Chapter Text
It was a lifetime that passed remarkably quickly. Doctor’s appointments, buying everything that would be needed in advance, preparing the house for a new arrival… It took up so much of Sodachi’s life that she found herself losing track of time.
Before she knew it, it came time for her to go on maternity leave. The support she received was daily. There was always someone around the house. If she was feeling unwell, then Karen would swing by with groceries. Hitagi would visit to provide companionship. Sodachi was always talking with Koyomi about how they would raise their child.
Or rather, their children. As it turned out, Sodachi would be having twins. It came as a surprise, certainly, but Sodachi didn’t mind. The more the merrier, right?
Well, it would certainly compound the difficulty of raising children. Quite literally twice as difficult. It didn’t take a math expert to figure that much out. Even so, Sodachi was ready to face that challenge.
Day by day, she prepared herself for when they would finally be born. The due date was always in the back of her mind, but somehow, it still snuck up on her.
Thankfully, she was with Hitagi at the time. They were at the Araragi household, looking after Hitagi’s kids. Or rather, Hitagi was looking at them, while Sodachi lay on the couch, doing her best to not explode. It had felt like a battle she was losing, so it was no surprise when the moment finally happened.
It was a good thing that Hitagi could drive Sodachi to the hospital.
It was only once they were at the hospital that plans were made. Hitagi called Koyomi’s parents to take the kids home, while Koyomi would visit when he could. His job could make him work odd hours sometimes, but if he was going to prioritize anything, it should be this.
As Hitagi put it, while they had also thought it last time, this would be the last time his children were born, so he should treat it as important.
He appeared some time in the middle of the night. That was much later than he had promised. He had been busy with work and needed to finish up some loose ends.
Hitagi was more upset about it than Sodachi was. Yes, he was the father of her children, but it wasn’t like he was her husband.
“Hitagi, you don’t need to get more bothered than me about this…”
But Sodachi wasn’t feeling strong enough to argue the point, not while she was literally in the process of giving birth.
Come the morning, other family members began to arrive. Tsukihi, then later Karen. Finally, their parents, with the other children in tow.
It felt strange to Sodachi that she was now considered part of the family. Her kids were Koyomi’s kids, so his mother was their grandmother and his sisters were their aunts. That much made sense.
But Sodachi herself was an outsider. She wasn’t Sodachi Araragi, she was Sodachi Oikura. She would remain Sodachi Oikura through everything. And while her kids were the grandchildren of Koyomi Araragi, they would still be named Yoshie Oikura and Reiko Oikura.
In the end, the names had been her choice, not Koyomi’s.
That was the kind of thing that was on her mind as she was delirious from pain.
Finally, before long, Sodachi had her children in her arms. After so long and so much effort to get there, seeing them healthy was the finish line. It was a reward for going through all that unpleasantness— and Sodachi wouldn’t hesitate to admit that it was all worth it.
She stared at the kids, trying to commit their every detail to her memory. She wanted to make sure that, even in her old age, she wouldn’t forget this moment.
“...They’re identical.” Sodachi laughed a quiet laugh. “Just like their aunts.”
Together, Karen and Tsukihi refuted that. “We’re not identical!” It was like they had practiced their timing together.
“You’re not identical, either…” Koyomi grumbled. Ever the loner, he stood in one of the corners of the room. Everyone else was doting over the kids, so he was giving them room to do so.
“Oh, right…” Sodachi blinked a few times. “Karen is older.” Then she shook her head. “...I might still be a little delirious.”
Nearby, the doctor nodded. “New mothers often take a little bit of time to recover. Don’t expect yourself to be back to 100% right away.”
Sodachi was about to respond, but before she could, Hitagi cut in. “Don’t worry, doctor, we’re going to do our best to make sure she rests.”
The doctor chuckled at that. “That’s good.”
Eventually, people started filtering out. Koyomi’s parents left first; they had no reason to care about Sodachi as a person, and considering what had happened when she was a kid, Sodachi still felt uneasy around them. Karen left next. Before long, the doctor took his leave. Tsukihi took Hitagi’s kids to wait in the lobby. That left Sodachi, Koyomi, and Hitagi alone.
“...I'm done,” Sodachi sighed, “and nothing went awry.” She looked down at the newborns in her arms. She didn't say anything else, but the satisfaction was clear.
“The worst part is over. It's time for the worst part.”
Sodachi grimaced. “I don’t want to hear that right now… I just want to look forward to the nice parts.” She turned to look at Koyomi and Hitagi, but primarily at Koyomi. “I expect you to help with the worst. You got me in this situation, after all.”
“Of course.” Koyomi nodded. “I’ll do all the help I can.”
Sodachi nodded at that. It was a weary nod, though; it was still quite evident that she hadn’t recovered much yet.
She looked down. The children, who had been so loud just a few minutes ago, were now silent. They breathed gently. They were still, but not worryingly so.
It was a comforting sight.
“...I do wonder how we're going to tell them apart. When I first heard they would be twins, I thought there might be something special about being a mother that would allow me to tell them apart.”
Koyomi shrugged. “Can't you tie colored bracelets to their wrists? Or something like that?”
“Ah, but what about when they're being washed?” Hitagi interjected. “They won't always be able to have them on. It would be dreadful to mix them up.”
“...We just have to hope it happens an even number of times.” Sodachi laughed. “I would hate to have to tell them on their 18th birthdays that they were switched at birth, and now need to change their names.”
“Then I can be the one to tell them,” Hitagi nodded, sagely. “It won’t break their hearts as much if they’re not hearing it from their mother.”
“Or it won’t be an issue at all.” Koyomi rolled his eyes.
A few minutes later, the doctor returned. There were tests they were going to run on the children, to ensure they were in good health. That would also give Sodachi a chance to rest; it was midmorning, but she had been awake since the evening prior. Adrenaline, excitement, and pain had kept her awake this long, but that was quickly running out. She needed her rest, and by the same measure, Koyomi and Hitagi each had places they needed to be. It seemed surreal for the excitement to die out so quickly, but Sodachi figured she could deal with that mix of emotions when she was awake again.
In a day or two’s time, Sodachi could be out of the hospital. Then it would be time to take the children home. Much preparation had been made in advance, but the aunts would spend those days putting the finishing touches on the house.
Sodachi had no idea what would happen once she was home. She had consulted Hitagi, read advice online, and had even read books on motherhood. She had prepared in every way she could, but now that the time was here, she felt woefully unprepared.
She was beyond grateful that she had help. This would have been impossible without it.
Whether or not Sodachi was confident in what was about to happen, the only way forward was to face it head on. Despite everything, she was confident that her children would grow up well. She couldn't live with herself if they didn't. She would do everything in her power to ensure it.
Despite everything, she looked forward to every moment of the next 18 years.