, I had been cherishing her as though she was my own child, never less.

“Tou-chan, I finish,” Sora-chan announced.

“What do you say to him?” I asked, smiling curiously.

“I said I love Otousan even though I never met him,” Sora answered honestly. “And because Otousan is now staying near Kamisama, I asked Otousan to tell Kamisama to protect Kaa-chan and baby brother inside Kaa-chan.”

Her words almost made me burst in tears, but I held in. Despite the painful throbs in my chest, I patted her head, saying, “That’s good.”

Sora grinned, “So, after this we will meet Kaa-chan?” Her eyes glinted with so much hope.

I nodded, keeping a small smile for her, “Yes, let’s go.”

After bidding a silent good bye to Ryuu’s grave, I led Sora walked out the place.

We hailed another cab, and perhaps because school had been tiring, Sora fell asleep once she comfortably snuggled onto me.

“Tokyo Hospital, please,” I told the driver.

As we were moving toward the hospital, I recalled what had happened since a week ago. The first one replayed was the day of the surgery.

“We have tried our best,” the doctor started informing us that day.

My knees weakened, but I held myself to stand still.

“Your wife insisted for us to save the baby, but you have asked us to prioritize the mother, and we thought that it was the wisest decision. About the surgery, thank Kamisama, it was successful. Your wife now is in stable condition, but she might need a couple days or more before regaining her consciousness. And the baby...,” the doctor paused, as though giving me a bit time to absorb the news.

“How is the baby?” it was Fuji-san who asked.

“Fortunately, the baby boy is alive, but not in a good condition because of the premature state.”

I dared myself to ask, “How much is my son’s chance to live?”

The doctor seemed hesitant, but eventually answered, “Very slight, Yamada-san. We can only wish for  a miracle.”

Tears welled up fast and streamed down my face. I could not even describe my feeling at that moment.

The doctor excused herself after telling that I would be allowed to see Mirai after an hour.

I activated my cellphone and browsed through some folders to find a picture. Once I found it, I looked at it while praying. In the picture was my baby son inside the incubator of the intensive children care unit. It had been a week since he was born, but he was still in critical condition. His heart was weak, and he needed all those machines to live through the days. While Mirai... she was stable but yet to regain consciousness.

Two days after the surgery, after making sure that Mirai was not in critical condition, I flight back to New York to finish some business. I had to face the raging Yamada Akai who shouted at me about being irresponsible. But I didn’t stay silent for he was not in the position to dictate me. Honestly, I didn’t care anymore about his threat to make my life a hell if I dare to leave the company. I knew he had the power to do what he threat me with, but nothing would beat someone’s will but their selves. I learned that the hard way.

I needed three days to finish the job I left before Fuji-san called me to return to Japan, and I proposed a mutation. I offered Yamada Akai two options, whether letting me station in Tokyo, or I resgined from the position. With the shareholders meeting approaching in less than a couple months, he didn’t have the choice but to let me have my way. So, here I am, returning to Tokyo still as the acting CEO of Yamada Corporation.

Once the cab stopped before the hospital, I carried the sleeping