to a world that had taken so much from him.
He had been meeting with local organizations, reviewing costs, and exploring ways to fund the project. He had not wanted to discuss it with Yuki until he knew whether it was possible.
He had told himself that waiting was sensible.
In truth, he was afraid that sharing the dream would make the possibility of failure more painful.
Yuki listened.
She could see that his secrecy had grown from grief rather than cruelty. But she also understood that good intentions did not automatically make a decision harmless.
“Kenji,” she said, “I want to be part of your life. That includes the happy parts and the difficult ones. I cannot promise to understand everything immediately. But I can promise to listen if you are willing to tell me the truth.”
He looked at her.
“And if I don’t know how to tell
