A week has passed since the case against Iris Hawthorne, and everything seemed back to normal at Phoenix's office. Nothing has changed at all in the office, save for a few unnoticed pieces of confetti that still lie in the corners from the after case celebration. Nope, nothing has changed except for the two people that had been sitting silently in their seats. Phoenix was rustling through some case files and reviewing them, while Maya was sitting in the couch, trying to find a program of her liking since the Steel Samurai reruns are not airing for today.

It has been a week since the truth had been unveiled to both of these people. In either way, the truth will always bring a certain pain to the person receiving it. Maya went through a considerable amount of pain when she learned that the mother she had been missing for 17 years had died in front of her without even knowing it. She wouldn't have endured it, if not for the friends around her, if not for Phoenix. And she survived, and endured the pain the truth had given her. However, even if she had ended this chapter in her life, what about the man that helped her through it? How about the man that gave everything and nearly died for her?

"Maya... would you like to go to the park later?"

Maya surprisingly directed her attention to Phoenix. In that moment, she felt that her hunch was correct. This man, no, Nick needed to let out his bottled feelings. She already did it a week ago, and everyone was there to listen. Pearl even tried her best to channel Maya's mother, Misty Fey, for them to have a long talk. This small reunion erased all the pain the truth had given her.

But what about this man who has helped me remove the pain and just gave me the joy that the truth had given to me?

"Umm, sure! Just don't forget, going to the park means going to our favorite burger joint." said Maya with a smirk on her face.

"Hehe, yeah. We'll go as soon as I finish these."

She knew there was something wrong whenever Phoenix replied in a normal way with her burger ramblings. Usually it's "Burgers again?" or somewhere along those lines. Nick wanted to talk to her, and when he does, she knows that even just listening would help him. This time, she wanted to repay him with what he did for her. This day would not pass without Nick keeping his pain to himself.

"Oh great! Nick, this is the Steel Samurai movie! I never knew it was airing today."

"That's nice Maya."

"..."

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Gourdlake Park was not crowded on these days, specially when children are supposed to be at school in these hours. Park walks have been a norm for Phoenix and Maya. They would bring Pearl most of the time, though she was also back at Kurain studying with a tutor. The park had always been a good place to relieve their stress from their work, though this time, Maya knew Nick had a good reason to choose this place.

It was their favorite spot. Sitting in bench facing the lake, with the breeze brushing up their faces. The rustle of the trees always made her felt relaxed, but her anxiety of the conversation prevented that.

"Maya..."

"Yes, Nick?"

A gentle breeze flew by them, and the trees made their usual rustle. There was a silence in their words however, and Maya felt that at any moment, Nick would break the silence.

"About the last case, I'm just glad you're feeling better."

Maya tried to look at Nick without turning her head. Nick was staring blankly to the lake. She can tell that he's in a very deep thought, and he was choosing his words.

"Haha! You're making yourself look old Nick."

There was no reply. A breeze flew by and went by Maya's cheek, as if telling her to turn her head towards Nick. There was no use in taking a detour, she thought. She looked at Nick but never received a look in return.

"Is this, about Iris?"

Where did that come from? Maya thought. Of all the things to bring up, why Iris? Or is it because she knew what was troubling Nick all along?

"Maya, about Iris..."

Yes, she knew it all along. This would be the only pain the truth had given him. Knowing Nick as the simple-minded lawyer he was, she knew he loved her from the bottom of his heart, how devastated he was for feeling that he was deceived, and how he regretted the fact that the one who tried to kill him wasn't Iris all along.

Wait..

Did he regret that fact? Was he regretting the fact that if only he knew it wasn't Iris, only if he knew what was happening, that he wouldn't have lost all those times that he could have enjoyed his life with Iris. They were a good couple in fact (Nick said so anyway). Maybe he was indeed having regrets, and Maya felt that she needed to listen. Yet, there's something. Something that Maya can't put her finger on. She felt something when she thought of Iris..

"We had another talk just a couple of days ago. Luckily, she's going to be released in a month."

"That's good.. So what did you two talk about?"

"It has been more than 5 years, since I last talked to her. I was right, she was the person that I believed in all along."

"..."

"She was really something. I don't know how to put it but, it was never the same day with her."

(What is this that I'm feeling?)

"We were together for half a year, and I enjoyed every last bit of it."

(Why do I feel like this? It shouldn't be..)

"It ended in a way I never would've imagined."

(Not good.. I should be helping Nick get over this.)

"I was broken, hurt, dumbfounded.."

(Get a hold of yourself Maya! It shouldn't be like this!)

"I blindedly believed in her, hoping it was just a dream."

(I can't...)

"I didn't know the truth, until last week. It brought a lot of pain.."

(Oh, Nick..)

"If only I had known it earlier.. if only I knew it wasn't really Iris..."

(I... Am I...)

"If I knew the truth..."

(...jealous?)

"..then I wouldn't have been able to meet you."

"..Nick?"

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The gentle breeze was brushing up her face as usual, and her eyes were closed while listening to the rustle of the trees. She was sitting on the bench and thinking to herself, there are always two sides to the truth, the pain that it brings, and the joy that it gives to the person knowing the truth. To her, the truth brought her much more joy than pain, and so is the same for this man who has brought her that truth, and willingly bore the pain so he could bring the joy to both of them. Leaning on his shoulders and being kept warm by his arm around her, she never felt more at peace.