Rigid Crow

The Ultimate Choice

     The month of November brings dramatic improvements for both of us.
     Shō goes walking every other day at first, then, two weeks in, it's every day. Now, at the beginning of December, he's able to walk on his own for limited periods of time with forearm canes.
     His cough is nearly gone now, the lingering bits of pneumonia finally passing him over.
     He still has attacks, but they tend to come about once a week now, which is fewer than before.
     Ever since he learned he can sing, he's been encouraged in his vocal therapy. He still has a pretty major stutter, but he's chosen not to use a computerized voice anymore. The doctors say the stutter probably won't ever go away. That's a part of his brain that may be altered forever, but he's okay with that. However, while he may always have it, there is the good chance for it to lessen, and for him to make improvement.
     He can now keep down any food that's given to him, and since he can use forearm canes and get up on his own now, he can even get up to use the bathroom, which has been a big encouragement to him.
     I hear that he'll be coming home in two or three weeks. He'll still have to go to the hospital for therapy, but he'll finally be home, which he's been wanting for so long.
     As for me, I had to stay in the hospital for about a week after my surgery, but I was allowed home to recover for the final three weeks. My stitches dissolved after the first two, and my incision was healed by four, allowing me to go back to playing volleyball.
At home, we've been preparing for Shō's arrival. The Hinatas will convert what must have been either a study or a guest room into a bedroom all my own.
     It wasn't tough jumping back into the team. Handa kept up as setter for the month I wasn't there, which was great practice for him. I watched them practice sometimes, even though I couldn't play, too. 
     My teammates cheer when I step into the gym dressed for practice. They rush me, and I become overwhelmed with the truth that I'm truly cared about by these guys, and not just because of what I can do.
Though I take awhile to adjust and get used to myself and the ball again, I'm soon back on top of it.
     As we change back into warmer clothes in the clubroom, a few of the guys look over as I take off my shirt. I glance down at the incision scar and they look away.
     "Sorry," Yamaguchi murmurs, his face flushed with embarrassment. "We didn't mean to stare."
     "It's fine. It's not like it hurts anymore or anything."
     "It looked kinda cool," Miyamoto admits with a grin. "Like a battle scar."
     My hand drifts to it. "I guess that's kind of what it is."
Life continues this way for the next few weeks. We finish up our trimester at school, we continue practicing, Shō keeps improving, and I attend my therapy sessions.
     On the morning of my birthday, I come home from my daily run to see Shō in the living room, his family sitting with him, huge smiles on their faces.
I freeze in the doorway. "You're— You're home."
"Y-Yeah." He stands to greet me, attaching his crutches to his arms and pulling himself up. He beams, and the relief must hit all of us at once, because I find tears spring to my eyes, and his parents begin to cry. "We w-w-w-wanted to s-s-surprise you for y-y-y-y-your birthday."
We spend the whole day talking, playing games, and just relaxing, because that's something we can finally do.
Right before we go out to buy ramen for dinner to celebrate both Shō's return and my birthday, Hinata-sama and Hinata-san pull me aside and sit me down to talk with them alone.
     "Tobio, we need to talk to you about something concerning your accident a couple months ago," Hinata-sama begins, grasping her husband's hand. They glance at each other, concern and resolve in their gazes. They look back at me. "Your parents knowingly cut you off from their insurance, which is required by law to have. As you're still a child, your parents are expected to cover that, and while they, by all means, were capable of that, they excluded you without your knowledge. That is parental neglect, whether you're living in our household or not."
     She takes a deep breath. "We want to adopt you, Tobio. At first, we thought we might have to wait a year should your parents refuse for any reason, as when they have not supported you financially for a year, they've forfeited their rights, but we have legal proof of neglect now. We can go to court, ask them to renounce their familiar contact to you, and if not, have it stripped.
     "You need some kind of parental force in your life right now to make some decisions that you may not be able to make yourself, like medical, and to financially support you. But that's just the legal side of it. We want you in a home that loves you unconditionally. But the ultimate choice is yours. Tobio, do you want to officially join our family?"
    My chest tightens as I process what they're saying. They want me. They want to include me into their family, this wonderful home, this relationship of theirs. I will truly be their son in every aspect of the word.
     That leaves one question: Do I want this? Do I want to risk being in a family again? Being overlooked, uncared about?
     I look back at the Hinatas and something firm settles in my heart. They would never do that to me. They love me.
     And I love them, too.
     "Yes."
     Their faces break into relieved, joyous smiles. "Really?"
     "Yeah. I— I don't know what to say."
     "Nothing, baby," Hinata-sama whispers. She wraps me into a hug. "Happy birthday, Tobio."