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Naomi smiled as she arrived home. The little house with the thatched roof was along the tree-lined dirt road ten minutes outside of the nearest village. Her youngest slept soundly in the sling tied against her chest. Her oldest, Rei, already took her big sisterly duties serious at age five and glanced to check on her baby brother every few seconds. Rei proudly carried a small basket of spices from the market while her mother carried a larger basket of rice.
Rei ran ahead into the house as Naomi unlatched the front gate. The woman set her basket on the stone steps, and her long black braid swayed as her swift footsteps led her to the expansive vegetable garden behind the house.
She smiled softly at the sight of her husband hunched over a row of turnips with their other daughter. Their second child, Aiko had been inseparable from her father since the day she was born. The towering grey-haired man and the tiny short-haired girl made quite the pair as they worked together in quiet unison. Kennyo plucked the white roots, and Aiko moved the basket along the row as her father harvested the vegetables.
The three-year-old rarely spoke, but Kennyo’s patient style of parenting encouraged the child to communicate in non-verbal ways. The child was able to write her full name and point at the correct object when asked a question. Aiko would sometimes murmur short sentences in her sleep, usually about her favorite foods or an animal she had spotted in by their house, but her parents made sure the child did not feel pressured to speak unless she wanted to.
Kennyo paused his work and wet his finger to wipe a stray speck of dirt from his daughter’s cheek. The gentle expression on the scarred man’s handsome face was one Naomi would commit to memory. Before their marriage, Kennyo had been a lonely soul who believed that he had to suffer alone to atone for his past transgressions.
The man’s wounded soul slowly healed when he allowed himself to love again. When each of their children had been born, even more of Kennyo’s naturally caring nature came to the forefront. These days, Kennyo divided most of his time between reading and praying in the early morning and watching his children and tending the garden in the afternoon.
Naomi sold handcrafted hairclips and accessories in the market a few days a week, and today, she had been able to come home early after she had sold all her wares to a wealthy customer. She was about to share the good news with her husband, when Rei bolted towards her father, still carrying the small basket.
“Daddy!” she hugged his leg.
Aiko laughed and held her arms towards her older sister.
“Welcome home!” Kennyo’s eyes crinkled as he patted her head.
Rei hugged her sister and offered the basket to Kennyo.
“Look what I carried all by myself!” she boasted.
“Wow,” said Kennyo. “Are those colorful jars filled with spices?”
“Mmm-hmm,” the girl beamed from the attention.
Kennyo looked towards his wife, curious and slightly concerned as to why she had purchased a years’ worth of expensive seasonings, but he did not want to dampen Rei’s moment of triumph.
Naomi laughed softly at his conflicted expression. “I had a special customer today. He bought everything on I had display and even commissioned me to craft some custom pieces for his wife.”
“That’s great news,” Kennyo said proudly. “I knew your handiwork would be a success.”
Naomi blushed at her husband’s praise.
“I invited him for dinner tonight, because he said he wanted to see you.”
“See me?” Kennyo stood and dusted the soil from his clothing.
“Well, the customer was none other than Lord Shingen,” she revealed.
Kennyo’s eyes widened in surprise.
“He said that he felt guilty that the last time he visited us was shortly after Aiko was born,” said Naomi. “So, he’s coming later this evening.”
“He always writes, though,” Kennyo shrugged, even though his wife could tell he was happy that his old friend was visiting. “I’ll prepare something special for dinner.”
The former monk’s expression grew pensive as he mentally shifted though his recipe repertoire.
“I bought some rice,” Naomi said. “But let me know if you need me to get anything else.”
“No, I’ll take care of it,” said Kennyo. “You need to get more rest.”
Kennyo had been reluctant when Naomi wanted to go back to selling at the market only a few weeks after giving birth to their son. But he relented when his wife explained that she liked getting out of the house and promised not to overexert herself.
She kissed him, and Kennyo looked at the baby.
“Have you been a good boy for your mamma?” Kennyo brushed the dark on the baby’s head.
The baby’s brown eyes sleepily opened before closing again.
“He’s been calm for most of the afternoon,” Naomi smiled.
“You should go inside,” Kennyo said with concern. “It’s getting hot.”
Rei followed her mother towards the sliding doors, but Aiko clung to her father’s sleeve.
“Would you like to help Daddy some more?” he said softly.
The little girl nodded adamantly.
“Alright,” he smoothed her hair. “We’ll start by washing these turnips.”
Shingen’s eyes widened in awe at the feast his hosts had presented on the table. Several side dishes of various steamed and pickled vegetables, a variety of soups, and rice surrounded a large platter of succulent slices of fish.
“You really put my palace cooks to shame,” said the red-headed warlord. “There was no need to go all out for me.”
“Nonsense,” said Kennyo. “We just threw together a few things. Now eat.”
“The girls are growing so you don’t have to worry about anything going to waste,” Naomi reassured him. “They eat everything in sight.”
“I can hardly keep up with the appetites of these girls,” Kennyo affectionately pinched his wife’s cheek. “Naomi included.”
“Hey!” the young woman blushed. “I have to eat more to make food for the baby! Your son has quite an appetite as well!”
“I know,” he said apologetically. “You’re beautiful, you know.”
Kennyo’s eyes lingered with approval at Naomi’s hips and chest. Naomi’s figure had never returned to its previous size since after Rei was born, and her husband made no secret how attractive he found her plumper features. The heat in his gaze made her cheeks darken even more. Perhaps they could ask Shingen to watch the children for a few minutes after dinner so she and Kennyo could take some brisk exercise in the fresh air . . . behind a tree . . . hopefully quickly enough before someone would pass along the road and spot them . . . Naomi cleared her throat.
“N-not in front of our guest, Kennyo!” She slapped her husband’s shoulder teasingly. “What am I going to do with you?”
Shingen laughed heartily and took in the sight of his friend completely at ease and surrounded by his precious family.
Aiko had been frightened of Shingen at first but not afraid enough to leave her father’s side. The timid child had positioned herself behind Kennyo’s sleeve, and her father would reach back occasionally to feed her choice morsels from his own plate. Rei on the other hand, was fascinated by the guest, and she insisted on sitting next to him, boasting how she had helped her mother at the market earlier in the day.
Naomi and Kennyo looked at each other in mutual affection as their child excitedly spoke.
“And then, there was a bunny on the side of the road on the way home!” said Rei.
“How cute!” said Shingen.
“How’s your wife doing, Lord Shingen?” asked Naomi.
“She’s very well,” he smiled. “My Goddess is carrying our first child.”
“Congratulations,” said Kennyo.
“Thank you,” Shingen smiled. “I hope that I can be even half as good as a father as you are.”
Kennyo flushed at the compliment. Naomi kissed his cheek.
“I don’t know about that,” he said bashfully.
“They seem sure,” Shingen inclined his head towards Aiko climbing into her father’s lap.
The child reached towards his plate of fried fish slices. Kennyo held the plate closer to her, and Aiko promptly stuffed her cheeks with the food.
“We have been very blessed,” Kennyo smiled at his friend, heart filled to the brim with happiness.
“I would say so,” Shingen agreed.
A few hours later, the dinner plates had been cleared and Shingen in front of a plate of desserts and a bottle of sake. Aiko had fallen asleep on a cushion while Rei was running laps around the table. The baby slept in his basket next Shingen.
“I guess I’ll have to get used to all of this really soon,” Shingen smiled affectionately.
Rei swiped a red bean bun from Shingen’s plate and continued bouncing around the room. The warlord chuckled.
The sliding door opened.
“We’re back,” Naomi smiled. “Thanks for watching them for a little while.”
“Did you have a nice walk?” Shingen smirked, fully aware of the real reason for the couple’s brief absence.
“Uh, y-yes,” she blushed, reflecting on all of the not walking she had just done with Shingen behind the bushes. “The weather is pleasant tonight.”
Kennyo entered behind his wife. The man cleared his throat as he patted his robes, checking if anything was out of place.
“I’m sure it’s hard to find alone time with these boisterous little ones,” Shingen smiled.
“You can say that,” Kennyo chuckled. “We’ve had to become more creative.”
Rei launched herself towards her mother’s legs, and Naomi hoisted the child on her shoulders.
“We should get you ready for bed.”
“I don’t wanna sleep yet,” she protested.
“It’s past your bedtime,” said Naomi. “If you’re too tired tomorrow morning you can’t come to the market with me.”
The child pouted but did not resist as her mother carried her into the next room.
Kennyo procured another bottle of sake and settled on the cushion next to Aiko.
“You can sleep here tonight,” Kennyo refilled Shingen’s cup to the brim.
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Shingen lifted the sake. “We have a lot to catch up on.”
“Indeed,” said the other man. “We’ll have to come visit you again one of these days once the children are a little older.”
“I’m sure Naomi would get along well with Mai,” said Shingen, his eyes sparkling at the thought of his beloved goddess.
Kennyo smiled fondly, and his eyes drifted over his sleeping children. “We ended up being extremely lucky despite everything, didn’t we?”
“We certainly did,” his friend agreed with his typical roguish grin.