Poston

Chapter twenty-three : 1955

Bakersfield, Cal.
June 1955

"Kazu.... Ne, Kazu?"

Nino groaned, burying his head further into his pillow. When he couldn't breathe, he finally came up for air to see his lover looking at him pouting. "Satoshi, what is it?" he asked. "You know some of us would like a break once in a while."

"Today's the first day of the summer," Satoshi said, wrapping his arms around Nino's waist. "Which means you can work out in the fields with me until September."

"You're just happy that I don't have to go to town all summer," Nino smiled leaning into Satoshi's arms. When he felt Satoshi kissing his shoulder, he couldn't help but take in that he really had the summer off. No more papers to grade, no more kids being late for class. No more loud rock and roll music. Nino could finally help out in the fields like he did with everyone else during the summer, and he got more time to spend with his family around him.

"I'm very happy you don't have to go to town," Satoshi said, leaning his head against Nino. "Sometimes I feel like I never get to see you."

"That's because you don't. Any minute now, Mao-chan is going to come up those stairs and yell at us to come down for breakfast, and that will be the end of our private time."

Smiling, Satoshi began laying kisses on Nino's skin. "Then I guess we have to make the most of our time," he said moving his way down.

As if on cue, they heard a sudden pounding on their bedroom door. "SATOSHI! KAZUNARI! WAKE UP! IF YOU'RE NOT UP IN TEN MINUTES I'LL GET A BUCKET!"

"THIS ISN'T EVEN YOUR HOUSE!" Nino yelled back at the woman on the other side of the door.

Satoshi laughed, letting go of Nino as he did. He came up, laid a small, sweet kiss on Nino's lips before finally standing up. "C'mon, let's go. The kids must be here."

A lot had happened in the past ten years. After everyone had come home from Poston, they had all moved in with Masaki at his house until everyone could get their things figured out. Both Jun and Mao had gotten teaching jobs with Jun teaching history at the high school and Mao teaching second grade at the elementary school. After their house had been built down the road from the main farmhouse, Jun and Mao had three more children together after Charlie and Samantha. Jonathan Seiji (or Jon) was now going to be nine, Judith Maiko (she really preferred Judy) was soon going to be eight, and their youngest Catherine Sachiko (sometimes she liked Cathy, sometimes Sachi) was six. Even though Charlie and Samantha had struggled with their schooling when they first got back, then soon excelled and made it the top of their classes, turning into fine young adults. Charlie was already eighteen and had graduated high school a year before, going to the University of California in Los Angeles to be a teacher. Samantha had just turned sixteen and was already planning on being a nurse when she graduated.

Sho and Yuki had decided to stay in the Aiba house (they called the two houses on the property by either the Aiba house or the Matsumoto house respectfully, but the Aiba house was really just the main house), and since Sho and Masaki had announced their relationship to their 'family', everything seemed to go on as usual. Sho had gotten a job as a bank teller in town and it paid reasonably well just in case the farm ever had issues, even though it hardly ever did. Yuki was also now eighteen, going to school with Charlie at UCLA to be a teacher as well. Sho had said that he felt happier knowing that Yuki wasn't up there alone and that she had a friend to always be with in case something happened.

Both Yuki and Charlie were home for the summer break now, helping out in the fields with Masaki and Satoshi, like they did every summer. The twins, Lillian and Tommy, were eleven and were as different as you could imagine them to be. Tommy loved working with Papa in the fields, helping with watering and planting and couldn't find anything more enjoyable than to spend every bit of free time with the bright red berries. Lillian, on the other hand, was quieter and preferred to stay inside and help clean the house and cook along with Mao and the other girls.

Nino had graduated from UCLA years before and he was now the music teacher and baseball coach up at the same high school Jun worked at. During the school year, he and Jun worked and the kids would go to school, but as soon as school was out then everybody congregated into the main house and began their summer jobs helping at the Aiba strawberry farm. Masaki and Satoshi worked there full time, but it became sort of a tradition for everybody to help out more during the summer months. It became sort of like their way of paying for the land. Plus, everybody loved it.

Nino and Satoshi had decided to stay in the Aiba house permanently, not sure where else they could really go. They didn't really want to buy a house in town because it would be a waste of carpool for Jun and Nino and the kids, and with their relationship they didn't really want to freak out any neighbors. Besides, everyone had practically become family over the past fifteen years, and Nino didn't really want to distance away from those he cared about. He loved coming home to a full house of children's laughter and worries, and at night he would spend his time sleeping in the arms of the man he loved. He couldn't ask for anything better.

Everything was perfect.

As soon as Nino and Satoshi made their way down, they could already smell French toast being served at the large table with the kids already digging in. "Good morning!" they called out.

"Uncle Kazu! Uncle Satoshi! Good morning!" the younger children cried out.

"Good morning," Jun answered for him and the other couple who were already stuffing their faces with toast. "It's a good thing you two came down. Masaki and Sho were about to eat your French toast for you."

Masaki swallowed. "It's not our fault your wife has excellent cooking skills," he said.

"Actually!" a voice from the kitchen called out before Samantha and Yuki peeped out. "The toast was made by us!"

Sho smiled. "Then it's definitely no wonder!"

Satoshi and Nino sat down, quickly adding bacon and toast to their plates. "So are you ready for the hard labor, Nino?" Masaki joked.

Nino tsked. "You ask me this every year, and yet I still do better than all of you!"

"So conceited!" Jun laughed, folding up his paper. "Why does Masaki still let you sleep here I wonder?"

"Because he likes to look at my husband's butt when I'm not looking."

Masaki swallowed. "I have my own husband's butt to look at. Why would I stare at yours?"

"I'm trying to eat here!" Sho exclaimed with his mouth still full.

Finally, Mao, Samantha, and Yuki joined everyone for breakfast and started eating as well. "Mama!" Judy spoke up. "Will we have mochi for desert tonight?"

"You always ask for mochi!" Mao told her. "Don't you ever get tired of it?"

"She gets it from me," Charlie said. "Especially the kind with the ice cream inside!"

Cathy looked up and smiled. "Mama, can we make strawberry ice cream?"

"I want pineapple!" Lillian exclaimed.

Mao laughed. "Well maybe I'll teach you girls today how to make ice cream. We got a lot of sewing and such to do too."

Samantha frowned. "Mama, you always have sewing to do."

"That's because Mama's the best seamstress in town!" Judy bragged. "Everyone brings their sewing to Mama to ask her about her secrets."

"Mama," Charlie spoke up. "I also have a pair of pants that needs mending. Do you think you could sew them as well? I'm sorry for any inconvenience."

Nino looked up and saw Jun watching his family interacting, a look of pure fondness and happiness shining in his eyes. Everyone knew how long it had taken Jun to get to this happy point in his life and his children were certainly a proud showing of that.

It had taken everyone a long time to be where they were now. They had gone through hell and back and still came out in one piece together.

After breakfast, the girls stayed inside the house to clean up and the men all headed outside to get to work. Tommy and Jon raced as fast as they could outside, and Judy (who finally got permission to join the rest of the group) ran as fast as she could to catch up to them. Everyone else was just as excited to get outside as the children were. The first day was always Nino's favorite part of the summer. The bright green leaves of the strawberries cast a beautiful backdrop for the bright blue California sky. It almost felt like Heaven on earth.

Masaki still had lots of strawberries to harvest and grow, but he always swore that they grew more during the summer. "My grandfather built this place on love," he said. "The fruit sense that, I think."

Sho was the only one who didn't work in the fields. He still had work over the summer, so he headed into town after saying his goodbyes, promising to be back in time for lunch. As soon as he was gone, everyone went off into the fields with their gloves and hats on, prepared to work and enjoy it.

Around this time of year, the strawberries weren't ready to be picked yet, but they still needed water and tended to make sure bugs and other things didn't get to them. For as large of an area that the farm was, everyone needed to be on the lookout and to make sure every plant was well cared for.

"Look at this!" Tommy exclaimed crouching next to a plant. He gently held the small berry up to get a better look. "This one is so small, Papa."

Masaki nodded. "But it'll probably be the most delicious when it's ripe."

Tommy smiled and stood up. "The small ones are always the best ones."

Charlie, periodically, kept looking behind him towards the house as if he was looking for something. "Ne, Charlie," Nino spoke up. "If you keep looking behind you, you'll trip over your own feet."

Charlie frowned before finally walking over to his uncles. "Hey... Can I ask you a question?"

"Depends."

"When did you two know for sure that you had fallen in love?"

Both Nino and Satoshi froze, shocked at the question before looking over at each other. "Well...." Nino tried to begin.

"Our first Christmas together," Satoshi answered almost immediately.

"Eh?!" Nino laughed. "Seriously?"

"What? You don't think so?"

"It's not that. It's that I was going to give the same answer."

"Spending our special time together."

"I remember the dancing the most."

Satoshi thought. "Ah. Dancing to Dinah Shore, right?"

Nino nodded. "That was the best time."

Charlie watched the pair before asking further. "But... how did you know? Like, what did you feel?"

"It's not really something you feel," Satoshi told him. "I mean, you feel happy and overjoyed of course. It's more like you're unable to really see yourself without that person for the rest of your life."

Charlie listened intently before finally nodding. "Okay, I think I understand now."

"Why do you ask?" Nino wondered.

Blushing, Charlie shook his head. "No reason," he said before rushing off to catch up to his father.

Nino looked over at his lover. "Do you think he has a girlfriend?"

"And not say anything?" Satoshi asked. "Why wouldn't he say anything about her?"

"Because," Nino whispered. "Maybe she's the daughter of a certain bank teller we know."

"You think him and Yuki--?"

"Maybe. Get to work before they see us gossiping like women."

When the sun was high enough in the sky to signal close to noon, everyone started heading back for their lunch break. As they got closer to the house, they saw that a bright yellow taxi had pulled up to the house. "Is Natsumi and Ayumi here yet?" Masaki asked.

Satoshi shook his head. "No, they shouldn't be here for another week or so."

"Unless they decided to make a surprise visit," Nino said.

"With the way my sister's pregnancy is going? There's no way they would do that."

When everyone finally got up to the car, they saw that a woman had gotten out of the taxi and she was holding a suitcase. She was a middle aged Japanese woman with beautiful black hair curled onto her neck, and she wore a very sophisticated red and white dress with a matching hat. Nino didn't recognize her, but as soon as Jun saw her face he froze in his tracks.

As Mao and the girls came out of the house to greet their visitor, the woman saw Jun and smiled. "Hello Jun."

"Ami." It wasn't really a question or a declaration. It was said rather as a hard fact.

At the mention of her name, everyone looked at her in shock. Jun was trying desperately not to show any emotion, but his two eldest children looked like they could be sick.

Ami walked up to Jun and placed her hand on his cheek. "My, how you've grown—"

"What do you want?" Jun asked, grabbing her hand and pulling it off his face.

Ami froze at his movement but quickly composed herself. "I wanted to see you," she said. "I've come back to the United States, and I really wanted to see you and the children again. Maybe we could even start over? I tried writing after the war, but you weren't in Seattle anymore. Your parents said you had moved here, but they wouldn't give me a definite address."

"They shouldn't have told you I was here to begin with," Jun told her.

"Jun, may I have a chance to explain myself?"

"No. You may not. You're the one who left us, remember?"

"I understand, but—"

"You don't get to just come back after fifteen years, Ami!"

Nobody said a word. Nobody could say a word. It was hard to really believe that Jun's first wife, who had run out on him and claimed to not love him, was really back. She was the one who left Jun behind with the kids to begin with. She wanted nothing to do with them then, so why now?

"At least let me see my children," Ami pleaded.

"Whether or not they want to see you is up to them," Jun answered.

By now, Samantha had silently made her way over to her older brother, holding his hand as if they were lending each other their strength. Ami spotted them almost immediately and looked at them in disbelief. She silently made her way over to them in tears. "Oh my goodness," she said. "Look at you two! You're so... grown up. Taisuke, you're seventeen now, right?"

"It's Charles," he answered her, standing up straight and showing no emotions towards his mother. "And I'm eighteen."

"Eighteen," Ami repeated, taken aback by his reaction. Charlie was never rude towards anyone, but everyone knew that now he was doing it on purpose. When Ami turned to her daughter, she gasped. "Shizuka—"

"It's Samantha," she snapped, looking like she was almost in tears herself. "I'm an American, not a Jap."

"Samantha," Jun warned.

Samantha ignored him and looked her mother straight in the face. "How dare you. After fifteen years, you suddenly decide to show up?! Now, you decide that you want to make us a part of your life? What about when we were babies? What about when we were learning to walk and talk and play? Where the hell were you then, Mother?!"

"Sam!" Charlie looked over at his sister just as Ami's tears began to fall.

"I am not apologizing!" Samantha told him before looking back at Ami. "It's been nearly my entire life! You lost your chance to be a mother! I have a real mother now! I don't need one who just comes to see me when it's convenient for her!"

"Samantha!" Jun yelled. Instead of listening, Samantha turned on her heels and started walking up the road silently. Charles quickly went after her before finally walking alongside her.

Mao was the first to break the silence. "Please!" she told the group. "Lunch is ready, so let's all hurry inside and enjoy the food! Ami-san, won't you come inside and have lunch with us as well?"

Ami bowed slightly before following everyone inside. Nobody was really sure what to make of anything.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Miss...?" Ami looked at Mao.

Mao smiled nervously before answering. "Mao Matsumoto."

"Oh." Ami didn't try to hide her disappointment, but Nino noticed there was another glimmer of something that crossed over her face. Jealously, maybe? Anger?

Lunch was a quiet gathering. Eventually Charlie and Samantha came back. Usually the kids would talk nonstop about anything, but today it seemed like nobody knew what to do. The kids especially were unsure if they should even talk or not. Cathy was the first to talk. "Yuki-chan, can you take us to see 'Lady and the Tramp' like you promised?"

Yuki smiled. "Of course I can. Maybe tonight if your parents allow it."

"You can't go to town by yourself," Charlie spoke up suddenly. "A pretty girl with a bunch of kids is vulnerable, isn't it?"

Yuki looked at him and smirked. "Then maybe you would be very kind to escort me and the children, Charlie-san."

Nearly everybody looked up at them in curiosity in how Yuki addressed Charlie. There never used to be a 'san' with any of the kids, so it was unusual. Charlie and Yuki, however, didn't seem to notice anything strange at all and they continued on with their conversation as if nothing happened.

Mao cleared her throat. "Ami-san, do you have somewhere to stay for the night?" she asked.

Jun glared in his wife's direction but kept his mouth shut.

"I tried to book a room at one of the local hotels, but they all said they were full," Ami explained.

"Why, then you can stay here!"

"EH?!" everyone stopped and stared at Mao in disbelief.

"Absolutely not!" Jun said finally getting mad. He stood up in anger and shock. "Mao, what are you thinking?"

Mao looked at her husband and everyone could see the anger starting to boil over on her side as well. "I was thinking of being nice to our guest, Jun! And it's very rude to yell in front of company."

"Bullshit! This is the same woman—"

"Who gave birth to your two eldest children and who gave them to you when she could have left you here all alone!"

Jun got quiet as he tried to contain his anger. Eventually, he stormed out of the house just like his daughter before him, leaving everyone to deal with the silence.

"I should leave," Ami said, standing up as well. "I shouldn't have—"

"No, don't," Mao insisted. "You have nowhere to go tonight, and I will not allow my husband's stubborn ass to prevent you from having a bed. I'll just make him sleep here tonight and you will stay at our house."

--

That night, Ami slept in the Matsumoto house. Jun slept at the Aiba house, but did very little sleeping. Eventually, the men found themselves all in the living room together talking the entire thing through.

"What did she expect?!" Jun asked as he paced. Nino and Satoshi were occupying one half of the sofa while Sho and Masaki occupied the other half, watching Jun walk back and forth and talk himself out of his anger. "I mean, it's been fifteen years! The kids have grown up! I've gotten older! What did she expect of me? Did she really think that I would not have moved on and gotten a new wife? Did she think I would be hung up on her for fifteen fucking years?!"

"I don't think she was expecting you to be hung up on her," Sho said. "Maybe she's still hung up on you?"

Jun stopped and looked at Sho. "What?"

"Think about it," Sho explained. "She came all this way from Japan when she didn't have to, she went to your parent's house in Washington to find you, and then she just shows up without a letter or a phone call. She wanted to surprise you! When people are still in love with someone, they do stuff like that."

Jun froze. "Ami? Still in love with me? But she's the one who—"

"She's also one who survived the Hiroshima bombing," Masaki said. "She might have been knocked to her senses after that. Plus, it's taken years for the U.S. to allow travel between us and Japan again. Japan is also a very poor country right now, even though it's getting better. It's very possible that now was the earliest chance she had to get here."

"But she still should have written or something," Nino spoke up. "Mail between the States and Japan has been open since the war ended."

"I agree! She should have written! But again, it could be a part of the entire surprise thing?"

"Look," Nino said looking at Jun. "You've moved on. You have a wife who loves you unconditionally, five amazing yet stubborn hard-headed kids, and family around you who loves you no matter what. You're not thinking of giving all this up, are you?"

"Of course not!" Jun snapped. "How could you even think—"

"Then let her know that you are not interested!" Satoshi spoke for the first time all night. "Tell her she needs to leave! I was there when she left you, remember? Do you remember the hurt and pain you felt when she told you she didn't love you? I do! I do not wish to see you like that ever again, Jun! She's not welcome! She's already hurt you enough. Do you really want Charlie and Sam to be around that negativity?"

Everyone got quiet as they looked at what Jun would do. Finally, he answered them. "Of course not."

--

The next morning, Ami had breakfast with everyone like she was a part of the family, but Charlie and Samantha stayed as quiet as if they weren't even there. Samantha even refused to look at her mother.

After everyone ate, Jun stood up. "Ami," he said, getting everyone quiet. "When you came here yesterday, I didn't know what to do or what to expect. I was angry, furious, and above all confused. You left here claiming that you didn't love me or my children, and it took me close to five years before I finally accepted that. In that time, I met the real love of my life and we've made a beautiful family together."

Mao smiled at him and looked down to hide her small blush.

"Whether or not you want to have a relationship with your children is none of my concern. If they wish to have contact with you, they may do so. However, I want nothing to do with you. I've moved on with my life and I don't need a mistake from my past coming back to make me forget everything I've ever worked hard for."

No one spoke. Ami looked up at Jun in surprise before she finally stood up to face him. "You always were a dramatic person," she said, losing some sweetness to her voice. "I was hoping we could get over our differences, but I really wasn't expecting you to move on the way you did. You always were so in love with me. I never imagined that you could really forget all about me. But, I guess that means that I never gave you enough credit to begin with. You raised two children by yourself and fought against every racial hardship thrown at you, yet you never faltered or gave up. I never really understood how strong you were and now I see that you were always a much stronger person than I could ever be."

Jun stood still, and this was always one of Nino's favorite things about his best friend. When he stood like this, you could see how strong and proud he was and how graceful he could be at the same time. Jun was everyone's symbol of perseverance.

Ami bowed her head before looking back up at Jun. "It was nice to see you again," she told him. "Now, it seems like I have overdone my stay. I best be on my way."

As Ami walked out, Jun called out one last time. "Be safe on your way home."

Ami turned around and smiled. "I've survived an atomic bomb. I think I can surive another ship ride home."

--

Days went by. Life went back to normal with everyone working back in the fields and the children staying inside helping with chores. At night, everyone would either stay in or go to a movie show in town. When everyone was practically asleep, Satoshi and Nino would go outside and look up at the stars. It used to be one of the few things they could do together out in Poston, and sometimes as Nino sat in his husband's arms, he wondered what his life would have been like if the Japanese internment had never happened. As terrible as it was, it brought people together and made them really realize what was important. It was an unexpected side-effect of the government's cruelty.

"Do you think we'll ever go back?" Nino asked one night, breaking the silence as he looked up at the deep blue sky dotted with sparkling lights.

"Where?" Satoshi asked.

"To Poston."

Nino could feel Satoshi's arms get tighter around him. "It's probably all gone now," he said finally. "Probably all desert. No barracks, no fence, no guards."

"It's probably a beautiful place."

Satoshi chuckled. "Yeah, maybe. Arizona is a beautiful place. Especially when the sun sets and the sky gets colored with pink and orange and blue."

"When we die, we should have our ashes spread there."

"Why there?"

"That's the place where we fell in love." Nino turned around to look at Satoshi and felt his heart nearly implode with happiness. "Even if it was a terrible beginning, it's the place where I was the most happy because I was with you."

Satoshi sighed. "But... have our ashes spread there?"

"Why not?"

"I don't know. I just didn't expect you to be the one who would want to live in a scorching hot desert for all eternity."

Together, they laughed at the silliness of it, and they barely heard the phone ring inside. Nino sighed. "Who could possibly be calling at ten o'clock at night?" he asked as he rushed inside to answer it. He picked up the receiver. "Hello? This is the Aiba residence?"

"Hello, is there a Mr. Kazunari Ohmiya there?" the man asked on the other end.

"This is him."

"Mr. Ohmiya, your sister Natsumi and her husband Walter were in a really bad car accident tonight."

Nino felt himself go cold. "How are they?"

"Walter died instantly. Natsumi is in critical condition and we don't know if she'll make it through the night."

"What about their child? They had a little boy. He's only a baby. Is he okay?"

"He was not in the car with them, and he wasn't reportedly found at the site. Do you know where he might be?"

"He might be with Damien and Ayumi Ito. I have their number."

Nino quickly gave him the number and got the name of the hospital before hanging up. "What's wrong?" Satoshi asked as soon as Nino hung up the phone.

Nino struggled to find his coat and shoes. "Natsumi's been in an accident. Wally died, and they're still looking for Joshua. Satoshi, what if they don't find him? What if he's not with your sister? What if—"

"Hey, calm down," Satoshi said putting his hands on Nino's shoulders. "It'll be okay. He'll be found."

Nino took a shaky breath. "I hope so."

"I'm coming with you," Satoshi said as he threw on his shoes. "We'll take the truck. Masaki will understand when we call tomorrow."

As fast as they could, Nino and Satoshi made the two and a half hour drive to Los Angeles. As soon as they got to the hospital, Nino ran inside and went straight to where his sister would be. When he got there, he saw Ayumi and her husband, Damien, sitting in the waiting room solemnly. Damien stood up and walked over to him. "I'm sorry," he said. "They just came out and told us. Natsu didn't make it."

Nino felt his legs give out and would have fallen to the ground if Satoshi had not been behind him. He couldn't believe it. First his mother a few weeks ago, and now this? His sister was gone. She had been the strongest woman he had ever met, and now she was gone in an instant. Nino couldn't stop his tears from flowing freely as he badly wanted to hit something.

Nino felt a small tap on his shoulder and looked up to see Ayumi standing there. Gently, she held out a small bundle to Nino and he took his one year old nephew in his arms without a second's thoughts. As soon as Joshua was sleeping soundly in his arms, he felt a sudden lightness come over him. It calmed him down if even for a moment.

--

When Nino woke up the next morning, the first thing he knew was that his neck hurt. He opened his eyes and cursed when he realized he had fallen asleep sitting up in one of the hospital chairs. He rubbed his neck and looked down to see that Joshua had just woken up as well. He rubbed his eyes and looked around him in surprise before noticing Nino. "Good morning Joshie," Nino said rubbing his back. "Do you remember me? I'm Uncle Kazu."

Perhaps Joshua hadn't fully woken up yet because he just looked at his uncle in surprise. He didn't cry like Nino thought he might.

"He's a good kid."

Nino looked up to see Ayumi walk towards him with a coffee in her hand. He gratefully took it as she gently sat down so she didn't disturb her large stomach. "He never cries and hardly ever fusses," Ayumi continued. "The only time he cries is when his mother leaves or when he gets hurt."

"My mother said I used to act the same way," Nino said. "Must be a genetic thing or something."

Ayumi frowned as she sat back. "He doesn't have a mother anymore."

"Don't." Nino looked over at her. "I just woke up. I really didn't need to be reminded of that."

"I can't believe she's gone."

Nino could hardly believe it either. It had barely sunk in, and the night before seemed like a dream. "Where's Satoshi?" he asked.

"He's been on the phone all morning," she said. "He said he needed to call Masaki and let him know where his truck went and then he would call about funeral preparations. He said he would try to do most of it so that you didn't have to." Ayumi looked over at Nino. "He really loves you, you know?"

"I hope so," Nino remarked as he tried to prevent Joshua from getting his coffee cup. "We've been together for nearly fifteen years."

"I guess I just never realized it until now."

When Nino finally got his cup away from his nephew, he began bouncing him to make the little boy laugh. "Who's going to take Josh?" he asked. He hated to ask the question, but he had to know.

Ayumi looked at him in shock. "Natsu never told you?"

"Tell me what?" Nino looked over at Ayumi in surprise.

Ayumi cleared her throat. "Right after Joshua was born, she named you his guardian if anything were to happen to her and Walter."

Nino froze. "She never told me."

"She probably never thought anything would happen."

Nino looked over at the little boy who was now sucking his thumb and for a second he couldn't think straight. Nino was now his legal guardian? Natsumi had never told him anything. He and Satoshi had never thought about children because they both knew they couldn't have one. But now it was different. Was it even something they both wanted together?

When Satoshi came back, Nino told him what Ayumi had said. Satoshi looked just as surprised as Nino about the thought. "But... they made the will with an attorney, right? Could they allow a gay couple to take in a child?"

"If she didn't tell them we were together, then it wouldn't be a problem. Satoshi, if I take Joshua—"

"If? Are you saying you don't want him?"

"I never said that! But this involves both of us. If I'm his legal guardian, I would become his father. So would you, in a sense. Is that something you want?"

Satoshi was quiet as he thought about it. "I've always wanted a child," he said finally. "But if I wanted a child I would have to give up you. I never believed I could have both."

Joshua looked up at Nino as if to say 'Well? What do you say?' In his eyes, Nino saw himself. Mama had said once before that when his real parents died, he had been with her and her husband. They had taken him in like their own son. They became the parents he knew and loved and they had always accepted him without a moment's hesitation. Now that Nino and Josh were in the same situation, how could he not take him in?

Nino smiled. "Satoshi, I think we may have gotten our wish without really making it."

--

After a small funeral involving only their closest friends, Natsumi and Walter were cremated and buried along with Nino's mother in the Los Angeles Cemetery. Nino had to sign a few legal documents, but after a week of preparations and getting everything finalized he was finally allowed to take Joshua Louie Ohmiya home with him to Bakersfield. Joshua took to everyone in Bakersfield pretty easily and enjoyed every bit of attention he was getting. The girls loved sewing him and knitting him things, and Tommy and Jon thought it was the best thing in the world that they had taught their new cousin how to catch so early on.

And Joshua's two fathers had fallen completely in love with him.

"It took ten years to get us to this point," Satoshi said one night as he and Nino watched him sleep. "Who knew that so much good could come out of one bad place?"

"I wouldn't necessarily call it bad," Nino told him. "Poston wasn't bad. I think, as far as how as were treated, it's up to us to make sure our children never go through something like that."

Satoshi smiled and kissed his neck softly. "God, I love you so much."

Nino turned and faced his husband, smiling and he leaned into his arms. "I love you too."