Yun drummed his fingers on his knee. “So? You ready to go, or what?”

Ryu blew out a breath. “I don’t exactly have a choice in the matter, do I?”

“Not really,” Yun stated.

Ryu frowned. He hadn’t exactly learned anything enlightening in the past. What could he possibly learn in the present?

“You might be surprised with what your friends are doing now,” Yang added, almost as if he read his mind.

Ryu glanced at him. Yang snapped his fingers and the three vanished from the dojo.

They appeared in a large living room. A black leather couch and matching loveseat were set in the room. In the corner, a tall blond man and a young boy with the same hair coloring stood by a douglas fir tree. Ryu’s eyes widened in recognition.

Ryu watched as Ken rifled through a large cardboard box overflowed with tinsel, ornaments, and garland.

“Honey, you almost done?” came a female’s voice. Ryu turned and saw Eliza, carrying a little girl.

Ken smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, sweetheart…I…”

Eliza smiled. “It’s okay. I can decorate if you take the cookies out of the oven when the buzzer goes off.”

Ken walked over, gave her a kiss on the cheek, then kissed the top of the girl’s head.

“Sure, no problem. How hard can that be?” Ken held out his hands and Eliza passed the toddler onto him.

“I wasn’t aware that Ken had a daughter,” Ryu said quietly, studying the child. He could see that she looked just like her mother.

“Ken sent letters to everyone, bragging about his little girl,” Yun stated wryly.

“Perhaps Ken did not write to me,” Ryu stated.

“Mel, honey, do you think you can pull out all the red ribbons from the box?” Eliza asked.

“Sure, Mom,” Mel responded. He found a white ribbon and looked at his sister. “Here, Bethany.”

His little sister moved away from her father’s lap and walked over, taking the ribbon with her small hands.

Ryu smiled ruefully, noticing how much Mel had grown since he last saw him. The boy must have been at least ten years old by now.

“Honey, are you planning to throw a big Christmas party?” Eliza asked.

Ken shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“You used to throw those a lot. I thought you always enjoyed those.”

“I did. Four years ago was the biggest one. You were there, remember? As the years went by, less and less people showed up.”

“Have you heard from Uncle Ryu?” Mel asked.

Ken shook his head. “Sorry, kid. Wish I could say I did.”

“Where is he?” Mel asked.

“I wish I knew,” Ken replied sadly.

“Maybe we’ll get a miracle,” Mel said as he sorted through the box of decorations. “And then you might get a letter or a visit from him.”

Ryu took a deep breath. “I used to visit Ken once a year. I would have enjoyed seeing that boy grow as each year passed…”

Yun and Yang glanced at each other.

“It’d be nice to get a visit from him,” Ken commented. “But you know your uncle. Always traveling…”

“That’s the life he chose to lead,” Eliza pointed out.

“A very lonely life, I’ll add,” Ken said.

Ryu sighed. “It seems that this entire night is dedicated on telling me that I have chosen the wrong path.”

Yang shrugged. “The night isn’t over yet.”

“I’m still surprised on what happened between Chun Li and him…”

“I know. Everything seemed fine between the two,” Eliza stated.

“Yeah…” Ken reached over to tickle his daughter, who released a high-pitched giggle.

Ryu glanced at the brothers. “I…I never understood why he diverted from the way of the warrior…but seeing Ken with his family…” He paused as Bethany gave Ken a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Ken’s eyes glowed with pride and affection of a true father. “I can see that fatherhood is rewarding…”

“You had your chance,” Yun pointed out. “Don’t wish for what you can’t have.”

Ryu turned away, his eyes troubled. His uneasiness returned. He disliked the feeling. He was powerless to stop the emotions coursing through him. Regret, envy, sadness…

“Why did you take me here?” Ryu asked them.

Yun snapped his fingers. They materialized into another setting. Ryu glanced around, noticing that they were in a training hall. In one corner stood a tree decorated with lights, gold ornaments, and a star on top. A small group sat near it. And a small group of adults stood against the wall. Ryu’s breath caught at the sight of a dark haired woman sitting on a chair, a small present clutched in her hands.

“Chun Li…” he whispered.

She smiled at a little girl in pigtails, speaking in Cantonese. “This is for you, Ling.” She reached under the tree and got another present. “Wong, this is for you…”

“Every year she throws a Christmas party for her students,” Yang informed. “The school has kept her busy for a long time. She discovered that teaching children has its own benefits.”

Ryu watched in silence, studying her face. Her brown eyes still had that spirit she had for the years he had known her. She still looked younger than her actual years. Due to her training, her body was still in excellent condition. After she had passed out the gifts, her students thanked her, and each child left to go home with their parents, but not before giving her a hug. Ryu felt a lump in his throat as she bid each child goodbye. She held her feelings in check very well. Her eyes glimmered with emotions, and he knew that each student held a special place in her heart. His breath lodged in his throat. Chun Li would have been a wonderful mother. He could see her as one. She’d be kind, yet firm, and she would raise the child with all the love she had to offer.

One child remained. She was about six years old, with black hair that was pulled back in a high ponytail. Chun Li kneeled before her.

“So what do you want to do now?” she asked, speaking in her language.

“I’m here!” came a voice.

The two looked up and saw Fei Long standing in the doorway of the training hall.

“Did I miss the party?” Fei Long asked.

“Uncle!” the little girl cried out. She ran to Fei Long.

Fei Long grinned and kneeled, opening his arms to give her a hug. The girl launched herself in his arms. He laughed. “Hey, how’s my girl doing?”

Chun Li smiled wryly. “Lien is doing fine. And you…are late. The party ended several minutes ago.”

Fei Long smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. It was a long day at the studio.”

Chun Li sighed. “When do you plan on taking up directing?”

“When people get sick of seeing me in movies,” he joked.

“Are you going to eat with us?” Lien asked. “Mom made her special chow mein…”

Fei Long winked at Chun Li. “Wouldn’t miss that for anything, darling…”

It took Ryu’s brain several seconds to register what Lien had said. His eyes shot to Yun and Yang, whose expressions were neutral.

“Did she say what I think she said?” Ryu asked. Due to his travels, he had picked up many languages. Granted, Cantonese wasn’t his primary or secondary language, but he was positive he heard what he thought he heard.

The two brothers glanced at each other. Ryu didn’t seem to notice, or care that Fei Long, Chun Li, and Lien had gone into the apartment connecting to the training hall.

“You heard right,” Yang said.

“We forgot to tell you that Chun Li’s a mom,” Yun quipped.

Ryu’s heart jumped in his throat. “How…How old is Lien?” he asked hoarsely.

“About four years old,” Yang supplied. “She doesn’t look like it, does she?”

Ryu’s eyes widened. “But…how…when…?” He mentally calculated when the child was born. “Was she…involved with someone else before the party?” he swallowed.

Yun sighed. “H*ll no…A week after you left, Chun Li was walking around Hong Kong when she came across Lien. Lien had wandered too far from her orphanage, and Chun Li decided to help her find her way again. Lien got very attached to Chun Li. The woman in charge of assigning parents for the children happened to be a friend of Fei Long, so she knew that Chun Li would raise her well. Chun Li found a new purpose in life. She had a lot of love to offer, so who better to give it to than a child?” Yun smirked. “At least the child loved her in return…”

Ryu’s eyes narrowed. “Are you accusing me of something?”

Yun shrugged. “Just pointing out the facts…”

“I admit that I made a mistake in leaving her - ” Ryu began.

“You can say that again,” Yun muttered.

“- but I loved her deeply,” Ryu finished.

“When did you realize that?” Yang asked. “Back then? Or now?”

At Ryu’s silence, the two shook their heads.

“I thought so,” Yun said, breaking the quiet. “It doesn’t matter anymore, anyway. You should have seen her when she first brought Lien home. She took her shopping for clothes…took her to Grandpa’s for grocery shopping…”

“Grandfather liked Lien instantly,” Yang added.

“She wanted to be a mother, and she got her chance,” Yun continued. “At least she found something better to do than pine over you…”

Ryu blew out a breath of frustration. “I did what I had to do.”

“Sure, you did,” Yun replied sarcastically, snapping his fingers.

The three materialized into a bedroom decorated in pale pink and blues. Ryu saw Chun Li kneeling beside the bed. Lien lay back, wearing blue pajamas.

“Mom…tell me a story…” Lien asked.

Chun Li sat beside her daughter. “Okay…” She smoothed her girl’s bangs back. “Once…there was a very evil magician who had special powers. And there was a princess who was strong and beautiful. Her father, the king, tried to stop the evil magician from taking over his land…But the heavens decided that the king couldn’t do that. So they turned him into an angel. So the princess had to fight the magician. She traveled everywhere, looking for the evil magician. And - ”

“Was the princess pretty?” Lien asked.

Chun Li smiled. “Yes, she was. She had long brown hair, brown eyes, and a bright smile.”

“Like you?”

“Yes.” Chun Li cleared her throat. “So the princess looked everywhere for the magician. Until one day…she came across a knight who - ”

“Knight?” Lien asked.

“Long ago, a knight was someone who took care of a king, his family, and his land.”

“Like a policeman takes care of us if something bad happens?”

Chun Li nodded. “Right. So…the knight was tall, kind, gentle, and very handsome. The princess asked him to help her, and he said that he’d help her find the magician. The knight found the magician and they fought. The magician disappeared, never to reappear again.”

“Did the princess and knight get married?”

“No…the knight and princess loved each other…” she swallowed, “…but the knight had to go away.”

“Why?” Lien asked. “Doesn’t the knight love the princess?”

Ryu looked away as Yun and Yang watched in silence.

Chun Li smiled tearfully. “I think he did, sweetheart. But he had to take care of another king…and he wanted to do that more than he wanted to be with the princess.”

Lien bit her lower lip. “I don’t like that story.”

Chun Li tucked a wisp of her daughter’s hair behind her ear. “And the princess continues to wait…hoping that the knight will come back so they can live happily ever after…”

Lien’s eyes widened. “Mommy…are you crying?”

Chun Li shook her head. “No…it’s…the story’s a little sad, that’s all…”

“When will he come back?” Lien asked.

“If he comes back,” Chun Li whispered, “I’ll tell you right away…”

“And then they’ll live happily ever after?”

“I hope so…” She kissed the top of Lien’s head. “Now, you go sleep, okay?”

Lien cuddled beneath the comforter. “I love you, Mommy…”

Chun Li smiled a gentle smile. “I love you, too.”

Chun Li headed to her room. Yun shoved Ryu as an indication to follow her. Ryu didn’t understand why, knowing that she couldn’t see him. She snapped on the light in her room and went to her nightstand, removing her earrings.

Ryu tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. He wasn’t aware that he had caused her so much pain and sadness.

As she opened her jewelry box, her hands trembled slightly. She plucked a photo from a pocket in the box. It was a black and white photograph of Ryu.

“Ryu…” Her fingers tightened over the photo. “I haven’t thought about you for so long…why am I doing so now?” she closed her eyes, bowing her head.

“Perhaps…you never recovered from what happened to us four years ago…And like me…realize that it’s too late to change things…” Ryu said softly, learning something new for the first time that night.