We were swinging gently on the porch swing. The smell of the dirt was all around us, so fresh and invigorating. There were outdoor pillows on the swing, and I'd arranged them around Sana to keep him comfortable. He'd insisted I take a couple of them, and I'd laughed, saying I didn't need any. He'd insisted anyway, wedging one behind me. I was satisfied with that.

Small birdsong was trilling in the distance. I knew soon, sunset would begin. My mom would call us in for dinner. But just for now, in the time before the twilit evening...

My arm was around Sana, keeping him close to me. I would not let him fall. I didn't want him to slip down. If he started to slip, I could put my feet down and stop the swing, prevent him. I made sure. He was safe.

I was enjoying watching the slight breeze we were creating go through his hair. He was leaned to me, and I was holding his glasses in my other hand. His eyes were closed, maybe dozing almost. His breaths weren't of sleep. From the small smile on his face, I knew he was enjoying himself.

I was filled with the most bliss filled feeling. Just waiting for the sunset to begin. Holding my fiancé close to me. Breathing in the newly born Spring air.

And barely there, he began to sing in a whisper. A familiar song. I sighed so deeply, fully leaning back, my head gazing up at the still blue sky. The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face, by Roberta Flack. Tiny, twirling whispers in the breeze. Just for me.

Soon, as sunset descended, all the pretty colors in the sky, I pointed upwards. Sana's eyes were open, and I looked down at him, just to see those eyes. The sky was reflected in his eyes. The same lazy clouds.

As the pink melted into purple, our faces were pointed upwards. The feeling of being like a child fell upon me again. So happy, so innocent, so full of wonder, like a child. That's how he made me feel. He made everything new again. Even the sunset, it was new again. Like I never saw colors before I saw them with him. We had to see them together. From the way he looked at me, I knew he felt the same. He was looking at me more than the sunset, and that made me feel more beautiful than the sunset ever could be, for him to ignore its beauty for me. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I put my finger under his chin and lifted it. He closed his eyes and puckered his lips, and I met them, kissing him long and deep.

As darkness overtook everything in the garden, I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay here like this, forever. Capture the moment. Make it last always. Just holding him like this, gently swinging together. I caught him gazing upwards again, the new stars reflected in his eyes.

"I see a little bear," he said, smiling. He pointed upward, stretching his arm. I followed his finger, and a bright star met my eyes. "That's Polaris. The north star."

"Oh, I see it!" I gasped. I pointed with him. "Where's the bear?"

Like warm magic, his hand wove itself around mine. Slowly, he traced the constellation. "There," he said, his voice so full of joy. "And." He began to guide my finger again. It drew for a long time in the sky. "There's Draco, the dragon."

"The dragon is so big," I whispered, in awe.

"Yeah."

"Who else is in the sky?"

His beautiful eyes scanned the stars. "Ah, Lacerta, the lizard." He guided me to see a short, faint constellation.

"So many animals out tonight. I wonder what they're doing up there all together."

"Me, too. Maybe it's a parade." He settled against me again, his arm going around my front.

"A parade of animals?"

"Yes. Maybe they're celebrating something." He settled in, letting out a long sigh of love.

"Oh, that must be what it is." My arm tightened around him, securing him again. I leaned down, and kissed his lovely hair. He let out another happy sigh.

My mom called us in not too long after that. My papa was already home, waiting at the kitchen table for us. When he saw me struggling to get Sana's wheelchair up the small steps leading up from the garden, he was up like a shot, running to help us. I had Sana pressed against me, so it was hard to guide the wheelchair up the stairs at the same time. I knew Sana was tired. But, I'd wanted to stay out in the garden with him. He'd seemed to like it so much, and so did I.

My papa had taken Sana's wheelchair from me and easily lifted it into the house. He'd set it near the kitchen table. My mom helped me bring Sana into the house. He wasn't very heavy at all, but the position was difficult.

I safely got him to his usual spot at the kitchen table, and sat next to him. He took my hand. "Thank you," he said.

"You don't have to say thank you." I smiled at him. He smiled back, so sincere.

My mom served all of us shogayaki. I knew pork was a meat Sana could safely eat, as we'd learned a couple of months ago with some careful experimentation with Yokohara-sensei's go ahead, so I was relaxed. My mom was very adept at working with his medical diet by now. I had mine with rice and vegetables, but he ate his with only vegetables.

I was paying attention to him eating, when my papa started to speak. I looked up.

"Have you two thought about getting registered for marriage? I think you'd better do it soon. The sooner the better."

Sana was smiling at me. His hand took mine under the table. Utter beauty radiated up my arm and into my chest, causing my heart to rumble. I thought of the pearl ring on its new chain under his shirt, protected there always against his heart.

"We will do it."

"Make a plan. Don't delay it."

"Okay." I couldn't stop staring at Sana, even though my papa was talking to me directly.

My mom began to chuckle. "Papa, I don't think they're paying attention."

"What?" I broke my gaze, seeing my papa now. My mom was chuckling behind her hand.

"I swear every day you two are more in love. Now is the best time to get registered. You should go do it tomorrow, if they'll let you. We'll ask if there is a waiting period. If so, I don't imagine it will be too long," she said. "Ah!" She clapped her hands together. "We'll have a party after you do! We'll celebrate! Think about what you want to do. I know it's not your wedding, but we should celebrate when you two actually register. Think about what you want!"

My papa made noises of immediate agreement as she said this. "That sounds like a good idea. Don't worry about the cost. It will be a gift from us. We'll do whatever you want. This is a very special occasion. You are the oldest. You're getting married."

My embarrassment at his words burst out of me in a loud snort. It made Sana start laughing. I could tell from his laugh how tired he was. I squeezed his hand under the table, and he squeezed mine.

My mom laughed with him. "What was that noise, Tetsu?!" She laughed. She quickly got ahold of herself, but was still grinning, overjoyed.

"It's just- Papa!" I exclaimed. "I'm 'the oldest'? That's so old fashioned! I'm not more special than Natsuko or Naoko."

"Even so." My papa put a piece of pork in his mouth. He chewed, and then spoke. "We'll spare no expense."

"Um." Sana leaned in to me, and I leaned in to him. He seemed so tired. I'd have to take him to lay down soon.

"Yes?" I asked, gently.

"I think... Can we..." He seemed hesitant.

"Hmm? What, baby?" I tickled his cheek with my finger, unable to resist. A small blush appeared where I'd touched, filling my heart with honey.

"If we have a party, can we have it in the garden? I really like being in the garden with you. I watch you, and you seem to like the garden, too. I think it would be lovely. It's so nice out there."

My heart bloomed with flowers. It felt like my blood was replaced with the sweetness of their scents, weaving along and spreading out to my fingers, to my tiptoes. I turned, and my fingertips touched his face, and he made the most beautiful smile, his eyes so full of love.

"That sounds perfect." My mind was full of all the animals in the sky he'd shown me. Their animal parade in the sky. His stories. They were hanging there, above the garden, where we could have our party to celebrate our love. As if the parade of animals in the sky was a celebration for us, finally an answer to why they were celebrating.

"Hmm? What's that?" My mom asked. "Is Sana tired? Should I wrap up your plates? You can eat them later." She sounded concerned. But, really, we were feeling the opposite of any sad feeling.

"Sana suggested we hold the party in the garden. We like it out there together. Would that be fine?"

My papa straightened up in his chair at the head of the kitchen table. "That seems a little conservative," he said. "Are you sure? We can go to a fancy hotel, or a nice venue, somewhere bigger. Really, don't worry about the money. This is a once in a lifetime occasion."

Sana was smiling at me, never stopping. I cupped his cheek in my hand, and he tilted his head into it, his cute habit that I loved so much. That's all I needed to know. I smiled back to him.

"We're sure. We want to have it in the garden."

"Okay." My mom paused, still sounding unsure. "We'll make it look nice. Maybe some-"

"Let's string a lot of Christmas lights all around it. In the bushes, the trees. Sana loves lights." He nodded into my hand, and I felt his cheek go warmer. He was blushing at my words. "Hmm, and..." I thought for a moment. "And tea lights. Those would be pretty."

"Yeah," he said.

"That's so conservative. You really don't want something fancier?" My papa sounded a little uncomfortable. "I know it's not your wedding yet, but you can have something better."

"No, I know," I said, smiling still. "But I think it will be absolutely perfect. It's what we want."

Sana nodded, so full of joy.

"Ahh," my mom sighed. "Look how happy they are. I bet they don't even know what you're asking, papa."

After dinner, Sana and I were in our customary pose on the couch. He was very tired, but not asleep. He'd done a lot today. I was so proud of him. I was massaging his back with my hand, and he was watching my face. I stared into his sweet brown eyes.

My papa jumped in his chair all of a sudden, as if having a shiver from cold.

"Huh?!" I gasped at him, at the same time my mom did.

He was sitting up straight in it now, his hands on either side of the armrests. "Sana is an American citizen!" He downright shouted.

"What, did that just occur to you," my mom laughed.

My eyes went wide. Sana seemed unmoved. "That's right you are. How does that affect the marriage registration process?" Tendrils of worry grew in my chest at my papa's words.

Sana yawned, so big. My heart melted the worry immediately, like the chocolate cake I'd eaten that afternoon.

"No worries, I'm a dual citizen. I was born in the US, but both of my parents are Japanese and never got their own US citizenship, as my dad was only working there. They registered me officially when we moved here, when I was in high school," Sana said casually.

"Oh, is that right? I didn't know. That makes sense."

He nodded, closing his eyes.

"Do you have to give up your US citizenship if you marry me?" I didn't want him to have to. I wanted him to be able to make a choice.

He shook his head gently. "No, they can't force you. It's the law."

"Oh, good," I breathed, in relief. "You're so American. It wouldn't make sense if you weren't American anymore."

He began to laugh, and I found myself laughing with him.

"So, that settles that," my papa said, leaning back in his chair. "That's one less thing to worry about."

"Hmm. Te-chan, Sana-chan, what do you want to eat at the party? We can get anything you want. I know you like chicken, Sana-chan, and you like sushi, still, right, Te-chan? We can make it fancy, better quality sushi. Maybe some sushi with chicken and pork, because Sana-chan doesn't like fish. Or maybe we can get some snow crab? That sounds appropriate. Do you like crab, Sana-chan?" My mom asked, changing the subject. I could tell she was feeling sentimental, calling us these endearments.

I could only think of one thing that I wanted to eat when she was talking. I poked the tip of Sana's nose, and it wrinkled, and he began to giggle. I giggled, too. "I want some of Sana's chicken fried rice, his gimbap, and the nice pork and chicken dumplings he makes."

His eyes opened, and they were shining. "You do?" He asked, sweetly.

"Of course I do. You make the most delicious food. Those are my favorites. I remember when we made the dumplings together. It's one of my favorite things that we ever did. Just working with you, making food for everyone. I want to make them over and over with you."

He hugged my sides tightly, and I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him just as tight. He was smiling so much. I loved him so much.

"You'll have to give me the recipes. I'll make the food. I bet Naoko could help. She's pretty good at cooking. Not Natsuko, though. She'll mess it up." My mom was thinking out loud.

I began laughing. "Yeah, Natsuko is like me. She can't cook at all."

Sana laughed with me. "I didn't know that."

"Yeah, she just doesn't pay attention. She'll be boiling water, and then wander off somewhere, and the pot will burn."

Sana was laughing more. He made me so happy, just by laughing. He was so cute. I began petting his hair, and he relaxed, smiling so contentedly.

"Hmm," my mom went on. "We have plenty of Sana's sugar left. I wonder what kinds of sweets I can find to make with it. Maybe Naoko can help. We'll find some good sweets, okay? I want Sana to be able to eat them. It would be no fun if he couldn't eat the sweets at the party."

"Thank you," Sana said a little louder.

"Of course! The party is for both of you! It would be a shame if you couldn't eat some of the food."

"Oh, that reminds me." I swiped Sana's bangs to the side, and he looked at me adoringly. "Make sure to cook some vegetables as a side dish, too. Ah!" I remembered the best ones, perfect to go with this meal. I looked at Sana, the memory still fresh. "Remember the ones you made when we were going to have Korean barbecue? I couldn't stop eating them!"

Sana giggled, so cute. "I saw you sneaking them away. Were they that good?"

"They were the best. My favorite."

"You really like my Korean food. I'll have to remember. You named all of my Korean dishes."

I paused. He was right! I grinned, and hugged him again. He hugged me, too.

"I'll give you my recipes for the banchan," Sana told my mom. "The ones Tetsu is talking about."

"I can't wait to try them."

"Mom, you'll love them!" I exclaimed. "When Sana made them, I wanted to stop eating, I was so embarrassed, but they were too good!"

Sana was laughing again. He was so cute that I didn't want to stop touching him.

"Don't be embarrassed. You kept taking the sesame cookies, too. You can eat anything I make. It makes me happy when you do," he said, giggling.

"Aww, really?" I asked, in awe.

He nodded into my chest. "That's why I make such an effort. I love watching you eat my food."

All I could do was make a squeak in my throat, as I held him tightly and rocked him back and forth in my merriment. He laughed harder at this, the cutest laugh of all.

His mom sighed. "Look at you two. It makes my heart so glad. You're so ready to get married. I know it's only been a short time, but you're so in love. I can see it."

"We are," I said in a rush of breath. Sana rubbed his cheek on my chest, and I put my hand on his head. His eyes curled up, so in his happiness. I felt mine do the same. He closed his eyes, and I began to massage his back again, so in love with him.