On New Years' Eve I watched our steaming pot of blowfish and clams while they simmered in rice wine and felt thankful for Megumi. I can whisper to her and she whispers back.
Tsuji arrived in the waning minutes of the year of Heisei 19, having taken a six hour walk from his workplace to Megumi's house. He was tired. He held the bottle of champagne he'd brought away from the TV screen and loosened the cork as the symphony came to a close.
Thank you for taking care of me this year, we said to each other. This is what they say in Japan. For the first time in many years, it was New Years' Eve and I was happy.
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