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Most mornings Ren woke up to Anne curled up around him, if not snuggled up to him. But not this morning.
Anne's side of the bed was cool. Ren sat up with a frown, dragging a hand through his hair. That was weird. And Anne didn't have an early shoot today… He threw back the covers and went to search for his wife. He found her at the dining table, halfheartedly sipping at a fruit smoothie.
"Hey." Ren leaned in, kissing her on the temple briefly. "That looks good. Some reason why you're not a fan this morning?"
"Morning, Ren," Anne greeted with a yawn. "And I dunno…" She frowned, making a face. "I just feel kinda… blah today. So I just got out of bed and started to get ready."
Ren frowned. Anne rarely was unwell. Even when she took care of him when he was sick, she didn't catch his cold or flu. "Anne, maybe you should go to the doctor's office…" He sat down next to her, brushing her golden locks out of her face. "I can take off today so I can go with you."
"NO!" Anne exclaimed, shaking her head adamantly. "No, Ren. You're visiting that orphanage today. I bet all the kids are so excited about your visit…" She tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'll go to the doctor's after today's shoot, okay? I'll go see Takemi-san if that will make you feel better."
Ren frowned. Well… at least it was a short shoot today.
Though it figured that Anne would think of the kids at the orphanage. She had such a big heart. Lately he's been pushing for a law that would impose stricter regulations for orphanages. So many people slipped through the cracks. It was one of his goals to save those people from falling through. Becoming Yoshida's protégé was just the first step.
"All right," he relented with a small nod. "But call me if you're feeling lightheaded or otherwise unwell. I'll come and get you."
Anne nodded as well, before standing up. "I might as well get going though." She then leaned down, pecking him on the lips, only to recoil back. "Eww! Ren! Did you not brush your teeth yet?! You've got total morning breath!"
"I was worried." Ren shrugged. "I wanted to find you."
"Next time brush your teeth first!" Anne snatched up her smoothie and began to gulp it down.
Ren just laughed. "Well, at least it got you to finish your breakfast."
Anne glowered at him over the rim of her glass. "Ugh, I hate you sometimes," she huffed.
Ren smirked at her in response. "Love you too, sweetheart."
The orphanage's matron was an older woman with wispy graying dark hair and kind eyes. It was nice to know that not all orphanages' matrons were stingy harpies, like how media tried to persuade you.
"It's nice to meet you, Amamiya-san," she greeted politely, bowing low at them. "It's truly an honor. My name is Reiko Takahashi."
"Likewise," Ren said with a friendly smile. "But please, call me Ren."
She just laughed. "Call me Reiko, then."
The orphanage didn't look too bad at first glance, but Ren couldn't help but notice how worn the furniture and decorations were… He had to make a good case for why orphanages needed more funding. It may seem like an unimportant endeavor to some of his colleagues but… it was important to Ren. Maybe he could campaign to encourage adoption too? Maybe make it easier to adopt, since single parents were often turned away as potential adopters…
Reiko opened the door, revealing a room filled with children of various ages. Seeing the older children made Ren's heart sink. He knew that older orphans after they turned eighteen were often turned loose, and they often fell through the cracks.
Reiko clapped her hands, causing them to snap to attention. "Everyone." She gestured to Ren. "This is Ren Amamiya," she introduced. "He's an upcoming politician and he's here to visit with us today."
He soon found himself swarmed with children, who peppered him with questions. He answered them the best he could, but the younger ones soon lost interest and began to wander away.
Ren surveyed the room, but his eye was caught by a lone girl sitting in the corner. Maybe it was the focused expression on her face…
She looked up when Ren came closer. Dark curls tumbled down past her shoulders, framing her rich brown face. Her dark eyes seemed to be too big for her face, as it was with young children. She looked… six? Seven?
"Hi there," Ren greeted with what he hoped was a friendly smile, crouching in front of her. "What's your name?"
She gave him a shy smile. "Akari."
"Akari," Ren echoed. Shortly after he had proposed to Anne, they had wound up discussing children. Anne had mentioned that she would love to have a little girl named Akari. "That's a pretty name." He placed a hand on his chest. "I'm Ren Amamiya."
She nodded. "I know. Everyone's been super excited about your visit."
"What are you drawing?" Ren asked.
"Oh… um…" Akari bit her lip, before showing him her little sketchpad. It was a drawing of a dress that seemed to have a spring motif. The skirt was drawn to resemble flower petals while the bodice had little butterflies on it.
"It's a nice drawing." Ren smiled at her. "You know, my wife works with fashion. I bet she'd love to wear something like that."
Akari's expression lit up, her eyes suddenly sparkling. "R-Really?" she squeaked out.
Ren couldn't help but smile. "Maybe you should become a fashion designer when you grow up," he said with a wink. "I bet my wife would love to wear your designs."
"You're a hafu, Akari!" A voice abruptly snapped. "It's not like he can help you get adopted!"
Akari froze, before shrinking away. "You… You're right," she mumbled out, before abruptly standing up and clutching her drawing to her chest. "I-It was nice meeting you Mister Ren, but… I've gotta go!"
"Arata!" Reiko quickly scolded, hands on her hips. "I've told you time and time again-!"
Ren turned to the speaker, an older boy who looked about ten or eleven. "You should never use that term again," he said sharply.
"Huh…?" The boy looked taken aback. "But that's what Akari is! She's part black!"
"It's an insult," Ren said, forcing himself to speak calmly. (He was pretty young after all.) "Did you not see how you upset her?" He then turned to the matron with a frown. "Reiko-san, do you know where Akari went? I would like to talk to her…"
"She probably went back to her bedroom," she answered. "I'll take you there now."
"Thank you."
And so she did, opening the door to one bedroom. The sight made Ren's heart sink. He knew that orphanages had to make do with what they had and with the number of orphans they had… but the sight was so disheartening. Threadbare curtains covered the windows and the blankets covering the beds weren't much better.
"I'm sorry!" Akari curled into a ball. "I didn't mean to…"
Ren walked over to her, carefully sitting next to her. "Oh, Akari, look at me…"
She looked at him with teary eyes. Ren felt his heart sink at the sight. He had always thought the worst sight was a tearful Anne, but a crying Akari could give her a run for her money.
Ren dug out a handkerchief. He gently tilted her chin up with his free hand before he began to wipe away her tears. "You weren't hogging me, okay?" he said gently. "I was just talking to you. And… you shouldn't be ashamed of your mixed blood." She didn't look convinced at that, so Ren continued. "You know… my wife is only part Japanese, just like you."
Her eyes widened. "R-Really?"
"Really," he confirmed with a smile. Then Ren pulled out his phone, showing the picture he used as his lock screen.
"She's pretty…" Akari breathed. "Her hair's like… gold." She then looked up in alarm when Ren chuckled at that. "D-Did I say something funny?"
"I think the same," he said. "That was one of the first things I noticed about her when I first met her."
Even though it had been seven years ago, Ren could still easily picture it.
"She has a nice smile…" Akari's faint voice snapped him out of his reminiscing, "like my mommy." Akari bit her lip, before drawing her knees to her chest. "But Arata's right," she said gloomily, wrapping her arms around her legs. "Nobody would want me… Nobody wants a hafu…"
Her lip trembled, her eyes filling with tears again.
"Thanks for checking up on me, Mister Ren, but I wanna be alone…"
"Okay," Ren said. "Goodbye, Akari."
He exited the room, looking over to Reiko.
"Um… about Akari…" he said cautiously. "What happened to her parents?"
Reiko sighed. "Akari's mother actually worked here before she passed away. She worked two jobs, the poor woman… It's probably why she got so sick before passing away." She then heaved out a sigh, a sad smile curving at her lips. "The father… was never in the picture," she said quietly.
Hearing the last part just made Ren's heart sink. A bastard. Of course she was…
And while he couldn't agree with how far Akechi had went… He knew that a life of a bastard was not easy. If Futaba hadn't had Sojiro… Maybe she would have turned out similarly to Akechi. Occasionally, he thought of Akechi. They weren't friends. Far from it. But… sometimes he wondered if he could've turned out like Akechi if he had been pushed enough. Akechi had been too caught up in his bitterness and anger towards the world. He had been beyond help by the time Ren had met him.
But maybe… he could help this sweet little girl.
He couldn't help but wonder how Anne felt about adoption…
"Well, well, if it isn't my guinea pig's wife." Takemi gestured to the bed. "So, what brings you here?"
It's been six years since Anne had met Tae Takemi and she still… couldn't get over her oddities.
But she climbed onto the bed. "Um… it's a lot of things, actually. I've been getting headaches and dizzy spells lately… been pretty tired… I've also been feeling kinda nauseous, too."
Takemi was jotting on a little notepad, her lips pursed together. "Uh huh…" She looked over at Anne. "The nausea… have you ever been ill in the morning? Like did you ever actually get sick?"
Anne frowned. "Um… not really?" She folded her arms over her chest, slightly tilting her head. "It's sometimes hard to get down food that I normally love if that counts? Like, the smell of it can sometimes make me nauseous."
The other day she walked by a crepe stand. Normally, she had to resist the temptation to buy one, but that day… the smell of crepes made her nauseous. Crepes! One of her most favorite foods in the world!
Takemi just let out a thoughtful hum. "So, tell me…" she said casually, crossing her legs. "How active are you in the bedroom?"
It took a moment for the question to register. Anne stared at her with an open mouth. "HUUUUUH?!" she sputtered out, her face flushing bright red. "You… I… We…"
Takemi looked at her calmly, tapping her chin with her pen, as if Anne just hadn't had a huge outburst just now. "Are you planning on answering my question? Or finishing your sentence?"
"We… um… indulge in it," Anne stammered out, suddenly wanting the ground to open up and swallow her whole.
God. She was really talking about her sex life with one of Ren's friends. She was a doctor but still…!
While they did have busy careers already, it wasn't like they didn't have time for each other. During their last session, Ren had done something with his tongue that had positively made her toes curl-
"Stop fantasizing about what he does to you in bed and focus," Takemi said briskly. Anne couldn't help but smile sheepishly. "Have you been using contraceptives?"
What Takemi was trying to get at clicked in Anne's mind.
…Crap.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME SHE HAD HER PERIOD?!
Oh god, she didn't remember. Makoto was always telling her to mark the days she did—even showed her a phone app to download—but it always slipped her mind.
"Um… there are a few times where we forgot?" Anne said weakly.
"Mmhm, that's what I thought." Takemi glanced up at her. "Let me run a few tests to confirm it though…"
In the end, Takemi's tests confirmed it. She was… pregnant. Still early on—Takemi estimated about eight or nine weeks.
She couldn't help but press a hand against her still flat tummy. Her and Ren's baby… was growing inside in there. They were going to be parents! She couldn't help but wonder what they'd look like. Personally, she hoped that the baby would inherit Ren's curls. She always loved playing with her husband's hair.
But excited as she was, Anne couldn't help but feel a little anxious. This was a… big change. A little baby was going to become their responsibility…
"…and the myth about having no sex during a pregnancy is false. You can still have sex."
"Huh?!" Anne's eyes snapped to Takemi.
Takemi just chuckled. "I was wondering if you were paying attention to what I was saying…" She folded her arms over her chest. "What I said is completely true, though."
Anne's cheeks felt like they were on fire. "Um… that's good to know…"
Especially since the dry spell they had to go through with Ren going back home during their senior year. That had sucked. They had a… memorable reunion when Ren was able to visit Tokyo during summer break.
She tried to listen to what Takemi was telling her, since it was important information but… all she could think about was…
How was she going to tell Ren about this?
"So… what's this about, Ren?"
"Why, Sojiro!" Ren gasped with wide eyes, faking a hurt expression. He then placed a hand on his chest. "I can't visit you because I miss you?"
Sojiro just snorted. "You can, but I know that's not the reason for this," he scoffed. He then met Ren's gaze. "Drop the innocent act and spill it. What's up?"
Ren took a sip of coffee. He just wasn't sure how to phrase this. "Well…" He then set the porcelain cup down with a quiet chink. He sucked in a breath."The thing is… I wanted to talk Anne about… adoption."
Sojiro's eyebrows rose at that. "Adoption, eh?" he echoed. "This wouldn't have to do that with that little trip you made to the orphanage yesterday, would it?"
Ren just smiled sheepishly. "Kinda."
"Ren…" Sojiro looked at him, squarely in the eyes. "Kids… are a lot of work. Believe me, I would know." He then adjusted his glasses. "…Have you even talked to Anne-chan about kids?"
"I know, I know…" Ren trailed off for a moment. "But we've talked about kids… shortly after we got married. But we agreed that Anne should be staying on… er…"
"Protection," Sojiro said blandly, before shooting Ren a look. "Look, Ren, you're a grown man who's married. You can say the word. It's not a dirty word."
"You don't have to lecture me…" Ren grumbled out.
Sojiro rolled his eyes at Ren. "Okay, so you wanna adopt. That's not a bad idea." Sojiro then raised his eyebrows at Ren. "Already have a kid in mind?"
Ren nodded furiously. "Yeah. She's really sweet-"
"A little girl, huh?" Sojiro smiled knowingly. "Should've known." Then his expression grew serious. "Do you feel ready, Ren? Sure you and Anne-chan have pretty well established jobs. Don't jump into it, if you feel like you're not ready."
Ready, huh?
The closest he had to that was looking after Shinya, and that was more like looking after a kid brother. But then Akari's face floated in his mind. She was so sweet… He wanted to help her. Give her a loving home like how every child deserved.
"…I feel ready," Ren said slowly.
"Then ask Anne-chan about it," Sojiro said. "If you feel ready, then you can bring it up to Anne-chan, no problem." Then his face spread into a wide grin. "…And if you do end up adopting her, I expect you to bring her around here."
Ren couldn't help but smirk at that. "Someone's eager."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sojiro asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at Ren.
"Eager…" Ren grinned at Sojiro, "…to become a grandpa."
Two patches of red appeared on his cheeks. "Ren!" He then let out a growl. "I'm not that old."
"Hey…" Ren shrugged. "If the glove fits…" he smirked at Sojiro, "wear it."
Sojiro glowered at him before grabbing the cleaning cloth at the counter.
Ren quickly ducked the towel Sojiro chucked at him. "Anyways, thanks for the advice, Sojiro!" he said cheerily. "Thanks for the coffee, but I really should be getting home now!"
But despite his conversation with Sojiro, Ren was still a little nervous. As Ren told Sojiro, he and Anne had discussed kids before—during their honeymoon, in fact—but they never seriously discussed having them. Ren still stopped by the drugstore to pick up condoms every few months.
When he opened the door, he found Anne pacing the living room, her face contorted in a worried expression.
"Anne?"
Anne stopped in her tracks, clutching her chest. "Ren! God, don't sneak up on me like that…"
Ren frowned, stepping closer to her. "Anne, what's wrong? You said Takemi said everything was fine, last night…"
Anne dragged a hand through her blonde locks. As she grew older, she had outgrown her pigtails and more often than not, wore her hair down. "Ren, look, I—it's nothing bad, I promise. But…" She suddenly choked, biting her lip. "It's big, Ren," she whispered. "Really big."
"Anne…?"
He… He didn't understand what she was trying to get at.
Anne took in a shaky breath, stepping closer to him. Then she grabbed his hand and pressed it against her stomach.
Ren stared down at his hand, his brow furrowed. What… What was Anne trying to get at?
And then, it clicked.
"You…" Ren breathed, "you're pregnant?"
Anne didn't say anything, but she slowly nodded.
"You're pregnant!" Ren scooped Anne in his arms and spinning her in the air, unable to hold back a joyful laugh.
He couldn't help but wonder what the baby would look like. As slim as the chance was… he hoped the baby would inherit Anne's golden hair.
Anne let out a shriek. "H-Hey, put me down!" she exclaimed. "I still have some nausea, you know…!"
Ren immediately set her down and she stumbled slightly. "Sorry. It's just… wow." Ren shook his head, unable to stop the smile from creeping on his face. He cupped her face with both hands, kissing her briefly. "You're going to be a mom."
Anne beamed back at him, her eyes softening as she looked at him. "And you're going to be a dad." Her hand slipped into his, squeezing it. "You're going to be an amazing dad, Ren."
Anne saying "dad" was like dumping a bucket water over his head, and Ren's smile faltered. Of course, he was thrilled that his and Anne's child—the symbol of their love—was growing inside of her but… He couldn't help but think of Akari. There was just… no way that he could ask Anne to consider adoption.
"Ren… what's wrong?" Anne's concerned voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Ren's eyes snapped to her. "It… It's nothing, Anne."
Anne frowned at him, poking him in the chest with her free hand. "Liar," she said flatly. "Don't lie to me, Ren."
Ren heaved out a sigh, slipping his hand out of hers. "It's just… when I came home today… I wanted to talk to you about something…"
"About…?" Anne prompted, eyebrow raised.
"About adopting." Ren sighed again, rubbing his face. "When I visited the orphanage, I met this little girl… Akari. She seemed a little shy, but she was so sweet until… one of the other kids thought she was just talking to me to see if I could somehow make sure that she would get adopted… I thought you would really like her, Anne… She loves to draw and has an interest in fashion… And she seems convinced that nobody wants her because… she's part black."
Anne's eyes widened at that. "Oh…" she said softly.
"I know, I know… I can't ask you of this—"
"Let me meet her."
Ren blinked at her. "Huh?"
"Let me meet her," Anne repeated. "I'm not saying yes, but… hearing you talk about her… makes me want to consider it."
"Anne…"
Anne just smiled. "Sure, it'd be crazy but… just think of all of the crazy things we've gotten up to! It wouldn't be easy but… I think we can manage it."
Ren kissed her again. All he could think of to say was: "Thank you."
Anne had heard horror stories about orphanages. But this one… didn't seem too terrible, at least.
She and Ren walked through the door, only for an older woman to look at them in surprise. "Ren-san! And…" Her eyes widened at the sight of Anne. "…This must be your wife."
"Hello, Reiko-san," Ren greeted. "And yes…" He turned to look at her, his gaze fond. "This is my wife, Anne."
"It's nice to meet you," she said politely, extending a hand out for Anne to shake. "But… is there a reason why you've come to visit today?"
"Well…" Ren said, "I spoke to Anne last night and the possibility of adopting Akari. Anne didn't exactly say yes, but… she wants to meet Akari."
"Oh…" Reiko's eyes widened. Was it his imagination or was there a glimmer of hope in Reiko's eyes? She did mention that Akari's mother used to live here… "I see. I will fetch Akari. Just hang tight." She gestured to the couches. "Take a seat."
So they sat down before Reiko disappeared into the orphanage.
"This place isn't so bad…" Anne murmured to him. "Maybe you should have picked a more run down orphanage," she added in a joking tone.
"The bedrooms are in shabby shape," Ren murmured back. "The orphanages need more funding…"
Anne grimaced, her playful smile quickly melting away. "No surprise there… Reiko-san seems nice, at least."
It was then Reiko returned, holding the hand of a bewildered looking Akari. Her eyes grew round as they fell on Ren.
"You remember Ren-san, right, Akari?" Reiko asked. "And this is his wife, Anne."
Akari just nodded slowly, her eyes still wide.
She was… adorable. Anne scooted away from Ren, patting the now empty spot. "Sit with us, Akari-chan."
Akari looked uncertainly at Reiko, but Reiko just smiled encouragingly at her. She slowly moved to sit between Ren and Anne.
"Mister Ren… why did you come back?"
"Well, I…" Ren wavered for a moment. If Anne had to guess… He didn't want to get Akari's hopes up, only to crush them. That would be just… cruel. "I missed you," he said finally. "And I wanted Anne to meet you too. Remember how I told you that she works with fashion?"
Akari nodded, before looking up at Anne in awe. "You're so… tall."
Ren and Anne just looked at each other and laughed. They both had hit a small growth spurt during senior year, both growing an inch. When they had first met, Anne was taller than most Japanese women. But when Anne wore heels, she towered over most of her female peers. Futaba looked positively tiny in comparison when Anne wore heels and Futaba didn't. Futaba often complained about that, since Anne could match Japanese men in height while wearing heels.
"Thank you." Anne smiled at her. "And you're absolutely adorable!"
Akari's chubby cheeks flushed. Anne wanted to reach out and trace her cheek. It probably was as soft as it looked. "T-Thank you. Your hair's really pretty." Her hand lifted up, only for her to lower it. "It's so shiny…"
"Your hair's lovely too," Anne complimented.
Her dark curly hair was actually somewhat similar to Ren's. Anne had spent hours running her fingers through her husband's hair, playing with it. Though the haphazard way her hair was arranged made Anne think that she had to teach herself how to do her hair. The thought of it was honestly… sad.
"Though…" She reached into her purse, drawing out the hairbrush she carried in it. "It's a bit messy. Maybe I could fix it up for you?"
Akari nodded, before scooting closer to Anne.
"Akari, you're interested in fashion, aren't you?"
"Mmhm." Akari's head bobbed for a moment, so Anne paused in her combing. She had to be careful with Akari's hair, like with Haru. "I like drawing dresses the best!" She then bit her lip. "I… I wish I could have pretty dresses…"
"You would look so pretty in them," Anne said, carefully untangling the knots in her hair. She moved slowly so not to yank at Akari's hair. She wished that she had hair ribbons… They would look so nice in Akari's dark hair. "What's your favorite color?"
"Um… I know that most girls like pink or purple but…" She bit her lip. "I like red the best!"
Anne paused in her combing, and her eyes met Ren. She couldn't stop the laugh from bubbling up.
"Is… that weird?" she asked timidly.
"No, no, it's nothing like that," Anne insisted. "It's just… we love the color red too."
"Red looks stunning on Anne," Ren said in a stage whisper.
Anne rolled her eyes at him before she began to plait Akari's hair. "Red was one of our colors at our wedding," she said. "There's nothing with loving the color red, Akari-chan. Red represents a lot of positive things… like passion-"
"Love," Ren added.
"And good luck in some cases," Anne finished with a smile. "Ren, can you look in my purse for a hairband? I'm almost done."
Ren dug through her purse as Anne finished braiding Akari's hair. She tied it up with a smile, before reaching for her purse and digging out her compact mirror. She flipped it open and held it out to Akari.
"I… look pretty," Akari said in awe. She smiled shyly. "That's… really me?"
"It is." Anne squeezed her shoulder, and she felt her heart melt when Akari's smile turned from shy to brilliant.
God, she wanted to see that smile every day. She wanted this little girl to be her daughter. Over Akari's head, her eyes met Ren's. Ren's smile just turned wide as he got the message.
It took a few months for the paperwork to process, but in the end, they were finally able to bring Akari home.
It was very fun watching Anne go crazy with decorating Akari's room. Ren actually took care of the baby's room, covering it with a neutral baby wallpaper, setting up the furniture, while Anne decorated Akari's new room. Since they knew that Akari's favorite color was red, Anne had bought a comforter set that was white but with red hearts. She also got several throw pillows. She also strung up fairy lights instead of getting a typical lamp.
So it was understandable that Akari gawked a little when they brought her into her new bedroom.
"This is… for me?" she squeaked out, slowly turning around in a circle. "All for me?"
Anne knelt down, despite her being halfway through her pregnancy and squeezed Akari in a hug. "All for you," she confirmed. "Do you like it, Akari-chan?"
"Like it?!" Her eyes began to sparkle. "I love it!"
She then jumped onto the bed, bouncing up and down on it.
"I'm glad." Ren smiled at her. "Your new mommy worked hard on your room."
The bounces stopped and Akari faltered. "…Mommy?" she repeated faintly.
Ren frowned. "We explained that we're going to be your new parents, right?"
"No, no… it's just…" Akari began to wring her hands. "I… I still remember my mommy… It's funny thinking of someone else being my mommy…"
Anne rose to her feet, joining Akari on her bed. She gently stroked the top of Akari's head, letting out a thoughtful hum. "How about Mama, then?" she suggested. "That would be different than Mommy, right?"
Akari's expression lit up. "I… I like that." She smiled shyly at Anne. "Thank you, Mama."
Anne just hauled her in her lap, making Akari squeal with laughter. "I'm glad, sweetie." She dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "You can call Ren Daddy or Papa. Whichever you like more."
"Preferably Papa," Ren quipped.
Anne glared at him for the joke, before chucking one of Akari's new throw pillows at his head.
"Hey!" Ren protested. "No violence!"
"Don't make s…illy jokes then."
Ren couldn't help but grin. Right. They had to watch their language now.
"Hey, um, Mama?" Akari piped up. "Um…" She twirled a lock of hair with her finger. "Why are you kinda… big now?"
"Oh!" Anne suddenly smacked her forehead. "Right… right… we haven't told you." Akari frowned at that, but Anne just smiled. "There's a baby growing inside of me," Anne explained. "He or she will be coming in about… oh, four months?"
"You're… You're having a baby?" Akari gasped.
"Mmhm!" Anne kissed her on the top of her head. "You not only get parents but a baby brother or sister. Isn't that amazing, Akari-chan?"
"U-Uh-huh."
Ren couldn't help but frown. Akari seemed to be smiling but… he couldn't help but feel it was kinda… forced.
Ren grumbled to himself. Stupid paperwork… Why did he sign up for this? Oh right, because he wanted to change things for the better because there was no Metaverse anymore. He knew taking care of a baby was exhausting, but he was looking forward to leaving on paternal leave. The fact that Anne was just weeks away from giving birth was a bit… surreal to him.
A dragging sound made him look up. Akari was dragging the small suitcase she brought with her along the floor.
"Akari?" he asked. "What are you doing?"
"I'm all packed…" she said softly.
"For… what?" Ren frowned in confusion. "Did Ryuji want you to sleep over?" He rubbed his forehead. "I'm gonna have to have a talk with him..."
Of course, his friends all adored Akari. Poor Akari got a little overwhelmed the first time she met everyone.
Akari shook her head so hard that her curls bounced a bit. "For when you take me back to the orphanage." She spoke so matter-of-factly. But her little shoulders slumped and there was a look of resignation on her face.
"For when we… what?!" Ren was on his feet immediately, and he crouched in front of her. "Honey, what are you talking about? We adopted you because we want you to be our daughter."
Akari's lip trembled. "But you won't want me… not when the baby comes," she said miserably. "They'll be your real child… I'm not…"
"Ren? Akari-chan?" Anne called. "Lunch is ready-" She then gasped. "Akari-chan, what's wrong?"
Ren scooped Akari up, settling her on his hips. "Akari thinks we're going to bring her back to the orphanage once the baby comes," he said firmly.
"WHAT?!" Anne exclaimed, before Ren approached her. "Akari, sweetie, why would you think that? We love you."
"You won't want me once the baby comes," Akari sniffed, her brown eyes suddenly swimming with tears. "You'll give them all your love… They're your real child."
"Oh, no, sweetie, look at me." Anne touched Akari's cheek. "I love you," she said firmly. "It doesn't matter that I haven't given birth to you, like I will give birth to the baby inside me. Love can't be divided… it only multiplies. You love both your mommy and us, don't you?"
Akari nodded.
"It's the same for you and the baby," Ren said. "We will love you both. And… blood doesn't make a family. Sometimes your blood family can treat you awfully… It's love that makes a family. Do you understand?"
Akari sniffed, her eyes still filled with tears. "I thought that this wasn't gonna be forever," she mumbled out. "I thought… I thought I'd have to say bye bye to you like with Mommy…"
Ren dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Sorry, kiddo. You're stuck with us. And the baby." He threw a smirk Anne's way. "And knowing Anne, the baby will have a set of lungs… I'll have to get you some earplugs."
Anne glared at him, before smacking his shoulder.
"Mama, don't hit Papa!" Akari chastised.
"Yeah, Anne, don't hit me," Ren teased.
Anne's only answer was yet another glare.
Anne collapsed against the pillows. The only thing she was aware was the baby's cry. God, every part of her ached…
"It's a boy!" the doctor announced. "And with a head of hair already!"
"He gets that from you," Anne panted out, looking up at her husband. "Where's Akari?"
"She's sitting with everyone," he chuckled, dropping a kiss to her sweaty forehead. "You did great, though. Especially since you insisted on no drugs to numb the pain."
Futaba stuck her head in. "Heyyy. A certain someone's getting antsy."
"Mama!" Akari ducked between Futaba's legs, rushing over to them. Before Anne could blink, Akari was clambering on top of the hospital bed.
Ren scooped her up, setting her next to Anne. "Hey, be careful, okay? Mama's still awfully sore from giving birth to your baby brother."
"Oh, I have a brother?" Akari asked, before looking at Anne. "…Can I have a baby sister next time?"
"Next time?" Anne said incredulously. "Oh, sweetie, talk to me in… another three years. At least. Or Papa can have the next one."
"Kinda biologically impossible, Anne."
"Shush, you."
"Where is he?" Akari asked.
"Right here." A nurse approached, carrying a bundle swaddled in blue blankets. "Here you are, Amamiya-san."
Anne took her son in her arms. Like the doctor said, he had a head full of hair… Blond hair, actually. It was darker than her ash blonde though, so maybe it would become dirty blond as he got older.
"Um… hi, baby," Akari said shyly, reaching out to him.
The baby stirred at Akari's voice, wiggling in Anne's arms. He blinked his eyes open, revealing a pair of big blue eyes. Much like herself, the Caucasian genes were strong in her son. He freed his arms, waving it for a moment, before he latched onto Akari's finger.
Ren laughed. "He knows his big sister already," he said, giving Akari's shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "He must love you already."
"Akari-chan is easy to love," Anne laughed.
Akari just looked at him in awe. "I love him too," she said softly. "Um… what are you going to name him?"
"Tatsuo," Ren answered.
"Tatsuo..." Akari repeated, testing out the name. She then leaned forward, lightly kissing his cheek. "I love you, Tatsu..."
"A nickname already, hmm?" Ren teased.
"You don't like it?" Akari frowned.
"No, it's a good one!" Anne reassured her daughter. "Plus I'm sure that Ryuji would've given him a nickname too."
"Mama... can I hold him, please?"
"Sure!" Anne exclaimed. "Here, come a little closer..."
Akari scooted closer to her, and Anne carefully deposited Tatsuo in her arms. The look on Akari's face... it just made Anne's heart swell with joy. She looked up to see Ren smiling at all of them.
"Love you," she murmured to him.
"I love you too," he said with that smile which had captured her heart so easily years ago. "All of you."