Author's Note: This is the last chapter. This was a terribly sad story so I didn't want to make it too long. Chapter warning: you might need tissues.

A tense silence had settled over the table, and they had just been seated. Maeko and Shuhei had invited Kensei and Shinji out to dinner for a special occasion. During her stay in the bed over the last month, they had plenty of time to talk and get to know each other in depth. Shuhei had even attended her last doctor's appointment with her. Unfortunately, it was bad news. The valves had weakened to a point where blood would occasionally leak back into her heart which put her at risk for stroke and heart attack. They made the decision not to tell her father along with another life changing choice.

Shuhei and Shinji glared at each other like enemies analyzing their opponent before a skirmish. The female server appeared at the table and when she spoke it startled the two men who nearly jumped out of their seats. She in turn flinched violently from their unexpected reactions.

"Can I start you off with a bottle of wine?" she inquired.

"Yes, please," Maeko quickly spoke up. This was not the relaxing and enjoyable family dinner she had hoped for. "A pinot noir, please. A vintage no older than five years. I don't like too much acidity. What are you all having?"

The men gave their drink orders which were all alcoholic. It sounded like this was going to be the dinner from hell for everyone involved. Two glasses of wine into dinner and between the salad and main entrée, Maeko decided to speak up. She thought it would be better to give everyone heart burn now before their bellies were overfull with dinner.

"Shuhei has something to ask you, Daddy," Maeko announced without warning causing her boyfriend to choke on his beer.

"Well, what is it boy?" Kensei asked in his official father voice as the flustered black haired man tried to regain his breath.

"Sir, you know I love your daughter. I know we haven't been seeing each other long but –"

"Out with it," Shinji demanded as if he were talking to a criminal about to confess.

"Sir and …Shinji," Shuhei coughed after hesitating. He took a sip of water and cleared his throat. "I want to marry Maeko, and I'm asking your permission."

"You want to do what?" the blonde, now devoid of his Cheshire cat smile, asked.

"Are you sure about this?" Kensei inquired staying emotionless, staring at Shuhei with his piercing dark eyes.

"Yes. I love your daughter, and I want to be with her until death do us part however long that might be," he said boldly, feeling Maeko's hand clasp his under the table.

"All right. I don't see why not. It sounds like you two have discussed that at length and are quite sure about your decision. I know my daughter well enough to know that if she has set her mind to something it's going to happen whether I like it or not. With that being said, I'd rather give you my blessing and escort my daughter down the aisle than to miss out on the most important day of her life," he declared, getting up from his chair. He kissed his crying daughter and shook hands with his son-in-law to be.

Maeko stared at Shinji who appeared to be ready to cry himself but not for joy. She stood up from her seat without waiting for Shuhei to ask her and give her the ring to make it official. Leaning down to his ear, she whispered, "There's something I need to do. Just wait."

"O-okay. Hurry back," he stated with uncertainty, watching her as she walked by the sad blonde and patted him on the shoulder.

Shinji stood up, following Maeko outside of the restaurant. They walked down the sidewalk a bit to keep from being interrupted by customers going in the front door.

"Couldn't you have at least warned me?" he queried, staring down at the tips of his shoes.

"I'm sorry. You knew this would happen someday," she replied, touching his arm. She pulled back her hand when he recoiled from her.

"No I didn't, Maeko! But it's my fault, not yours. I was a silly romantic fool who chose to believe that in the end you would pick me and we would live happily ever after. I dreamed that we would have a house full of kids and you would live to be a hundred. I had it all planned out," he said, turning away from her.

Maeko went to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her cheek to his back. "You know that could never happen, Shinji. I probably won't even make it to the age you are now."

"I know but – "

"You shouldn't envy Shuhei. You should be glad it's not you. He's going to have a bedridden wife who can never have children and probably won't live to see her twenty fifth birthday. Is that really what you want?"

"Then why did you tell him yes! Why don't you just send him away?" he yelled, pulling her arms from around his waist.

"Because I'm being selfish!" she hollered back. "I'm only thinking about me and what I want! I want him! I would rather have three years of wonderful with him than thirty years of misery like some people!"

"Are you sure you will last that long?" he shot back cruelly without thinking.

"No. No, I'm not. I might only have three months. But I'll take it," she said, walking away from him and returning to the restaurant.

"What happened?" her father and her fiancé inquired in unison.

"Nothing. Everything's fine," she lied, swiping at her tears with her napkin. Their entrees had arrived so she swiftly dug in to avoid any further conversation. "Let's just eat. I'm famished."

Nothing could be further from the truth. She had no appetite whatsoever.

~\..'../~

Six months later…

'Where in the hell is that boy? I'm going to kill him if he's backed out,' Kensei thought to himself, glancing at his watch again. The wedding should have started thirty minutes ago. He went to the bride's dressing room to check on his daughter again.

Maeko was sitting in the chair by the window staring outside apprehensively. Every time a car drove by the church, she would jump to her feet and look to check if it was Shuhei. She twisted the piece of the long train from her wedding dress that she held in her hand.

"Daddy, where is he?" she asked tensely, making her father flinch.

Kensei pressed his hand to his wildly beating heart from his daughter startling him. He had no idea she was aware of his presence since she was so focused on the vehicles going by outside. 'I'm going to kill that boy for leaving her at the altar,' he thought as he watched a tear slide from his daughter's eye. He clenched his fists by his sides, quickly opening them when she began to speak.

"It's not what you think," she said quietly as if reading his thoughts. "There's something wrong. He would be here. Something has happened. I'm afraid."

Kensei crossed the room to his daughter, pulling her out of the chair and into his arms. He held her as she cried softly. It did not matter that she was drenching his rented tuxedo with her tears.

"Kensei! Maeko!" Shinji yelled, sliding into the room across the hardwood floor in his slick bottomed dress shoes.

"Shinji, what the hell is wrong with you?" Kensei growled, glaring at the overexcited blonde on the verge of full blown panic.

"The station just called," he managed to say between deep gulps of much needed air. "There's been an accident. It's Shuhei."

Maeko staggered back from her equally shocked father who had dropped his arms from her. She glanced around in a confused panic, searching for her purse and keys. Not bothering to take off her wedding dress, she moved toward the door.

"Well, what hospital is he at? Daddy, come on let's – " The words died on her tongue when Shinji grabbed her arm to stop her. She stared at him with fury and bewilderment when he held her arm firmly and shook his head.

"He's not at the hospital, Maeko," he panted, seeing the misplaced relief flood her.

"Well, good that means he's okay. Right?" She blinked as he just stood there not saying a word. The truth refused to sink in. "Shinji please answer," she begged, grabbing the lapels of his tuxedo.

"Sweetheart, he's dead," he told her, grabbing her before she could fall.

"No, no, no, no," she chanted, shaking her head in defiance. "You're lying, Shinji. You're making this up. Stop being mean. Stop it! Tell me the truth!"

Shinji stared into her dark gray eyes and shook his head. His tongue was not cooperating and he could not utter a single word. He watched her face crumble and knew what was coming next. He had experienced this before with newly informed widows. They fell to their knees together when the reality sunk in, and it crushed her emotions. Not worrying about his hearing, he held her tightly as she began to scream.

Kensei dropped to his knees beside his daughter, putting his arms around her as well while she bucked and kicked. Neither one of the men let go as she continued to howl in mourning while throwing punches at nothing in particular but landing a few that really hurt. Eventually the wailing cries of bereavement ceased as did the physical violence that was her pathetic attempt to fight the truth. They were left with a pale, panting mess of a woman who would never be married. As her lips paled and her breath began to come in noisy, wheezing gasps, they wondered if she would even make it through the day.

"Call an ambulance," Kensei ordered Shinji, taking his traumatized daughter into his arms.

"Don't bother. I don't want to live anymore," she murmured, gasping loudly afterward from a pain in her chest. It felt as if she had been hit in the chest with a sledgehammer.

"Baby, you can't…you can't do this," he said, tears running down his face and falling onto hers.

"Daddy, I love you," she rasped, breathing faster.

"Maeko, don't," he begged, shaking her when she closed her eyes.

Her heart was beating in her ears at a very slow rhythm while an invisible fist gradually squeezed it harder and harder.

"I've been lying to you. The doctor said it could happen any time now at my last appointment two weeks ago. He said stenosis had started and two of the valves were narrowing. The blood flow has been steadily decreasing to my heart. He doubted I'd make it to the wedding much less the honeymoon," she said, her voice a mere whisper.

"Oh, god, Baby, no," he cried, holding her close and rocking her as they sat on the floor. His daughter was dying in his arms and there was no way to save her this time. Even if there had been a way, he doubted she would have fought for it. "Things aren't supposed to happen this way. Parents aren't supposed to outlive their children."

"And grooms aren't supposed to die on their wedding day either," she added, struggling to breath. She made a horrible sucking sound in a futile attempt to draw air into her longs. "I'm sorry, Daddy. Forgive me."

Kensei felt her cold fingers lay against his cheek then slowly begin to fall away. He knew without even checking that there would be no pulse. Keeping his eyes closed tightly, he continued to rock her. It took two shots of tranquilizers, the paramedics, Shinji and two other police officers in attendance to make him let go of his daughter. He was the one taken to the hospital in the ambulance.

~\..'../~

Three days later there was a double funeral; a bride and groom that never made it to the altar were buried side by side. Maeko knew she would never get her happily ever after here on earth. Since Shuhei was with her, Kensei comforted himself with the fact that his daughter would have a happy for an eternity now.