PICKING UP THE PIECES

Picking Up the Pieces

Max woke up with a pounding headache, the remnants of the previous night's emotions still swirling in the back of his mind. He groaned, slowly sitting up on Noriko's couch, the faint smell of breakfast wafting from the kitchen.

His memories of the night before were hazy, but one thing was clear: he had broken down. He remembered crying into Noriko's shoulder, feeling everything he'd kept buried for so long spill out in front of her. The embarrassment washed over him as he tried to gather himself, glancing around for his son.

Kota sat happily in the corner, babbling to himself while playing with his toys. He seemed completely unfazed by the events of the night before.

Noriko appeared from the kitchen, holding a tray of food-scrambled eggs, toast, and some fruit. She smiled warmly when she saw Max stirring. "Morning," she said, placing the tray on the coffee table. "How are you feeling?"

Max winced at the brightness of her voice. "Hungover, and... a little embarrassed."

Noriko chuckled softly. "You're allowed to feel things, Max. You've been holding it together for so long-you needed to let go."

Max sighed, rubbing his temples. "Yeah, but not like that. I'm supposed to be Kota's rock, you know? The guy who has it all figured out."

"You don't have to be perfect all the time," Noriko said, sitting beside him. "Kota doesn't need a perfect dad-he just needs you."

Max gave her a small, grateful smile. He picked up the toast from the tray and took a bite, the warmth of the meal starting to lift the fog in his mind.

"I guess I didn't make too much of a fool of myself?" Max asked, glancing at Noriko.

She laughed. "You were emotional, but that's okay. Everyone has their moments."

Max took another bite of his toast, letting the food ground him. "Thanks, Noriko. I mean it. I don't know what I would've done without you."

She reached over, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "That's what friends are for."

---

Later that morning, after Max and Kota had both eaten, they thanked Noriko for her hospitality and made their way home. The walk was quiet, Max's thoughts still lingering on Saki. He couldn't shake the image of her in the mall-dressed in designer clothes, with that man holding her like she was some prize. It gnawed at him, the idea that she had moved on so easily, while he was still struggling to pick up the pieces.

But he couldn't dwell on it. Not today. He had Kota, and that was what mattered now.

As they reached their apartment, Max set Kota down in his crib for a nap and slumped into his chair, staring at the blank ceiling. His mind was a whirlpool of emotions-anger, sadness, and something else he couldn't quite identify. Maybe it was guilt. Guilt that he had been so consumed with his own pain that he hadn't been fully present for his son.

He glanced at the clock. It was still early in the afternoon, and the day stretched out before him like an open road. The idea of sitting alone with his thoughts made his skin itch. He needed to do something-anything-to shake off the weight of the past few days.

As if on cue, his phone buzzed on the table. It was a text from Noriko.

**Noriko:** *Hey, I'm closing the store early today. Want to grab coffee later?*

Max stared at the message for a moment, his mind torn between wanting to bury himself in work and needing to be around someone who understood what he was going through. After a long pause, he typed back a reply.

**Max:** *Sure. Coffee sounds good.*

---

Later that afternoon, Max met Noriko at a small café not far from the bookstore. The atmosphere was cozy, with the scent of fresh coffee and pastries filling the air. They found a table by the window, the autumn sunlight filtering in and casting a warm glow over the room.

"How's Kota?" Noriko asked, taking a sip of her cappuccino.

"He's good," Max said, stirring his own coffee absentmindedly. "He's napping now. He's a lot tougher than me, I'll give him that."

Noriko smiled. "Babies are resilient like that. They sense when things aren't right, but they don't hold on to it the way we do."

Max nodded, still stirring his coffee, but not really drinking it. His mind kept pulling him back to the mall, back to Saki. He knew he should let it go, but the bitterness was hard to shake.

Noriko, ever perceptive, must have noticed the shift in his mood. "You're still thinking about Saki, aren't you?"

Max sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah. I thought I was over it, but seeing her like that... it just threw me. She's moved on, Noriko. She's with some guy who's probably rich and successful, and here I am, barely scraping by."

"You don't know that," Noriko said gently. "You don't know anything about that guy or what her life is like now."

"Yeah, but it *looked* like she's doing better without me," Max said, bitterness creeping into his voice. "Maybe she was right. Maybe I wasn't enough for her."

Noriko set down her cup, leaning forward slightly. "Max, you're more than enough. Saki leaving had nothing to do with your worth. Relationships don't always work out, and sometimes it's about timing or what people want out of life. That doesn't mean you're lacking."

Max stared out the window, watching people pass by on the street, lost in thought. He knew Noriko was right, but part of him couldn't shake the feeling that he had failed. That no matter how hard he tried, he hadn't been able to give Saki what she wanted.

"I just..." Max trailed off, struggling to find the words. "I thought she was the one, you know? I thought we'd figure it out. I begged her to stay, and she still walked away."

Noriko reached across the table, gently placing her hand over his. "I know it's hard. But you've got something amazing now-you've got Kota. And from what I've seen, you're an incredible dad. That's what matters."

Max looked down at their hands, her warmth grounding him. He nodded slowly. "Yeah. You're right."

He took a sip of his now lukewarm coffee, feeling a little lighter. The pain of seeing Saki again would linger, he knew that, but maybe it didn't have to define him. Maybe he could focus on what he had, instead of what he had lost.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching the world go by outside the café. For the first time in a long time, Max felt like he could breathe. It wasn't perfect-it would never be perfect-but maybe that was okay.

Noriko's voice broke the silence, soft but steady. "You're not alone, Max. I hope you know that."

Max glanced at her, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Yeah. I think I'm starting to realize that."

---

*End of Chapter 9.*