It’s almost impossible to find the words worthy of a man like you—of a life like ours. And yet today, I find myself overflowing with them, because my heart is full. Full of years, full of memories, full of love. It’s hard to believe we’ve spent 36 of those years as husband and wife, but even harder to remember what my life was before you. You have been my home, my anchor, my greatest adventure.

I still remember the first time I saw you. You had that quiet strength in your eyes, the kind that doesn’t need to speak loudly to be heard. You walked into my life like it was always your place to be, and the most astonishing part is how right that always felt. All these years later, you still look at me like I’m the most beautiful mystery you’ve ever been given. And even now, I am still falling for you—in the quiet ways, in the familiar gestures, in the way you hold our grandchildren with hands that have seen both war and wonder.

Toshiro, we’ve known love. We’ve also known loss. I still feel Ezio’s laughter in the walls some days, and Hiruma’s curious little footsteps echo in the back of my mind. There are pieces of our hearts that went with them when they left, but you and I—we never let that grief turn to bitterness. You showed me how to keep moving without ever forgetting. You taught me how to love deeply without fear. In every painful moment, you stood steady, even when your own heart was breaking. And for that, I will forever be grateful.

Cassian—so strong, so principled—reminds me of you when you were younger. Miona, with her fierce spirit and gentle soul, carries the very best of both of us. And Xander, our little dreamer turned devoted son, keeps surprising us with the depth of his heart. even Quinn and Tyler who completed the family. Our children are our legacy, Toshiro. They are the songs we’ll leave behind in the world, and they carry pieces of us wherever they go.

And now we have Ezekiel, Delilah, sweet Desiree, and little Yukiko. Each of them a new chapter in the story you and I began all those years ago. You should see the way the kids looks at you—like the sun rises just to shine on you. I think they know, somehow, what kind of man you are, even if they are too small to say it yet. Your love spans generations, quietly shaping the world around you in ways most will never understand. But I see it. I’ve always seen it.

You’ve never needed fanfare or applause, never craved attention or reward. You’ve simply been good. Strong. Kind. Endlessly patient. And though I’ve told you this before, I’ll say it again, and again, until my last breath: you are the best man I have ever known.

So today, on your 190th birthday, I want you to know how deeply you are loved. Not for what you’ve done—though your life has been full of noble deeds—but for who you are. You are my heart’s compass. You are the quiet morning beside me, the hand that always reaches back, the voice that steadies me when the world feels unkind. You are my partner in every sense of the word.

Thank you for this life. Thank you for every stolen moment, every held hand, every hard choice and shared sorrow. Thank you for loving me with the kind of love that doesn’t waver, doesn’t falter, doesn’t fade.

I love you now more than ever. I love you for the man you were, the man you are, and the man I still get to wake up beside tomorrow.

Yours forever and always,

Hotaru

Happy 190th birthday.

I know you’re not one for big displays—no parades, no speeches, no grand declarations. But today, I can’t let this pass without telling you everything I’ve carried in my heart for so long. Because you deserve to know just how deeply and profoundly you’ve shaped my life.

I’ve always known you were different—not just older or wiser, but quieter, like a mountain. You never demanded attention, but people listened when you spoke. You never raised your voice, but somehow I always felt safe, just knowing you were near. You were never loud in your love, Papa, but it was everywhere. In how you carried my coat when I was too proud to admit I was cold. In how you stayed up with me during exams even when I told you not to. In how you made space for my dreams without ever once comparing them to anyone else’s.

Some of my earliest memories are of you in the garden, showing me how to prune with patience. I used to think that was just about flowers. I see now that it was about life. About how to care gently for something fragile. About how to give it time. About how to love something without trying to force it into blooming. You gave me that kind of love, Papa. You let me grow into myself. Never rushed me. Never clipped my wings.

You were there through every moment—visible or not. When Hiruma died, I didn’t know how to speak. I was angry at the world, angry at the unfairness of it all. I remember thinking, “Why isn’t Papa crying?” But I didn’t understand back then what your kind of grief looks like. It’s in the way your shoulders sagged a little lower when no one was looking. In the way you kept his room untouched for so long. In the way you held Mama’s hand every night like it was the only thing tethering you to this world.

And when we lost Ezio and Delia—I thought maybe that would be the end of you. I saw something in your eyes I’ll never forget. But somehow, you held all of us together. Even in your silence, even in your sorrow. I think you loved him so fiercely it rewired something in you. I know it did in me.

You’ve always said that pain and love are two sides of the same coin. That to love deeply is to risk breaking. And still—you chose to keep loving. Me, Cassian, Xander, Mama. Your grandchildren. Quinn and Tyler. Your Aizu-Kai. You show up for all of us, again and again, like the tide. Constant. Unshakable. Safe.

I want you to know how deeply you’ve impacted my life. Not just as a father—but as a man, a healer, a compass. You taught me how to hold complexity in my hands without flinching. You taught me that stillness can be powerful. That love doesn’t need to be loud to be real.

Now, watching you with Yukiko—it undoes me. He adores you. Completely. And I think, deep down, he knows that her grandpa is something sacred. I hope he grows up knowing what it means to be loved by someone like you. I hope he carries your quiet strength in his bones, the way I do.

I love you, Papa. With everything in me. Thank you for giving me a world I could trust. Thank you for your gentleness, your steadiness, your unfailing heart.

I’m so proud to be your daughter.

With all my love, always,

your princess mochiko

It still feels like yesterday when you came into my life not long after I lost everything. I was drowning in silence, in questions, and pain. Yet you showed up, not just as a respected leader of the Aizu-kai or as my parents’ old comrade, but as the man who gave me a place to belong again.

I’ll never forget the day you took me from the foster house. You didn’t say much—typical you—but your presence alone gave me something I hadn’t felt in a while: safety. You brought me into the Kondo family, never once treating me as anything less than your own, and for that, I’m endlessly grateful.

You were strict, yes—and honestly, terrifying when I was younger—but your discipline wasn’t cold. It was your way of caring. You taught me more than how to fight or survive. You taught me how to be a man with purpose. Through every spar, every wordless stare, and every rare but sincere pat on the shoulder, I felt your guidance shaping me.

You and Mama Hotaru gave me a second chance—not just at life, but at love, at family, at growing into someone who could one day protect others just like you did for me. Thank you for showing me what strength looks like when it’s wrapped in quiet affection and unspoken loyalty.

I hope this day brings you joy, peace, and all the happiness you’ve long deserved. You’ve carried so much—for us, for the family, for the clan. But today, let us carry the gratitude and love for you.

Thank you for being our Papa, our shield, and our silent strength.

With all my respect and love,

• Xander

Firstly, I’d like to express my utmost gratitude to you, otosan. For guiding me ever since I was little, until the day I finally got to work under your wing.

I honestly never understood your ways, back then. But now it all makes sense. Every move, every decision you make… It wasn’t easy but it had to be done. Now, I realised that. Thank you, dad. For everything you’ve done for me, Ezio, Hiruma, Miona, Xander, Quinn and Tyler. Thank you.

Lastly, with this little surprise, I hope it makes your day. We love you, otosan.

Much love,

Hozuki Kondo

So to the highly respected pillar of the Kondo family — the anchor of strength, the rock of guidance and the hero of his wife and children, this life of yours is a luxury that must always be treasured. May you live an even longer and joyous life — a life filled with wisdom to share and to live by, for more generations to come. Please have the most memorable and happiest birthday.

With deepest respect and gratitude, Ryo.

Not one to falter, always ready to step in protect what is yours.

I'll never forget babysitting Miona and Isami. The way you had readily given me the permission and faith to keep them safe and sound. And entertained.

Always did admire the patience, love and strength you exhibited with your children. A father figure one could only wish for. A father figure one could only wish to be like or become as oone. Oh and a bloody good grandfather too!

One hundred and ninety isn't old, you're a very young man. Don't let anyone tell you you're old. This is only the beginning of a very fulfilled life.

Admittedly I haven't been quite the closest to you but that's of my own fault for being an elusive being. I do apologise and hope that that will change soon enough.

For now I wish you the happiest of birthdays, a very lovely Toshiro day, a whole lot of presents, 190 kisses from your lady, a whole barrage of love from the grandchildren and that you'll have your most favourite snack of all times today. And whatever comes to your mind that you want i wish for that to happen too! So as long as it is in celebration of you.

Once more, happy birthday Toshiro.

Ever elusive,

Theo (Teddy)

Happy 190th birthday.

It isn’t often that someone gets to say they’re grateful to a vampire for watching over their husband—but I am. Sojiro always spoke of you with a quiet reverence, not just as an ally in a dangerous world, but as a man he trusted with his life. That kind of loyalty isn’t easily earned, and never forgotten.

Thank you for protecting him when I couldn’t. For standing beside him in ways that only another shadow-born soul could understand. Knowing he had you gave me peace in a time of great uncertainty.

And now, as I watch our children and grandchildren grow, I see your legacy in the strength they carry—in Isami’s stillness, in Miona’s fire, in the calm ferocity they both wield. Our families are bound by more than marriage; we are bound by shared honor, history, and—somehow—love.

You are, and have always been, a formidable man. But to me, you will always be the one who had my husband’s back in the darkest of nights. And for that, I raise my glass to you today.

With respect and quiet gratitude,

Sharon