Her Papa's Crimes

“I have to do this. I’m sorry. I’m so so so so sorry, Darling. But, you know I’m worried about Papa. He gave up so much to get me into St. Primrose. We always pretended we had the money…but I’ve told you how poor we were when we were growing up, right? And if the school had our actual financial statements, that, they’d have turned us down for sure”.

“I know Papa’s a good man. He didn’t…he didn’t want to commit fraud. He was j-just looking out for me. And now, if this gets out, his whole life will be ruined. Mother’s too…”{if Female = true}

You held your tongue. You’d never liked her father, of course. Considering his stance on your marriage, how could you view him with anything other than quiet rage? Still, you knew that you’d never be able to convince Kaori to let him go to prison. She had always tried to be a “proper” daughter. Or at least as proper as she could, considering her choice in spouse.{endif}

She took off her glasses to wipe away the years. You were acting as the go between from her to the tissue box on the counter, ensuring she remained well stocked. Kaori just wasn’t the sort of person who could handle a stressful situation. If you weren’t here, she would have been utterly paralyzed.

“I don’t want this…you know that, right, Darling? If I had a choice…I’d never…You’re my hero. You’re my world. I just…I just want papa to be alright too.”

You rose from the table and walked behind her. Kaori's eyes followed you, her lips quivering. When you were behind her, you wrapped your arms tightly around her neck. Your soft wife sighed and leaned into the supportive touch. You were still her shelter from the storm. She turned her head slightly, so she could search your face for an answer. Her tear soaked face was pleading with you to tell her what to do.