In the morning Hikaru's alarm went off early. Kiri kissed her and apologized. "I changed it but if you'd rather sleep, you can snooze it for half an hour."

Hikaru grinned sleepily at him and pulled his arm over her hip. They started with kissing, and when they were finished, Kiri put her hair up for her.

They had breakfast with Tokiko. Hikaru shyly invited her, "Oka-sama I'll be having lunch with part of my family after I play, if you'd like to come and meet my mother and my uncle you'd be welcome to join us?"

Kiri's mother accepted the invitation politely. Hikaru and Kiri told her the easiest way to get to the restaurant. Then Hikaru and Tokiko exchanged contact numbers, just in case.

Hikaru took the bus downtown. Kiri offered to drive her but he had to get ready to fly out still, so she said, "I'd rather you not rush so hard and travel safely."

He sighed and agreed, "Alright. I'll miss you." He hugged her tightly.

"I love you," she replied, "so I hope it's fun, and one of those times you can say you love your job."

Kiri grinned at her and whispered, "Marry me?"

Hikaru smiled and touched his earring. Reluctantly she said, "I need to go."

He nodded, but they stood in the doorway and clung to each other so long that Hikaru had to run to catch the bus.

Tokiko smiled at him when he sighed and shut the door. Kiri looked at his mother and asked somewhat suspiciously, "What?"

"You seem very much in love," she commented with a grin.

"I am," he answered. "I told you so," he pointed out with a sigh.

"But?" she asked watching his face.

He looked like he was going to deny it but instead answered reluctantly, "I'm afraid she'll outgrow me. Right now I'm the one who makes more money, who knows more about things, and I can still take care of her. But she's probably going to catch up and surpass me all too soon."

Tokiko regarded her son with disappointment. "And then you won't love her so much?" she asked flatly.

"No, I'm pretty sure I'll still freaking adore her. But what if I'm not enough for her then, or the age difference starts to matter?" he asked.

His mother raised an elegant eyebrow at him and replied, "If you really think that she's that kind of woman, you shouldn't marry her."

Kiri grinned sardonically at his mother and said lightly, "I knew that you'd see that she's already a woman and not a child pretty soon." He sighed and added, "And I don't care, I'm going to cling to her as tightly and for as long as she lets me."

"I see," said his mother.

He shrugged and then packed and left in time to take his flight.