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Kanto reigned in his ostrich horse and dismounted at the edge of town, then clicked his tongue and tugged the beast toward the market. It had been five years since Toph had brought Lin to meet him. She was the first thing he thought about when he woke up and the last thing as he fell asleep. He sometimes wondered if she looked like him, but then remembered he didn’t really have a right to wonder anything. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t hold a special place in his heart for her, though. Toph, of course, would always have his heart.
None of the people walking past him knew anything about what had happened, and the isolation seemed to press in on him as he walked among the stalls. He had few friends, and didn’t really leave the ranch for anything but trips to the market. It was so different from the life he had led in the city, but it seemed fitting after what he’d done, so he worked hard and tried to keep his mind busy.
Kanto hadn’t realized he was mindlessly walking through the market until a voice called out from a few stalls away. It was Kit. Kanto smiled at the sight. Kashaun stood nearby, arguing with one of the vendors. Kanto made his way to Kit and gave him a bear hug.
“How are you boys?” he asked. He eyed him up and down, noticing his clothes weren’t in tatters anymore, and his eyes were brighter.
“We’re great! Just here on a run,” said Kit, then he turned. “Kashaun! Just leave it if you don’t wanna pay. Come say hello!”
“Business is booming, I take it?” asked Kanto with a laugh.
“I guess you could say that. We have food on the table every night, anyways.”
Kashaun gave one last shout of disagreement, then dropped a few coins on the table. The vendor allowed him to choose four colorful fruits from the piles on his table, then Kashaun turned and walked toward them, stashing his prizes in a bag he had slung over his shoulder.
“I’ll see you next week!” shouted the vendor happily.
“See you later!” Kashaun returned just as jovially.
“It’s like a game for him,” Kit laughed. “He does it with everyone, they all love it.”
“Sounds like things are going well,” said Kanto, bumping Kit’s shoulder with his own.
Kit just grinned.
“Hey, Kanto!” Kashaun grabbed Kanto in a big hug and slapped him on the back. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m just in town getting a few things.”
“Well it’s great to see you! Congratulations, by the way!”
“On what?” asked Kanto curiously.
“We saw Toph and the new baby in the newspaper. She’s super cute.”
Kanto’s heart skipped a beat and his mouth hung open as he tried to think of something to say.
Kit nudged Kashaun as he was getting ready to say something else. “We just assumed. Sorry.”
Kanto collected himself finally. “No, it’s-it’s fine. Toph and I, we-” he cleared his throat, “we didn’t work out.”
Kit and Kashaun exchanged a look, and then Kashaun said, “I’m really sorry, Kanto.”
“It’s ok. There was no way you could have known. Listen, I’d better get going. It was so good to see you guys. I hope I see you around again.”
Kanto bid a hasty farewell and turned back the way he had come, his mind in overdrive. He made his purchases and found himself at home without remembering leaving the market. He had snagged a newspaper while he was there, and now he sat down at the table to read it.
There they were. Spirits, Toph was just as beautiful as the day he met her. Her hair was done up, save that strand that always fell out. He used to tuck it back in for her. Her smile stretched across her face, crinkling her eyes. In her arms she held a tiny baby. Snuggled up next to her was Lin. She was so beautiful. His own eyes stared back at him, bright and happy, and his heart skipped a beat. How he wished he could have been the reason for the grin on her face. But perhaps she wouldn’t be so bright and happy if he had stayed.
His mind drifted to where he was determined it wouldn’t, imagining who the other man was and what could have made him so much better. As he sat there feeling jealous and sorry for himself, he realized he had set the standard pretty low. It was him who left, and him who insisted he stay gone. No, whoever he was, he deserved that place in their lives.
Kanto’s curiosity got the better of him, though. The next morning he closed up the house and the barn. The family would come and check on the animals while he was gone. He made his way to the bay and got on a ferry. He almost didn’t get off when they reached Republic City, but he grabbed his coat and walked the familiar path toward the precinct.
He took the shortcut through the park, and was caught off guard when he found Toph with her two daughters having a picnic. There was a tree to his right, and in a panic, he ducked behind it as quickly as he could, watching.
Lin was earthbending, playing a game with someone familiar. With a jolt, he realized it was Sokka. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so surprised. Who else would she turn to? They just never seemed to be romantically entangled before, but that was years ago, and now his daughter laughed as Sokka scooped her up and swung her around. The new baby was cute as a button, sitting on Toph’s lap.
As if a switch flipped in his brain, Kanto turned around and leaned his back against the tree. The foolishness of what he’d done washed over him. He pushed off from the tree and started walking down the path, away from Toph and her family.
Kanto didn’t make it far before he heard footsteps behind him, then someone softly called his name. He stopped, suspecting he knew who it was. Without turning around, he said, “Hello, Councilman Sokka.”
“Former Officer Kanto,” Sokka imitated his official tone. “I would love to know what the hell you are doing here.”
Kanto exhaled then turned to face the other man. “I just wanted to see them, I guess.”
Sokka studied him for a moment. “You guess?” he scoffed. “So what did you see?”
Kanto’s vision blurred from the tears he never meant anyone to see. “I saw the life I could have had. The life that she deserves.”
Sokka studied him for a moment, seemed to soften slightly, then stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Look, I get it. This has to be the last time, though. You abandoned them, twice. You can’t have it both ways.”
Kanto swallowed the lump in his throat and with difficulty said, “I know. I’m sorry. You have my word.”
Sokka nodded “Good-bye, Kanto.” He turned and walked back, leaving Kanto alone on the path with nothing but one ache in his head and another in his chest.
Kanto turned back away from Toph and kept walking aimlessly for a long time, finally ending up at the pier where he boarded the last ferry to return to the mainland. It was the last time he would ever set foot in Republic City, and he knew it. He watched it grow smaller and smaller, then turned his back, lowering his head so nobody could see the tears.