Destined

34

Yaz

40 years old

23 years later, in Tokyo, Japan.

Jasmine is thirteen years old. I see her father in the color of her eyes and the color of her hair. I see him in the way she loves to learn new languages. I see him in her and Isamu despises it. Him and I aren't married but I see him more than I like. He sometimes stays the night or invites himself to family vacations.

I hate it. I hate him. If you had told me 23 years ago that I would hate Isamu for almost as long as I loved him, I would never have believed you.

But no matter how much I hate him, I've learned to hide it from the kids. Toru still comes around. He's a dear friend to me. He held my hand when I gave birth to Jasmine. He held me when I cried most nights for two years and would wake up from horrible nightmares.

But it's been fourteen years since Akasuki died and I don't need anyone to hold me, anymore. I don't need them to pity me. All I need is Haru, Levi, and Jasmine. They are all that matter.

Isamu treats Jasmine horribly. He thinks I don't notice but I do. I'm not so blind as to not notice my own child being treated terribly. But lately it's gotten worse.

I've made a plan.

In a week it will be Jasmine's birthday. And that's when the plan will take action.

I will leave my organization to Mei, who has a kid herself, she got married to Toru. It is something I never saw coming but I'm glad it did.

I'm in my room packing a bag to stash on the boat when Haru barges in. I blink, he's so tall now. He's grown so much. I've raised him and a lot of the time I forget he isn't a child anymore.

I don't even have time to hide the bag, "Hey, Yazzy, which tie is better?" He starts but when he sees the bag he pauses.

I clear my throat, "The blue one, it suits you." I say. He's dressed in a suit probably for a meeting with his father.

His gaze is questioning, a hint of worry, "Are you going somewhere?" He looks between me and the bag, "Why didn't you say anything?"

I sigh because I don't think I can lie to him this time, I walk towards him, grabbing the blue tie and gently tying it around his collar. "You notice the way your father treats Jasmine? The way he treats Levi?" Of course he did. I've seen him try to defend them more than once.

I finish, fixing his collar as he nods, I continue, "he'll never stop. No matter how old they get and Jasmine always gets the worst of it. So I have to do something."

When the realization hits him, he makes a noise with disbelief, "You're running away. You're leaving."

The vulnerability in his voice makes my heart ache and I hate that, that fear is something he had picked up from his childhood. I grab his hands, holding them in mine, "You can come, I have a plan."

I explain it to him and he shakes his head, "I can't go. Who will convince him that you guys are actually dead?" His voice sounds sad, "I'm his heir. He'd believe me."

It's pure logic but it still hurts when he says it. I frown, "We can figure something out-"

He cuts me off with a shake of his head, "You've done so much for me. No matter how much you hated my father you were always there." He says, admiration in his voice, "I remember Akasuki. I remember how much you loved him. I remember how you mourned for him. And He took it away but you never resented me for what he did."

"I would never blame you for something he did!" I say, "We can still find a way."

Tears are threatening to spill from my eyes as he says, "I'm an adult now, Yaz. You shouldn't worry about me."

"I'll alway worry about you," I say, giving him a motherly smile.

I've raised him through pain. I've tried so hard to make him the man he is today.

I cup his face, "I'm so proud of you. You've grown to be such an amazing man. You're so brave. You always have been." He leans into my palm with a smile. It was a mother and son moment.

"I have something for you." I pull away, heading to my dresser and pulling it open, I grab the box my brother had given me. I open it, picking up Lyn's family ring. "This belonged to your mother." His eyes are wide like when he was four and I had given him that picture of his mom. "I want you to have it." It was big enough that it would fit one of his ring fingers. Lyn would wear it on her thumb.

When he takes the ring he pulls me into a tight hug. It surprises me but I hug him back, "Thank you, Yaz." He says into my hair, "Thank you, for everything."

My eyes tear up but I don't let them out. "You will always be a son to me. No matter what blood runs through our veins." I whisper back.

And it's a painful thing to let your son go but I do it anyway. With tears in my eyes and an ache in my heart.