Despite the incident, Lily has gone to school. Lily, who is dressed in her school uniform (a simple white polo and a dress skirt), swings on the park’s swing set separate from the playground after her eventful day at school. Lily’s Seedling Plush rests on her lap as she swings to and fro on the swing set.

She takes out the pendant she had made in her art class. Inside the pendant is a photo of her two fathers, Ronlo and Flint, from their days in college. She finds this photo while looking through the album storage on Ronlo’s laptop.

She looks up at the afternoon sky, feeling at ease as the clouds pass by. She sees the clouds form into her, Flint, and Ronlo all happy together as a family. Lily smiles at the sight, hoping that one day her dream will come true.

She snaps out of her imagination, realizing that she will be late home if she swings for any longer. She jumps off the swing and runs off. She doesn’t notice that she has dropped the pendant she has made.

A man with a cold demeanor, sitting on a bench under the shade of the trees, notices that Lily has dropped her pendant by the swing set. He stands up from the bench, finishing his sweet and creamy coffee from his metal mug, carrying it along with him. He adjusts his suspenders and black tie. The light shines upon his handsome visage, long wavy black hair, light blue button-up polo, and black dress pants, as he walks to the swing set.

He bends to the ground and picks up Lily’s pendant. He takes a moment to inspect it, not recognizing the photo of Lily’s fathers. Regardless, he holds in his free hand and looks for Lily. He sees her running down the sidewalk, with her Seedling Plush in her arms and backpack moving up and down. Yoko runs after Lily.

Lily breathes heavily, feeling herself slow down. While slowing down, she hears the fast footsteps of someone behind her. She turns around and recognizes the man running up to her as her math tutor at school, Yoko.

Yoko slows down as he approaches Lily.

“Oh, Mr. Yoko! What are you doing here?” She asks.

Yoko kneels to her level and extends out his hand. He opens it up, revealing the pendant Lily has dropped. Her eyes widen at the sight.

“Pendant.” He tells her in a monotone voice.

Lily notices him fall silent as if he’s thinking carefully about what he must say next. She lets him take his time, knowing full well about his quirk during their lessons.

“You dropped this.” He continues.

Lily takes it from his hands.

“Thank you, Mr. Yoko!” Lily exclaims. “I would be so sad if I lost this.”

Yoko nods at her while standing up.

“Day.” He tells her again in a monotone voice.

Lily giggles at Yoko’s way of saying goodbye. Yoko forms a small smile hearing her laugh.

He turns around and leaves, going back to the park. She puts the pendant back into her pocket and runs back home.

Lily lies in the small front yard of her home, which is surrounded by low stone walls. Her Seedling plush lies on top of her, while she takes a moment to catch her breath. She watches the clouds passing by in the now late afternoon sky.

The clouds bring her back to those sweet dreams and aspirations Lily holds dear to her heart. The clouds form into a grand stage. She stands at the center, now appearing a lot older and being adorned in an elegant, yet simple dress.

She sings to her heart’s content following along to the strumming of soothing violins, the triumphant trumpets and tubas, and the elegant piano, filling the theater with their euphony.

The theater erupts in applause as the finale finishes. Lily’s fellow cast mates walk up on stage, and they all bow with her. During all of this, a genuine wide smile is on her face.

From the stage, she sees the audience applauding and elated from the performance. But the sight that brings her the most joy is her two fathers, Ronlo and Flint, cheering her on, proud of her performance.

The clouds slowly dissipate as Lily still has a smile on her face, seeing her perfect dream of touching the hearts of everyone, especially her fathers, with her performance.

She slowly rises from the ground and opens the front door of her home. She closes the door behind her after entering and runs straight to her room. She places her bag and Seedling plush on her bed.

She walks over to Ronlo’s bedroom. She overhears Ronlo talking to someone over the phone from standing outside the door. Lily silently walks to the living room. She kneels by the table and pulls out the portrait of her family from under the table and the pendant with Ronlo and Flint’s photo from her pocket. She smiles at herself for creating these two pieces, but she wonders when will be the right time to show it to Flint and Ronlo.

She hears the door from Ronlo’s room open. She hides the portrait under the table and puts the pendant back in her pocket. Lily stands up from her kneeling position and sees Ronlo exit the room. She notices a somber expression on his face.

Ronlo hides his somber look with a smile after seeing Lily.

“Oh there you are Lily!” he exclaims, trying to hide the sadness in his voice. “Please don’t be home late again, you were worrying me!”

Ronlo lowers to Lily’s level as she runs at her. Ronlo picks Lily up, both hugging each other.

“Oh wow, you’re a growing girl!” Ronlo comments while carrying her.

Ronlo carefully lowers her to the couch, sitting next to her.

“How were your classes today?” Ronlo asks her.

“They were good dad.” She tells her. “I don’t think anything else happened.”

Ronlo nods, relieved that nothing bad has happened to her. He stands up from the couch and stretches.

“I’ll make some milk tea for you, just how you like it,” Ronlo tells her.

Lily gets excited because he never does this unless it is for a special occasion. He walks over to the kitchen, brushing up his clothes. He boils water in the kettle and looks in the pantry and fridge for more ingredients.

“Hey dad, who were you talking to?” Lily asks from the living room.

“Oh…uh, I was talking to the publisher for my upcoming book,” Ronlo tells her.

Lily hears the shakiness in Ronlo’s voice, despite his poor attempt at masking it. She shrugs it off, thinking he is nervous about their talk.

He takes out his tin of black tea and puts some in a small mug. He pours the boiling water into the mug and mixes it in the tea. He takes out a separate, larger mug and fills it up with refrigerated condensed milk. He pours in the black tea and mixes it with the milk.

After adding in some shaved ice, boba, and some other sweet beans and chickpeas, he tops the milk tea with a scoop of ube ice cream, a chunk of caramel, and a chocolate wafer straw.

He carefully brings the mug to her and places it on the table with a cork pad beneath the mug.

“Here you go sweetie, your Halo Halo milk tea.” He presents.

He bends down and lifts her hair, kissing her on her forehead.

“Dad has to go out now. Behave while I’m gone, okay?” Ronlo tells her.

He stands up and approaches the door, grabbing the keys on the hook.

“You’ll be meeting up with your publisher right?” Lily asks.

“Yes…my publisher.” He mutters, trying to hide his somber voice.

He exits his home, locking the door behind him. Lily sighs in relief, knowing that her father hasn’t seen the portrait. As she sits there on the couch, enjoying her Halo Halo milk tea, she is reminded of the math homework assignment she must do from an online problem set.

She sighs, but she knows it has to be done. She quickly finishes her substantial Halo Halo milk tea and places it into the sink for it to soak. She walks over to her father’s bedroom and opens the door.

She walks over to her father’s laptop on the desk from the other side of the door. As she opens the laptop, she finds a yellow sticky note on the screen. The ink on the note is smudged, but she makes out the text, divorce lawyer on the note.

“What is divorce?” she asks herself.

She logs into her account on the laptop. She opens the web browser on her laptop’s home screen. The typing of the word’s letters echoes throughout the room. The word’s definition appears on the screen.

Divorce (n)-the action of legally dissolving a marriage. Occurs when two people who are married no longer want to be together.

Ex: The woman divorced her husband.

Lily sits there at the table motionless and confused. Why would her father have that sticky note on his laptop screen? She convinces herself that her father doesn’t mean to call the number, that he has just accidentally left it there and forgotten to throw it out.

But then memories of her fathers arguing and fighting bombard her mind. She hears them shouting at each other with harsh and demeaning language. She curls up into a ball as her body trembles uncontrollably and tears flow from her eyes. She covers her ears, hoping that they will block out the noise of her father’s fights. It is futile. She can still hear them shouting at each other.

She runs out of her father’s room and into her own, hoping she will no longer hear their arguments. She jumps onto her bed, hugging her Seedling Plush for dear life. She can still hear them shouting and hurting each other with such harsh language and words. Lily’s tears stain her plush as she keeps hugging it tighter.

“Daddy…Dad…please stop fighting! I don’t want you to be angry at each other. I want you two to be happy!” Lily shouts in her room, hugging her plush.

No matter how hard she begs, she still hears the memories of their arguments echoing in her mind. She runs out of her room with the plush still in her grasp and tears streaming down her face. She brings the portrait from beneath the table and the pendant from her pocket and places them on the table.

“Dad…Daddy…I made this for you…please stop fighting!” she begs.

The memories of their arguments intensify in her mind. She cannot stop crying. No matter where she is in her home, she cannot escape from their arguments. Lily grabs onto her Seedling Plush and runs to the front door.

She runs out of her home, slamming the door shut behind her. She runs as fast and far as she can from her home, hoping to escape the horrid cacophony of her fathers’ shouting and harsh words. The late afternoon sky slowly becomes darker.

Ronlo sits on the plush seating of the bus alone. Ronlo looks outside the window as the bus drives through the streets of the nearby town as the later afternoon turns into evening. The bus slows to a stop as it approaches the stoplight. Ronlo notices a nearby local restaurant nearby with many customers seated at metal tables and chairs outside.

Out of all the people, Ronlo spots a couple seated together. He sees them chatting with happy expressions plastered on their faces. They share each other’s meals, giggling at their dorky ways of serving each other their food.

Ronlo cannot help but envy their happiness and company. He knows that once he reaches his destination, it will be a sight he will never see again.

The bus starts driving again, passing by the restaurant. Ronlo looks down at his lap as his hands rest on them.

“Is this the only option I have?” Ronlo mutters to himself.

He has asked himself this very question every single time ever since he wrote down the phone number of the divorce attorney. But after calling them, he damns himself to this route. He knows that it will only end one way. Poor, lonely Ronlo. Poor, sad Lily. He feels his heart sink deeper as the bus approaches closer to his destination.

Yet, during the bus ride, he feels something else. He feels a sense of urgency as if someone he loves is in danger. The heaviness in his heart is slowly replaced with worry. He presses the stop button on the bus. The bus drives to the side of the road to the nearest bus stop. Ronlo runs out of the bus, rushing back to his home.

Ronlo runs up to the front door of his home. He notices that it is left unlocked. He opens the door wide, finding the house lights still on.

“Lily? Lily!” Ronlo shouts.

He runs over to Lily’s room. He does not find her nor her favorite Seedling Plush there.

“Lily, where are you?” Ronlo shouts in his panic-stricken tone.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Ronlo notices his room’s lights on and the door open. He approaches the room and finds his laptop on and open. As he approaches his laptop, his heart drops when he sees what is on the screen, the definition of divorce. The realization of what has happened to Lily hits him like a truck.

“Lily…” he mutters.

Ronlo grabs the flashlight from his nightstand drawer. He turns off the lights and closes the doors of both his and Lily’s room. Ronlo checks around his home, looking for Lily and hoping she is somewhere here. His search comes to a sudden halt when he finds the portrait and pendant on top of the living room table, two items he has never seen before.

As Ronlo gets closer, his eyes widen at the beautiful hand-drawn portrait of his family. He sits down on the couch and brings the portrait closer to him. Ronlo lets his tears roll down his eyes, seeing the happy sight of his family drawn on there. He finds the handwritten note on the bottom corner of the portrait.

“This is my dream, being happy with my family.”

-Lily

“Lily…” he mutters, while still crying.

As Ronlo places the portrait on the table, he finds a small pendant next to it. He takes the pendant and opens it. Inside is a photo of Ronlo and Flint when they first met on one side. The other has text written on it.

“This is for you Dad and Daddy. Happy anniversary!”

-Lily

Ronlo is overwhelmed by nostalgia and sadness, becoming an utter mess as tears keep flowing down his face. He feels his heart sink to its deepest depths, realizing that he and Flint have broken any hopes for her dreams to come true. Ronlo stands up from the couch, holding the pendant in his palm.

Ronlo wears the pendant and runs out of his home. Even if he has broken Lily’s dream, he still cannot help but worry for her. After all, she is his and Flint’s daughter whom they love so, so dearly.

Ronlo runs through the streets of his neighborhood, shouting out Lily’s name into the night sky. He visits every dead end and cul-de-sac, hoping that Lily will be there. Yet every single one he finds has left him empty-handed. His panic and worry grow by the minute, not knowing what dangers may befall his precious daughter.

Yet, his worry fuels him to keep searching around his neighborhood, hoping that he will find her safe and sound. Then they will go home and… The realization hits him that he hasn’t thought about what to do after he finds her.

Yes, she will be home safe and sound, but only at the moment, Ronlo thinks. He will have to confirm that what she has seen isn’t a mere nightmare, but a sad reality, that her dream will never come true. That Ronlo will be forever away from Flint and Lily, damned to be alone for eternity.

Ronlo leans against a light pole on the street, slowly slumping down. His panicked expression forms into one of somber. Tears stream down his face, which glistens from the light shining down from the pole. He curls up into a ball, knowing that there is no way for him to escape his doomed fate of permanent isolation.

“Please…be safe Lily…please…please be safe…” He mutters. “Please..have a better life without me…”

Ronlo slowly wipes his tears from his face after hearing the steps of someone approaching him. He looks up and finds a young woman of a tanned complexion standing before him. The gentle breeze blows on her long brown hair, simple black dress, and light cotton coat. The faint glow around her entrances him. She looks at him with a concerned expression.

“Are you alright?” She asks him.

“I’m…I’m fine…” he mutters, looking away from her.

Ronlo notices her hand extended to him. He takes it, allowing her to help him up. He stumbles around as he stands up, though the woman helps him regain his balance.

“What are you doing out here so late at night?” the woman asks Ronlo.

“Oh. It’s…it’s no concern to you.” Ronlo tells her. “But, thank you.”

Ronlo walks away, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“You’re looking for someone, aren’t you?” she asks him.

Ronlo stops and turns around, facing her with a surprised expression on his face.

“I can tell. I’m looking for someone as well.” She tells him. “We can help each other out, you know?”

Ronlo falls silent, unable to answer. He sighs and motions her over as he walks away. She nods and follows him. They walk side by side in the neighborhood street.

“Oh, I apologize for not introducing myself. I’m Althea.” She says, smiling.

“I’m Ronlo.” He greets back, trying to form a smile.

They walk down the neighborhood road, with the humming of cicadas filling the silence in the air. He feels a sense of comfort walking beside Althea, despite the current circumstances.

“So, who are you looking for?” she asks.

“My…daughter. She ran away from home.” He answers with a somber expression on his face.

“Oh no!” she exclaims. “Will she be okay?”

Ronlo falls silent. He is reminded of his damned fate after hearing her. Althea notices Ronlo’s somber expression worsen. He walks ahead of her, not answering her question. Althea slowly approaches him, with her concern growing for him. As Althea gets closer, she sees tears streaming down Ronlo’s face.

He suddenly feels someone’s soft touch caressing his face. He looks, seeing Flint’s figure flashing in and out where Althea stands as they wipe away his tears. He sees them giving him a comforting smile.

“Ronlo, we’ll find her. I promise.” They tell him.

Ronlo rubs his eyes and blinks, only seeing Althea’s glowing figure there. She motions him to follow her. Ronlo nods and lets her guide him through the roads of the neighborhood. Ronlo feels that same sense of comfort, yet this time it is more familiar to him. It feels like the comfort when he is around his dearest husband, Flint, and daughter, Lily.

“Hey…Althea…” he mutters.

She turns around, still giving him that same comforting smile.

“Yes?” she asks him.

“Is…is it selfish of me to want other’s company?” he asks her. “The…the reason she ran away…is because I and my husband fight so much. She becomes so distraught and tired seeing our arguments. He’s always at his job, solving all these cases. I’m worried for him and what he does…but without him around, I…I felt so unloved…empty inside.”

Ronlo wipes his tears before continuing, “But…I never asked for it. I felt so selfish to ask, ‘Hey, do you want to spend some time with me Flint?’ or ‘Hey, Lily, do you want to spend some time with your dad?’ They all have great, fulfilling lives. But me? I’m just a writer. I have all the time in the world, alone. I never knew marriage would be this lonely. I…I wanted to escape that feeling that’s haunted me since I was young. I wanted to feel the warmth of love by being around him and my dearest daughter…”

Ronlo feels her soft hand grip tightly on his, knowing that she senses his sorrow.

“Ronlo…you’re not selfish. You deserve love” She tells him. “When we find your daughter, which we will, she deserves to know this. She needs to know that her dad loves her, despite his struggles.”

Ronlo lets Althea’s words sink deep, while she walks ahead. He feels the same comfort around his dearest Lily and Flint. He looks up, and for brief moments he sees flashes of his dear Flint guiding him.

“Flint…” he whispers. “You’re still here…”

Ronlo blinks and sees the flashes of Flint disappear. A small smile forms on Ronlo’s face as he catches up to Althea. They walk through the streets of the neighborhood, side by side, looking for Lily.

Lily swings back and forth on the park’s swing set, hugging her Seedling plush tightly. The clear night sky shines upon her tears streaming down her face. The swing set and her Seedling plush, things that have helped her cope and comfort her during the rough times of her fathers’ arguments, fail to distract her from the plain truth.

She’s a smart girl, she knows that this result would happen given her circumstances. But it does not lessen the pain of the truth for her. No, it makes it hurt her so much more.

Yet she still tries to live in her world of imagination, a place where she can escape from all her pains and sadness. She imagines herself acting on stage in a fantastical musical. She could hear the vibrant music and see the upbeat acting and choreography on stage. But, then she sees one of her actors fall dead on the floor. She looks around in shock and horror, finding all the actors drop dead. The once vibrant music shifts into a somber melody. Her once vibrant musical is now a tragedy. But she doesn’t have to imagine being in one, she’s already experiencing one right at this very moment.

She snaps out of her imagination, looking around the empty park playground. She burrows her face into her Seedling Plush, her tears staining the plush’s blue fabric.

She hears slow steps approaching her location. She is slowly covered by a tall figure’s shadow. She trembles in fear as she slowly looks up. She relaxes once she realizes who it is.

“Mr. Yoko?” she asks, with a shakiness in her voice.

Yoko stands there in the same attire, drinking his sweet creamy coffee from his metal mug. He stands there, noticing her depressed state. He stands there in silence, processing the right words to say to her.

“Night.” He tells her in his usual monotone voice.

He takes another sip of his coffee. He sits on the swing next to hers. He sees her burrowing her face into her Seedling plush. He sits there in silence, pondering.

“What are you doing here at night?" he asks.

He notices that her face is still burrowed in her Seedling plush, weeping loudly. He grimaces, regretting his poor choice of words. He ponders some more, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Lily.” Yoko falls in silence, pondering for a moment. “Are you alright?”

Lily looks up from her Seedling plush, facing Yoko with her messy face covered in tears. Yoko takes out a handkerchief and hands it to her. She wipes the tears off her face with it. He sits on the swing in silence, sipping his coffee and letting her release her sadness.

“Mr. Yoko…” she mutters, finally regaining her composure. “I don’t know what to do anymore…”

Yoko sits there, pondering.

“What troubles you?” he asks her in a monotone voice.

Lily wipes her face clean with his handkerchief.

“I want Dad and Daddy to be happy. I don’t want them to fight!” she exclaims. “That’s…that’s why I made them my portrait…and…and pendant. I…I thought it would be enough. But…but…”

Lily starts crying again, burrowing herself again into her Seedling plush. Yoko sits there silently, allowing her to cry and release her emotions. Yoko sees her lift up her face, cleaning her face with his handkerchief.

“But… they’re getting a divorce…” she mutters. “I don’t want them to split up…They won’t be happy if they do…”

Yoko looks at her. Despite his cold expression and demeanor, Lily senses compassion emanating from him. She stares at him, noticing him sitting in silence, pondering.

“Why did you run away?” he asks her.

“Why?” she asks.

Yoko nods. He allows Lily a moment to adjust herself. She hugs her Seedling plush tightly.

“I love Dad and Daddy, but…” she takes a deep breath before continuing, “I can’t dream when I’m at home. I hear them screaming mean things at each other and fighting. Every night at my home is a nightmare. When I’m outside, I feel so much happier. I feel like I can dream and that my dreams can come true. I ran away so I could escape from my nightmare. I don’t want to feel pain anymore. I want to be happy.”

Lily sees Yoko’s cold expression turn into one of somber. He savors the sips of coffee from his metal mug. Lily lets him sit in silence and ponder, just like how he has allowed her to do.

She looks up into the night sky. She sees the bright stars in the night sky. She connects the stars, creating a constellation of her two fathers, Flint and Ronlo. She sees them standing together, happy, holding her as a baby, just like the day of her adoption. She doesn’t want to lose them and be sad. She wants them to be happy, just like her on that special day.

“Lily,” Yoko speaks up. “I know you are afraid of pain. I know how much your pain hurts you.”

Yoko takes a deep breath and sips his coffee. “But, I also know how much you love your fathers.”

Lily looks up at Yoko and is surprised to see him on the verge of tears.

“Please, do not run away.” He continues, struggling to maintain his monotone voice. “Do not run away from those you love. Tell them how much you are hurting. Tell them how much you love them. Tell them that you still love them.”

Lily sees tears stream down Yoko’s face as he sips the sweet, creamy, and nostalgic coffee from his mug.

“Because one day. They will be gone. You will never have the chance to tell them.” Yoko tells her, wiping his tears off his face.

“Mr. Yoko…” Lily mutters.

Tears continue to stream down Yoko’s face. Yoko feels a soft handkerchief wipe away his tears. He looks up and finds Lily wiping away his tears while holding her Seedling plush on her free arm.

“Mr. Yoko, did you lose somebody?” she asks him.

Yoko nods. He stands up from the swing set and approaches the bench where he normally sits during the day. The night shines upon the plaque of the bench.

“Dedicated to Althea Cruz, an inspiring electrical engineer and beloved member of our school community. May she rest in peace.”

Yoko kneels to the ground and raises his mug into the air.

“For you, Althea. The one who has given me love and a chance.” He says in his usual monotone voice.

He finishes the last of his coffee in the mug. He turns around and finds Lily standing next to him.

“Mr. Yoko, I’ll give it a shot. I don’t want to run away. I want to be a brave girl.” She tells him, with confidence in her voice.

A small smile forms on Yoko’s face. Yoko perks up after hearing someone shouting in the distance. He stands up, pushing Lily behind him. His right hand rests on his triangular engineer’s scale as the noise of the man’s shouting gets closer.

“Lily? Lily, are you here?” the man’s voice shouts.

Lily perks up after recognizing the man’s voice.

“That’s my dad!” she exclaims.

Yoko lets his hand off his triangular engineer’s scale. Ronlo runs into the playground and sees Lily.

“Lily!” he exclaims.

They run to each other and hug each other tightly. Lily looks at Yoko. Yoko nods at her, understanding that she will hold her promise. Yoko walks away, knowing Lily is safe, and to give her time with her father.

“Lily, don’t do that ever again! You worried me!” he exclaims.

Ronlo hugs Lily as tight as he can so that she can never leave.

“Dad…” she mutters, struggling to say anything in his tight grasp.

Ronlo realizes this and lets go. Lily breathes heavily, while her Seedling plush slowly expands to its usual shape in her arms.

Lily feels Ronlo’s hands set on her shoulders. She looks at her father’s visage, sensing unease and sorrow.

“Lily…I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you with my arguments with Daddy. Please, Lily, forgive me.” Ronlo pleads.

Ronlo sees that Lily is looking away from him, hugging her Seedling Plush tighter. He grimaces, realizing that Lily most likely doesn’t believe him.

“Lily…please. You, you have to believe me!” He pleads again.

“Daddy, I don’t want you fighting with Dad!” she shouts with all her might. “All you do is fight and shout mean things at each other! I don’t want that to happen anymore! I’m tired…I’m scared…I don’t want you to fight…I want you to be happy…”

Ronlo pulls her in for a hug. She burrows her face into his shoulders, letting her tears soak his shirt. He slowly caresses the hair on the back of his head, feeling guilty for all the pain he and Flint have inflicted on her with their constant fighting.

“Lily…” he mutters. “The..the reason I fight with your father…it’s not really because of his job. It is a part of why, but not the whole reason.”

Lily looks up, tears still streaming down her face.

“Lily. Your…you and Dad have brought me so much joy in my life. I’ve…I’ve been so lonely ever since I was young. I…I never even tried to tell you or Flint, because I felt so selfish asking for your precious time.” Ronlo mutters.

His tears fall on the back of Lily’s clothes.

“I’m…I’m just a damn writer…you and Flint have actual lives to live. It would be, so…so selfish for me to take that time away from you…”

“Dad! Stop talking mean about yourself!” Lily shouts, interrupting Ronlo.

Ronlo’s eyes widen from her sudden outburst.

“Dad, you don’t have to push me and Daddy away. I’ll be there for you.” She tells him.

“Lily…” he mutters.

He hugs her tighter, wanting no one to take her away. Yet, despite his confession, he feels somewhat empty. He feels that someone is missing.

“Dad…please don’t leave Daddy…no one will be happy…” Lily mutters.

Ronlo realizes who that someone is.

“Flint…” he mutters. “Flint, I’m sorry for being such a terrible husband. I’ve pushed you away and fought with you when you needed me. Please…forgive me. I don’t want to lose you or Lily. Damn it Flint, I still love you!”

Lily stops crying. Her once somber expression turns into one of happiness. She finally sees glimpses of her dream coming true. Ronlo sees Lily’s happiness and hugs her tighter, wanting to protect it with all his might.

“Althea, thank you…” he mutters.

Ronlo and Lily slowly let go of their hug. Ronlo holds Lily’s hand, as they exit the playground.

As Yoko walks down the park’s paths, he feels a familiar comforting aura. He looks around, trying to find the source.

“Are you trying to find me silly?” a feminine voice whispers into his ear.

He turns around and his eyes widen. He finds Althea’s spirit standing there.

“Even while I’m gone, I see that you’re still the same caring man I know behind that cold face.” She tells him.

Althea approaches him. Her warm aura melts away the coldness in his demeanor. Yoko envelops her spirit in a tight embrace. Althea smiles, returning the favor with her warm embrace.

“I’m so proud of you, Yoko.” She whispers lovingly into his ear.

They lean in for a kiss.

Yoko lets go of Althea, knowing that she cannot stay there for long. He sees a tall shadowy humanoid figure stand next to her. The figure takes her hand and guides her away.

“We’ll meet again someday, love.” She tells him.

Yoko sees the tall figure and his dear Althea slowly disappear into the night. Yoko hears steps coming from behind. He turns around and finds Ronlo and Lily with her Seedling plush approaching him.

Ronlo looks around, trying to find Althea.

“I could’ve sworn she was here. She was looking for someone.” Ronlo mutters.

Yoko ponders in silence.

“She already found who she was looking for,” Yoko tells him in his monotone voice.

Yoko ponders in silence.

“Night.” He tells them.

Yoko walks away into the night sky. Ronlo is confused, but he does not let it get to him. Lily and Ronlo walk back home.

Ronlo frames Lily’s portrait of their family on the living room wall. He steps back, appreciating his handiwork, gripping the pendant tightly in his hands. He turns around and finds Lily creating another pendant for Flint. He smiles, finally feeling the heaviness in his heart disappearing. While he knows the road ahead will not be smooth, he knows that there is hope. He just hopes that Flint will be alright after his case.

Ronlo hears someone knocking on the front door. He approaches the front door and opens it. His eyes widen to find President Rogers at the door.

“You are Ronlo, yes?” He asks Ronlo.

Ronlo nods.

“We have some things to discuss.” President Rogers tells him.