Interlude III: Right by Your Side
“Haaah!” Moroha jumped to the side and just barely avoided Jutaro’s wooden sword. It was a subtle motion, and she managed it at the last second, but the sidestep she made was pretty impressive.
Jutaro was undeterred, however, and came at her again with a blow from below. But even that was easily avoided.
She could read all of his movements. I wasn’t too surprised. She hadn’t triggered her Apotheosis, but her abilities were still far beyond human.
“Gh!”
Jutaro thrust his weapon toward Moroha’s throat, but she shifted to the side again. He found himself only striking thin air.
“Don’t neglect your legs.”
“Uwah?!”
A thud rang out as Moroha swept Jutaro’s legs. He was knocked off-balance, and quickly tried to readjust his posture. Moroha made her move once he was distracted by his own motions.
It happened in a flash. With speed invisible to the naked eye, Moroha brought her sword crashing into Jutaro’s stomach. He was blasted backward and collapsed. His wooden sword whooshed out of his hand.
“Was that... two strikes...? Or three...?”
“Mmm... I could barely see it, I could not.”
Hilde and Yae murmured to each other. It seemed like they were unable to comprehend the vast number of attacks that had just unfolded.
“Guhhh...!”
Jutaro stood himself up and charged toward Moroha once more, his posture looking different from before. Wait... I’ve seen Yae do that before.
“Kokonoe Secret Style: Flying Swallow Rend!”
The tip of his blade danced as he jumped forward, aiming a graceful strike at Moroha’s shoulder.
“You’re still too slow.”
Moroha simply shook her head and sidestepped the attack. She then used Jutaro’s own momentum against him, slamming her sword into the side of his neck.
“Hngh!” Jutaro fell to his knees in front of her, his wooden blade on the ground beside him.
...How scary. If that was a real fight, he’d have been decapitated.
“You’ve still got much to learn.”
“Jutaro-sama!”
As Moroha let her weapon rest, someone cried out and ran toward the defeated man. It was Ayane, the Kokonoe family servant. She’d come along for a visit with Jutaro.
Jutaro was completely beaten. He didn’t even have the strength to raise his head, but the shame-filled glance he aimed at Ayane before passing out stood out as strange to me.
“Geez... Didn’t you go a little hard on him?”
“He’s fine. I’m hardly gonna beat him within an inch of his life. He’ll open his eyes in no time.”
Moroha shrugged in response to my words. Beating a man unconscious still seemed pretty bad in my eyes, though.
I walked over and cast [Cure Heal] on Jutaro, along with [Refresh] for good measure.
“Dang it... Kohaku? Take Jutaro to the medical center.”
“As you wish.”
Kohaku transformed into her beast form, and I lifted the still-unconscious Jutaro on to her back. Ayane anxiously followed them both.
Moroha casually spoke to me as she watched them leave.
“He’s getting better, you know? He might even catch up to me one of these days. I can feel a pretty burning desire from him. It’s a strong will to get stronger. But he’s also kinda desperate...”
“He is impatient, he is... Mmm... I wonder if he is troubled, I do...” Yae mumbled and folded her arms. She was worried about her brother. Yae cared a lot for her family, so I wasn’t surprised.
Yae’s brother, Jutaro, was visiting us for the day. He had won the fighting tournament we’d put on a while ago. But then in the exhibition match afterward, he lost to Moroha.
Today, he’d come in an attempt to regain some of that lost honor. But he’d been defeated yet again. That was plain as day. The gulf between them was way too vast. Moroha was the god of swords, so it was kind of hard to even come close to her on her own turf. Though, to be honest, I think Jutaro was more interested in learning from her than just winning.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel bad. Ayane had come from Eashen with him, and she watched him get beat down pretty roughly... I could see the panic on her face, so I felt a little bad about letting Moroha go so far.
“I have never seen brother lose so badly, I have not. There are only a few people in Oedo stronger than my brother, there are.”
Heh... Well, I guess Jutaro is pretty tough by mortal standards. It’s not really fair to judge him against a literal god. Especially not one that can be such a no-good bully...
“Were you thinking something rude just now?”
“No! Not at all.”
Moroha was sharp as ever.
“...I will go and see how my brother is doing, I will.”
“Oh, I’ll come as well.”
I felt like even if he had something seriously wrong with him, Flora would be able to deal with it. I headed from the training grounds with Yae and walked through the castle until we reached the medical center. Jutaro was on a bed in the corner of the chalk-white room, breathing slowly.
Flora was there, dressed in her usual nurse getup, and Ayane was sitting uneasily by his bedside. Kohaku was also there, in her tiny form. She was curled up on the bed next to him.
“Ahh, Master. He is fine, you see. He has just fainted, you see?”
“I see. That’s good to know.”
...Guess Moroha was right, then. Probably shouldn’t have doubted her.
“I am sorry that this has happened...”
“What do you mean? My brother has no restraint in matters like this, he does not. It was his own decision.”
Ayane bowed her head to Yae and apologized, but Yae simply shook her head. She was probably upset about inconveniencing everyone. But in the end, Yae’s family was my family, and I wouldn’t consider something like this a bother.
“My brother has been acting strangely today, he has... Has something happened, has it?”
Ayane reacted with silence, only stopping to glance nervously in Jutaro’s direction. It seemed like something had happened, but I certainly had no idea what. We left Jutaro behind and walked out to the courtyard garden outside the castle.
This area was considered Cesca’s domain, and she treated it with as much care as she did Babylon’s garden. It wasn’t exactly as teeming with life, but it was a comfortable and relaxing place to hang out. It honestly irritated me that such a stupid, perverted maid had such hydroponic talent. She’d even been personally praised for her horticulture by Uncle Kousuke. Given that he was the god of agriculture, that wasn’t a casual compliment. Then again, she’d probably been specifically engineered to tend to plants.
Yae and I sat with Ayane in the courtyard and asked her what was going on with Jutaro.
“Recently, Jutaro-sama has been lost in thought almost every day... When I ask about it, he simply tells me everything is fine... I wonder if he has some kind of deep trouble that he cannot talk to me about...”
“My brother seems that troubled, he does? Hmm... Perhaps he is frustrated after hitting a roadblock in his pursuit of sword mastery...” Yae folded her arms together and tilted her head. If it was a problem with his swordplay, then obviously he wouldn’t want to bother Ayane with it. But still, I wondered just what his issue was...
If he was troubled by his swordplay reaching its peak, then I hoped that his loss against Moroha wouldn’t deepen that unease. I didn’t exactly want him to lose faith in himself.
“U-Uhm, Your Highness? G-Grand Duke? I-It may be terribly impolite of me to ask, but could you ask Jutaro-sama about his troubles?! As I understand it, men have an easier time talking to men...”
“Me? I mean... I guess if it’s just listening to him... I dunno if he’ll want to talk, though.”
To be honest, if he had issues with swordplay, I was hardly suited to giving him advice. I didn’t exactly have much in the way of swordplay.
But... if he was going to be my brother-in-law... I figured it’d be good to hear him out if he had a problem.
I left the two of them behind in the courtyard and headed back to the doctor’s office.
When I got back, the guy was awake in his bed. Flora was holding a smartphone over him, taking a few candid shots of his forehead. Or at least, that’s what it looked like she was doing.
Flora’s mass-produced smartphone had the added ability to look through things, much like an x-ray scan. It was a function granted by enchanting the device with my [Long Sense] spell and had great medical applications.
“There’s no problem with him, you see. He’s the picture of health!”
“I’m in your debt...”
He bowed to Flora and smiled, but his expression immediately shifted to a pensive one.
I asked Flora to step aside for a bit and took a seat next to his bed. He looked a little discouraged, but that didn’t seem to be the problem most prominently on his mind.
“Jutaro... I know you’re not feeling well, but is there anything on your mind?” I decided to just ask him directly. For a while, he made a face like he didn’t know what to say, but eventually, he just turned and started muttering.
“Uhm... Well... Ahh... C-Can I tell you a story about a friend?!”
“...Sure.”
A story about a friend? I don’t buy that for a second. Man... I asked you straight, and you’re gonna beat around the bush?
“This friend of mine... is in love with a woman, you see... But the woman will soon have a formal marriage interview, and be married off elsewhere... S-So, you see...”
“Huh?!”
“Wh-What is it?”
“...Nothing. Please continue.”
A formal marriage interview?! For real?! Wait... if the guy in this story is actually Jutaro, then... is the girl Ayane? Is that why you looked at her like that earlier... Wait, is Ayane getting married off?!
“The person this woman is set to marry is the successor of one of the richest clothing traders in Oedo. The family is quite enthusiastic to take her in and would like her to be married by the end of this year... And I, er... Ahem, my friend... is understandably upset, but he feels it is not his place to step in.”
“W-W-Wait a second! How can he just give up like that?”
“It is a matter of social standing... The man who will marry her is the head of a household, and a rich merchant. My friend, however... is a lowly soldier. Even if he was in good standing with Ieyahsu-sama, he is not of noble blood. It is clear as day that the woman would be happier if she married into the wealthy family.”
Hmm... I guess I can understand the concerns here... It’s true that the Kokonoe family is highly praised and respected in Oedo, and they even work directly with Ieyahsu himself... but the family honor lies with Jutaro’s father, not Jutaro.
Not to mention the fact that the position wasn’t exactly fixed, even if they worked for Ieyahsu, there was no guarantee his successor would keep them on. Jutaro could wait until his father passed, but there was no guarantee he’d come to head the family and the family would have the same level of importance by the time that came about. It wasn’t like he could just change the house he served, either.
Well, technically he could. Jutaro won the Brunhild contest, and many mighty contenders from Eashen were in attendance. If he introduced himself to anyone that saw him, they’d probably consider taking him on... But that probably wasn’t a real option either.
“So, for the happiness of the woman... he believes he should stay away from the situation. At least, that’s what my friend says.”
Yeah, I get it... You’re thinking about her happiness because you don’t want to ruin things for her. It was the same for me. When I decided to marry Yae and the others, I wanted to be sure that I could provide for them, and actually make them happy...
Suddenly, out of nowhere...
Shit!
“Love! Solutions! Decisions! Justice! Let’s connect the red string of fate, you know?! Have no fear, Mochizuki Karen is heeere!”
“Wh... Where did you come from?!”
“Ghh...”
Karen appeared, striking a ridiculously flashy pose. She was also winking. I hated it. She must’ve teleported in from somewhere else. I was a fool to think even the smallest whiff of a love story would go by unnoticed in her territory. I wondered just how many Brunhild locals had been subjected to her meddling.
“Where did you come from?”
“That’s a stupid question, you know? Wherever there are love troubles, there is Mochizuki Karen, you know?!”
Jutaro stared at Karen in a mixture of blank confusion and disbelief.
“U-Uhm...”
“You don’t need to say a thing, you know? Leave it all to me! Touya and Yae have been helped big-time by my incredible advice! It’s proven! Tried and tested!”
Hm...? Seems like that got his attention. She’s not exactly lying... She has been helpful here and there when it comes to my love life.
“...Well, if he must.”
“Hey, Touya! Don’t act like I’m forcing him into anything, you know?! Hmmph!” Karen grumbled loudly. Since she was the god of love, I always figured she’d be a little more professional... But she always came across like some kind of tacky gossip. I wasn’t entirely convinced she’d be able to help in this situation.
There had been cases where love didn’t bloom even after people consulted with her, after all. But Karen always said that failed romances were never failures, and you just need to learn from them to make the next love even stronger. Frankly, I didn’t see the point in resisting her any longer. She had her eyes set on the prize, so we just had to go along with it.
I didn’t exactly feel great about it, but consulting the god of love was worth a shot at least.
“So... what should we do here?”
“Love is a battle, you know?! First thing’s first, know thy enemy! Then, plan your attack!”
She’d caught me off-guard there. That was surprisingly decent advice. It was definitely true that you couldn’t do much without knowing anything about the other side. A little bit of early investigation would serve us well.
“So, Jutaro... what kind of person is the clothing merchant guy?”
“Oh... Well... I have not much interest in clothes, so I am unsure.”
Hm... Even if Ayane and that guy get married, I wouldn’t want her to be with a person who was unpleasant or cruel.
I decided that we needed to figure out what kind of guy this merchant was.
Alright... For the sake of Jutaro, Ayane, and love! Let’s get snooping!
“So? Did you find anything out?”
“Yes, we did.” Three girls were kneeling before me and Yae. They were my special ninjas, serving directly under Tsubaki. Sarutobi Homura, Kirigakure Shizuku, and Fuma Nagi.
It had been a few days since I’d given them their mission. I asked them to look into the young heir of the clothing merchant family. I wanted to know about his personality, his reputation, rumors about him, and who he was friends with.
Basically, I’d sent them to do some basic information gathering.
“To start with, his name is Surugaya Ichinose. He’s twenty-six years old, and is the successor to the Surugaya Outlet.”
Shizuku began speaking first. Twenty-six, huh? Jutaro is twenty-two, if I remember right... And Ayane is twenty. That’s a little bit of an age gap, but it’s not all that bad. Single men around that age are pretty common in Eashen, I think. Women usually get married before or around Ayane’s age, though.
“From what I uncovered in town, there are no bad rumors about him at all. Apparently he is the studious type and has a hard-working demeanor. He even avoids indulging in things like drinking and gambling.”
“And his appearance?”
“One moment.”
My smartphone suddenly vibrated, and Yae took out hers as well. We’d both received a message. The sender was Shizuku, and a picture was attached.
“Hm... He looks very polite, he does... A gentle, easygoing face, he has...”
Yae was right. The image showed a calm-looking young man. He had a soft, smiling face and wore a casual, well-made uniform. So this was Jutaro’s rival...
“But even if he looks nice, maybe there’s something darker under the surface... Did you find anything like that?”
“Nooope... He’s a good guy through-and-throuuugh... He was pleasant even when he discovered Homuraaa...”
“Wh— You idiot! They do not need to know about that!”
...He did what, now?
“I... I was in disguise and watching him from the top of a tree... But my eyelids were drooping, and... I regret to say that I fell asleep...”
“You fell from the top of the tree right next to him, Homuraaa...”
“...Oh geez.”
What kind of ninja falls asleep on top of their target?
“Please forgive me...”
“Even though she was toootally suspicious, the guy just asked if she was okay and checked her for injurieees. He has to be a good persooon.”
Apparently Homura responded to his queries with a moment of concussed confusion. She just saluted at him and vanished into thin air, then he went about his day.
Ugh... This is irritating. Why is he nice? Aren’t the villains supposed to be irredeemable and gross? If he was an abuser or some kind of corrupt merchant, that’d be one thing, but...
“Oh, there was one thing that came up, though.”
“Mm?” Shizuku noticed Yae and I grumbling and quickly gave us a final piece of information.
“Apparently he is searching for a cloth made from Fire-Rat pelt. According to our intel, the person he’s been betrothed to desperately wants one.”
“A Fire-Rat?”
“It is a monster, natively known as the Fire-Rat in Eashen. Most adventurers know them as Burning Rats. They are typically found in the volcanic regions of Eashen... You can also find them in the desert regions of what was once Sandora.”
Oh... Those things? Now I remember. It’s a large rat with a flaming tail, and it employs the flames in combat. It was around the size of a large dog, if I recalled correctly.
Well... I only recalled seeing it in the guild’s bestiary. I had never seen it in person.
But why would Ayane want that...?
“The pelt of a Burning Rat is pure white and completely resistant to fire. You can clean it perfectly by immersing it in flames. It’s a really valuable material and isn’t often found on the market. Burning Rats are difficult to hunt due to their dwindling population and relative strength.”
Plain white fur...? Does she want to incorporate it into a wedding dress, or something?
“So he wants to present it to her to get the marriage rolling?”
“Yes. He is sparing no expense in the matter, and is looking for any possible lead on the pelt.”
“Hmm... But if he gets it, then the wedding will be brought forward, it will... Why would Ayane want that, why would she?” Yae folded her arms together and sighed. I was equally confused.
Ayane was the daughter of a landowner who moved to Oedo in order to study under Yae’s family... If she married, then she’d have to leave everyone she knew behind. Why would she be eager to get the marriage underway?
Fire-Rat cloth... Hm... Cloth... Fire-Rat... Why does that sound so familiar to me?
“Oh!”
Of course! I pulled out my smartphone to look it up, and the first page told me everything I needed to know.
The robe of the Fire-Rat was an integral part of the story of Princess Kaguya, from the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter! In the story, Princess Kaguya was approached by five princes who wished to marry her. She said she’d marry them if they fulfilled her impossible tasks, involving finding treasures that couldn’t be found.
The robe of the Fire-Rat was one of those impossible treasures. Perhaps asking for a Fire-Rat cloth was Ayane’s indirect way of refusing the proposal.
“Yae... Do you know the story of Princess Kaguya?”
“Kaguya? I do not... Which country has a princess named Kaguya, Touya-dono?”
“Oh. What about you guys?”
I turned to the three ninjas, and they shook their heads. I was a little surprised, but reasonably I had no reason to be. It was a story from Earth, in the end. I needed to remember that I was only speaking and understanding the people around me thanks to the influence of God Almighty. It was entirely possible that me hearing such linguistic similarities was entirely coincidence based on my subjective understanding. Translation was a difficult art, after all.
But even so... it was possible that Ayane was rejecting the proposal with an impossible demand, just like Princess Kaguya did.
And in that case... Jutaro still had a chance!
“Let’s get a Fire-Rat cloth.”
“I don’t really know where to find that...”
Jutaro was training at Oedo castle when I swung by to see him with Yae. He was studious as ever...
“It’s one of the demands made by the young woman, the one your friend was pining after.”
“Huh?! Ayan— Ahem... Th-The young woman, you say?”
“That’s right. The girl you...r friend is in love with. I think she’s issued such a difficult challenge as an excuse to refuse his proposal. She probably can’t outright say no due to social obligations, but if she makes such an unreasonable demand with a straight face, then it would be a plausible way to reject him.”
“An excuse to refuse him...?”
I saw a small sliver of happiness appear on Jutaro’s face, but we had no time to slack off. We had to actually put the work in.
“So why don’t we get the Fire-Rat cloth first? Beat the guy to the punch. If we did that, then the talks would be stretched out much longer and she might not even marry the other guy. Plus, your friend could give it to her and use it as a chance to profess his feelings.”
“Oh, but... isn’t it something that’s incredibly hard to find?”
“Brother... Touya-dono is capable of teleportation and searching magic, he is. We already know where to find one, we do. The rest is up to you, it is.”
Yae spoke to her apprehensive brother in a firm tone. She stared him straight in the eyes, the determined flames dancing along her expression. He finally relented beneath her gaze.
“Very well, then. Let us go.”
Alright, about time! Yae and I looked at each other with a grin.
“Oh... W-Well, I’ll do it for the sake of my friend! Yes, my dear friend! I’ll help him out, this time! Aha...”
...Both Yae and my own expressions soured a little, and we let out a pair of sighs... Still, we shook our heads and carried onward, regardless.
“Alright! Let’s get a Fire-Rat cloth for the sake of Jutaro and Ayane. Then, Jutaro can finally tell her how he feels!”
“Yeah! Wait... What?!”
“Heh, too late. You already agreed.”
“...You are a terrible liar, you are... Please learn to weave stories better.”
Yae simply shrugged her shoulders in resignation. Frankly, I felt the exact same way. The two of them were so stupidly honest by nature that you could tell they were related.
“N-No! Of course not! I am in no position to tell Ayane who to marry!”
“...C’mon, cut the nonsense already. Like Yae said, you’re no good at lying. We’re either doing this, or we’re not. Personally, I think if you give up here, you’ll only come to regret it later.”
Jutaro went quiet for a while, but eventually, he spoke up with nervous conviction.
“...I will do it, then. I do not wish for any regrets.”
He turned to us with serious eyes. I was just glad he finally admitted he was talking about himself.
“Touya-dono, open us a [Gate]. We will head toward this Burning Rat, we will.”
“No problem.” I cast my spell, and a portal of light opened up. We passed through the other side into a rocky, burning environment. We were in a mountainous area connected to the Rabbi Desert, known as the Tecracala Gorge.
Ayane’s hands crept forward until they took the cloth from Jutaro. Then, she held it against her chest and spoke her answer.
“Yes... If you would accept someone like me... I want to be by your side...!” Ayane looked up at him with teary eyes.
“Ayane!”
The moment he heard her words, he reached out and embraced her tightly. How very bold of him.
“Jutaro-sama!”
Ayane hugged him tightly back, wiping her tears against his chest. The couple smiled and sniffled as they did nothing but hold each other for a while.
Heh... They’re trapped in their own little world. However, there was a sudden interruption.
“Hmph! I am your sister, I am... Do you not feel a little embarrassed to be flaunting your affections so brazenly in front of me, do you not?”
“Ah, no... Yae, I just...”
“Y-Yae-sama?! I... I did not mean to put on a public display!”
The two of them were completely red in the face, and they backed off from each other a little.
C’mon, now. It was your brother’s confession. It’s not that big of a deal. What’s with that reaction?
I shrugged and hoped that the couple would find further happiness.
“Congratulations are in order, they are. Ayane... Or should that be elder sister now, should it?”
“Fufu... Do not be hasty, though... We have not yet received the blessing of Jubei-sama or Nanae-sama.”
Ayane smiled and wiped the happy tears from her eyes. I hadn’t thought about that. Her being the daughter-in-law of Jubei would also make her my sister-in-law.
“Oh, you’re right! I need to tell father and mother! Touya-dono, could you make us a [Gate] now?”
“Sure thing.”
I grinned slightly and warped us off to the Kokonoe household.
The house was in an uproar due to the sudden news. When Jutaro told his parents about his engagement, Nanae responded by throwing her arms around Ayane and welcoming her to the family. Jubei, on the other hand, just told his son off for taking so long in getting around to confessing.
He might’ve been yelling, but anyone could see in his eyes that he was happy and proud. I was glad it went over well.
After that, Jubei called in his students from the dojo and started a round of drinking. Apparently some of the students had crushes on Ayane as well, but they’d been beaten to the punch by Jutaro in the end. Regardless, everyone started drinking sake and having a good time.
I participated in the feast by bringing some food and drinks from [Storage], but I neglected to drink any alcohol.
“Yeah, I’ll be back later. Yep. Thanks, everyone.” Since I was having dinner in Eashen, I made sure to call Lu and tell her not to worry about cooking for me and Yae.
I’d stepped out into the garden of the Kokonoe household, which was separate enough from the dojo that the loud partying sounds were distant. I looked up at the full moon and enjoyed the breeze.
“Here you are, you are.”
“Oh, Yae. You aren’t with Jutaro?”
Yae walked out from the nearby corridor and came out to stand by me.
“He is still back at the dojo, he is. He is very happy right now. He laughed so much he nearly fell over.”
Frankly, I couldn’t blame him for letting loose. Jutaro was normally such a serious guy, and he definitely wasn’t a moron. He was just happy that things were going his way.
Apparently their marriage had been set for one or two years from now. They were waiting for my marriage to Yae, so my status as grand duke of Brunhild would have greater bearing on Jutaro’s social position. He’d be brother-in-law to a world leader, after all.
They didn’t seem to mind at all. Their feelings were in the right place, so they were as good as any husband and wife already.
“Ayane was clinging to the arm of my brother all night, she was. It is already as if they are married, it is.”
“They’re a good couple. I’m happy for them.”
“...If I must be honest, I am happy. However, I also feel a little bit lonely about it, I do. My brother will be building a new family with Ayane, he will. There is no room for me in that family, there is not. I know it is stupid... but part of me feels as if I have lost my brother, it does.”
Yae let out a little laugh. She clearly loved her brother very deeply. I didn’t have any brothers, but I could still see where she was coming from.
I moved closer to Yae and took her hand in mine.
“Even if your brother gets married, there’ll always be room for you. Family isn’t broken so easily, Yae. Even if his position changes slightly, he will always be your brother.”
“...You are right, you are... My brother can have his family, but I am his family as well, I am. My brother will always be my brother, and I will always be his sister, I will. Thank you, Touya-dono.”
Yae smiled beneath the pale moonlight. She looked beautiful. We stared at each other for a few magical moments and brought our faces closer together...
“Ooh! Grand Duke! I was looking for you!”
The two of us were startled by the sudden voice and jumped away from one another. It was Jutaro. He came running down the hallway toward the two of us.
Wow. His body is totally bruised... That’s... Yikes.
Yae, who was completely red in the face, turned to her brother with a pout.
“B-B-Brother! You must learn to read the atmosphere, you must!”
The accused party turned toward her and frowned.
“I do not know what you mean... Ahaha... Reading the atmosphere? Is that not more of a feminine concern? That sounds like something Ayane would say. Usually, you only care about the blade.”
“I-It is none of your business, it is not! What about you, hm?! You are so dull-headed that I wonder if Ayane even knows about your feelings, I wonder!”
“Huh?! What do you mean by that?!”
I looked at the bickering siblings and smiled.
Even though they were squabbling, I could feel the love they shared. After all, they got along closely enough to squabble like this.
I closed my eyes and heaved a satisfied sigh. I was blessed to have such wonderful people in my family.
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