“We came to a stop and stood in the silent woods, listening. I tumbled pinecones and cicada shells with the toe of my shoe, then looked up at the patches of sky showing through the pine branches. Hands thrust in her jacket pockets, Naoko stood there thinking, her eyes focused on nothing in particular.
“Tell me something, Toru,” she said. “Do you love me?”
“You know I do,” I answered.
“Will you do me two favors?”
“You may have up to three wishes, madame.”
Naoko smiled and shook her head. “No, two will be enough. One is for you to realize how grateful I am that you came to see me here. I hope you’ll understand how happy you’ve made me. I know it’s going to save me if anything will. I may not show it, but it’s true.”
“I’ll come to see you again,” I said. “And what is the other wish?”
“I want you always to remember me. Will you remember that I existed and that I stood next to you here like this?”
“Always,” I said. “I’ll always remember.”
She walked on ahead without speaking. The autumn light filtering through the branches danced over the shoulders of her jacket. A dog barked again, closer than before... “Come over here,” I called toward her back. “The well might be around here somewhere.” Naoko stopped and smiled and took my arm. We walked the rest of the way side by side. “Do you really promise never to forget me?” she asked in a near whisper.
“I’ll never forget you,” I said. “I could never forget you.”
