July 6, 1991
11:21 AM

Ranko and Akane emerged from the upstairs apartment into a frenzy of activity on the ground floor. Loved ones ran this way and that with last-minute decorations and food ingredients of every description. Ayako and Kage were shuttling load after load of flowers through the glass double doors from the back seat of the black sedan parked out front. Mei was working on replenishing the liquor bottles behind the bar, and Yui had already begun pre-mixing a large batch of Dragonfire cocktails in a huge plastic vat, so they could be served without individually mixing them. The Phoenix’ signature cocktail wasn’t quite as good served that way, but the batch-prepared cocktails would have the effect of freeing the bartenders up to be bridesmaids instead.

As she’d promised, Kasumi had miraculously erased nearly all evidence of the fight in the kitchen; only the dent in the walk-in cooler door remained. Akane cringed internally at the thought of her innocent big sister having to deal with the gruesome aftermath of her sword-wielding, but she appreciated beyond words that she and Nabiki had done so.

Kneeling by the back door with an electric screwdriver drill in his hand, Soun waved to the couple as they entered the kitchen. “Good morning, girls. I’ve added a new triple deadbolt on here for you. A herd of elephants isn’t getting through this door without a key now. I fixed the hinges on the blue door up front, too.”

As Akane moved forward to hug her father, Nabiki hopped down off the prep counter where she was seated, sidling up to Ranko and speaking quietly to avoid eavesdropping by those members of Ranko’s family who did not know her biggest secret. “What’s the verdict from the doc?”

“I…” Ranko beamed, and while Nabiki was pretty confident she knew from the glint in her eyes what the rest of her answer would be, she still waited for it. “I think it’s forever, Nabiki. The doctor didn't say it, but I just… somehow, somewhere inside me, I just… I know it.”

The brunette smirked, draping her arm over Ranko’s shoulders. “So, helluva day for you, huh? And it’s not even noon!”

Ranko shook her head, but her smile outshone the sun. “It’s gonna be the best day of my life.” Her eyes shifted to the right, where Akane was quietly recounting the battle with Genma to the man who had been his best friend for more than thirty years. “I mean, it was gonna be anyway, but…”

“Oh, hey, here,” Nabiki said, slipping a small metal object into Ranko’s hand with a cringe delivered by way of an apology. “We found this. We didn’t know if you’d want it, but…” 

Ranko, fairly certain she knew what the object was without looking, nodded and slipped it into the pocket of her jeans. “Thanks.”

“Everybody,” Ranko said loudly to draw the attention of all four of the other Tendos. “I just want to say thank you to all of you. You all worked so hard to get today back on track for us after… everything. You’ve all been amazing through the whole process of planning, but today? My gods. You’re all freakin’ heroes, and thanks to you, I still get to marry my best friend today. I’ll never forget it.”

Soun approached slowly, slipping between Nabiki and Akane, and placed his hand on Ranko’s shoulder. It was really weird to see him in a polo shirt and jeans rather than his gi. He smiled down at the girl who was hours from marrying his daughter. It was a thought he could never have condoned a few months ago, and yet, the excitement in Akane’s eyes was unmistakable. He didn’t know if he’d seen her that happy at any point since before his wife had passed away.

“Ranko, I want to apologize for what happened to you this morning,” Soun began.

The red-haired bride looked up at her soon-to-be-father-in-not-quite-law with a quizzical expression in her eyes. “What for? You didn’t do it.”

The Tendo patriarch sighed heavily. “Perhaps not, but I didn’t do enough to stop it. I let my friendship for your father get in the way of my duty to you. I should have cut ties with him far sooner than I did, and I should have done more to make sure you girls were protected.” He bowed low. “You deserved better from me, Ranko. You and Akane both did, but especially you, and I’m sorry.”

Ranko bowed in return, and gave him a reassuring smile. “I don’t hold you responsible. He’s the jerk, not you. But I appreciate you saying that anyway, and I appreciate you being here for us now, father.”

Soun grinned contentedly at the honorific. Maybe it was the wedding setting, but his facial expression was somehow different than it usually was when Ranko used that word for him - softer, gentler than usual. Was that… pride? 

Ranko opened her mouth to say something, but before a sound could escape, she felt a hand on her lower back. Turning, she found herself face-to-face with Izumi. It was beyond strange for Izumi to be seen in public without her hair and makeup perfectly done, but she had decided to do her own preparations upstairs alongside her four sisters this morning.

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I need to kidnap this one now.” Izumi lovingly stroked her hand down the damp, loosely wavy hair on the right side of Ranko’s face with a bright smile and the tiniest hint of a giggle. “We have to get her all pretty for her wedding.” 

Akane stepped forward, cupping her hand against Ranko’s flushed cheek and turning her lover’s head away from Izumi. She closed her eyes, giving the young woman, as all signs now indicated Ranko would forever be, a soft kiss on the lips. Ranko whimpered slightly, and it wasn’t the Cat’s Tongue that triggered it. 

“The next time I kiss you,” Akane said as she opened her soft, adoring eyes, “you will be my wife.”

Ranko blushed shyly. She wanted to kiss Akane again, but it would have made her lover’s sweet sentiment untrue. Instead, she leaned into Akane’s assertion. “And every time after that.”

“Alright, alright!” Izumi laughed, physically steering Ranko toward the stairs with her hands. “Save the mushy stuff for when you get out there!” 

Ranko ached so badly to tell her. To celebrate with her. The girl you made out of me is here to stay, Izzi. Of course, to do that would have been to admit her femininity had ever been in doubt, and she wasn’t prepared to have that conversation, least of all today. Izumi pushed the door to the apartment at the top of the stairs open, and Ranko barely recognized the room she stepped into. 

The dress bag had been removed from Ranko’s dress, exposing the sparkly pearl-encrusted masterpiece. Matching bridesmaid gowns in red, blue, green and yellow hung from the shower curtain rod in the bathroom, and Mei’s makeup bag rested on the small counter next to the sink. Three small plastic folding tables had been set up in a line along the wall with the door out to the landing, and each was equipped with a lighted makeup mirror and a folding chair. Two of the three stations had makeup bags of their own already waiting; Ranko recognized Yui’s and Ayako’s. The kitchenette counter had become a buffet of every conceivable cosmetic product from fake eyelashes to foundation to lipstick to mascara and more, and the dinette table had been converted into a salon workstation complete with a blowdryer, a curling iron, a pair of scissors, and several brushes and combs of various types. The silver floral comb Nodoka had gifted to Ranko also waited there in its tattered cardboard box.

“Holy shit, Izzi. You ain’t fuckin’ around,” Ranko said with a blush and a giggle. 

Ranko’s sister and stylist flashed her a sassy smirk. “When it comes to beauty, we don’t half-ass it in this family. You of all people should know that by now, sis.” She pulled a chair out from under the dinette table, turning its seat to face Ranko. “Your chariot awaits, Mrs. Tendo.” 

“So, what’s the procedure, boss?” Ranko sat, looking up at Izumi. 

The apartment door swung open and Yui entered the room. “‘Sup, Ranko? Ready to do this thing?”

Ranko blushed, waving to Yui. “As I’m gonna be. Nervous as hell. It’s… been a day.”

A sage nod came in reply as Yui slid into the metal chair paired with the makeshift vanity closest to the front door. “I heard. Crazy shit. But you girls are okay?”

Ranko nodded, her eyes sparkling. So much better than okay, Yui. I woke up to a song, got into a brawl, and ended up with a miracle. And I still get to marry Akane on top of it all. “Luckily for me, I’m marrying my bodyguard today.” 

“There are worse moves.” Yui grinned. “I’m really stoked for ya, Ran-chan.”

Izzi walked around Ranko’s chair to stand in her sister’s line of sight. “We all are,” she concurred. “You deserve every happiness, Ranko. We’re all so glad to be a part of it with you. We love you so much, little sister.”

Ranko stood, wrapping her arms around Izumi’s neck. “I love you all, too.”

Yui stopped teasing her hair for a moment, turning to the pair. “Hey, Iz, Aya said she’d be up in a couple minutes. Mei’s getting the first round of food in the oven, but she needed some more flour, so Aya ran up to the store quick.” 

With a little cringe, Ranko nodded in acknowledgement as she retook her seat. Probably because most of it got spilled out when I dropkicked Pop over the prep counter. Sorry about that, girls. 

“So, I’m thinking: makeup first, then hair, and dress last. Work for you?” Izumi leaned over Ranko’s shoulder from behind, pulling her slightly-damp hair back into a ponytail to clear the canvas of her face.

Ranko shrugged her shoulders with a grin. “Whatever you think is best, Iz. I trust y…” She was interrupted by a knock at the door. 

---

Akane stalked through the cramped little office, made all the more so by the two folding tables supplied with backlit makeup mirrors butted up to the tattered couch. Hana’s desk, which had been cleared of paperwork for the first time in Akane’s memory, was pushed all the way to the back wall and piled with a mishmash of cosmetics, hair products and such. 

Akane only had eight steps’ worth of space, so she pivoted on her heels and walked back the way she came, her pace seeming to quicken with every step. She took a deep breath through her nose, exhaling it slowly through her mouth. 

“You’re gonna wear a damn hole in the floor, Akane. Would you please just relax?” Nabiki crossed her legs as she reclined in Hana’s peeling leather office chair. 

“How the hell am I supposed to relax?” Akane whirled on her sister, a frantic expression in her eyes. “We’ve only got a few hours, and we’ve still gotta get makeup and hair and everything done, and there’s nobody to finish the setup out there ‘cause we’re all getting dressed, and…” 

Her rant trailed off as Nabiki stood and clapped her hand on her shoulder. “Hana’s out in the front room directing traffic. She’s got Kaito, Kage, Daddy, Ukyo, Dr. Tofu and Crash busting their asses out there. Ayako picked up the flowers and the cake already, and Kasumi and Mei are almost done getting the food in the oven now. As soon as it’s all going, Kasumi will be in here helping us get ready. Izzi’s already up there working on Ranko. We’ve got plenty of time, and besides, it’s not like the bar’s gonna kick us out if we start a few minutes late, considering Ranko’s family owns the joint.

“I promise, honey, everything’s under control. I get it, you’re nervous, you’re keyed up from the fight this morning and everything, but there are a whole lot of people in this building who are ready to move heaven and earth to give you two an amazing day, and there’s more on the way. I know you’re used to it being you and Ranko against the world, but today of all days, you need to trust your families and your friends to take care of you girls. So, just breathe, okay?”

Akane nodded, exhaling slowly and deliberately. “I’ll try. Oh, hey, were you and Dad able to take care of the… other thing?”

Nabiki flashed her sister a toothy, confident grin. “Of course. You think I’d letcha down? It’s all in my bag, ready to go whenever you give the word.” 

---

Looking around to confirm everyone was decent, Ranko called out to the unknown visitor at the door. “Come in!” 

The door swung inward, and a tall, middle-aged brunette in a snow white kimono stepped into the room. She seemed nervous. “Hello, everyone.” Nodoka’s eyes moved from Yui to Izumi. “Would you girls mind giving me a few minutes alone with my daughter before you get started?”

Izumi squeezed Ranko’s shoulder as she put down the unopened bottle of foundation in her hand. “Sure thing. C’mon, Yui, let’s see if Mei needs any more help so we can get her sprung.”

Yui pointed in Ranko’s direction as she stood. “Love ya, girl!” 

Mirroring her gesture with flushed cheeks, Ranko responded. “Love you too, Yui!” She stood as her sisters exited the room and closed the door behind them, giving Nodoka a shallow bow. “Hello, mother.”

Waving off her bow rather than returning it, Nodoka stepped closer and pulled her daughter into a hug before looking her over, inspecting her for injuries. “Are you alright, Ranko? Kasumi told me what your father did this morning.”

Ranko nodded softly, sitting on the edge of the bed Izumi had made while setting up the mobile salon in the little apartment that had so long been her home. “Your sword came in awfully handy.” 

“It’s your sword now, Ranko. It’s your legacy.” Nodoka sneered, the dark expression seeming out of place on such an age-defyingly cherubic face. “That said, I might need to borrow it back for a few days after the wedding and go panda hunting.”

With a morbid chuckle, Ranko bobbed her head. “Whatever you want. Somehow, I don’t think he’ll be back this time. I thought that last time, but… something tells me he knows he’s never gonna get what he wants out of me now. And if he does show up, I almost pity him. Akane, Mom and Yui will be lined up to take him apart with their bare hands. I think even Crash wants a shot at him.” She blushed, brushing her hair out of eyes as an excuse to hide behind her hand as she recalled her friend and bandmate coming to her defense against Takao Tashima. 

“What about you?” Nodoka walked aimlessly over to the dinette table as she spoke. “You have more right to seek vengeance against him than anyone.”

Ranko looked off to her left at the shower stall, where her four sisters’ bridesmaid gowns still hung, with a contented sigh. Not two hours ago, Akane had held her in it while she confirmed that, for whatever mysterious, miraculous reason, she only had one reason to fear hot water rather than two. “I don’t need it. I have everything in the world I need, and everything in the world I want. All I need from Pop is to never see him again.”

Nodoka walked back from the little pine table, sitting on the edge of the bed behind Ranko. Ranko started to swivel to face her mother, but stopped when she felt something move against her scalp. Nodoka’s practiced, gentle hand slid Izumi’s pink chrome brush through her hair, every little plastic bristle massaging her daughter’s scalp as it moved. 

“Mm… That feels awesome.” Ranko smiled softly, both at the physical sensation and the emotional one. She listened. She remembered. I told her I used to dream about her brushing my hair, and she remembered. She felt warm all over, as if she were being massaged and hugged at the same time. Not ten days ago, Ranko could not have imagined even being in the same room with her biological mother again, and now, this?

Knowing that Izumi had a plan for the young bride’s hair already, Nodoka didn’t seek to style it. Her entire goal had been to show her daughter affection, and judging from Ranko’s reaction, it was working. “I am so, so proud of you, Ranko. I could tell you a million times and still never make up for all the time we lost. You are the most formidable woman I’ve ever met; do you know that?”

Not a chance. You’ve met Hana. And Akane. And Yui. She relaxed her shoulders, her head lolling back against the pink hairbrush. But the compliment feels nice anyway.

Nodoka set the brush down on the purple duvet cover, rising to her feet and walking around the bed in front of her daughter. “I am so honored to be here with you today.” She leaned down, kissing Ranko gently on the forehead. “You are ready for this, sweetheart.”

She turned for the door, but before she could reach the handle, Ranko’s voice interrupted her. “Mother? I, um… I don’t know what to do with this. Do you want it?”

Ranko extracted her hand from the pocket of her jeans as Nodoka turned, opening her hand to reveal a cheap, nondescript mens’ gold ring. 

“Your father’s wedding ring.” Nodoka looked it over in Ranko’s palm curiously, as if it was some artifact dug up from a long-lost civilization. 

Ranko did not envy whichever of Akane’s sisters had collected the ring from the grisly aftermath of the fight downstairs. “Yeah. He, um, dropped it this morning.”

“I’m surprised he still wore it,” Nodoka said quietly, plucking it out of Ranko’s hand tentatively as if she thought it might poison her to touch it.

Ranko shrugged. “He never did, when we lived with Akane’s family. Or, really, even before that. I think he might’ve put it on just in case he ran into you. One less thing for you to be mad at him about, I guess.”

Nodoka laughed, a loving smile evicting the momentary bout of nostalgia from her eyes. “You shouldn’t say that, you know.”

“Huh? But it’s true.” Ranko slid to her feet, peeking out the window to see if she spotted anyone else she knew approaching the bar. Not that he was likely to see it, she waved to Jacob as he walked across the street from the bus stop.

“Not that, honey.” Nodoka walked up behind Ranko, hugging her around the torso, pinning down Ranko’s forearms, and resting her chin on her child’s shoulder. “You shouldn’t call them Akane’s family anymore. They’re yours too, now. Or will be soon enough, anyway.”

Ranko’s cheeks went crimson, grinning ear-to-ear. “Yeah! I guess they are! Man, I never in a million years would’ve thought a day would come when I’d have more family than I could keep track of.”

Nodoka could only squeeze her daughter tighter. “You deserve it, honey, and so much more, and everyone who loves you is going to make sure you never forget that again. Especially me.” She released Ranko’s shoulders. “I should get out of here and let the girls get you ready. I’ll see you downstairs.”

Ranko bobbed her head. “Sounds good. And hey. Thanks. I mean it.”

The kimono-clad woman nodded, wordlessly pulling open the apartment door and exiting. As she did, Ranko clearly heard the distinctive plink of a small metal object being dropped into the ceramic trash can next to the door.

---

“Akane! Hold still, please.” Kasumi pulled the hot curling iron in her hand away from Akane’s head for fear of burning her little sister’s ear. 

The fidgety bride blushed. “Sorry, sis. Hey, what time is it?”

Nabiki watched herself groan in one of the backlit makeup mirrors as she ran a mascara brush through her left eyelash. “About two minutes later than the last time you asked. Seriously, do I need to get somebody to bring you a shot of something to calm your nerves?”

Akane shook her head vigorously. “No, I think I’ll be okay.”

“Akane! You’re going to make me burn you if you don’t sit still!” Kasumi’s voice had a sharp tone of admonishment that never failed to get Akane’s attention.

“Sorry!” The bride winced. “I’m trying. It’s just, like, I feel like my skin’s crawling, I’m so excited. I just wanna get out there and see her so bad!” 

Nabiki sat back on the leather couch, pivoting the mirror in front of her to get a better angle on her lips. “Devil’s advocate, Akane. You’ll get out there quicker if you stop making getting you ready such a pain in the ass.”

Akane laughed with her sister. “I’m gonna remember all of this, you know, and when you’re a total basket case at your wedding, I’m going to remind you about how much shit you gave me.”

“And this is why I don’t intend to get married. There’s plenty of other ways to get a boy’s attention when I want it, where I can get rid of it when I don’t.” Nabiki smirked. “Besides, then I’d have to write up a whole prenuptial agreement, set up a shell corporation for all my holdings… It’s a huge hassle.” 

Kasumi smiled as she worked to secure the silver tiara in her hands into her sister’s hair. “Well, I for one think there’s nothing wrong with wanting romance, Akane. Nothing at all.”

Nabiki scoffed as she capped her brownish lipstick tube. “Easy for you to say, Kasumi, what with the hot doctor falling all over you.”

Akane blushed. “She’s not wrong, big sister. Speaking of which… should I be aiming for you with the bouquet? When’s Doctor Tofu gonna make his move?”

The face of Soun Tendo’s eldest daughter turned beet red in an instant. “I don’t… Tofu and I are taking things very slowly. He’s being an absolute gentleman, thank you very much.”

“That’s just weird, hearing him referred to by just his given name.” Akane smiled up at her sister as another hairpin was added to her scalp.

“There’s good reason to leave off his family name. It’s what his patients say all the time. Ono! Kasumi’s bringing him lunch! He’s gonna kill us all!” Nabiki cackled as she hooked a ruby stud into her right earlobe. 

“Don’t be such a smartass, Nabiki!” Kasumi laughed as both of her sisters turned to look at her, slack-jawed.

Akane stared incredulously at Nabiki, with a finger pointed at their other sister. “Did… did she just curse? I’m not going crazy, right?”

Kasumi giggled loudly as she motioned Akane out of the chair and toward the white dress that hung from a hook on the back of Hana’s office door. “It’s not my fault, Akane. Your wife is a terrible influence.” She walked over to Hana’s desk, opening her purse and removing a small white box with a hinge before returning to the chair where Akane sat. “Akane, I want you to wear this today.” She popped open the box, revealing a strand of pearls that had slightly yellowed with age.

Akane blinked. She recognized them. They were her mother’s. “Kasumi, I…”

Her eldest sister leaned over her, clasping the necklace around the back of Akane’s neck. “She is with you today, Akane. And she’s so, so proud of you. I know it.”

---

“Okay, honey. Tell me if it’s too tight, alright?” Izumi stooped behind Ranko, lacing the back of her youngest sister’s wedding dress.

Ranko chuckled. “Wait, since when do you care if it’s too tight? You were a friggin’ sadist every time we tried it on!”

Izumi nodded. “That was when you didn’t get in a fight right before I got you dressed. Are your ribs still hurting?”

“Nothin’ I can’t handle.” Ranko emitted a little urk as Izumi pulled one end of the satin ribbon tighter behind her. “Okay, I think that’s good.” 

Ayako joined Izumi behind Ranko, and from the look of her in her red bridesmaid gown, she was ready to head downstairs. “Here, Iz. Lemme take over. You still need to get dressed, too.” Taking the satin reins from her younger sister, Ayako began to tie a bow off at the small of Ranko’s back. “Hey there, beautiful. How we feeling?”

The smallest of chuckles escaped Ranko’s lips. Like I could ever begin to explain it all, Aya. “Scared shitless.” Ranko often felt guilty that she wasn’t as close with Ayako as her other sisters, owing to her not being around the Phoenix every day when Ranko had first arrived, but she really was every bit as amazing as Yui, Mei and Izzi. 

“Yeah, well, …” Ayako said as she finished the double knot, “... part of the reason we make the dress so tight is so there’s no room for butterflies in your stomach.” 

It ain’t workin’, Aya. Ranko looked down at her hands. She ached for her engagement ring, which was now waiting in its accompanying wrap downstairs for Akane to put back on her finger. At least she still had her promise ring on her right hand, as she knew Akane did as well, having cleared her left hand for her own wedding ring. She turned her left hand over in her hand, contemplatively. 

I am a girl. I am a woman. I have nothing to hide. Nothing to be ashamed of. Not anymore. 

With trembling fingers, she reached over with her right hand and unclasped the silver dragon bracelet from her left arm, placing it gently on the dinette table. Today, I conceal nothing. All the good in me, all the bad… Akane gets it all. 

When she looked up from her arm, the activity in the room had stopped. All four of her sisters, resplendent in their matching gowns, were lined up in a semicircle, just… staring at her. Ranko blushed, looking the girls over. “What? Do I have something on my face?”

Mei stepped forward. “Ranko, you… my gods, you’re stunning.” 

Yui nodded with a smirk. “I just might have to lock Sakura in a closet or somethin’, so she doesn’t stray.”

Izumi grinned, still pushing one of her earrings through her earlobe. She started to say something, but the apartment door swung open without a knock, and there was only one person who would have the confidence to do that knowing the five women who were dressing behind it. All the girls fell silent in respect as Hana walked into the room, closing the door behind her. She wore a pair of gray slacks and a cream-colored silk blouse, with a matching gray blazer overtop. Her hair was straightened and held back in a silver headband, and a single white rose boutonniere was pinned to her left lapel. The three-centimeter heels she wore clacked on the hardwood floor in a way that demanded deference, not that she would not already have it among this group of women. Ranko thought she might actually be wearing a hint of makeup, but she discounted the possibility as ridiculous.

But the most important thing Hana wore was a smile that could have outshone the sun. 

“My gods, girls. You’re all just so beautiful. I just can’t even tell you how much I love you all and how proud of you all I am.”

With no prompting needed, all five of Hana’s daughters approached her, and the six women hugged together as a family, huddled around Ranko at the group’s center. 

“Okay,” Hana said as the group hug broke up. “They’re getting Akane ready to come out in just a minute. All the guests are here, and everything’s all set up. The four of you can head downstairs and wait in the kitchen until Akane’s out in the main bar. Ranko, honey, you’ll stay up here with the door closed, just in case. We don’t want to invite prying eyes. Ayako, once you see Akane make it out of the hallway, you and the girls will line up in the hallway until the music changes, and Mei, once Aya starts walking, you come back up here and hold the door open for our bride, okay?”

“Yes, mama!” came five cheers in unison. 

Hana beamed. “Alright, girls. Get your bouquets and get down there.” She turned her eyes to the young woman in white. “I want a minute alone with my baby.”

Ayako pulled the door open, and Ranko’s sisters exited the room in descending age order, each giving Ranko a little wave or blowing her a kiss as they did, until Ranko was in the room alone with her mother.

Hana stepped close to Ranko, looking over the job Izumi had done with her hair. A narrow braid formed a crown around her skull, into which white baby’s breath had been liberally braided. The two braids joined at the back of her head, and the combined braid blended into the blown-out, wavy cascade behind her head. The two braids and the remainder of Ranko’s hair were held together at the back of her head by Nodoka’s floral comb. She wore a pair of diamond dangle earrings and the silver and diamond star necklace Izumi had given her at her own wedding.

“I wish I’d let Izumi make me one of those veil things; everybody’s gonna see how much I’m blushing with the way they’re lookin’ at me.” Ranko smiled up at her mom. “Is it as good as everybody’s saying? Be honest, Mom.”

Hana nodded. “Better, sweetheart. You are absolutely breathtaking.” She grinned, leaning down to her a little. “And, I gotta say, so is Akane. It’s gonna blow your mind.” The thought sent a warm shiver up Ranko’s spine. 

Hana cupped her daughter’s cheek gently in her hand. “You’re ready for this, Ranko. I know you don’t think you are, but nobody ever does. Akane is the luckiest girl alive today, and you know what? She knows it.”

Ranko shook her head. “No she isn’t. I am, because I have you and my sisters, and her too.”

With a smile and a nod, Hana gave a single snort of laughter. “So does she. Especially after today.”

“Thanks for taking her under your wing the way you have, Mom.” Ranko bit her lip a little. “I mean it. Neither one of us grew up with a mom, but every time you and me did something fun and it made us closer, it broke my heart that she never got that chance. Maybe now she will.”

Hana beamed at the idea. “I promise, I’ll be as much a mom for her as I am for you and the girls. Maybe I’ll even teach her to cook.”

Ranko cackled at the thought. “I mean, Mom, you’re a miracle worker, but even you’ve got limits!”

“So, hey. Listen to me a minute.” Hana sat on the bed, where she often did when the two women had their many talks. Ranko opted not to take her usual place beside her, dressed as she was. She looked like she was fighting to keep from crying.

“So, you’re about to go do a big thing. A really big thing, and like I said, I can’t tell you how proud of you I am. You’ve just come so far, little star. So has Akane, really, and I’ll tell her the same too. You’ve grown up, and grown as a person, so much since I’ve known you. Like I told Nodoka, I’m just in awe of the woman you’ve become. 

“I see no reason at all to expect it, but I want to make sure you know something. Your sisters and I will be here for you, always. Giving you away doesn’t mean goodbye. If you ever need us, if you ever are unhappy, don’t ever let yourself feel trapped. Okay? Like I said, I think you girls are absolutely made for each other, and I’m not worried about a thing. But it’s important in a relationship to know that every day you’re there, you’re there because you want to be, and you have somewhere you can go if you ever don’t. Forever only has to be forever if you want it to be. I had the same talk with Aya and Izzi at their weddings, so it’s nothing personal to you or Akane. It’s just something every woman should know.”

Ranko nodded. “Yes, mama. I won’t need it, but I appreciate that you offered. I’m Akane’s forever, and I don’t want it any other way. I never will. But I know I always have a home here, too.”

Hana smiled proudly. “As it should be, baby. Do you have any questions for me before we head down?”

The bride shook her head. “No questions. But I do wanna say something. Mom… thank you. You keep telling me how proud you are of me, and how much I’ve grown, but I didn’t… You made me. You and the girls. Every single thing I like about me came from you guys and Akane. I’m proud to make you proud. Every day, I want to show the world my best because it reflects on you. You’ve just… especially with my parents, and the wedding, and my music, and gods, everything, you’ve just been so amazing. A girl could never, ever ask for a better mom than you. I’ve put you through so much, and you’ve never even blinked. I just… I wish I could plug you into my heart for just a second because I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to express everything I feel like I need to tell you. It’s just like with Akane. I love you doesn’t even begin to cover it. Not even close.”

Hana smiled lovingly. “I know, little star. You don’t have to say it. I see it in you, every day.” She stood as the sound of music began to waft up the stairwell outside the closed apartment door. “Speaking of, did you ever come up with something to sing for Akane?”

Ranko blushed. “Boy, did I.”

---

“Come in!” 

The door to Hana’s office swung open after Nabiki gave permission, and Soun Tendo entered it. He wore a white tuxedo with a black bow tie, he’d shaved all but his mustache, and he looked more handsome than Akane could ever remember seeing him. He, like Hana, wore a white rose boutonniere on his left lapel.  

“Hello, girls,” he said, smiling to each in turn but lingering on Akane. “Are you all set in here?”

Kasumi smiled warmly, gesturing to Akane as if presenting her for display. “Father, I believe our sister is ready to be married.”

Soun stepped closer to Akane, gently stroking her cheek, ever so careful not to disturb her hair or her makeup. “Akane, I cannot even begin to tell you how beautiful you are today.”

The bride blushed furiously. “Aww, dad! Do you think Ranko will like it?”

“She’d be a fool not to,” Soun said with a grin. “Is everybody up on the plan for how we head out?” Three nods of affirmation came in reply. 

“Okay. Kasumi, Nabiki, go ahead and get set in the hallway. I want just a moment with Akane, please.” Soun smiled at his youngest daughter.

Kasumi motioned to Nabiki to follow her, giving Akane a little wave. “Yes, Father. Akane, we love you, and we’ll see you soon!” Nabiki stood from her seat on the couch, an orange and a purple bouquet in her hands, and passed the latter off to Kasumi as they exited the room and Nabiki closed the door behind them.

“Akane, I…” Soun ran his fingers through his hair nervously, going silent for a moment. “I’m sorry, I just… I’m trying.”

The bride stepped forward, resting her hand on her father’s forearm. “Dad, it’s okay. What’s wrong?”

Soun wiped a tear from his cheek. “Not a thing, Akane. Not a thing at all. I’m just…” He bit his lip. “I’m trying to find the words your mother would say to you today if she were here.”

Akane’s fingers were drawn to the pearl necklace around her throat. “She is here, Dad. I feel her in my heart. So why don’t you tell me what words my father would say to me? They’re just as important to me.”

Tears streaking down both of his cheeks and getting lost in the corners of his bushy mustache, Soun reached out and squeezed Akane’s shoulder. Whether it was for her comfort or his own, Akane didn’t know.

“Your father would say that no man has ever been as proud of his daughter as I am of you right now. He would say that he loves you more than all the world. He would say that nothing has made him as happy in a long time as seeing the look in your eyes right now and knowing how happy, and how ready for your future, you are. And he would say how terribly sorry he is that it took him so long to see it.”

Akane stepped forward, the tulle underskirt of her dress making a quiet crunching sound as she hugged her father tight around the waist. “I love you, Daddy.”

Soun leaned down and enveloped his arms around her back, squeezing her like he was afraid he would lose her. He held her wordlessly for several seconds before responding. “I love you too, Akane.” 

Finally he straightened, wiping both of his cheeks with his fingers, and offered his youngest daughter his bent elbow. “Come on, honey. Let’s go get you married.”