April 2626

Asahi was alone at his home office in the heart of uptown Orchidsboro, making his way through a pile of students' assignments for Rapids and Estuary Biology 120 as well as another pile for Peninsular Geophysics 130 courses. The digital clock on his table indicated it was 11: 45 P.M.

Another day, another unforgiving stack of paper to give my constructive feedback on, he thought as he started re-organizing the paper based on whether they met the standards for a passing grade or if the students had to schedule an appointment for him to tutor them on the finer nuance of writing a scientific report. But this job pays well, is still in the same corridor as my schooling, and is something I can do anywhere so that I can balance bread-winning with parenting.

He leaned his head back on his chair for a little bit and massaged the side of his head before getting up to fetch himself a cup of cold water from the dispenser in the corner of his room. When he came back to his table, his eyes caught a glimpse of the photograph he had kept upright on his noticeboard with a pin. It was a picture of him as an 18-year-old spending the summer frolicking through a sunflower field with Ushio and Carossio almost twenty-five years ago.

I hope what people say about the dearly departed finding peace is true, he sighed. I certainly have not found it. Do I really need to die first to stop being tortured by guilt? I miss you two, wherever you are. Izumi is fine. I make sure she has everything she's ever needed and when I have extra money I do buy her things I know she like. Does that make me a good enough dad?

He promptly sat back down and buried himself in the endless stream of students' reports of varying quality, leaving comments every few pages about what the students could improve.

"Papacito," there was a rhythmic knock on his door, "are you still working? It's getting late."

"Yuu yuurseefff, Izumi, waii arr yuu still appp?" he replied. "Kamm in. Niit sammtiingg?"

The now 19-year-old girl entered with a tray of spiced black beans and shredded chicken, putting it next to Asahi's piles of paper. "I have a feeling you skipped dinner again. You really ought to take better care of yourself. I know you worry about supporting me through college, but that doesn't mean you can work yourself to the bone!" the girl said with a hint of concern.

"I hiitteed app a bauull of passtaaa foorr sapperrr," the almost middle-aged man responded without looking up from the paper he was grading. "Bbaat teenkss foorr daa biins enn shikeen."

"Another day, another microwaved pasta?" Izumi shook her head. "Papacito, you know I'm more than capable of cooking for you, right? Those instant kinds of pasta aren't very nutritious and that's why lately I've been making more of your favorite dishes. Tía Ayumi taught me the recipes."

Asahi just answered with "datts naiis of maii ssistterr" before focusing his attention on his chore.

"There's something I need your signature for," his adopted daughter handed him a parental permission slip. "For the Fall semester, I plan to join two of my professors and some sophomore students on a trip to Amethyst Archipelago in Black Elm. I'll be gone for four months."

"Iiinterressting," Asahi replied. "Werrr spesiffikkalli innn da arrrkiipelaaggo?"

"The homeland of the Crystal Lilacs tribe," the teenage girl smiled sweetly. "My biochemistry professors are conducting research on the habitat of Kulambas, a seahorse-dolphin hybrid."

"Siihorsss en dollfinns?" Asahi's lips slightly curved upward but then it was as if a light bulb went off in his head. All the blood drained from his face as he shrieked, "Nottt daaa osshiiyyann! Nottt daaa ossshiiyan! Enniwerrrr battt derr! Kullttt yuu not choose ennaderrr destiiinashon?"

"Papacito," Izumi gave him a hug and rubbed his back as he started having a panic attack. "It would be perfectly safe, I promise. I'm not going there all by myself, remember? I won't be alone. Prof. Gibran-Kumar and Prof. Valentina will lead the program. You know them, right?"

"NOTT DAAA OSSHIIYAN!" Asahi kept on hyperventilating, completely oblivious to all the details Izumi had given to pacify his fear. It was as if nothing the girl said reached him. "AAA!"

Izumi tightened her hug on the man and sang him a gentle, enchanting melody to bring him out of his meltdown. When that didn't seem to do the trick, she decided to just wait it out.

"I–Izz-zuummii," he managed to say through several shaky breaths, "Aii... aii kennet approfff yuur foll ss-ssemestterrr plaann. Nott daa ossshiyan. Waii kennet it be mauunteeens?"

"There is a program to go to the mountains, yes," Izumi explained. "A research opportunity in White Banyan to study the propagation of a mutating breed of a plant called Crimson Yeast. Unfortunately, that will not take place until January and I would rather complete the academic requirement of studying abroad as soon as possible. I've been so excited too."

"Aii wuud raadderrr yuu posssponn yuurr foll ssemestterr," Asahi said through a series of labored breath. "Tekkk deee tripp to Wayyt Bannyaann in Jaaanuuarrii. Maach seffff-err forr yuu," he reached out for the girl's hand and squeezed it. "Ennn proobablii less eksspensifff."

"I've always meant to ask," Izumi stared into his eyes quizzically. "What is it with you and your avoidance of the ocean? You're a hydrologist. The ocean is a part of the water system of our world and yet here you are, refusing ever to set foot on a beach again and even forbidding me to. That's not normal behavior. So, what's up with that?"

"Daat," he gestured weakly to the photograph on his noticeboard, "datt wosss waii."

"Huh?" Izumi glanced at what to her was a perfectly good picture of friends hanging out and being carefree. "You're not making much sense, Papacito. Maybe you need to rest."

"DAA OSSHIYAN TEKK DEMM!" Asahi clutched his chest, "enn ollmoss tekk da bebbi tuu."

"Whose baby?" Izumi frowned. "The girl in the photograph's baby? But the baby survived?"

"Shii did. Onnlii bekosss of a miirakkell. Daa naiisss elefann, shii owwt demm herrr laifff."

"What elephants?" Izumi grew increasingly confused. "Papacito, are you hallucinating?"

"Deii arrr riill!" Asahi said. "Ass riill asss yuu ennn aiii. Enn fferrrii smmarrt animal tuu."

"Yep, pretty sure you've tired yourself too much and are seeing hallucinations," Izumi sighed but the sympathetic look in her eyes betrayed her outer display of annoyance. "Papacito, you need to go to bed already. Go to sleep, okay? You've obviously pushed yourself to the limit."

"Yuu go tuu slipp," he panted, "aii kenn steii here. Plisss, lifff mii allonne foorr nauu. Pliis?"

"But what if you hurt yourself?" Izumi helped him go back to his seat. "I need to watch you."

"Izumi," he held a hand up. "Aifff lifff witt dis konndiitiion olll maii laiif. Daaa oddittorrii sensoorii off-errload, aii miin. Aii will biii faaainn s-ssoon."

"Yeah, but this episode is different from any other I've seen you had. This is the first time you mentioned something that clearly is not in the room," Izumi closed her eyes and exhaled. "I think you could get seriously hurt if I leave you alone."

"Ittt issss not yuur job tuu worry abbaut mii," Asahi caressed her cheek. "B-bbatt maii job tuu worrrii abbauutt yuu. Aii promisss yuur papa."

"Yes, I know. You've told me the story a million times. You and my dad were best friends. Before you moved permanently out of your place of birth, he gave me up for you to raise."

"Daatt storii," Asahi said with eyes that sparkled from accumulating tears, "isss a gross offf-err–simplifikattshon. Aii kenn tell yuu daa truut, nottiing batt da trut, if–"

"If I cancel my trip to Amethyst Archipelago?" Izumi cut him off. "That's just mean."

"Yuu... yuu donn andersssten!" Asahi said pleadingly. "Aii.. haaff to kipp yuu seff."

"Safe from what?" Izumi folded her hands. "What you've done all these years is not about protrecting me, but about keeping me isolated! But I'm through. Stop sheltering me."

"Aii hafff maii riison."

"You are projecting your own problem onto me!" the girl yelled in frustration. "And you're in the way of my happiness. Your best friend would be disappointed in you."

"Maii bess frenn... wuud?"

"Of course. He'd say you're a narcissistic person, getting too absorbed by your own reality that you ignore mine. He shouldn't have given me to you, but to Tía Ayumi."

"T–tekk it bekk," Asahi started crying and punching the wall, "t–tekk bekk wott uu saidd."

"Something about your reaction tells me I'm right," Izumi sneered. "Good night!" she left the room, making a show of slamming the door as hard as she could while she was at it.

Once his adopted daughter was out of his office, Asahi brought the photograph close to his heart.

"S-syo," he closed his eyes and his whole body shook. "Amm skaared. Aii.. aii wiss aii werr ded ollrediii. It shuud haff biin mii, naiinn tiin yerrs eggoo, daiiying. Not yuu, nott–" his breathing became irregular. "Waii did itt haff tuu bbeee yuu? Arr yuu dissappointeddd in mii?"

He grabbed the corner of the table to steady himself as he was getting up, but he fell on his knees. "Aii shuud hafff swamm better. Denn yuu wuuddd still biii ellaiiff en Iz–Iz.." Asahi's body could not take the emotional strain and his eyes fluttered shut.

The 45-year-old still had not woken up when his adopted daughter returned to the room and stole the photograph straight out of his outstretched hand.

"You're predictable," she rolled her eyes. "You made this too easy. All I had to do was to count down to the inevitable time when you would exhaust yourself."

Izumi studied the photo she took from him. "Time for some investigation on my own."

—

It took Izumi several tries before her long-distance video call to Golden Valley would be successfully set up, but she was finally able the get hold of Ayumi at around 3.30 A.M Orchidsboro time or 10.30 A.M Golden Valley time.

"Mija," her aunt sounded both surprised and excited at receiving an unexpected call. "Isn't it still the crack of dawn where you are? Wait, even earlier than that. What are you doing still up?"

"I have a question only you know the answer to."

"Is that so?" Ayumi's face darkened with a hint of worry. "Then wouldn't texting me be better than making yourself awake at such an ungodly hour like this? Or e-mail. That works too."

"This can't wait," Izumi begged. "The suspense is killing me."

"What suspense?" Ayumi rose an eyebrow. "Mija, is my brother okay? Your question isn't about some type of emergency, is it? If something is wrong with him, call the local emergency number. Seriously, you're making me so on edge. Is Asahi-kun okay? May I talk to him?"

"He's out of commission for now. He knocked himself out."

"Overworking again?" Ayumi sighed. "I feel like I should visit you guys as soon as possible. If he won't listen to you telling him to eat healthier and sleep at a reasonable hour, then it's my duty as an older sister to give him the stern talking that has been long overdue."

"Tía Ayumi," the girl began, "why is it that he always recoils when I ask anything, and I mean anything, that even remotely mentions the ocean? Isn't a hydrologist supposed to study the ocean too? How could he call himself a hydrologist if he has thalassophobia? I assume that's what he has. Aquaphobia means he would be afraid of the swimming pool too, but he isn't. He's fine going to water parks with me. So it's got to be thalassophobia, fear of water's depth."

"Oh!" Ayumi's face fell. "Was that what triggered him today? You mentioning the ocean?"

"Pretty much. I was asking his permission to go to an archipelago in Black Elm and he freaked out on me!" Izumi threw her hands up. "Did he have a bad memory of Black Elm or something?"

"Close enough, but no," Ayumi sighed and had a far-off look in her eyes. "The short answer is that mentions of the ocean would bring him back to a tragic day in his youth. The long answer is not my place to tell you and you would have to wait until he's ready to tell you himself."

"Why wouldn't anyone tell me anything important in the Rivera-Sakamoto household?" Izumi sighed. "You were my last hope. Abuelo and Abuela were so tightlipped about Papacito's past, even reprimanding me for sticking my nose where it's not wanted, so who else is left?"

"Izumi, mi cariña," Ayumi pinched the bridge of her nose. "Some secrets aren't meant to be revealed before the people with the secrets want to reveal them. Just respect your Papacito."

"I am through being treated like a kid!" Izumi screamed before flashing Ayumi the photograph she stole from Asahi's home office. "These two, what are their relationships to Papacito?'

"D-dios mio!" Ayumi put a hand to her mouth. "Where and how did you obtain the photo?"

"Doesn't matter. Tell me, Tía. They weren't just his friends, were they? Did he have a girlfriend before adopting me? Is that what the secret is about? He had an affair by the ocean? Have I been his real daughter all along and he was too embarrassed to admit he impregnated the girl his best friend liked? So the whole adoption story is a cover-up for an affair? I wasn't adopted?"

Ayumi couldn't help but broke into a burst of riotous laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"Izumi, your Papacito was and has always been single!" Ayumi said after wiping the tears left by her uproarious laughter. "That's Carossio and Ushio."

"Caro–" Izumi's eye grew larger. "Just like my middle name but masculine. Which means–"

"We should stop the video call," Ayumi grimaced. "That's enough for today."

"No, no, don't hang up!" Izumi pleaded. "Helloo? Heyy? Ah fuck."

With her aunt abruptly hanging up on her, Izumi walked herself through the clues she had managed to collect.

The man's name is Carossio, she thought, and my middle name is Carassia. Can't be a coincidence. It's too convenient to be a mere coincidence. We must be related by blood.

Papacito doesn't have an affair, according to Tía, she kept on thinking. This means that lady had always been Carossio's girlfriend from the start and no infidelity happened. Which means... Carossio and the lady did the deed and had me. I'm looking at pictures of my parents! But why wouldn't Papacito want me to even see their faces?

Izumi mentally played how Asahi's meltdown had involved him screaming "Not the ocean!"

Is there... a beach in the place where Papacito was born in?

The girl typed her question into a search browser and an interactive map and geographic layout of Golden Valley popped up, showing the beach surrounded by forested areas. Since the map was interactive and real-time, it showed what it really was like at the beach when Izumi navigated the map. A majestic sight of tiny winged elephants flying over the ocean astounded her.

He did mention elephants! So it wasn't a hallucination. He also mentioned a miracle. Wait, was I the miracle baby he was talking about? But what would an elephant have to do with the ocean?

Izumi typed up a new search query into the browser, using the keywords Carossio + elephants.

A plethora of news portals flooded Izumi's search results with sensationalized headlines. She skimmed through them and picked one that say Heroic Act of Service Saved Baby, But Wasn't Enough to Keep Baby's Dad Alive. The news read as followed:

Yesterday morning, Carossio and his wife Ushio had taken their baby daughter, Izumi, to the Golden Valley beach. In the couple's tribal traditions, taking a baby to the beach is a gesture of respect to the tribe's most beloved animal, a hybrid of elephants and birds known as the Gaburs.

What started out as a day for tribal ritual turned deadly as the couple and their baby got caught up in the very first tsunami Golden Valley had ever experienced since 2355. Understandably, the tsunami left everyone devastated. A glimmer of hope arrived, however, when an unscathed baby Izumi was spotted by several villagers clinging onto a ginormous Gabur while flying to the Valerian Mountains.

Our journalists, some of whom were already stationed at Golden Valley at the time of the tsunami, helping residents recover, said they could personally confirm the sighting of a Gabur carrying a baby to safety. At the same time, the baby's father Carossio didn't survive.

Carossio passed away in the warm embrace of his best friend Asahi, the son of the Tribal Chief Leader of Golden Valley, Ardiansyah, and owner of the local hotel, Kahoko Rivera-Sakamoto.

Oh, man! Oh, man! I gotta apologize to Papacito! No wonder he reacted badly to my news of going to an ocean! He tried to save my dad alongside the elephant-bird hybrid and failed! Izumi was horrified at her rudeness. I still don't know what my biological dad's last words were when he was dying, but now I know I would just traumatize Papacito further if I pry.

Izumi glanced at the watch she was wearing. It was currently 5: 35 PM and she was taken aback at how much time had passed unnoticed when she was deep into her investigation.

The girl hurriedly ran upstairs to where Asahi's home office was. She turned the doorknob on but it was locked. When she knocked, there was no answer.

Don't tell me... This time he... did not wake up?? Izumi thought frantically. What've I done??

"PAPACITO! OPEN UP! I'M SORRY! I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SO RUDE!"

Complete silent. Izumi's heart sank. But he's only like 45-year-old, right? He can't die yet.

"ASAHI-SAN?! Can you hear me? It's Izumi. I understand. I get that you were just trying to protect me. Please... Please wake up and open the door."

Wait, he never left his door locked and it certainly wasn't locked when I stole the photograph! A hint of hope started blossoming in Izumi's mind. And we can't lock the door from the outside.

"I know you're awake already, Papacito. Are you mad at me? Why is the door suddenly locked? What are you doing inside?" Izumi knocked again. No answer still. She knocked louder.

"Papacito..." Izumi's hand fell to her side. "I really hurt you badly, didn't I? So... you're not forgiving me? You won't let me in?" her lips trembled. "I-I know about Carossio."

When there was still no answer, she began to wonder if Asahi had set up a password for the door.

I hope it's just numbers and not fingerprints, Izumi inspected the door. To her relief, there was a new, not previously seen, slot where she could punch in up to 6 numbers.

Could it be his birthday? Let's try? 06-26-81.

The light turned red. Izumi tried again with Ayumi's birthday to no avail. There were only several choices now: her own birthday, Carossio's birthday, or Carossio's date of death.

The news never mentioned Carossio's birthday, so I really hope it's my birthday Papacito uses as a password. Please work! 03-29-07.

The light turned red again just like on Izumi's many previous failed attempts. Her heart ached when she realized it meant Asahi had set the password up to be Carossio's date of death.

His date of death and my birthday must be two separate things because he must have brought me to the Gaburs, like, a week or a month after Mom and I got discharged from the hospital. Let's see... wait! What if it literally is TODAY? Like, could today be exactly the anniversary of Carossio's death? Izumi winced at how dark Asahi's mind sounded. Okay, 04-02-26.

The light turned green and the teenage girl rushed in. She was surprised to see Asahi not at his usual table hunching over a stack of paper but in front of an opened, ceiling-high window through which the sunset gave the entire room an ethereal orange glow.

"Whoa..." Izumi marveled. "Que hermosa. Papacito, ¿Qué estás haciendo?" she called out.

"What are you doing?" she repeated in English. "You like watching the sunset, eh?"

When there was still no response from Asahi, she was about to repeat in Japanese when she noticed the reason he wasn't responding to her was that he had been talking to the air in a sign language she couldn't interpret.

Is he talking to Carossio? He must be, right? Maybe Carossio died at sunset?

"Want me to give you some space and come back later?" Izumi asked, but a split second later she realized Asahi was inching closer and closer to the edge of the window, dangerously just a step away from falling to his demise.

"PAPACITO, STOP!" she ran toward him and hugged his leg. "Stop it. It's not your time yet, trust me. Carossio wouldn't want you to kill yourself. I know you miss him, but this isn't the way to go to spend an eternity with him. You still have something to do here, with me."

"Y-yuu knoo S-syo isss yuur papa?" Asahi finally spoke up, but still not tearing away his gaze from the mesmerizing sunset. "Aii.. Aii am a disssappoinnmen to S-syo bekos aii... aii haff madde his hija u-u-unnheppi," he tried to leap from the window but Izumi pulled him away.

"L-Lett miii go, I-Izzuu-mii," he said through quivering lips, "L-let mii go, p-por favv-orr."

"No, I need you!" Izumi's hug on Asahi's leg tightened. "You have never been a disappointment. Not to Carossio, not to me, or anybody else. I– I should've been more grateful for how hard you've worked to make sure I have a good life," she said while tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Mi princesa," Asahi finally walked away from the window, "y-yuu... y-yuu knoo maii siikriits nauu," he held on to Izumi's shoulders with both hands before his knees buckled under him.

Izumi caught him before he hit the floor and then led him outside of the room and into the living room, where he could lie down on the couch infront of an electric heater made to resemble a fireplace. "It's been one long day for both of us, Papacito," she laid herself down next to him.

"S-syo enn aii," Asahi said with a sad smile, "kullt not bii toggedderr biikoss h-he onlii sii mii in a braadderrlii kaiiin of lafff," he closed his eyes and let out a choked cry.

"You were in love with him," Izumi said with a sense of wonderment in her voice. "And your love for him persisted even after he got together with mi mama. Do I get everything right?"

"Y-yaa. Enn aiii... still am in laff wittt him. Priisens tennsss, not enn ne-vverr will be passt."

"An enduring love that has lasted for decades," the girl was stunned, "and is still endless."

"H-he... h-he d-daiii in a t-tsuu-nnami," Asahi partially got up from the couch and buried his face in his hands, "datt aii wosss tuu pawerrrlesss tuu prifff–enn. A-amm s-ssori..."

"You tried to stop a tsunami?" Izumi asked. "Oh, that's your entire reason and backstory for studying hydrology! Dios mio... you care so much about the village and about mi papa."

"Aii.. aii am not a v-veerr-ri guutt hiidrollojjisss," he hugged Izumi tearfully. "Aii. Aii am da riison yuu... yuu haff no paareens. Aii.. am a fayyylurrre."

"You're not a failure!" Izumi returned his hug. "Tsunami isn't always in our control."

"Watt iff aii tell y-yuu... it soorttt of woss?"

"What do you mean?" Izumi gave him an inquisitive look. "How could we have controlled it?"

"D-Diip sii maiining kuult diisssrapp da e-ekkolojikall baalanns," he said very haltingly. "Een we wuudd nev-verrr kno if da maiiiniiing e-ekkuiipp-men leeds to da d-damaaajjinng of teekttonik plettts or errupshun of lafffaaa fromm annderrrgrauun v-vollkaaano."

"There could be some deep sea mining activities that disrupt the ecological balance?" Izumi tried to decipher what Asahi wanted to explain and the man nodded. "There were underground volcanoes?" she continued asking, almost in disbelief. "Milton Mining Company?"

For a fleeting moment, there was a flash of rage in Asahi's eyes.

"Wann enn onlii," he nodded. "Da saamm wann l-losing tuu a kk-kourr-tt kesss lasst sammer."

"The girl who initiated a court case against Milton Mining Company was so brave," Izumi responded with admiration in her voice. "And she goes to Blue Orchid University."

"Y-yya. Ayumi knoo her. Aii haff not met M-Moirra yet bekos ai wass eweii from homm in 2625. Aii woss teekking gapp yerrs. B-batt aii wat-tch-ed da k-kkourt kesss froom a b-bar. P-praud of h-her."

"Maybe you'll get to meet Moira very soon, Papacito," Izumi said earnestly. "I've wanted to meet her too. That's why I signed up to go on a study abroad trip. As a sophomore, she would be studying Kulambas too," she paused to look Asahi in the eyes, "but I am okay now with not going. I know you're scared something terrible could happen while I'm there."

"I-Izuu-mii," Asahi looked his adopted daughter in the eyes. "W-Wott if aii tell yuu dat yuu kenn go nauu?" he smiled warmly when he saw her pleasantly surprised. "Yuu traiiying tuu s-stopp mii fromm kiillingg maiiseef madde mii riiilais laiifff en deatthh iss not in maii konntroll."

"You want me to go have fun in Black Elm?" Izumi almost couldn't believe what she heard. "Papacito, your approval of my study abroad program is the single most wonderful thing I've heard all day!" she flung her arms around Asahi's neck and hugged him gratefully.

"Datt is not oll," his smile grew even warmer. "Perhaapps yuu wuudd laikk tuu akkompanii mii tu S-Syo's en Us-sh-io's graves? N-not to comm-mmee-mmerratte derr detts b-baat tuu c-celebbrate derrr laaifs. Itt iss abbauut taiim aii lerrrn tuu siii m-mmaii memmorriis of dem not as a kurrs b-batt as a bless-ssing."

"I would love to accompany you," Izumi nodded. "Thank you for asking me to go with you."

—

Carossio and Ushio's graveyard was located a few miles northwest of the Valerian Mountains. It was a secluded stretch of land circled with sugar maples and black willows.

Asahi stopped in front of two graves with a life-sized statue of a Gabur with wings that were folded down to hide two heart-shaped headstones with carvings that read They went gently into that good night/ to welcome the dying of the light/ and fall as flowers/ in the garden of devotion / as we cherished the time we spent together/ for we too shall fall into oblivion.

"Were you the one who came up with that poem, Papacito?" Izumi said after she read the lines aloud. "The sentiments expressed were both melancholic and comforting."

"Aii d-diidd n-not. Your Abuela Kahoko en Abuelo Arrrdiianshahh d-didd," Asahi reponded.

"M favorite part of the writing on the headstone is that we should cherish the time we spent together," the teenager traced the letters with her fingers. "Papacito, didn't you say you had known mi papa ever since the two of you were twelve-year-old boys? And when he and mi mama passed away, they were twenty-six and twenty-eight respectively? That's fourteen solid years of friendship, Papacito. Something to really treasure."

"Aii sii dem in maii driimsss sammtaimms," Asahi said, tapping one finger on the side of his head. "Enn deii often akss hauu derrr bebbii guurl issss doiingg."

"You've been holding space for mi papa y mi mama for so long, " Izumi rubbed Asahi's back as the man just nodded silently and laid marigolds on his best friends' graves. "Papacito, love is an infinite resources, is it not? A renewable energy of sort."

"N-Not ennergggii, a f-forrss. Lafff isss a forrs."

"Okay, a force it is. Love is a force that grows exponentially when shared."

"Plisss e-ellabborr-atte," Asahi raised an eyebrow. "Ekksssponennsssial grout hauu?"

"The more love we give others, the more we receive in return, plenty of it!" Izumi said, gesturing to the sky. "Perhaps mi papa knew one day you'd be capable of sharing your love with everyone. With Abuela and Abuelito, with your sister, and... with me too."

"Aii...Aii supp-poss S-syo wuud hafff w-wantteddd dat," Asahi sniffled, "enn aii shuud hafff lernntt dis less-sson ss-sonnerr b-battt heii battahh la-ttteee dan ne-vvah."

"Papacito," Izumi gently held Asahi's hands, "please know that love endures. Love... endures."

"Meiibii yuu arrr raiit," Asahi interlaced his fingers with Izumi's. "Ayumi wannns t-tolld mii datt aii kuullttt see-mmiing–lii kerrrrisss en entaayyerrr oshhyaaan in mii harrrt."

"You do, Papacito. You do. She told me that too. She said her brother has always carried the depth of all the world's ocean somewhere at the bottom of his heart."

"Hauu diipp arrr oll da w-weerrrldddd osshhyaaan kombaiined?" Asahi pondered.

"Nobody knows. But I do know that you love us with the deepest love you have and your love shall endure. Love always endures."

THE END