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“I talked to Sean today.”
“Oh? He’s back in town?” Mari looked up from her sudoku. “What for?”
Mari hadn’t thought about Sean, nor his girlfriend Karen in years – The two of them had apparently babysat Hero and Kel when Hero was too young to look after his brother on his own, but Mari knew them mainly as the high-schoolers that had tutored her during her first few years in Faraway. She hadn’t thought about them since they had left for college.
“They’re moving back, for good apparently.”
“They?”
“Oh, right. Uh, he and Karen got married.”
“Oh? Good for them!”
“Yeah, then he asked if I was seeing anyone. I told him we were together, and he laughed. Said he figured as much. Asked me when we were planning to tie the knot.”
Mari paused.
“I… I know it’s probably a bit too early to talk about this kind of thing” Hero continued “and I know we both want to finish college before anything like that were to happen, but… well… have you ever thought about that? About marriage, I mean?”
Mari took a deep breath and put down the book. She had an uncertain expression on her face – a definite rarity.
“If we do it… can you promise me that we won’t end up like my parents did?”
Realization washed over Hero. Mari and Sunny’s family had collapsed irreparably four years ago.
Mari continued. “I see your family… there’s a warmth there that we never had. My dad… I think he had a specific vision of what his family would be like. Hard-working husband, dutiful housewife, demure daughter, and a son who was ready to receive his training in all his masculine pursuits. Then, when he didn’t get any of the three, he took it out on everyone else.”
Akihiko Suzuki was far from a common topic of conversation for his daughter, even before he’d left. Hero wrapped his arms around Mari. “Did he…?” he trailed off before he could finish the question.
Mari shook her head. “I think I know what you’re asking, and no, he never raised a hand to us. But there was always a lot of arguing between him and mom. I think that’s where some of my perfectionism comes from. When I did a really good job on things, they would come together and praise me, so I figured if I did everything perfectly, then I could fix the family.”
“Then, there was the… recital” Mari grimaced. “Even though I played as well as I could, all he could talk about was how much Sunny had disappointed him. I just couldn’t take it.”
Mari grabbed Hero’s shirt and looked into his eyes. “I’m just… what if the same thing happens to us?”
Hero pulled Mari closer and squeezed. “Mari… the only vision I have of a family, is that you’re a part of it. I don’t care about anything else. If… no, when the time comes, I’ll be with you at every step.”
Hero leaned down and kissed Mari. When they finished, Mari seemed calmer. The lovers sat together in silence, simply enjoying each other’s presence.
“Wait… you said… you said ‘when the time comes’…” Mari mused. A sly grin began to spread across her face. It seemed as though her usual mischievous demeanor was returning.
“Y-yeah. I… I guess I did” Hero blushed “I mean… if that’s what you want, that is.” Mari nodded and nuzzled closer.
“Not yet, but someday. Someday soon, probably. But right now, I just want to enjoy this.” Hero laughed. “Yeah… me too.”