Flowers From Above

Chapter Fifteen

By now I was nearly liberated almost free while the earth laughed in flowers I was in my own field throwing cartwheels I hadn't done since I was six years old. Handstands against trees and swinging off their branches. I was beginning to feel lighter almost as if I was drifting away to a destination far away from here.

Shizuku had completely moved in to Akihiko's apartment. There was no spare room, bunking on the sofa, they now shared a bed properly and were entirely besotted with each other.

It was not that Akihiko forgot me, nah, never once or Shizuku.

There were certain days that Akihiko would be working in his office and he'd catch a glance of my smiling picture that lay there in it's silver frame on his desk. He loved that picture the most, I can remember it well too, it was when we had first gotten together.

And Akihiko would always smile back at me too.

My brother came back to Japan that fall when he did Manami ran into his arms at the train station while he then swooped her up spinning them both as they cried tears of happiness. It was so beautiful and reminded me of an old tragic black and white film.

Takahiro and Akihiko worked out their relationship. He apologised for taking it out on Akihiko and that it was never his fault but his own for not being in my care.

"Do you think Misaki would ever forgive me?" He asked the same question so many times to Akihiko that he was running out of answers.

He'd always reply yes.

What my brother didn't know that I'd forgiven him a long time a go, I wasn't sad or angry, not any more. With no one.

But what I never thought would happen happened, my brother finally came to me. He opened their bedroom window of his apartment letting in a soft autumn breeze.

Takahiro experienced the feel of it's chill stroke his cheeks, swim throughout his hair and the white cotton curtain brush upon to his arm as he leant there against the frame watching the clouds slowly pass. I'd been waiting for him for so long that I thought he'd never come.

"I love you, Misaki" He said.

He wasn't sure whether or not I was there but I was listening. I had always been listening, watching over him. But he knew it was now probably time to leave me in his memories where I belonged.

A few years later when it hit the summer of 2012 Takahiro was outside in their garden pouring himself a glass of fresh iced tea from it's jug then planted it back onto the table.

He'd been working all morning on the sweet roses bushes that he'd worked up such a thirst. It had been two years now that they had been able to afford and move into their own house. Come to my surprise the house looked quite similar to the one we both had lived in as children with our parents.

Then suddenly he heard the door slide and looking over his shoulder he grinned at the pair. Cradled there in her arms was my dear chubby roly poly squish ball baby nephew, Takahashi Mahiro.

"I thought I'd bring him out, he was getting cranky inside" She laughed.

Takahiro lifted out his arms to him so she could pass over his son. He supported Mahiro in his arms and gave him tender kisses on his squishy cheeks.

"Is that true hm? You're a cranky little man?!" He chuckled.

Manami giggled along too then looked over to the rosebushes, she headed to them and fingered their delicate crimson petals.

"Oh wow, they've really bloomed well this year haven't they?!"

Takahiro buckled his son up more slightly and followed her where they were all now gazing at the flowers.

"Yes, it's strange they never usually do this well, I wonder why that's happened?" He questioned.

"Hm...I'm not too sure" She said. "Didn't you tell me your mother used to plant them too?"

"She did, but even then they never came out as beautiful as these dear."

"Isn't that bizarre.."

Manami then flickered her eyes onto the packets of seeds that lay in the basket.

"Oh what are those ones?" She asked pointing.

"Baby Romanticas" He responded. "I thought I'd plant them this year too"

"Well, I'm sure they'll come out just as good"

"Yeah, I guess they will."

And further away in town where Ijuuin had been washed upon it's beach, my "The Kan" keyring I'd won so long ago was still there embedded in the sand. Until a particular day a young boy who had once been a fan of the series found it when he was half way through building a poor sandcastle.

He jumped up in excitement squealing then he ran through his castle and up to his mother who lay sunbathing.

"Mom look! Look what I found!" He called out to her.

"What is it?"

He dangled my key chain in front of her and bounced up in joy. "The Kan" key chain! I just found it now when I was building my castle!"

"Oh, really? That is certainly something isn't it?" She said smiling.

"No you don't understand! These are so rare! Look at the date Mom"

He handed over the small chain where she scanned her eyes over it's date and rose her brow.

"1993" She read. "Wow"

"Can I please keep it?! Pleaaase!"

"Okay if it'll make you happy, although don't you think it may belong to a little boy or girl who really cherishes it?"

He took the key chain back and looked down onto it again.

"Maybe... but wouldn't they be all grown up by now Mom?"

"Yes, I think they would."

Nearly.

But not quite.

I hope you all have a long and happy life.

Finished!

Thank you everyone who read and reviewed it means so much!

Misa-kun is happy now in heaven and so is everyone else!

I hope you all enjoyed my story!

TB