Divorce.

I read the email again. Just to be sure. But no matter how many times I looked, there the word was. I leaned back in the computer chair, running a hand through my hair, eyes never leaving the screen. It was hard to take in.

Three months in the Digital World, and this was what I came back to. Reminders that we weren't kids anymore trapped in another dimension. This wasn't something that could be won through sheer willpower. I'm sure Matt tried many times before he tried to write this nonsense that ended up in my inbox.

I got up and walked into the kitchen. After turning on the stove, I filled a kettle with water and then set it down to simmer. I glanced up at Agumon, who was busy reading the latest Cosmopolitan magazine on the couch. Something he had imported to Japan because...I actually had no idea what he found so appealing in them. Odd hobby, I guess.

"I'm starting to think that we should stop coming back."

"What makes you say that," he asked.

"Digital World problems are so much easier to deal with," I said. "I miss the old days when we met a new bad guy, found a power-up, and then kicked ass."

"I don't know, Tai. There was a lot of screaming involved too. And running. Lots of that. Actually, I kind of think that's the only thing we did."

Walking into the living room, I plopped down beside Agumon, who closed the magazine as if he were reading some of the more...embarrassing sections. Part of me wanted to reach for the landline and give Matt a call. The email was pretty old, sure, but I'm sure he needed someone to talk to help get his head on straight. But for whatever reason, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I just felt strange.

After a heavy sigh, I followed with, "Matt's getting a divorce."

"Oh..."

"Going to make everything so awkward when we all get together."

"Not to mention the other people they'll date..."

"Wait, what," I asked.

"It was in an issue a couple of months ago. Moving on after divorce. I mean just think about it..."

"No, I really don't want to. At all."

Disregarding Agumon, I knew one person that I needed to talk about this before I did anything else. But even that would open up Pandora's box. I assumed the papers hadn't been finalized yet. It'd be all over the news otherwise.

Yamato Ishida: Rockstar Astronaut Says Goodbye To The Wife

And if it was all over the news, I wouldn't have found out through a garble of letters that could hardly be considered an email. Interviewers would have come to me, asked me what was going on because the Digidestined still gave the appearance that we were still the best of friends.

The ringing from the kitchen gave me needed distraction. I poured the water into a mug and set the teabag.

"Are you happy about it?"

I stirred the tea, ignoring Agumon's question for as long as I could.

"Bad things happen for a reason, don't they? I mean Matt's had everything. Professional success, relationship success...you were the guy on top at one point. He replaced you. He became the face of the Digidestined. But he also didn't treat Sora very well, and I kind of think he let the fame get to his head. Don't you agree?"

"Yes...I agree," I said.

"I hope you're not just saying what you think I want to hear, Tai. I really think that this is a second chance for you and Sora. You claim you moved on, but I don't think you did. You let your wife go without much of a fight, and you hardly ever go to see your son. Heck, you hardly ever talk to him. Why is that?"

"I don't know, buddy."

"I think it's because you're ashamed that you settled. You gave up on her."

Nothing came to mind for a reply. Agumon knew me better than myself sometimes. In his infinite Cosmo knowledge, Agumon had this amazing ability to look back on the last twenty-five years of my life and tell me exactly where I went wrong. I took a sip of the tea. It scalded my tongue but couldn't make me flinch. I was so focused on those words. A second chance.

"You're an optimist, Tai." he said. "But you also like to just trudge through everything. You get so focused with moving forward and past the bad stuff that you kind of forget that you can take bad things and make them good."

"I get it. I do."

"I don't mean to lecture. I just care. That's all. And I want you to be happy. Sometimes we all need nudges."

Without another word, I poured the rest of the tea out and went to put on my jacket. I needed fresh air. To walk without a real destination in mind. I passed cars and people as if they were invisible. I wished for rain. Dark clouds and thunder. I wanted to feel like the world was cleansing my problems along with the city smog. It could drown them out. Let them fall through the gutters.

Second chances. Sora and I weren't right for each other. I realized that the older we grew. The tomboy, spunky girl that I fell in love with disappeared. I gave up on her. I did. It was the day I called her up and asked her to play a game of soccer. She said she couldn't. That she shouldn't. That she didn't do those things anymore. She had cut our most important connection with each other. I couldn't do it afterwards. I couldn't pretend I had a chance. Or that I wanted one anyway.

Eventually, I found what I wasn't looking for. Underneath the statue atop the TV station, he and I stood.

"Why here," I asked.

I could tell Matt hadn't been sleeping. There were heavy bags underneath his eyes, and his hair had messy knots in it. But this didn't seem like the same man who had written that desperate email. His lips matched the rest of his stoic expression. The tears must have all dried up, and the heart break probably became numbness.

"Never in a million years, did I think that my marriage would end up exactly the same as my parents'. I feel so stupid. If I had only seen the signs earlier. I could have fixed it," he said, grabbing me by the shoulder. "Please talk to her, Tai. Tell her this is a mistake. I love her, and I don't want to lose her. I'll do anything."

And there it was. The reason why Agumon was wrong. I could never have a second chance with Sora, and it was foolish of me for even entertaining the thought. Matt loved her. and I had no intentions of ever betraying someone I had once called best friend.

Regardless of what happened, I would always try to do the right thing.