Taichi Kamiya sighed heavily as he sat down by the stream just off to the right of where the children of the Digidestined were playing tag. Ever since that one ill-fated Christmas concert, his life had been one disaster after another. First, his worst nightmare had finally come true...
(Flashback)
"If there is anyone here who has a reason why these two should not be married, let them speak now, or-"
The priest was interrupted by the huge, wooden church doors closing. Tai had left the wedding of his best friend, Sora Takenouchi, and his greatest rival, Yamato "Matt" Ishida. Tai loved Sora like nothing else, and this tore a bloody gash in his heart. Tai had decided that if Sora wanted Matt, he would be wrong to stand in the way, so he let her go to him out of the goodness of his heart.
Tai walked away from the church and sat down in the park next to a statue of a gargoyle. The skies were gray, and it was raining moderately, as if the whole world were weeping with him. As he watched the wedding procession take off in the opposite direction, he sighed sadly as tears started to dribble down his face. He turned and looked up at the silent, solitary, rain-drenched gargoyle.
"Why was I not made of stone like you are?" he asked the statue. The gargoyle made no noise, but the rain splashed upon its cheeks in a pattern that made it look like the statue was crying, too. Slowly, Tai got up and walked away. It didn't matter where he was going, because he'd still be miserable, wet and alone when he got there.
(End Flashback)
Then, of course, came the next problem, but it was much easier on him than the first...
(Flashback)
"Hello?"
"Mr. Kamiya, this is the Odaiba Medical Facility."
"Yes?"
"Our records show that you made a deposit at our sperm bank a while ago. Your deposit was used by a woman."
"...And?..."
"The woman has since decided that she no longer wants the child. We're standing by with an abortion team ready, but we wanted to know if you would like to take custody of the infant, since it IS your sperm deposit."
"Sure, I'll take it..."
(End Flashback)
Tai had taken the boy under his wing and had named him Taichi Kamiya II, or Tai Junior, or TJ. He was the spitting image of his father. That had been 12 years ago.
As Tai sat on the riverbank, watching the digital fish swim by, his thoughts dwelled on why his life was like this. "I suppose if I had stopped Sora from going to Matt, this wouldn't have happened to me," he sighed.
Tai had also landed a crummy job; a diplomat for the Digital World. All day long it was file this and interpret that. Tai hated it, and so did Agumon.
(Flashback)
"Why didn't you go to Sora when you had the chance?!" Agumon yelled at his partner hotly.
"It wasn't my place," Tai said, shaking his head. "She wants Matt? She gets Matt. I should've known she'd never return my feelings."
"You DON'T know that! You just never gave that part of her a chance to blossom! I've been chatting with Biyomon a lot, and she agrees wholeheartedly. She says that Sora seems happy enough, but Biyo can't stand hanging around Matt OR Gabumon anymore! She says that Matt's almost never around because of his deep-space assignments, and Gabumon keeps shedding in her birdbath."
"Sorry, friend," Tai sighed as he grabbed his briefcase. "That's life for you."
"I can't believe you give up so easily nowadays!" Agumon protested. "Before that Christmas, you fought with all your heart! You were fearless, and you didn't let ANYTHING stop you!"
"That was then..." Tai said. "I can't turn back the hands of time."
"Do you like how things have turned out?" Agumon asked. "No? Then DO SOMETHING about it!"
"I wish I could..." Tai sighed. "...But right now we have a summit meeting with a group of Munzaemon. Let's go."
"I hate this business suit," Agumon groused. "It itches."
(End Flashback)
Agumon and TJ were best friends, so Agumon was off playing tag with the rest of them. Tai was alone on the riverbank. That is, of course, he heard footsteps coming towards him...
"Hey, Tai, what're you doing over here?"
Tai didn't even turn around. He knew who it was. "I'm just watching the river," he muttered.
Sora Ishida sat down next to him. "I haven't seen you in years... You never call, you don't answer my e-mails, heck, you don't even answer my D-Terminal messages."
"Sorry, I've been real busy," Tai said, not even looking up. "Summit meetings and all... You know."
"Well, I was hoping I'd get to talk to you today. What's up?" she asked.
"Oh, everything's just fine!" Tai said, turning towards her and putting on his 'everything's A-OK' mask he'd been wearing since that Christmas so long ago. "How about you?"
"The kids are growing up so fast," Sora said. "Of course, I wish Matt was home more. He's always at the space station. I'm almost a single parent."
"Hmm..." Tai sighed, not even looking at her anymore.
"You know, my daughter Mari asked me something really strange yesterday," Sora said.
"What?" Tai asked as if he cared.
"Well, she found that hair clip you gave me when I was, um, 13. She asked me a really weird question..."
(Flashback)
"Mommy, did daddy give this to you?"
"No, sweetie. This was given to me by my best friend in the world."
"I thought that a mommy and a daddy WERE the best friends in the world."
"Well, ummm..."
"Who gave this to you?"
"My best friend, Tai."
"Mister Kamiya?"
"Uh-huh."
"Your BEST friend?"
"In the whole, wide world."
"...Ummm..."
"What's wrong, sweetie?"
"...If he's your best friend in the whole wide world, why'd you marry Daddy?"
"Errr... Hey, look! It's bedtime. Run along now, and I'll read you a story in a little bit."
"...OK, Mommy."
(End Flashback)
"Your daughter asks very deep questions," Tai sighed.
"I don't know WHY it made me feel so uncomfortable," Sora sighed. "I'm happy with Matt, but ever since she asked that, I've felt... out of place."
"Hmm..." Tai sighed.
"It was a silly question, anyway," Sora said, trying to blow it off. "We've always been best friends, and we still are..."
She noticed that Tai was staring off at the mountains now. "...Aren't we?" Sora pushed.
Tai sighed heavily and went back to looking at the river. Finally, he looked over at Sora with a pained look. "Sora, I've got to tell you something," he said.
"Uh-huh?" Sora asked.
"This could very well destroy our friendship, but I'm going to say it anyway..."
Sora waited for Tai to continue. Tai took a deep breath and began his speech.
"Sora, I've loved you since the day I've met you! I'm glad you think I'm your best friend, but I always thought of you as something... a little more important to me. Why do you think I stood by you and protected you and comforted you all those years until... that Christmas?! Why do you think I let you go to Matt without a fight?! I loved you so much I wanted you to be happy... no matter what it did to me. And look at you now... A renowned fashion designer living the good life with a rich astronaut and two kids... I'm really, really proud of you, Sora. If I had intervened, you might be just barely making a living like me..."
"So that's why you just stood by..." Sora realized suddenly. "...You..."
"I love you more than anything!" Tai continued, the tears flowing freely now. "Remember my promise? I told you I'd wait for you, and I'd never let anything bad happen to you... I've kept both of them. TJ may be my son, but I've never loved another. I love you, Sora, and that's why you're where you are, and I'm where I am."
"Oh, Tai..."
"I'm sorry... I've waited for almost 35 awful years to say it. I won't hold it against you if you... never want to speak to me again..."
Sora was getting very uncomfortable. It was true that she had been waiting for those three little words to come out of Tai's mouth since almost the day they'd met, but now it made her feel even sadder than before. "Umm... I have to go," Sora said, getting up, wiping the grass stains off her pants and walking back towards the others.
TJ and Agumon walked over to Tai. "Daddy, are you sad?" TJ asked.
"Yes, TJ, I'm very, very, sad," Tai sniffled.
"Do you need a hug?" TJ asked, and put his arms around Tai's waist.
"Thanks, TJ," Tai sighed, stroking the boy's chocolate-brown hair.
"Let's go home, Tai," Agumon said, patting the middle-aged man on the back. "Someone needs a nap, and it isn't TJ."
"Yeah..." Tai said, getting up and leaving with his two companions. Kari and Mimi, who had witnessed almost the whole thing, looked at each other.
"It's about time he spilled it," Mimi said. "Too bad... A tiny part of myself was hoping he'd say it to me."
"I know, Mimi," Kari sighed. "Well, I don't know what's going to happen next, but it sure will be interesting..."

Later that night, everyone had gone home to their respective homes... Sora and Matt went back to their fancy, 2-floor house on the outskirts of town, Tai went back to his one-room apartment next to an ethenol plant.
"Off to bed now, kids!" Matt said as he playfully pushed the two kids towards their bedrooms. "Sleep tight!"
"Night, daddy," the kids said in unison. Matt yawned deeply and went back to his room.
"That was a nice day, wasn't it?" Matt asked as he undressed. "It was good to see everyone again."
"Yeah, it was..." Sora sighed.
"Bummer about Tai, though," Matt said, half-smirking. "I thought he might land a more interesting job than a diplomat. And he had to adopt his own kid? Poor guy. By the way, I've got to go back to the space station again for six months, starting tomorrow. Apparently, they want someone to teach the new Bolivian guy how to fly the shuttle."
"Matt, I talked with Tai today," Sora sighed as Matt joined her under the covers.
"Really? How was he?" Matt asked.
"He was... OK..." Sora said, slowly choosing her words.
Matt suspected that something was up. "What would 'OK' mean, exactly?" he asked.
"Ummm... He seems to feel like his life is starting to make a turnaround," Sora said quickly.
"Good for him!" Matt said. "I bet he'll meet a nice girl and get married and be just as happy as we are."
"Yeah... Happy..." Sora said quietly.
Matt could see that something was wrong. "...You ARE happy, aren't you?" he asked.
"Oh, of course I am!" Sora protested. "But... Part of me... Well..."
"If there's something wrong, you can tell me," Matt said.
"What I heard him tell me today... And what little Mari asked me a few days ago... Well..." Sora started to say.
"What did he say?" Matt asked, as if he already knew what was coming.
"He said..." Sora said, starting to sniffle. These weren't ordinary tears, however... They were tears of joy and regret mixed together; the mixture that is shed when one realizes her feelings for another when it's far too late. "...He said that he... l-l-l..."
"Oh, Sora..." Matt said, sitting up.
"Yes, he said that he loved me and that's why he let me go to you without complaint! He wanted me to be happy..." Sora sobbed. She covered her face with her hands.
"But you aren't, are you?..." Matt asked.
"I was happy for the longest time because I wasn't thinking about other people's feelings... I was so selfish, Matt... I'm sorry..."
"Now, now..." Matt said, pulling her into what he was sure would be their last embrace. "I'm the one that should apologize. I could have refused your offer on Christmas, but I was still on a bit of a rivalry with Tai, and I thought that this would just be something to keep him jealous for a while... When I popped the question, I had forgotten what I had been after in the first place... You know that I love you, Sora, and that's why I'm saying... You make the decision."
"Huh?" Sora asked, breaking away from Matt.
"If you leave me for Tai, I won't hold it against you," Matt explained, getting out of the bed. "It would be wrong of me to keep you here against your will... So, just like Tai, I'm stepping aside and letting you go your own way..."
"But... what about you?" Sora asked.
"I'll be just fine," Matt said, winking at her one last time. "Actually, maybe it's better this way... Deep down, I knew this wasn't going to work. At least, unlike my parents, we're splitting up for the right reasons, without any resentment."
"Thank you, Matt..." Sora sighed. "...But I'm tired. Let's deal with this in the morning..."
"The bed's yours," Matt said, getting up and heading for the couch. "See you in the morning."
"Matt?"
"Yes, Sora?"
"Thank you..."
"Don't mention it, Sora," Matt said cheerfully. He turned and walked down the hallway.

A few weeks later...
DING-DONG
"I'll get it! ...Hey, Dad! It's for you!"
"Yes? Oh, hi Sora..."
"Hi, Tai."
"Oh, hey, you brought Mari with you! Hey there!"
"Hi, Mr. Kamiya. Hi, TJ."
"Hi, Mari!"
"What's up?"
"Ummm..."
"Hey, what's that in your hand? And where's that diamond ring Matt gave you? And why're you wearing the hair clip I gave you? ...Oh... You don't mean-"
"Taichi Kamiya, will you marry me?"
"What?! Well... well... well... ummm..."
"Please?..."
"Yes, I will, Sora. I will."
"(Sniff) Oh, I love you, Tai..."
"I love you too, Sora... And I always have..."
"Me, too..."
"Finally!"
"Ack! Biyomon?!"
"AGUMON! Go on, get outta here!"
"Aww, forget it, Taichi. I think they can watch us kiss."
"Mmmm..."
As Sora fell into Tai's kiss, she felt a great weight lift off her shoulders. The gaping feeling of emptiness inside her stomach faded away. "(This must be what true, unbreakable happiness feels like...)" she thought to herself as she closed her eyes and enjoyed every second of it.