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Hizashi placed the knee cushion in front of the vegetable patch and reached for the rake on his right. He adjusted his glasses and began to lovingly remove the weeds from between the tomato and cucumber plants. His movements were slow but purposeful, but it took him longer than before to remove all the weeds from that part of the patch. The years of heroic work were deep in his bones. He felt physically much older than he actually was.
He straightened up and pushed through his back when he heard a bicycle bell behind him.
"Papa," a woman's voice called cheerfully. Hizashi turned and saw Eri waving as she rode toward him. At the garden gate, she stopped and got off the bike. "Hey, my little listener," Hizashi said affectionately. "You're prettier every time you come to visit."
"Oh, Dad, don't say that. You're embarrassing me," Eri countered, blushing a little. Hizashi smiled gently and slowly walked toward his daughter. His steps were cautious and unhurried, making Eri walk the distance to him much faster.
"Oh dad, are you working in the garden again? I told you not to exert yourself so much," the young woman admonished, concern resonating in her voice. Hizashi laughed and replied, "I know, but working in the garden relaxes me, and I'm careful, after all."
Eri seemed unconvinced, but said nothing more and put a strand of her gray-blue hair out of her face.
"I brought some cake to celebrate today. Hitoshi was about to drop by, too." She was looking at her watch when a car stopped in front of the garden fence.
"Ah, there he is already. Speak of the devil," Eri said with a smile.
Hitoshi got out of the car and waved happily at Eri and Hiazshi.
"Sorry, I didn't quite get out of the agency on time," the young man apologized, but Eri waved him off.
"I just got here, too. So, all good."
Hizashi looked proudly at his two grown children. How far they had come. They had proven themselves in their jobs and had begun to raise their own families. Hizashi's heart swelled and a small tear rolled down his cheek.
"Are you all right, Papa?" asked Eri anxiously, tugging at his sleeve.
"Yes, my darling. Everything is just fine. I'm just so happy to see you."
Hitoshi and Eri looked lovingly at their father and Eri put her hand on his shoulder.
"Shall we sit in the garden and eat the cake?" she asked. Hizashi nodded and Hitoshi offered to get the plates and forks from the kitchen.
"Shall I put on some coffee too?" he asked when he was already halfway inside.
"Yes, that would be nice. Thank you very much," Hiazshi replied.
Eri hooked up with her father and together they walked to the small wooden seating area set up further back in the garden. Almost simultaneously with them, Hitoshi also came out with plates and forks. He placed everything on the round wooden table: four plates, four forks. "As soon as the coffee is through, I'll get our mugs. Go ahead and sit down."
Eri and Hizashi sat down next to each other and began to talk in a relaxed manner. Eri excitedly told that she had booked a vacation together with her boyfriend and that she suspected that he will propose to her during that time. She giggled like a little girl and Hizashi's mind drifted a little.
He remembered the time when Shouta and he had just adopted her. She was eight years old then and seemed so small and fragile. But when he looked at her now, he saw a strong and confident young woman who could accomplish anything she set her mind to.
"And here's the coffee," Hitoshi snapped him out of his thoughts. As the young man with the indigo hair approached them, Hizashi remembered all the countless training sessions Shouta had bullied the teenager into earlier and how Hitoshi was completely exhausted each time afterwards, often falling asleep still at the dinner table. Much to the amusement of his little sister.
And today he was the deputy head of one of the city's most successful hero agencies and fourth on the popularity scale. Moreover, his wedding was coming up next year.
The blond man smiled dreamily. He was so proud of the two of them.
Hitoshi put down the mugs and Eri spread a piece of cake on all four plates.
"Bon appétit, Papa," she said cheerfully. "And happy 25th wedding anniversary."
"Yes, that's right, happy anniversary, Papa," Hitoshi chimed in.
"Thank you very much, dear ones. It couldn't be a nicer day than sitting here in the garden eating cake with you two."
As the three enjoyed the cake, Eri noticed the blooming rose bush growing on a trellis behind Hizashi.
"Wow, that rose is blooming again. I feel like every year it gets a little more magnificent than the year before."
The two men turned to the rose bush and Hizashi's eyes moistened.
"Ever since your father gave it to me for our 20th wedding anniversary, it has blossomed every year without me having to do much. Water and sun, I guess that's all it needs."
"And love," Eri interjected.
At first this statement astonished the blond and he looked at Eri in wonder, but he also knew what his daughter meant.
He looked again to the rose bush and images flashed before his inner eye. Shouta, who stood completely haphazardly in front of him with a small rose plant and simply couldn't manage a decent sentence. Only "Happy anniversary!" was all Hizashi could clearly make out at the time. His husband has never been good with words.
"I do believe to this day that it was Nemuri who tipped Shouta off about the rose, even though they both always denied it," Hizashi began to tell. "Even after 20 years of marriage, Shouta found it so hard to find suitable gifts. At least for me." He laughed. "For you kids, he always found something and was anything but frugal."
"That's why Eri is so spoiled," Hitoshi quipped, getting a nasty look from his sister in return. Hizashi couldn't help but laugh out loud, and his children joined in.
"I never doubted his love at any point, but his gifts were always terribly inappropriate. Or let's say, at least most of the time. With this rose," the blond pointed to the plant with the deep red flowers. "He hit the bull's-eye with that one. Because after I retired from hero work, our garden was my most beautiful and favorite pastime besides music."
Eri and her brother listened to their father with interest and fascination, and could hear the love their father felt for his husband in his voice.
"Hey guys, sorry for the delay. Traffic was just awful." The three were snapped out of the moment and looked toward the garden gate.
"There you are," Hitoshi called out, standing up.
"I'm really sorry," Denki apologized again and fell around Hitoshi's neck, wrapping him in his arms.
"Hello Mr. Yamada. Hey Eri," he greeted the others as well. "Oh, you guys already ate the cake. I'm really late."
"That's all right," Hizashi reassured him. "Eat your cake in peace and then we'll be on our way."
Denki smiled kindly, sat down, and began eating his piece of cake. Hitoshi sat down next to him.
Hizashi could hardly believe that his son and Denki would be married as early as next year. They reminded him a lot of himself and Shouta and they would surely be just as happy. Again he looked to the rose bush. His heart became heavy. He felt Eri's hand on his. "Papa?" Hizahis turned to her. "I was just thinking that I would like to take a rose petal from the bush to put on Shouta's grave when we go to the cemetery later."
"That's a beautiful idea, Papa," Eri said caringly.
"I'm sure he'll be very happy about that," Hitoshi agreed, and Denki nodded hastily, his mouth still full of cake.
"I'll get a garden shears," Eri called and was up as well. Hizashi watched her go and when he looked back to the rose bush, he spoke, more to himself than to the others," Yes, he will certainly be happy about that."