Nadeline nodded at Wesley, happily. Something about him actually saying it made her feel somewhat giddy.

"[b]Excellent to hear![/b]" Lorenzo proclaimed happily, slapping Grant's head. He promptly ignored his younger brother's death glare and grinned. "[b]It's still early, but I have an idea. You all must be weary from traveling so much. We should go to the beach![/b]"

"[b]You can't be serious.[/b]" Grant muttered.

-------------

As Jaakuna sat down next to Emiri, she wiped away her tears. She leaned her head against his shoulder, hearing him talk about the garden.

"[b]Nadeline and I planted these.[/b]" Emiri pointed to the lilies. "[b]They're a symbol of fortune and purity in this country. She thought if we planted a lot of them, it would help the patients get through their illnesses. So we got down, digging through the dirt, and planted them all here.[/b]" She laughed a little. "[b]But we didn't realize that we covered every inch in only lilies. There wasn't any room for any other flowers, and the other parts of the garden didn't have any lilies since we planted them all here. Grant apologized about a hundred times to the hospital staff and made sure to donate the fountain. Lorenzo got the statue--it's supposed to be the matron saint of healing, or something, I don't really remember.[/b]"

Her smile faded, and she found herself holding his hand again. His touch was comforting to her, like a security blanket. "[b]I should never have come back. I turned my back on my family and my duty as their daughter. I should have tried...I should have done something, anything. I could have asked for help...but I didn't.[/b]" Emiri continued softly. "[b]The day before my wedding, I decided that I had enough. I sold a few pieces of jewelry that I had--a pair of diamond earrings, a bracelet, and two rings Grant had given me--and I fled the country that night. I didn't say goodbye to anyone or let them know I was leaving, I just left. I didn't expect to see any of them again...I never imagined coming back, either.[/b]" She looked up at the sky. "[b]When I saw Nadeline in Bhujerba, she was angry with me. She was really angry...but I expected it. We never really talked about me leaving, though, and when we ran into her again in Rabanastre, she was glad to see me. It was as if...as if I had never left, we picked up right where we left off. When we were on the Ark and Grant came to see me at my cell, do you know what he said? 'I missed you', he said. Never mind that I had basically left him waiting at the altar, he says 'I missed you'. I couldn't believe it. And now I return here, back to the place where I was born to see my father, and he isn't angry. Not at all. He tells me that he's happy to see me. All of them had every reason to hate me for leaving, and instead none of them held it against me. It...It makes me wish I had never left.[/b]"

She sat up properly, looking at Jaakuna. "[b]Even now...even now, I should have confronted her, but I didn't. I ran away again. I haven't changed at all.[/b]"