I awoke moments later to hear some soft talking and the door close. When my sight got clearer I found Jiro sitting next to the bed in a chair. Why? What happened.

“Are you ok?” Jiro questioned. I didn’t respond. “You…haven’t been getting much sleep. It must be hard doing everything alone.”

I could feel tears erupt in my eyes. Jiro reached his hand forward to wipe them but I my side so that I wasn’t facing him.

“Leave me alone,” I said loudly.

I felt him sit there for a while then he walked out of the room. I didn’t want to accept him. Not anymore, but my heart pounded with pain every time I told myself that he didn’t belong to me.

****************************

“Whoa!” Ethan gasped loudly as he jumped down from his seat and glanced up at the Wang mansion. “Is mommy really here?”

“Your mommy is inside,” the man said closing the door.

Ethan raced toward the steps and climbed each step slowly then ran through the doors. He stopped when Jiro came down the stairs.

“Mr. Nice!” Ethan shouted.

“Oh hey,” Jiro said bending down. Ethan jumped on him and Jiro almost fell back surprised.

“Hello!” Ethan said.

“Where did you come from and how did you get here?” Jiro asked standing up with Ethan in his arms.

“That man brought me here,” Ethan said pointing to the chauffeur.

The chauffeur nodded toward Jiro and smiled.

“It was my idea,” Mr. Wang said appearing from nowhere.

Jiro spun around surprised.

“Hi there,” Mr. Wang said reaching his hand to touch Ethan’s chin, but Ethan turned away.

“He’s scaring me,” Ethan said.

Mr. Wang chuckled, “Don’t be afraid I’m just your old grandpa.”

Ethan turned back to look at Mr. Wang with his arms wrapped tightly around Jiro’s neck.

“Grandpa?” Ethan repeated.

“Yes and that would make Mr. Nice your father,” Mr. Wang said.

“Daddy?” Ethan asked his eyes getting big. “My daddy is Mr. Nice? My real daddy?”

Mr. Wang nodded.

Ethan turned to Jiro, “So then can I call you daddy?”

“Sure thing,” Jiro said ruffling the little kid’s hair.

Ethan laughed and looked at Mr. Wang, “Where’s my mommy then? Can we live here? I like this big house.”

“If your mommy will agree but will you promise to talk to her?” Mr. Wang said.

“Umm…ok! I promise,” Ethan said holding out his small pinky. Mr. Wang extended his pinky out and they locked their fingers.

*********************************

I stared down from the stairs silently. Ethan seemed so happy that finally he had a family. A father he knew and a grandpa he could get along with. Days, weeks, months went by. Jiro and I came to an agreement that every other week we would switch off taking care of Ethan. So one week Ethan would stay with me and the other he would stay with Jiro. I got a little comfortable and got acquainted with Jiro’s father, but I never got married to Jiro.

*******************************

Ethan boarded his father’s car after school and when they got to Jiro’s house Ethan jumped out of the car and grabbed his father’s hand.

“Daddy!” Ethan exclaimed.

“Yea? What is it?” questioned Jiro. “Do you want me to carry you inside?”

“No, I’m a big boy now I can walk with my strong legs,” Ethan said touching his small short legs.

“Then what is it?” questioned Jiro.

“Tomorrow’s my mommy’s birthday,” Ethan said, “Uncle Dan used to cook for her every time but Uncle Dan’s not here anymore.”

Jiro’s smile disappeared from his face. It finally occurred to him that he never knew Selina’s birthday. He had never even spent time with her on her birthday. It was Danson who had taken his place and given Selina the happiness he couldn’t.

“Thank you Danson,” Jiro thanked silently.

“Daddy,” Ethan said waving his hand in front of Jiro’s face.

“Don’t worry. I’ll think of something,” Jiro said ruffling Ethan’s hair.

“Don’t do that. You’ll mess it up and I won’t look good,” Ethan mumbled.

“Spoiled kid,” Jiro smiled and held Ethan’s hand, “come on. Lets go in.”

********************************

I spent that night alone in my room looking through the pictures that Jiro and I had taken on our supposedly last day together. Danson would always be there, but I’d promised him before he left that I’d find my happiness.

“Thank you,” I said aloud.

I got up early the next morning to open up the restaurant but before I could even unlock the door something covered my eyes and led me to a car. I was pushed in forcefully and before I knew it the car had started off.

I listened carefully to the driver’s movements but found they weren’t similar to Jiro’s. If it wasn’t Jiro who else could it be? Was I really being kidnapped? Why? Not now, not today.

“Who’s there?! Let me go! You’ve got the wrong person! I’m just an ordinary person! I have a son to take care of! Let me go! You kidnapper!” I shouted moving around in the back and finally realized my hands were tied to my back.

Great, what do I do now? The car came to a stop and the door opened. I listened to hurried footsteps and someone else entered the car. I listened silently, but didn’t really hear anything. Whoever this person was he was moving real silently. The car took off again and I sat quietly in the back thinking. For some reason I felt that this wasn’t a scary person. I knew nothing bad would happen. The car came to a stop and the door opened. Someone grabbed me and helped me out gently. I heard muffled voices and someone grabbed my arm leading me somewhere. The wind silently whispered to me and ruffled my hair as we went on.

“Who are you?” I asked. “Is it Jiro? Jiro?”

No reply. I decided to keep silent knowing I would find out soon. We came to a stop and I felt my hands being untied. I felt my wrists and then whatever it was that was blocking my eyes came off. I looked around to find Jiro standing next to me dressed handsomely in a dress suit.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“Look,” Jiro said.

I turned to look forward. The one and only thing in the world stood there. It’s sharp outline in the light sky on that green hill made out of wood. The first place he’d taken me to. Where our adventure began. Where our story began. The place we first spent our night together. The cabin.

“Come on,” Jiro said walking ahead.

I followed him. He opened the door revealing candles all lit and placed on the table and the counters. There were hot plates of food on the table with two chairs across from each other. The table draped with red cloth and white napkins laying next to the china dishes. I turned to look at Jiro.

“Happy birthday,” he said. “This’ll be the first one I spend with you and for the rest of your life I’ll be the only person sitting with you, celebrating with you, eating with you happily on your birthday.”

I didn’t know how to respond. Jiro led me over to my chair and I sat down. He got down on one of his knees and looked up at me. Dumbfounded I just stared back silently.

“I…I am sorry that you had to spend the past five years alone,” Jiro started, “if there was one way that I could make everything up to you I’d do it but I can’t give you back your simple life. I really do love you. I want you in my future. I want to wake up everyday to see you lying next to me, smiling at me, making me dishes to eat, hugging me, kissing me, I just want you to be there. I’ll help you raise up Ethan, I’ll buy him toys, I’ll give him shelter, I’ll clothe him, I’ll protect him when he gets bullied, I’ll send him to school, and I won’t let you do all that anymore. So you won’t be alone because I’ll be there. My father will respect you and I know that he’s really sorry for all he’s done. Selina, will you marry me?”

A really really soft feeling overwhelmed me and tears came out. Finally there was someone assuring me one more time that I wouldn’t have to worry about a thing. A person I could trust again. He came back to me…Jiro came back to me. I waited five long years and battled five long years just for this. There was no more obstacle blocking my love. I nodded and Jiro smiled quickly hugging me. I could lean against him one more time.

I moved in and married him a month later. It took me this long to realize that everything was right in front of me. My life, my promise, my future. All I had to do was put a little more strength and hope a little more. If I believed I could make anything come true I just had to really try. For the rest of my life I would grow old with Jiro and we’d watch Ethan grow up. We’d be together everyday of our lives. My happiness right next to me. The three of us, a real family.