Nykkyo Kyhana lay on his back, relaxed in the sweet exhaustion that comes after. He surveyed the room, illuminated by the nightstand lamp turned low. It was the bedroom in the apartment above the house in Queens. The window was open and mild, late-April night air wafted in, now and then carrying with it a trace of diesel fumes. He could hear the noise of the City — that of traffic, the muffled sound of a television down the block … the occasional siren.
Suki lay under his left arm, clutching him. He stroked her bicep and contemplated her yellow-brown skin. Nyk pressed his lips to the top of her head and inhaled the scent of her hair. She snuggled against him. “Mmm,” she said.
She drew in a deep breath. “Mmmmmm… My whole body is perfectly relaxed. If I close my eyes, I’ll be asleep. Mmm…”
“I hope you can keep those beautiful eyes open for a little while. I love gazing into them.”
“Uh-UNH.” She kissed his cheek. “I’m deliriously happy. Oh, Nykkyo — when I’m in your arms
— I truly have no cares.”
“Wouldn’t you like to have this for the rest of your life?”
“Is that the only way I can have it?”
“…no… of course not.”
“Nykkyo, I swore an oath I’d never marry again.”
“And, I’ve sworn oaths I’ve broken.” He kissed the top of her head. “To think all this started with a simple question about miso soup.”
