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Chapter Four: Family Dinner:

Anna's had this dream for quite some time now. A fancy table sat in the middle of the forest. Six chairs sat around it. Daisuke at the head. Yumiko sat to his left. Kirika sat to his right. Tsuzuki sat next to her. Kirika-chan sat across from him. Finally, Anna sat at the other end of the table.

Candles and fireflies were the only sources of light. Dinner is about to begin.

First course.

Miso soup.

Daisuke, Yumiko, and Kirika haven't aged at all. Why would they? Kirika comments on how her brother looks so old. He laughs and says that's what happened after they died. He pats her on the head. His baby sister giggles. Daisuke feels the same with Anna.

"Where did my little girl go?" he asks. Tears well up in her eyes.

"I'm right here, Papa," Anna said. "I'm right here." Tsuzuki rubs her shoulders.

Second course.

Ochazuke.

Yumiko and Kirika fond over the niece they never met. They see traces of their brother in her. Kirika wants to play with her reddish-brown hair. They find their great-niece pretty cute.

"You named her after me?" Kirika asked.

"Yes," Anna said.

"Wow!" the young girl said. Her cheeks looked red. Yumiko giggled. Their futures were stolen from them. They will never get married. They will never have children of their own. They will never live out their dreams. They will never grow old.

Main course.

Chirashizushi. (This changes depending on the season.)

Side dishes.

Sushi and spring rolls.

Daisuke missed Anna's adult life. Graduation, college graduation, death, resurrection, wedding, adoption, breaking the curse, and many birthdays. He'd never meet his son-in-law and granddaughter.

Tsuzuki catches Daisuke watching him. He holds Anna's hand.

"Tell me," Daisuke says. "Do you love my daughter?"

"Yes," Tsuzuki says. "Very much."

"How much do you love her?" his father-in-law asks. Tsuzuki pulls Anna closer to his side.

"So much so that I could die again and again for her," he says without a single thought. No one moves. Kirika-chan looks between father and grandfather. Daisuke finally smiles.

"Okay," he says. "Be good to her."

"Thank you, sir," the shinigami says. Anna breathes easily.

"Thanks, Papa," she says. She wishes he could've been at her wedding.

Dessert.

Taiyaki, Japanese cheesecake, and Wagashi. (Changes depending on the season.)

Tsuzuki happily eats up. He loves his desserts after all. Kirika-chan looks at everyone. She wonders if she belongs here. Belongs in this family.

Two hands grab hers. Kirika-chan looks up. Tsuzuki and Anna smile at her. Daisuke, Yumiko, and Kirika eye her. The living teenager could feel the warmth surrounding her. A small smile comes across her face.

Yes. This is her family too. So warm. So loving.

The dream always ended after dinner. Anna would wake up feeling cold. She was happy in her waking life. Maybe this dream was a reminder that she was still loved in peaceful times. She lay in bed and held her hand to her chest. A small smile spread across her face. Morning routines would start up again in a couple of hours.