Christmas 2018
It was an exciting time. The Paramount Theater was sold out for the city of Seattle’s premier Christmas Benefit Concert.
Mary, Andrew and their son Atticus were in attendance having flown up from LAX as well as Annie, Steve and their daughter Katherine-Marie who flew in from Paris. While in town they all stayed with Itsuki who still lived at their parent’s old cottage in the woods of Seattle. As they sang carols, baked Holiday cookies, laughed and decorated the seven-foot noble fir, Itsuki sat in Seth’s old wooden rocking chair by the roaring fire and watched his families joy, enhanced by the beautiful snowfall through the large picture window. Itsuki had invited his girlfriend and manager, Nancy to join them. She was the daughter of Seth’s business partner Layla and everyone always considered her one of the family. Before everyone arrived, Itsuki hung a sprig of mistletoe by the tree. While in the rocking chair he said,
“Ahem, excuse me guys” pointing upward to the magical stem.
Mary and Andrew, saw it and laughed and gave each other one gigantic kiss, as did Annie with Steve and finally Itsuki with Nancy as the family cheered them all on. Mary and Annie then came over to their little brother and with a big embrace, both whispered,
“You remembered mom and dad’s basil.”
The heartwarming scene caused Itsuki to think back on the first time he saw the cottage and met Seth twenty-two Christmases ago. He was only five years old but the memories were clear. When Seth answered the door, he looked up at what seemed to be a giant. There was a big Christmas tree by the window and a friendly dog. After the lady left him with the giant man he started to cry. Seth held him is his arms and gently rocked him back and forth in the rocking chair until he felt safe enough to fall asleep. The two girls came home in their usual ruckus and once again he was afraid and began to cry. The taller girl took him by the hand to the kitchen table. She smiled and dried his tears as they shared cookies and milk together. The smaller girl slipped him a small teddy bear when no one was looking, so he wouldn’t be alone.
What Mary, Annie and Itsuki never knew was what actually took place on that fateful day. It was Seth’s secret that he took to his grave. In that very room, when Hana Aiko brought the little boy into their home twenty-two years earlier, it changed all of their lives. She told Seth he was the boys’ biological father and guardianship was entrusted to him by his mother Atsuko Chihiro, who tragically lost her life months earlier.
“Wait, are you sure about this?”
“Look at him Seth, and you’ll know.”
“I’ll leave Itsuki with you over the weekend to give you a chance to get to know him. I’ll be flying back to Tokyo on Monday. I know this is a lot to ask of you, but if you feel you cannot take him in, he can return with me.”
“What will happen to him if he goes back?”
“With no living blood relatives, he’ll probably be placed in the system and in time be put up for adoption as a mixed-race child. Keep in mind that Japanese adoption traditions go back many generations, where different social circles and income levels come into play and can be a very arduous process.”
“Really . . .?”
“It’s not as scary as all that, let’s go one step at a time. I’m staying at the Four-Seasons downtown.” She got up and shook his hand.
“You have all of the legal papers to review, please call me if you have questions. I’ll be in touch.” Itsuki and Buddie were still playing on the deck. Seth looked at them and smiled but when the little boy noticed that Ms. Akio had left, he became frightened and started to cry.
“It’s OK Itsuki” and picked him up and held him in his arms. He quickly wrapped his arms around Seth’s neck as he headed to the rocking chair where he sat and gently rocked the little boy to sleep.
The room was getting darker as the sun was setting and while he slowly rocked on the creaking floor, his thoughts were of Atsuko Chihiro. She was a good friend and colleague at Cannon Street Coffee corporate offices in Tokyo. She was a very sweet and caring person but determined. She rose to the position of vice-president very quickly and her trajectory within the company was limitless. But there were two factors that Seth couldn’t wrap his mind around.
First and foremost, he knew Itsuki couldn’t be his son from the mere fact that he and Atsuko never did anything together that would produce a child. But more puzzling was why Atsuko would claim he was the biological father and appoint him as guardian in her last will and testament. After wracking his brain for hours as the sweet little boy was sleeping in his arms, he made a monumental decision; that Atsuko’s reasons didn’t matter, he trusted her. Whatever the circumstances, Seth and Gracie always believed that children belong to the people that love them and he was going to protect and raise little Itsuki as his own. He, together with Mary and Annie had enough love to go around. I know that is what you would want Gracie.
to be continued