Take the Next Step

Memories

Three years later: 

Sakura and Ito walked through a Mall with a stroller. Inside the stroller sat three years old Aiko.  Aiko wanted to walk, so Sakura raised her from the stroller and walked with her in her hand. Aiko was a beautiful, clever and sweet child; when she was born, Ito loved her as his child, and Sakura was grateful for all this. They lived a happy life since she was born, Aiko brought joy into the family, and for the first time, the married couple felt like parents to a beautiful child.  Aiko wanted to walk, so Sakura walked with her to the next shop. There she stood and watched the children in the store. She waved at them and told her mother she wanted to go inside. Sakura told Ito they had gone inside the store, and Aiko ran to the toys. She asked her mother: Can I have this doll, please? Sakura: Aiko, I think you have this doll already? Aiko: No. I don't have this one. Please, mum, please? Sakura: I don't know.  You have enough dolls, Aiko.
Ito saw them looking at the doll, and when he noticed how Aiko looked at it, he wanted to buy it from her. So he went towards them, took the doll, and said to Aiko: I will buy it for you. Aiko: Thank you. Dad. I love you. You are my favorite person. Sakura wasn't happy that Ito brought her the doll, but she couldn't tell him since he had already done so much for her.

They walked out of the shop, and Aiko hugged the new doll. Aiko didn't look where she had gone and ran into someone; she fell to the floor and began to cry. The guy kneeled to her and asked her: I am sorry, I didn't see you. Are you hurt? Sakura recognized the voice immediately. She looked up and saw Takumi standing before her. Aiko: Thank you, no, I am not hurt.  He helped get her up, looked up, and saw Sakura standing before him. They looked at each other; there was an awkward silence between them. Then, finally, Takumi began to talk: How have you been? Sakura: I am good, and what about you? Takumi: I also have been okay. I worked hard, and I have a meeting here. That's why I am in Tokyo. Sakura: Oh, okay. Then good luck. We should go. Aiko, let's go. Takumi: Maybe we could grab a coffee nearby and talk a little bit? Sakura: I don't know, I have to go too; Ito is waiting for me. Takumi: Yes, sure. Okay, see you. It was nice to see you. Sakura: Yes. Bye then.

Sakura turned around and walked with Aiko in her hand away. She couldn't believe that she had seen Takumi after three years. She trembled and couldn't hold her tears; Aiko saw Ito and ran toward him. He had to make a phone call because he had an important project, and they had questions about it. She was lucky that Aiko hadn't seen her cry. When she came, he knew that something had happened. He played with Aiko and asked Sakura: What happened? You don't look well. Did you cry? Sakura: Nothing. Everything is good. Ito: Sakura, I know you. Nothing is okay.

What happened? Sakura hesitated. She didn't know if she should tell him that she had seen Takumi again after all these years, but she didn't want to lie and said: I saw Takumi. Aiko had run into him, and Takumi talked to her and me. Ito was quiet for a while and then asked: How is he? Sakura: We didn't talk much, but he told me that he is good and has worked here to do, that is why he is here. Ito: I see, and did he say something else? Did he know that Aiko was his daughter? Sakura: No, I don't think he knew since he didn't look at her or speak to her. Ito: Will you tell him? Sakura: I don't know. If I want to see him again, maybe it is the best for us all. She was nervous because she didn't know what she should do if they met again.

They went home, and Aiko played with her dolls. Sakura peeled some fruits for her when Aiko asked: Who was this man? Sakura was shocked by the question and had cut herself with the knife in her hand, she bled, and Aiko ran and grapped a tissue. Aiko gave the tissue to Sakura; Sakura: Thank you. The man is an old friend of your father and me. Sakura hadn't thought that Aiko would ask her about Takumi, but since they had talked for a while, Aiko would been curious, and now she wanted to know who he was. Aiko: Oh, okay.  She then played again with her dolls, and Sakura went to the bathroom, took a Band-Aid out of the bathroom shelf, and put it on her cut. She knew she couldn't lie to her daughter all her life and didn't know what she would do if she saw him again. Sakura had heard that Takumi was very successful in his career, and she was happy for him, but she also knew that he worked so hard because he felt guilty toward Sakura and wanted to punish himself that way.  She was married to Ito, and Aiko was his daughter. But did Takumi know that Aiko was his daughter? Sakura didn't know, and that scared her, not because she was afraid but because she didn't know what she should do if he knew. After all three years, they hadn't talked or seen each other. Ito also hadn't talked to him after all that had happened, and Sakura, of course, knew why. She felt guilty towards Ito because he was still married to her and even raised a child that wasn't his.

Takumi returned to his apartment; he was working on a project when he suddenly thought of Sakura and the little girl he saw. He couldn't believe that he would see Sakura again after all that had happened. He knew that she and Ito hadn't moved away, but he hadn't thought they would meet at the mall. Sakura was still beautiful, and when he thought about the little girl, he knew it was his daughter. She had the same beautiful eyes as her mother and the hair, but the way she smiled and her eyebrows were the same as him. The face was round, and she looked cute with their hair tied up; he hadn't seen what she had worn because he had talked to Sakura. But he had noticed that her name was Aiko.

Aiko likes ai for the Japanese world Love and Ko for the Japanese word child, translated as Child of Love. He knew why Sakura had chosen this name for her child. Of course, when he separated from Sakura three years ago, he didn't even know that the child would be a girl or a boy. But when he saw her today, he couldn't describe his feelings towards her. He wanted to protect her from everything, and at the same time, he felt so guilty because he had left them even before she was born. He felt strange because he had met Sakura again, and they didn't talk much; he noticed that Sakura was shocked. But he couldn't blame her; he was also surprised and didn't even know what to say. And what did he expect that she would be happy to talk to him? He had left them and had hurt Sakura. He had also destroyed his friendship with Ito; they hadn't spoken since this day three years ago. Did Sakura tell Ito that they met, and what did he say?
Takumi didn't want to think about it and tried to work more when he heard a knock on his door; it was his secretary; he brought him his coffee and wanted to discuss his schedule for the following few days.

Takumi had worked hard, had many projects, and won many awards; after leaving Japan three years ago, he decided to move to the USA and work there in a company. He didn't sing to work in a company from his father, so he worked differently. After some years, he opened up his own company and now owns and operates his own company; he cooperated with his dad's company and another company and was successful. And two months ago he got an invitation to work with a company from Japan, so today he arrived in Japan after all these years and talked to the company, they had signed a contract, and after that, they went to eat something. And then he meets Sakura. He would stay in Japan until the project was finished, after three to four months, but it would depend on how big and how much time they needed since it was a big project involving other companies. Today he only met the leading company of the project, but tomorrow and the day after, he would meet the other three companies that would work with him on the project.

His secretary gave him a sheet of paper with the names of the other companies. As Takumi read them, he came upon a very familiar name: the company of Ito's family and Sakura's family. He hadn't thought they would be the other companies, but it made sense since they were so good and well known in this field. Takumi didn't know how he should feel about it, so he and maybe Ito would work together on this project for the next three to four months. He didn't know if Ito would be there since the companies were huge and had several employees. Perhaps they would work with someone else, but Takumi knew that Ito mostly did all the big projects with Sakura's father.

The next day Ito told Sakura that he had a meeting for a big project and would be late home. Yesterday he received a call from his father-in-law; he said they had an important project coming soon and would work with a well-known company from the USA.  Ito had received an e-mail about the company and when he read that this company belonged to Takumi, he couldn't believe his eyes. So, in the end, it was still fate that they would meet each other after all these years and work together. Ito didn't want to tell Sakura who the other company was, so he only told her that he would meet them today because he knew she was still shocked since she had to meet Takumi yesterday. Even after all these years, Sakura didn't love him, and he accepted it, but what would happen if he worked with Takumi? Would they meet more often, and would she tell him about Aiko? Ito knew that Takumi had the right to know about Aiko since he was her father, but was it a good idea after all that had happened?

He pushed the thoughts away, went out of his flat, took the car keys, and drove to the company. When he arrived at the company, his father-in-law also asked Ito: Did you receive the information about today's client? Ito: Yes, I was surprised to know Takumi had built his own company in the USA. Sakura's father: Yes, I have heard that a young and talented man had made his own company in the US, but I hadn't thought it would be Takumi. They went to the elevator, and Ito pushed the button when someone yelled: Wait. Ito held the door, and when he saw who came running behind the corner, it was Takumi.  Takumi: Thank you.

They looked at each other, and Takumi stood beside him in the elevator.