Archive of Our Own

It started with nausea in the early mornings and was followed by splitting headaches that interrupted her day to day life. She was never one to complain and brushed it off as no big deal for a good two weeks before it became more concerning due to the increased frequency.

At first, the nausea would simply pass after fifteen minutes or so, but now she would rise out of bed and sprint to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before last night's dinner was flushed down the drain. Mary would wake up in alarm due to the commotion, clumsily following after her while yelling in confusion before gently rubbing circles on her back until she was ready to stand.

Ririka ignored Mary's concern for the third week, reassuring her that it was just a bug due to the changing of the seasons and that soon enough she would be fine.

It was when she almost passed out in front of both her wife and a customer that she had considered going to the doctor. The sudden fatigue had thrown her off, making her drop a flower pot onto the ground as she balanced herself on one knee and the side of a table while taking deep breaths. Mary had immediately rushed to her side while the customer, an older woman that was a regular and adored the couple, had assured her that her dropping the daisies was not a big deal at all and that her health came first. When the older woman had questioned her about her symptoms, she seemed to fall quiet and look at her with an odd expression. Mary scolded her gently and demanded she go to the doctor while the woman suddenly gave her an excited smile and told her that she should listen to her wife and head to the doctors. 

Ririka had just sighed, not looking into the woman's odd expression and resigning herself to making an appointment. Now, she stood in the waiting area of her general care doctor, absentmindedly flipping through magazines.

"Ririka Saotome?" The pale haired woman looked up at the nurse. "Doctor Sato will see you now."

She walked through two swinging doors and headed down the hallway toward the door the man pointed her to. She was greeted by a woman with curly dark hair and forest green eyes wearing a lab coat. She gave her a smile in greeting before asking her the cause for her visit.

"If I'm going to be honest, I believe that it's just a stomach bug. I've been nauseous for a few weeks which is usually followed by migraines. Just recently, I seemed to be fatigued as well even though I’m not doing anything physically straining." Sato hummed as she spoke, writing a few things down on her clipboard. She clicked her pen before looking up at her, eyes not betraying any emotion to the information that Ririka had just given her.

"I see. I'm just going to ask you the standard questions before we continue, if that's alright with you?" Ririka nodded. "Okay. Do you take any recreational drugs?"

"No."

"Have you had any previous surgeries?"

Ririka shook her head.

"Do you smoke at all?"

Ririka paused at this before speaking. "Occasionally. I tend to only smoke when I'm stressed." Sato nodded.

"Do you drink?"

"Yes, I’ll have some alcohol here or there every few weeks." Another nod.

"Are you sexually active?"

The pale woman blushed lightly in embarrassment. She hated going to the doctor. "Yes."

"Do you use protection or take any preventatives?"

"Yes and Yes. I prefer to take birth control." Sato hummed in acceptance before clicking her pen once again.

"Thank you very much. We'll begin running a few tests and hopefully send you on your way shortly." Ririka gave her a nod, ready to get this over with quickly.

A blood test and some other more mortifying tests later and Ririka was left in the room once more, waiting for Sato to come back with the results. She fiddled with her phone for a good minute, texting Mary emojis and telling her that she's an incredibly terrible wife for making her go to the doctor. Mary just ignored her dramatics and sent her pictures of their cat Tofu falling off their bed in a series of three pictures which made her giggle to herself.

A moment later Sato knocked on the door, making Ririka's head snap up as she put her phone back into her pocket. The other woman smiled at her before entering the room and closing the door behind her, clipboard in hand. She took a seat across from Ririka, her leg crossing over the other as she collected her results.

It was Ririka who spoke first. "So, was I correct about it just being a bug?" Sato smiled at her gently.

"No, actually. It's not a common stomach bug or anything like that at all." Ririka's eyebrows frowned.

"I'm sorry, but what could it possibly be then?" Her thoughts raced a mile a minute, her mind conjuring up the worse scenarios. "Is it something worse?"

Sato continued smiling at her while shaking her head. "No. Well, it definitely depends on the person, but I personally wouldn't say that." Ririka continued to stare at her in confusion, not picking up on what her doctor was hinting at. "Mrs. Saotome, I'd like to congratulate you on your pregnancy. By what you told me, you seem to already be a month along, but I'll be able to determine the date more accurately when your blood work comes back from the lab."

Ririka didn't think she heard her right, blinking at her owlishly. "Excuse me? Could you repeat that?"

"You're pregnant, Mrs. Saotome." Sato sighed. "About 6 weeks, in fact. The date of conception was most likely March 8th."

Ririka nodded slowly, realizing that she heard right the first time. "I see. Thank you for your help doctor." She stood up, brushing off her jeans and sweater before making her way to the door. Doctor Sato reached out, gently grasping Ririka's shoulder.

"Will you be alright?" Ririka gave her a strained smile.

"Yes, truly. Once again, thank you for the help. Please give me a call when my blood work comes back and I'll schedule my next appointment."

Sato seemed to accept her response before giving her the rest of the information she may need which included what to do as she waited for the call in a few days and some suggestions as to what to do about morning sickness and the rest of her pregnancy symptoms. Ririka left the doctor's office quietly and stone-faced, not even waving goodbye to the nurses at the front desk.

Her phone rang a few times, but she ignored it as she sat in her car in front of a park, quietly taking in the spring scenery. At the swing set of the park, a Mother seemed to be pushing her son, giggling with him as he dramatically pretended he was flying with each push. He probably wasn't even five years old yet.

She couldn't do that. She wasn't meant to be a Mom. She was only 26, nearing 27. That wasn't too young nor too old of course, but still. She wasn't experienced enough to handle a child. She and Mary were incredibly well off with her wife being a lawyer while she had her own psychology and business degrees along with her own successful shop. No, age and financial standing wasn't a problem. Neither was her wife. She knew that Mary had been a lonely child growing up and had craved a sibling or two. She had always wanted a large family and was hesitant to admit it to Ririka who she knew did not have a great childhood and avoided the topic of children. Mary had told her that it didn't matter. That they were fine with Tofu and their golden, Bella.

None of that was the problem. It was Ririka who was the problem.

This was too much to deal with. Her migraine had increased tenfold and she could feel the nausea setting in and she was pretty sure it wasn't just from the pregnancy. She reached into the glove box of her car, fumbling for a minute before revealing a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She removed one from its case and brought the lighter to its end, bringing it to a flame. She stared at the golden ember for a minute before bringing the cigarette to her lips. Before she inhaled, she squeezed her eyes shut, her face twisting. She forcibly removed the cigarette from her lips before opening the door to her car and throwing it to the ground, crushing the nicotine beneath her heel. She then walked to the park's closest garbage that was a few feet away and tossed the rest of the pack.

She strolled back to her car, not looking back. She closed the door, took a deep breath, and let her head slam into the wheel for a moment. It let out a loud sound that scared a few nearby geese.

"Fuck." She buried her head in her hands. "Fuck!" She lifted her head before starting the car. She needed to get home. She needed to get back to Mary.

When she got home, it was silent. It had been about three hours since she got out of the doctor's office and the sun had just begun setting. Bella greeted her at the door, gold tail wagging as she gave her sloppy kisses. Tofu continued sleeping on the couch with the only indication that he heard her arrive being his ear twitching.

Her blue eyes softened when she saw a plate of food wrapped on the counter. Mary must've cooked while she was gone. She felt guilty for ignoring her wife, but she had to be left alone with her thoughts for a few hours.

Footsteps hastily walked down the hall and Ririka was greeted with a panicked stricken Saotome Mary. She must've heard the door open as well as Bella's barking.

"Mar–" she was cut off.

"Where have you been?! I've been calling and texting you for hours!" Her hands were on her hips as she interrogated her, pupils blown due to worry and anger. "... I was worried sick, Ririka."

The pale woman winced. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you, Mary. I'm fine, promise." She walked closer to the blonde, hands gently reaching out. Mary couldn't stay mad at her wife for long and easily accepted the action, intertwining their fingers. Her face remained distressed.

"Why were you gone for so long? What happened at the doctor's?" Ririka gave her a pained smile.

"Let's sit down for a moment." Mary huffed but accepted the suggestion.

Ririka stalled by undressing and fitting herself into an old t-shirt and a comfy pair of striped pajama pants. When she reentered the living room, Mary was sitting on the couch, waiting for her with a glare and crossed arms. Ririka held back a wince at her wife's anger. Bella laid next to Mary, curled up by her legs.

The pale woman let out a deep exhale before sitting shoulder to shoulder with her wife, hands shaking slightly. Mary watched her, eyes changing from anger to concern as she took in her demeanor.

"Ririka… Are you alright? What did– what did the doctor tell you?" Ririka fiddled with the bottom of her shirt for a moment. "Ririka, please. You have to tell me what's going on! Are you sick?" The blonde was distressed at her wife's silence. Within the years they've been together, their communication was always strong so seeing Ririka so silent was unnerving. It reminded Mary of when they were still teens. "Ririka–"

"I'm pregnant."

Silence.

Mary's eyes had widened comically, pupils shrinking with her mouth open in an 'o' shape.

"I'm– I'm sorry, Mary. I didn't know what to do and I couldn't face you right away so I ran away for a bit. It's cowardly, but I had to be alone for a while. I'm sorry for worrying you." She didn't look at her wife as she spoke softly, her own eyes not leaving the floor.

"Do you mean it? You're not– you're not fucking with me, are you?" Ririka looked at her in dismay.

"Of course not, Mary! I wouldn't lie about something like this!"

Mary started laughing, shoulders shaking from the action. Ririka looked up at her in concern. Her own insecurities eating at her. Was Mary upset?

Mary's laughs turned into sobs and Ririka turned to her fully in alarm. "Ma– Mary?!"

The blonde was smiling at her, wide and joyful.

"No fucking way! A baby? We're gonna have a baby?! We're gonna be parents!" Mary stood up as she spoke, giggles leaving her mouth. She pulled at Ririka's wrists who was left stunned by her wife's emotional display.

Mary's arms reached out to cradle Ririka's face, thumbs brushing over her cheek bones. She leaned up on her tippie toes, pulling the older woman into an passionate kiss.

Ririka, despite her shock, responded immediately. She deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms around Mary's waist, hands gripping desperately. She wasn't upset. She wasn't upset.

Mary pulled away, her smile shining on her face with happy tears staining her cheeks. Suddenly, her smile dropped as her eyes widened. "... Ririka, are you alright with this?" She looked at her seriously, concerned shining in her honey brown eyes. She knew Ririka wasn't fond of the concept of children.

The pale woman pressed her lips into a thin line. "I don't– I don't know, Mary. I'm afraid. I– Mary, I don’t think I can be a Mom.”

Mary lowered Ririka down back into a sitting position on the couch, eyes not leaving her’s. “Why do you think that?”

Ririka made a face almost as if she was saying ‘ Isn’t it obvious? ’ “Mary, I was raised around people that made us suffer from the moment we were born. It wasn’t until I met your parents that I finally knew what a good parent entails. How am I supposed to raise a child when I have no example to follow? I don’t want an innocent life to be ruined due to my mistakes!” Her hand lowered to her stomach, bunching up the material that covered her skin out of frustration, knuckles turning white.

Mary frowned. “You’re talking as if you’d be going through this alone. Ririka, I would be with you every step of the way and so would my family. When I was growing up, I was rarely around my parents because they worked from morning to ass o’clock at night. They only started being more present at home when I reached high school and by then I was the one pulling away due to the stress of Hyakkaou. It in no way compares to what you went through and what you witnessed as a kid, but I understand the feeling of not knowing how to raise a kid or being a parent.” She rubbed circles on Ririka’s back as she spoke. “Being parents… Raising a child… It's something we would figure out together. You would never go through any of this alone, Ririka. I swear to you that.” Her eyes were blazing a bright amber as she spoke and Ririka gripped at her hand, their fingers intertwining in a tight grip.

“And what about everything I… deal with? Some days I can’t bring myself to get out of bed or I feel disconnected from my whole body because I get overwhelmed by simple everyday tasks. And it's not normal! After all of these years, I'm still not right and it's not fair to you or the baby. If I subject them to my trauma, I wouldn’t be any better than the elders.” Her back tensed as she bit her lip, looking away from her wife. Mary gently cupped her cheek and pulled her face to look back at her, letting a burning amber meet terrified turquoise.

“‘Rika, everything you experienced when you were younger was incredibly fucked up and it has left many scars. You’re right, generation trauma is a bitch and so is mental illness, but it's the fact that you’re trying to get better and are trying to accept and let go of the past that truly matters. Both you and I have been going to therapy for years now and I think we both know that healing is not a smooth, upward path no matter how much we fucking wish it was. Everything you deal with? Shit, you might be dealing with it the rest of your life, but you’re human, Ririka. Both you and I grow everyday and from the moment I met you, you’ve changed so much that I don’t think your seventeen year old self would even recognize you. And each day I fall in more and more love with you and the person you’ve slowly become each day and I’m damn sure that baby will love the person their Mother tries to be for them… The fact that you’re trying to heal is the most important factor, Ririka, and I know damn well that you’d never, ever be like them .”

Ririka kissed her as tears broke free from the corners of her eyes and Mary kissed her back without hesitation. The paler woman broke away, breath getting caught in her throat as she let out quiet sobs. “I’m scared, Mary.” The blonde kissed her on the crown of her head, her own eyes closing as she let Ririka lay her weight onto her.

“I know, Ririka. No matter what you decide to do… Whether you want to keep the baby or not, it's up to you. And I’ll be with you every step of the way, no matter what you choose to do.”

Ririka gradually nodded into Mary’s neck as if hiding from the world. “I love you.”

Mary kissed her head once again. “I love you too.”

In the middle of the night, Ririka stared blankly up at the ceiling fan. She could hear Mary’s soft breaths and feel her warmth on her right side with Bella laying on her legs. Tofu sat above their heads on his own personal pillow, purring in his sleep. All around her was her family. There were no elders or people that could hurt them anymore. These years with her wife had been the happiest of her life.

She reached her hand out to rub at her stomach, eyes pressing together roughly to hold back the wetness forming. I want you, she thought. If you’ll accept someone like me as your Mother, I would love to meet you.

And just like that, her decision was made in the silence of their bedroom, surrounded by some of the people she loved most.

The next morning, she woke up early as she didn’t really sleep during the night all that well. Mary had woken up a few hours later to the smell of pancakes and coffee. Tofu lazily followed her out of their bedroom, rubbing up against her legs. She watched her wife hum a soft tune to herself as she poured each of them a cup of coffee and she had thought that their conversation from last night was just a dream for a moment.

But just for a moment because Ririka turned to her, a soft smile on her face with flushed cheeks and bright eyes and Mary knew . And she let out a laugh and practically skipped over to Ririka, her grin practically splitting her face out of joy.

Mary gently pushed her onto the counter top and stood between her legs, giggling into her wife’s neck as she planted kisses along her jawline and neck. Ririka let out her own watery giggles as she wrapped her arms and legs snuggly around her wife.

Their breakfast was a little burnt, but neither of them seemed to mind.

The first people they told were Mary’s parents. The couple had personally flown out the older couple, which wasn’t abnormal as Mary and Ririka loved spending time with them considering they lived on a different continent.

Neither Celestina or Akio expected grandchildren from them, never even making jokes because they knew their daughter-in-law did not have the best opinion on having children. So when Ririka had handed them ‘souvenirs’ from one of the larger cities, they did not know how to react when they were greeted with baby onesies and Mary and Ririka watching them nervously. They were given two separate onesies. Each was basic in writing with both saying ‘ I love my Abuelita/Jichan ’.

Celestina was the first to realize what was going out and tears filled her honey brown eyes, hands covering her face in shock. Akio followed with his own reaction, standing up in shock as he began laughing hysterically, his own tears coming out of his dark brown eyes. “ No way! Are you serious, you two!”

Mary and Ririka laughed and nodded and Akio pulled his daughter-in-law into a bear hug while Ririka patted him on the back, returning the hug.

“ ¡Dios mio! ” Celestina pulled her daughter into a hug, arms wrapping around the woman that was a few inches taller than her. “ ¡Dios mio! ” She repeated herself in disbelief while sobbing.

Akio extended his bear hug to both his wife and daughter, squeezing all four– no five– of them into a warm embrace. Ririka realized what her wife had meant when she said that her family would support them as well. The Saotome couple had been the only people she would consider as ‘parents’ to her. They had met her as their daughter’s quiet and strange friend and she had been welcomed with open arms and affection from the two out of the goodness of their hearts simply because they trusted their daughter’s judgment and that's just how they were. It was Celestina who helped her cut her hair short for the first time and it was Akio who taught her how to plant little gardens and cook meals due to her having no prior experience.

Ririka smiled to herself, remembering how Mary and Akio had bickered as they read the recipe together as she watched, utterly confused on how all three of them had mixed up the salt and sugar for the meal they were making.

She buried herself further into the hug, taking in her family’s warmth. Celestina and Akio have made mistakes and were human just like them, but they loved Mary and Ririka. They were great parents and would be wonderful grandparents.

As Ririka pulled away from the embrace– the two older adults immediately talking about baby shopping and names– she suddenly froze. Somehow, she had forgotten to tell one specific person about her pregnancy.

Mary knew she was going to get her ass beat. From the day they met, Momobami Kirari and Saotome Mary did not get along. There were many, many reasons for this and to sum it up, her sister-in-law was a bitch. She had never truly approved of her and Ririka’s relationship to her knowledge– not that she cared of course– but this was going to end up being the feather that broke the camel’s back. She was going to kill her for knocking up her sister.

When Ririka had mentioned that she needed to tell her sister, she almost wanted to tell her to do it herself out of fear for her own life, but she was not going to hide from Kirari of all people. She hasn’t been afraid of her in years and this was not going to be the thing that changes that. That, and the fact that Ririka may be upset at her sister for murdering her wife. Kirari most likely does not want her Nee-san upset at her and avoiding her for another six years. That was her saving grace.

They had flown back to Japan with her parents for an impromptu visit to her sister-in-law and her fiancée’s mansion. When they first got back, Ririka was already three months along and the couple had first decided to contact Yumeko, Ryota, and Itsuki considering that they haven't really seen them in person due to them living on two different continents.

They all decided to go out for dinner in which all three of them caught up on what they were currently up to. Yumeko had her own fair share of therapy trips and had begun working towards a normal life, aiming for a degree in education and entrepreneurship. Ryota, always the loyal one, was with her each step of the way. He had gotten his teaching degree and was a primary school teacher to a bunch of eight and nine year olds. Somehow, Mary couldn’t help but to think the job suited him. Itsuki was as chaotic as ever with a messed up love life. She seemed to focus more on partying and working her Dad’s company than actually having stability in her life and that seemed to treat her just fine.

As Mary was bickering with Yumeko and Itsuki over something, the youngest of them making fun of the blonde for some stupid thing, while Ryota and Ririka calmly talked to eachother about college and their relationships. The two had always gotten along the best when it came to their little group considering that they were both quiet and calm in comparison to the maniacs that were Yumeko, Mary, and Itsuki.

It was when Itsuki ordered a round of drinks for all of them that they had begun noticing that something was up. Ririka had immediately declined a drink, reassuring Mary that it was fine if she wanted to have some when she glanced at her with worry. Itsuki and Ryota had just looked at the scene oddly and shrugged while Yumeko narrowed her eyes in curiosity. It was when Ririka had brought her hand to her stomach under the table that she let out a loud gasp, sitting up on her knees and pointing directly at her cousin.

“Your– You and Mary-san–!” She was yelling loudly, excitement in her voice. Itsuki and Ryota looked at her in alarm while Mary let out a sigh and Ririka laughed nervously before nodding and confirming her suspicions.

“The hell is going on?!” Itsuki asked, confused. Ryota nodded, bewildered at his girlfriend’s shouts.

Mary and Ririka smiled at each other. “I’m pregnant.” Ririka laughed out, amused by her cousin still beaming at her wildly. Itsuki let out a dramatic gasp while Ryota almost dropped his drink.

“No fucking way! You let Mary-senpai get you pregnant?!” Ririka sweatdropped.

“The fuck does that mean?!” Itsuki ignored the blonde.

“Congrats you two!” Ryota broke the tension by congratulating them. The couple was embarrassed and accepted the praise. Itsuki and Yumeko talked excitedly about the gifts they were going to get their ‘niece or nephew’ (the couple once again let out a sigh at this) while Ryota listened, throwing in his own suggestions here and there.

“You should name it Itsuki Jr.”

“Absolutely not.”

“Itsuko Jr.”

“That is your name with an o at the end.” Itsuki pouted.

“So mean.”

Yumeko interrupted them, a look of curiosity on her face. “Did you tell Kirari-san yet?” Mary looked at Ririka and the other woman sighed.

“Not yet. That’s actually why we came back to Japan for a while. I prefer to tell her and Sayaka in person.” Yumeko nodded while Itsuki spoke up.

“You didn’t tell her yet?! Mary, sweetie, I’m so sorry, but you aren’t making it out of her mansion alive. I’ll buy you some extra drinks now because it may be the last time you get to have any.” The tanned girl shivered as her wife gently patted her on the back.

“There is nothing to worry about. If Kirari has a problem, she'll be taking it up with me, not Mary. Besides, we don’t plan to stay long anyway. I’d prefer not to be around… negativity at the moment.” Ryota and Itsuki glanced at each other in worry while Yumeko nodded her head sadly in understanding. Mary glanced at her wife with her own furrowed brows.

The twins had begun speaking to each other once again after six years and had been slowly repairing their relationship within the last three. Normally, Ririka would have no problem being around Kirari after all this time, but her child was her number one priority and she didn’t know if she felt comfortable with being around her sister for the next few months.

And it's not that she didn’t want her in the child’s life. It was just complicated considering that Kirari was not the most… empathetic person in the world despite having changed for the better in comparison to her younger self. That's just how Kirari was and Ririka was not sure that she could deal with all of that while pregnant.

They had all left, promising to meet up a few more times before the couple left back to the states. As they got ready for bed in Mary’s old childhood room, Ririka had excused herself to call her sister, making sure she was aware of their incoming visit.

When Ririka had hung up the phone, she had immediately made a beeline for the bathroom, her dinner from hours before coming up. Mary winced and followed her, rubbing at her shoulders while kneeling behind her.

That's how Celestina had found them. She had immediately turned and left to the kitchen, quickly returning with ginger ale and vitamins. She joined her daughter by sitting next to her daughter-in-law and gently clasping her shoulder. “Toma esto, mija. ”

 Ririka had taken the items, giving her a small, tired smile before being led to the living room with her wife following. They sat on the couch and Celestina began telling her small stories about her own pregnancy with Mary and the couple leaned into each other, listening to the older woman late into the night until they all became tired enough to retire for the night.

They had decided to go with the same method they used to tell Mary’s parents.

It was Sayaka that greeted them at the door, a small smile on her face. Ririka returned it while Mary awkwardly waved at her.

They walked through the halls and Mary couldn’t help but to wonder why the hell they needed such a big place when there were two people and a singular cat living in the mansion. She summed it up to Kirari needing something to feed her ego or whatever.

When they had reached the dining area, Kirari was casually sipping on a cup of tea with her leg crossed. She looked up when she heard her fiancée and guests arrive. She gave the couple her typical mischievous smile before placing the cup on the table in front of her. She stood up, gently brushing her fingers across their cat’s head. Hime-chan let out a loud purr.

She approached her sister, giving her a soft smile which Ririka returned. They stared at each other for a moment before Kirari leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her older sister in a firm embrace. Ririka gently wrapped her own arms around Kirari’s waist, closing her eyes while taking in her sister’s pressences. It had been a few months since they last saw each other in person. Typically they resorted to speaking over the phone, but that wasn’t the same as talking face-to-face.

“I’m glad you decided to visit. I’ve missed you, Nee-san.”

“Me as well, Kirari. I’m sorry we haven’t visited in so long. Things at home have been… hectic to say the least.” Kirari lifted a dignified eyebrow curiously.

“I see. I hope to hear about it over dinner. You two are welcome to stay as long as you like.” She glanced at Mary for a moment, sending her an annoyed glare. Mary returned it, moving closer to her wife and wrapping her arm around her waist. She made sure Kirari could get a full view of her wedding ring. Sayaka saw their little exchange and sighed. Those two are so immature. 

“Yes. I’ll make sure to tell you all about it, but first, Mary and I brought some gifts from the states.”  She picked up a bag that she had sneakily hidden behind her when she had first walked in. Both Kirari and Sayaka had looked at her in surprise.

“Oh, how exciting.”

“Thank you, Ririka-san.” Ririka smiled at her soon-to-be sister-in-law while handing her her own bag gently. She then turned to Kirari who had returned to her original seat and casually threw her gift at her face, making Kirari blink in surprise before she caught it.

“Rude.”

“I like to keep you on your toes.”

“Mhm. Try harder next time.” Ririka rolled her eyes.

“Just open your gift, Kirari.”

The couple had begun opening their gifts and Sayaka, who had gotten the wrapping off first, gasped quietly, looking up at Mary and Ririka with wide eyes, the tiny dusting of freckles on her nose showing on her olive skin. Mary gave her a nervous, but wolfish smile while Ririka laughed lightly at her future sister-in-law’s expression. Sayaka gave her own excited smile while she turned to her fiancée, waiting for her reaction.

Kirari looked at the onesie blankly. The words were facing away from her so all she saw was the honey yellow color that dominated the shirt. Ririka, Mary, and Sayaka waited with baited breath, Sayaka couldn't help but give a giggle at the words on the front of the onesie.

Kirari slowly stood up from her seat and Mary felt sweat drip down from her temple. Suddenly she smiled and walked towards Hime-chan. “Come here sweetheart, Auntie Ririka got you a gift.”

There was a slight pause.

Ririka, Mary, and Sayaka lost it. They all began laughing as Kirari tried to capture the cat who was running from her owner’s attempt at dressing her up.

“Ki–Kirari, no. That’s– that’s not what…” Ririka couldn’t get the words out, flabbergasted at her sister’s unique assumption. Mary tried to help her out.

“You fucking idiot–” She giggled. “– look at the words!” Kirari paused in her mission, confused at their reactions and her sister-in-law’s words. She flipped the clothing and the front read, ‘It’s of fish ial, my Aunt is the greatest.’

Kirari gaped at it for a moment, her turquoise eyes widening in surprise. The three other adults just kept cackling at her.

She looked up at her sister sharply. “Ririka, are you being serious? You’re with child?” Mary rolled her eyes at the medieval talk.

“Yes, Kirari. Congrats, you’re an Aunt.” Ririka nervously smiled at her, her laughs dying down.

“Congratulations, Ririka-san, Mary-san.” Sayaka was still laughing lightly, giving the women a genuine smile.

“I see. Very well, I assume this child was planned?” Ririka gave another nervous smile to her sister. Kirari let out a sigh. “How are you the elder one between us again?” Ririka shrugged. The younger twin seemed to have more to say, but wisely kept her mouth shut. She had been working on airing her opinion out in public, especially to her sister who has since began making her own choices. If Ririka wanted her input on something, she’d make her aware.

Kirari walked over to her sister once again before pulling her into another hug. They stayed there for a moment before Kirari pulled away slightly, arms resting on Ririka's shoulders. Their four centimeter height difference became apparent which made Kirari’s eye twitch slightly in annoyance. “Although I am… disheartened at the fact that you conceived with Saotome Mary–” A blonde brow twitched. “– If you truly believe yourself prepared for one of those things –”

“... A child?” Kirari ignored the blonde once again.

“– then I will recognize your decision and support you however you see fit.”

Ririka gave her a soft smile before pulling her sister into an embrace once again. “Thank you, Kirari.”

“Of course.”

Sayaka and Mary glanced at each other, giving the other a tiny smile. This had turned out much better than Mary had expected.

“Oh, Saotome Mary. Can I get a word with you?”

Nevermind.

 Another month later Ririka and Mary were back in their little home, curled up on their bed. At four months pregnant, Ririka had begun to waddle slightly. She had been upset at the fact that her once toned stomach had disappeared, but Mary had reassured her that she looked as beautiful as always.

They were flipping through baby books, glancing through names and throwing ideas off each other. Mary seemed to struggle when it came to names, not really being the best at kanji. She really didn’t see the importance of having a complicated name. After all, she had chosen her own name herself. She had named herself after her own Abuela, María. She had gone with a similar name as it kept her deceased Abuelita with her without the name being the exact same.

Ririka on the other hand had a very different view point when it came to names. She had already spent many hours looking for ideas, frustration building on her face.

“Babe, we have a long time to go before the baby is born. There’s no need to get frustrated.” Ririka sighed. What made it harder was the fact that they decided on not knowing the gender, not really caring as long as the kid came out healthy.

“You’re right I just want to put a lot of thought into it. My name– my name means nothing and it was done on purpose because that’s all I was for a long time. I wasn’t supposed to be anything but someone’s reflection. I know it doesn’t always matter to the average person, but it means a lot to me. I want them to know that I took the time to think about it because I love them.” Mary’s eyes widened, now understanding why it was so significant to her wife.

“Don’t worry. We’ll figure out the perfect name for them eventually.” She kissed Ririka gently and Ririka returned it with a peck of her own. “Hey… Wanna gamble?” Ririka raised an amused eyebrow at her wife.

“A gamble? When did we suddenly become teenagers again?” Mary laughed, combing her fingers through short white hair that fell inward towards Ririka’s neck, resembling a slight wolf-cut.

“Wanna make a bet on their gender? I know we don’t really care about that, but it may be fun.” RIrika hummed.

“Okay. What do we get if we win this little gamble?”

“Anything you want my dear.” She purred before laughing lightly in Ririka’s ear, making her shiver.

“Mhm. Tempting. I’ll have to take you up on your gamble, Saotome.”

“It’s a deal then, Saotome. I’m going for a boy.”

“Good. I was going to say girl.” They giggled at each other, forehead pressed together. Their baby. Their little blessing.

Ririka froze at the thought suddenly, which Mary immediately noticed. “Ririka?”

“What about…?” She trailed off, tongue sticking out in concentration. “With the kanji written like this?” She scribbled at the corner of one of the books and wrote: 恵み. Mary raised an eyebrow.

“Megumi?”

“Yes, it means blessing or grace. It could be gender neutral as well, so it will work no matter what their sex is.”

Mary thought about it for a while before smiling. “Megumi. Our blessing.”

“Yes.” Ririka breathed, a loving smile on her face. “Our blessing.”

Ririka was five months along and it was a hot summer night. Their air conditioner blew throughout their apartment and Ririka had already given up on wearing pants while Mary had given up on her shirt.

Ririka was laying eagle-spread out on their bed after Mary had lectured her for an hour about why she could not climb on furniture to catch a spider.

“Stop pouting.” Ririka pouted even more, looking at her wife with doe eyes, making Mary sigh. “Fine. I’m sorry for yelling at you. I just want you to stop being a reckless idiot.” The older woman let out a childish whine before letting out a loud sigh.

“Darling, I’m hungry.”

“Darling? Are you trying to butter me up so I’ll go and–” She glanced at the clock. “– get you food at almost one in the morning? We should be going to sleep.” The couple has always had a bad habit of staying up late while watching movies.

“I want french fries and cream cheese. Also pizza.” Mary gaped at her.

“All of that? At the same time?” Ririka nodded excitedly, mouth salivating.

“Yes. Now, since you were just soooo mean to me, can you please go get me some?”

“I was not soooo mean to you, I was just being cautious. Also, how the hell am I gonna find a grocery store and pizza place open at one in the morning?”

Ririka stared at her blankly for a moment. “Remember when you threatened to punch me when we first met?”

“Yes, but what does that have to do–”

“Remember when I had to bail you out when Kirari was actually trying to be cordial with you and have a normal conversation that one time? Because she asked you what you were doing and you accidentally responded with ‘your sister’?” The blonde started sweating.

“Well, I wasn’t lying–”

“Saotome Mary, if you don’t get me pizza with french fries and cream cheese immediately, I will start screaming and I think neither of us want to deal with that right now.” Bright blue eerily stared down honey brown. Mary was already halfway out the door in the middle of her wife’s sentence.

“Of course, babe.”

“I thought so.” Mary shivered. Pregnant women were scary.

Ririka was seven months along and Mary had begun panicking as everything began setting in. Two more months and Megumi would arrive and their lives would change drastically. They had read every baby book on parenting they could get their hands on and had decorated the nursery with whites, yellows, and browns. They had been gifted clothes and everything baby related that you could think of. Kirari and Sayaka, always the eccentric ones, were responsible for the different toys surrounding the room. There were enough stuffed sharks and giraffes that Mary had begun seeing them in her dreams.

While there had been bumpy times throughout the pregnancy due to Ririka’s unstable hormones and insecurity, everything was going smoothly. Mary had been so focused on her wife and unborn child that she had neglected her own jumbled thoughts, brushing off her wife’s concerns, not wanting to stress her out.

Now, with fall at their doorstep, Mary was resting her head gently on her wife’s stomach, feeling small kicks pressed at her cheek and nose. She smiled while giggling softly, rubbing back at the area the baby kicked. Ririka smiled at her, book in hand.

Despite her current happiness, Mary couldn’t help but let her thoughts overwhelm her in that moment.

“... Do you think I’ll be a good Mom?” She had asked the question quietly and Ririka strained to hear her. Blue eyes widened once she registered the question, knitting her brows in confusion. She placed her book down on her side table and ran her fingers through blonde strands.

“Of course, Mary. Why would you think any differently?”

“It’s just… I guess to sum it up, I really don’t have the best personality.” Ririka stared at her in puzzlement. “Its just– Fuck! I don't know what I’m saying!” She threw her hands out in frustration, letting out a hot gush of air from her mouth, ruffling Ririka’s already messy bangs. “Normally, I’d refuse to admit it, but I’m too hard headed sometimes. I explode into anger and raise my voice too often and it’s really not the ideal ‘Mom’ thing to do, y’know?”

Ririka hummed, hands absentmindedly playing with the tips of Mary’s bangs. “Well, although others may have a different opinion, I believe your anger to be part of your charm.” Mary raised an eyebrow. “Your anger is rarely strictly violent in nature; it comes from your heart. If anything, I wouldn’t even label it as anger half of the time. Instead I’d call it passion. When you’re after something, your passion isn’t easily capped, so it’s hard to control because that's just who you are.” Ririka’s fingers traveled from Mary’s bangs to her freckles that were highlighted on tanned cheeks. She brushed across them softly. “I also believe that your temper has mellowed down quite a lot since we were kids, but I feel like you haven’t realized that. I can count on one hand the amount of times you blew a fuse because of Kirari in the past three years and that's saying something because… Well, she's Kirari.” Mary let out a light chuckle at that. “If you’re truly uneasy about your anger, then just rely on me. We balance each other out in many ways, if I do say myself. If you ever did– even though I believe you won’t– reach that point, trust me with de-escalating the situation. As you always say, we rely on each other even on our worst days. If our child is anything like us, they’ll love their beautiful Mama no matter what.”

Ririka let out a giggle at the end which caused Mary to let out a flustered sigh, cheeks turning red. “You’re embarrassing.” Ririka gave her a cheeky grin and tried to lean down to give her a kiss. Instead, her stomach got in the way, making her give a troubled gasp. Mary laughed and leaned up from her position to press their lips together. Ririka’s pout turned into a smile as she deepened the kiss giddily.

They pulled away and the older woman grinned at her wife. “I love you too.” Mary grumbled.

At eight months pregnant, Ririka was incredibly upset at the moment. Within the past few months, she had quietly kept her distance from her sister and soon-to-be sister-in-law for her own peace of mind. The couple had seemed to realize this and had respectfully kept their distance and resorted to sending gifts through mail or relying strictly on video calls and text messages, but even that was limited.

It had, at first, caused her an extreme amount of guilt. She knew that Kirari loved her and wanted to be in her life, but their past was still an incredibly delicate topic. The wounds that both the elders and Kirari had caused her were still fresh in her mind after so many years. A lot of her sister’s harm was not outright malicious, she knew that. It was primarily at the fault of the elder’s who had groomed her to become Momobami Kirari.

When they were teenager’s, her sister’s ‘affection’ and obsession with wanting a proper older sister had hurt her in many ways that Kirari had only realized once she left her little sister behind to deal with her issues alone. The mental and emotional abuse was something taught by the elder’s and Kirari had to understand that was not a proper way to force someone into the role of the ‘perfect big sister’ or into their ‘true’ self.

And she did learn how to maintain proper relationships and heal and Ririka was proud of her for that, but the past lingered in her currently emotionally-sensitive mind, causing her to pull away from her during the past few months.

Now, she was pissed off at everyone. She was heavily pregnant and had decided at the wrong time to ac tually let her sister and her fiancée stop by for a visit, deeming that she was mentally okay enough to have her sister finally visit for the first time since they had given them the pregnancy announcement. She was very, very wrong.

Kirari was always one to tease others, be it wickedly or playfully. She had also never really been around a heavily pregnant woman. Ririka, who was eating for two, was minding her business while Kirari made tea for all of them in the kitchen. Sayaka and Mary relaxed on the couch, debating about something that had to do with their occupations which Ririka paid no mind to.

Ririka may have eaten a whole cake during this, but hey, give her a break, the kid liked sweets. Kirari had steadily been watching each piece of the desert disappear with her smile growing more and more amused. It was when she opened her mouth that everything started going wrong.

“Wow, Ririka, are you eating for two or four.” She gave a playful giggle at the end, signaling that there was no evil intent whatsoever and when Ririka thought about it later, she definitely knew that she was overreacting. Unfortunately, the mind of a heavily pregnant woman is not the most sensible to reason with.

Ririka had looked at her sister for a moment with wide blue eyes and had abruptly burst into tears. Kirari’s face had comically dropped, mouth falling open with an ‘oh no I fucked up’ expression written on her face.

Mary and Sayaka had not heard the comment, but had heard her sobs. They had jumped up in alarm, reaching them in a few quick steps.

Mary, being the woman that she is, had seen her sister-in-law’s guilty expression and her sobbing wife and had immediately turned on Kirari, eyes blazing an angry amber.

“What the fuck did you do!” Sayaka had immediately stepped in between them as the blonde approached her fiancée with rage.

“I… Well it seems I’ve unfortunately said the incorrect thing. Apologies.” Kirari, for what it's worth, seemed genuinely sorry. There were really only two people in the world who got the woman to be sympathetic, and Ririka was one of them.

Mary’s fury was still brewing, a protectiveness over her wife and child washing over her. “What did you fucking say to her, asshole!” Kirari glared back at her, refusing to be spoken to in such a manner.

The brewing fight between her wife and sister had caused Ririka to become even more unstable, crys becoming louder within seconds. Sayaka stared at the arguing duo sharply, reaching for their ears, making them freeze and wince.

“Both of you, out, now !” She dragged them to the front door and promptly opened it and threw them out, slamming the door behind her. Kirari and Mary stared in stunned silence for a moment.

Mary gave a deep inhale and released it with an exhale before turning on her foot, walking in a certain direction. Kirari blinked and began following after her.

“Don’t fucking follow me.” Kirari continued strolling after her.

“I am simply a visitor to this neighborhood, meaning that I don’t know my surroundings all that well. It may make both my sister and my fiancée  even more upset if I get lost in the city, so I will just follow you around.” She said it simply, a calm smile on her face.

Mary huffed. “You aren’t going to listen to me, are you?” Kirari just continued smiling, making the blonde curse under her breath. She always did enjoy messing with her sister-in-law.

Sayaka let out deep breaths as she rested her head on the door she had just slammed close. As much as she loved her fiancée, even she would admit that the woman was a magnet for trouble sometimes.

She turned to her sister-in-law, putting on her ‘doctor Sayaka’ face and grabbed a few tissues before walking towards the sobbing woman.

She handed Ririka the tissues and began rubbing circles on her back in hopes to comfort her. Ririka just sniffed louder, burying her face into the tissues.

Sayaka sighed and turned back to the tea Kirari had just finished brewing. She quietly grabbed some mugs from the cabinet and poured two cups. She blew on the first cup gently, before turning back to Ririka, holding the mug in two hands carefully.

She placed it in front of the woman, making sure it wasn’t too hot for her to drink. “Here, Ririka-san. Have some of this.” Ririka nodded with lighter sobs as she took the mug and gave it a tiny sip.

After a moment, she made a face. “This is just flavored leaf water.” She said through sniffles. Sayaka sweatdropped.

“Blame your sister. No matter how hard I try, the woman is unteachable when it comes to the art of making tea. I pretend to like it just to make her feel better.” Ririka cracked a smile at that. Sayaka reached over and dropped some honey into each of their cups. “This should make it a little bearable.”

“Thank you, Sayaka.” Ririka looked past her towards the front door. “Where did you send those two?”

Sayaka shrugged. “I don’t know and it doesn’t matter. They’re big girls, they'll figure it out.” Ririka took another sip of her cup, using the mug to hide her smile. Sayaka had become feisty as she had gotten older and Ririka couldn't help but admit she was glad. The girl that followed her egotistical sister like a lost puppy had annoyed her quite a bit. This version of Sayaka that lightly bullied Kirari was definitely an upgrade.

“Sayaka, thank you.” Sayaka looked at her in confusion.

“You already thanked me, Ririka-san. There’s no reason to say it again.”

Ririka shook her head. “Not for that. I’m thanking you for taking care of and being there for Kirari when I couldn’t. A part of me firmly believes that it’s because of you and Mary that we are even on speaking terms currently. You were a big part of her growth and ended up being the stability that she needed. So, thank you for that.”

Sayaka stared at her with large eyes. “I– Ririka-san there’s– there’s no need to thank me. I love Kirari and despite our departure from each other for a few years, a part of me couldn’t let her suffer in solitude. But I also couldn’t let her take advantage or hurt me anymore. It was because of her willingness to change that had brought us together again and eventually back to you. I shouldn’t take all of the credit.”

Ririka shook her head. “You’ve always been modest, Sayaka, and you always give Kirari too much credit. You’re right, Kirari’s own growth is important and you are allowed to believe what you want, but I know it was you who truly inspired my sister to change. Your impact was immense and was one of the reasons I got my sister back. I appreciate you greatly.”

Sayaka blushed at the praise. “I– thank you, Ririka-san.”

The older woman smiled at her teasingly. “Stop with the ‘san’. Soon enough, we’ll be legally siblings so there’s no need for honorifics.”

“Of course, Ririka-sa– Ririka!” The blue eyed woman wiped at her eyes, the smile remaining on her face.

“I do have a question for you, Sayaka.” The dark haired woman looked at her questioningly. Ririka hesitated for a moment. “Has– has Kirari been upset at my distance? I know the two of you have noticed.”

Sayaka bit her lip before sighing. “... Yes, she has been, but she isn’t angry at you for it.” Ririka gave a sad sigh.

“I knew it. I apologize for any grief I’ve caused the two of you. I’ve just been… overprotective of the baby in a way. I’ve also been a coward. I seem to be unable to truly break away from the past and it has caused a strain in our relationship once again.” Sayaka shook her head abruptly.

“No, Ririka, you’re wrong. Kirari understands and respects your wishes. There’s nothing more that Kirari wants than to be close to you once again, and if that means respecting your boundaries, Kirari will wait until you’re ready to let her back in.”

“I see. Then I’m glad. I don’t know when it will be, but I do want Kirari back in my life sooner rather than later as both my sister and my child’s Aunt. Thank you both for understanding.”

Sayaka shook her head, a smile on her face. “Of course, Ririka.” She returned the smile.

“Now, let's hope those two don’t kill each other.”

“This place is quite… mundane. Why are we here?”

“First of all, you followed me here. Second, I’m grocery shopping because some people know how to be productive with their time. Actually, I would be even more productive if you stopped fucking following me while whinning about how bored you are.”

“Where is the fun in that?” Mary let out a loud, suffering sigh.

They entered the desert aisle, honey brown eyes roaming over the items, searching for what her wife might crave during the next week or so. “So, are you going to tell me what you said that made Ri’ cry?”

Kirari looked annoyed at the nickname, but answered her question. “I said something around the lines of ‘are you sure you’re eating for two or four’ due to the fact that she had single handedly finished a whole cake. Now that I think about it, it may not be the best thing to say to a pregnant woman.”

Mary couldn’t help but to let out a snort. “You think?” She let out a sigh. “I’m glad it wasn’t anything that bad. The true culprit was her pregnancy hormones most likely, so you get a pass… for now.” Mary turned and squinted at her menacingly, which just amused Kirari. Mary let out a long, grueling sigh as if she was mentally preparing for something. The older woman turned to her, giving her full attention out of interest.

“I’m sorry or whatever for immediately getting on your ass. It’s not an excuse, but with Ririka being eight months along my protectiveness is at an all time high. I know you probably wouldn’t actually say anything genuinely harmful to her, but we're both on edge right now.”

Kirari stared at her with surprise, her turquoise eyes widening. Her face relaxed and a small smile graced her face. “It’s alright. I should have expected both of your reactions, but I unfortunately did not realize the stress you both may be under currently, so I apologize as well.”

Now Mary was the one astounded at this turn of events, her head snapping back to stare at her sister-in-law. Ever since Kirari had become aware of Ririka and hers relationship, the two were forced to be cordial and not at each other’s throats lest their partner and sister would be upset with them. That did not mean they ever truly got along. Considering this, Mary never thought that either her nor Kirari would ever explicitly apologize to each other, no matter how minor the matter was.

Both Ririka and Sayaka would be delighted. Not that either of them would tell their wives due to their pride of course.

“... Whatever.” Mary mumbled, grabbing different flavors of cake and cheesecake frosting. “Alright. Now we need pickles, french fries, ice cream, and peppers.”

“... That is a terrible combination.”

“It’s honestly not the worst thing your sister has eaten all at once during these past months.” Kirari cringed. She honestly didn’t want to know. “Yeah, I know. Lucky you didn’t have to deal with it, huh?”

Kirari was quiet for a second. “If she had asked, I would’ve.” Mary paused and looked at her for a moment. Her mouth pressed into a thin line before sighing, hand rubbing through her bangs.

“She loves you, you know. No matter how much you fucking piss her off sometimes. She’s just… scared. All of this is unfamiliar to her. Hell, I’m fucking scared too but I try to hold it together because the last thing she needs to worry about is the person who’s supposed to support her through it all. Even then, I still had to confide in her when my own thoughts became too much.” She turned sharply down an aisle, reaching for the pickles standing neatly on the shelf. “But that way of thinking isn’t the best for either of us and we both know that. Communication between the two of us has always been important, and something like becoming parents isn’t going to stop that, if anything, it should strengthen it.” She walked to the produce section. “But what was I getting at… oh yeah. As her wife, I’ve been doing my best to support Ririka throughout all this. After all, it’s technically my fault she’s pregnant right now.” Kirari didn’t think too hard about that last sentence for her own mental stability. “But, she wants to rely on you too, Kirari. Sometimes our friends from high school, or our friends from college, or even I can’t give her the company and reassurance that she needs. Sometimes it has to be you. You’re her twin for god’s sakes. If there’s anyone she wants to rely on, it’s you. She’s just terrified of you or her turning out just like the elder’s and harming Megumi. And she wants to trust you– that you’ve changed since when you were kids and would never, ever be like those fuckers– but Megumi comes first. Just know that she wants you in both her life and Megumi’s and that isn’t going to change anytime soon.” She grabbed the peppers, tying it in a plastic bag and throwing it in her hand cart.

Kirari was quiet for another moment, continuing to follow the blonde to the freezer section. “I… see. Thank you for telling me, Mary. When she first told me she was pregnant, I seemed to have  similar thoughts to her as well. My mind had immediately gone to the elders and what they had done to us children. The only difference is that the thought of Ririka acting like the elders towards her child never once crossed my mind. If anything, I was concerned because I know my sister. I knew that she was frightened, but I didn’t know how to approach her about it considering our distance, but I see you’ve already got it covered, so thank you for being there for her.” Mary squatted, looking for a specific brand of frozen fries, knowing that Ririka would kill her if she got anything different.

“No need to thank me. I love my wife more than anything. Any good spouse is going to be there for their partner especially when they’re troubled.”

Kirari hummed. “Yes. And going back to the other thing you mentioned, let Ririka know that I am not upset at her for setting boundaries with me. If anything, I’m proud of her. I love my sister dearly and whenever she wants to let me back in, I’ll be ready.” Mary threw the fries into her cart before walking towards the end of the aisle, towards the ice cream.

“I’ll be sure to let her know.”

“Also… Megumi?”

Mary cursed. “Shit… It just slipped out. Don’t tell Ririka.”

Kirari’s lips curled. “Blessing, huh? I like it.” Mary just huffed.

“Good. You weren’t gonna have a say no matter your opinion.” The older woman gave a small laugh at her sister-in-law’s attitude.

“... I’m unsure if you knew already, but I’ve since approved of your relationship with her. I have since our gamble during the election.”

Mary’s head snapped towards her, startled. “For that long? I thought you fucking hated me this whole time?”

Kirari raised an elegant eyebrow. “And did you not hate me?”

“... Touché.” The tanned woman sighed. “Also, I did not need your approval, assshole.”

Kirari practically giggled. “I knew you would say that, Nee-san .”

Mary shivered. “Never call me that again.” The older woman let out another laugh at her expense.

In the middle of November, three weeks until Ririka’s due date, Kirari and Sayaka were set to head back to Japan the next morning in order to give the soon-to-be parent more space to be alone with the baby once they were born.

It was night and Mary and Sayaka had run out for some hot chocolate, both Saotome's wanting something warm due to the first snow of the season finally arriving. Sayaka had just gone for the ride, leaving the twins alone for the time being.

They were both curled up under a blanket on the couch, sitting on opposite ends while watching a stupid cartoon movie about a lost fish. Neither would admit it, but they actually found themselves distracted by the movie.

There hasn’t been anything more than small talk, which both preferred. Kirari absentmindedly sipped her tea while steadily getting annoyed at the movie, the fish with amnesia getting on her nerves.

Ririka shifted off the couch, heading to the bathroom and Kirari just glanced at her before turning back to the television.

After Ririka was gone for five minutes it struck her as odd, but it wasn’t concerning. Ten minutes later, Kirari gently placed down her now-empty tea cup and stood from the couch, neatly folding the blanket they were using. She stepped quietly down the hallway, searching for her sister. The bathroom door was closed, but the light was still on.

She knocked on the door. “Ririka? Are you alright?” No answer. Now, Kirari was concerned. “I’m coming in, alright?” She opened the door and noticed that it wasn’t locked.

The scene inside wasn’t alarming. Ririka was gripping onto the sink, head faced down towards the faucet. Her bangs were covering her eyes and the younger twin noticed that her sister’s face was pulled into a frown. “Ririka…?”

Identical blue eyes looked up and met her. Kirari felt her heart drop, her pupils dilating in fear. Ririka was sweating, a look of pure terror in her eyes. “Ki–Kirari, we have– hospital, now !”

The younger twin was not prepared for this. This was Saotome Mary’s job, not her’s. She had no idea what the two had planned for when this eventually happened. Kirari was not supposed to be the only one with Ririka. She wasn’t supposed to be with Ririka when it finally happened in the first place. Luckily, she was raised to rise above stressful situations. She took a breath.

“Alright, what do you need? Have either you or Mary packed a bag in preparation.” Ririka was breathing steadily, vocally taking loud breaths as her face scrunched in pain.

“Yes. Our closet. It should be on the floor.” Kirari nodded. She reached for Ririka and grasped her forearm. Ririka leaned into her, head falling onto her sister’s shoulder as she grunted in pain. Kirari led her down the hall and to the front door. She grabbed a chair from the kitchen area and brought it next to the front door, carefully placing her sister on it. Ririka let out a loud exhale as she sat on the flat surface. “Kirari, please we have to go.” Kirari nodded and walked steadily back down the hall and to the main bedroom. She ripped open the closet and saw a green bag sitting on the ground that looked different from the others. She grabbed it and made her way back to Ririka who had put on a pair of slippers which didn’t take a lot of effort to put on. They were both wearing oversized sweaters and pajama pants, but that was the least of their worries.

“Alright, let's get going.”

Kirari cursed as both Mary and Sayaka’s phone went to voicemail once again. The snow was falling heavily, causing Kirari to drive slowly which upset Ririka who was practically in tears in her passenger seat. What made it worse was that Kirari had never been to this hospital, nor had she ever driven in this town before. Hell, she was using Ririka’s license due to her not having her own, which was illegal of course, but she’s done much worse in the eye’s of the law.

She had managed to wrestle the directions from Ririka’s mouth and call the hospital in preparation for Rirka’s delivery, but neither of their partner’s had yet to pick up the phone. Calling Mary once more, she let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m going to kill them.” Ririka just shook her head at her, eyes shut in pain.

“Leave it, Kirari. Focus on getting me to the fucking hospital.” Kirari let out a nervous laugh at her sister’s tone of voice. The overwhelming amount of pain in Ririka’s voice was chilling and the younger of the two wisely chose to shut her mouth and drive.

They had cut five minutes from their fifteen minute drive by illegal means, but it didn’t matter at the moment. A group of nurses were waiting for them, wheelchair ready and Kirari let out a sigh of relief.

She and another nurse helped Ririka out of the car, the poor woman screaming at the movements. They raced her to the delivery room, Kirari following behind them. She dialed Mary once again, a slight desperation crawling into her mind. She did not want her sister giving birth alone. The line went through.

“Hello?”

“Saotome Mary, get to the hospital this instant, your wife is in labor.” She heard a choking sound in the background, which she presumed was the younger woman choking on her hot chocolate. She sighed. The coughing continued and she heard the phone shift. Sayaka’s voice suddenly appeared.

“Kirari? What is it? Why is Mary choking?”

“Ririka’s in labor. You both need to get here immediately. Tell Saotome if she misses my niece’s birth I’ll make my teenage self look like an angel.”

“Oh. Oh . Alright. There seems to be many accidents on the highway due to the heavy snow. The GPS predicts our arrival in about thirty minutes, but I’ll try to cut it to twenty. Tell Ririka not to worry, alright?”

“Alright. Get here soon, but be careful.” She hung up the phone and gave her attention to a doctor that suddenly appeared in front of her.

“Hello, are you perhaps Kirari?” The woman nodded. “Okay, good. It seems that her wife has not arrived yet and the baby wants out. We need you to be with her, she personally requested you in the room.”

Kirari’s eyes widened before she cooled her expression. “Alright. If Ririka wants me there, then I will not say no. Lead the way.” The doctor nodded and handed her scrubs.

“Put these on quickly. When you walk into the room, stay by her side and don’t get in the way of the nurses and doctors. All you need to do is be there and hold her hand, alright?”

Kirari nodded. “Alright.”

And that's how Kirari found herself at the left side of Ririka’s hospital bed. Her older sister was screaming, tears falling out of the side of her eyes, each contraction ripping through her. The younger of the two was sitting in a chair next to her, clasping her hand. The process had not started yet which caused the pregnant woman further anger. “Get. Them. Out !” The doctor nodded at her.

“Of course, Mrs. Saotome. We are just waiting for your cervix to finish dilating so we can begin. We are also hoping to stall in order for your wife to arrive.”

Ririka, if she was in the right mind, would have agreed with them. Instead, she yelled out, “ Fuck, Mary ! Get this baby out of me right now!” Kirari kept her cackle to herself, knowing that it’s not the time. The doctor looked at her patient with sympathy.

“I know it hurts, but please bear with us. Your body has to prepare itself for birth.”

Another contraction ripped through her and she screamed, clutching her sister’s hand like a lifeline. Kirari held her hand back, letting her hand be strangled. She leaned over and brushed back her sister’s sweaty bangs. She kissed her forehead gently, intertwining their fingers as tears continued leaking out of Ririka’s eyes. “It’s okay, Nee-san. Soon enough your wife and child will be here. It will be over soon.” Ririka bit her lip, holding in another scream and nodded her head. She let out a shaky breath before opening bright blue eyes and looking her sister in the eyes.

She let out a shaky whisper. “Kirari, I’m scared.” The younger woman’s eyes softened.

“There’s no need to be afraid. The doctors know what they’re doing and soon enough both Mary and I will be here to support you. You’re surrounded by people that love you, so don’t be fearful, alright?” Ririka let out another shaky breath while nodding.

At that moment, Saotome Mary burst through the door like a bat out of hell. Only half of her scrubs were on and she was in the process of putting her feet ones on as she rushed to Ririka’s unoccupied side. Kirari hadn't even realized that it had almost already been thirty minutes.

“I’m here, Ririka! Sorry for taking so long.” There seemed to only be one chair in the room so Mary fell to her knees and propped herself up on Ririka’s bed with her elbows instead. She gripped Ririka’s free hand with both hands, sweating dripping down her face.

Ririka turned her attention to her wife, giving her a pained smile which Mary returned. “It’s alright, you didn’t miss much.” Another contraction ran through her, making her let out a silent scream. Mary looked at her with worry. The doctor checked her over once again.

“Alright, we should be able to start within a few minutes. Are all three of you ready?” Each of them looked up. Rirka gave a tired nod while Mary had a look of fear on her face. Despite this, she gave the doctor a shaky nod.

Kirari spoke up. “Yes. I’ll take my leave now that Mary has arrived.” She rose from the chair, hand slipping out of her sister’s.

Ririka snapped her head towards her sister in alarm. “Stay, please.”

Kirari’s eyes widened once more. “But–”

“Listen to my wife, Kirari. If she wants you to stay, then you’re staying.” Mary gave her a stern look, not allowing further resistance. The younger twin gave her own look before nodding and returning to her seat.

“Alright.” She grasped her sister’s hand once more. Ririka gave her a teary smile which made Kirari’s heart clench. “Alright?” She whispered. Her older sister nodded, gripping her hand tighter.

“Let’s begin.” The doctor announced, surgical glasses put into place. All three took a deep breath.

“Saotome Mary, I’m going to fucking kill you when this baby’s out of me!” The blonde winced while her sister-in-law just laughed. Normally, Kirari would be invading the doctor’s space out of curiosity, wanting to personally see how childbirth would work, but she can determine that neither her sister nor her sister-in-law would take that very kindly. Also, she had much more important matters to attend to, which was being at Ririka’s side.

Kirari had since abandoned her chair, joining Mary on the floor with her knees planted on the marble and legs gracefully resting behind her. Like this, she could get a better grip on Ririka’s sweaty palms while also cracking jokes at Mary’s expense. For once, Mary didn’t seem to mind her sister-in-law’s teasing as it seemed to lessen her stress somewhat.

With each pained scream, Mary would lean over, rising from her kneeling position to plant kisses along Ririka’s face and with each profanity aimed at her, Mary would grin and bear it, rubbing soothing circles and patterns along Ririka’s upper body. “Ri’, you’re doing so well. They’re almost here.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Kirari giggled while Mary gave her own sigh and kissed her wife’s knuckles. After two hours, not much had changed and Ririka’s patience was being spread thin with both Kirari and Mary’s hands being tuned to mush from the pregnant woman’s strength.

Abruptly, the doctor spoke up. “We can see the head, keep pushing!”

“Do I have to?!”

“Yes!”

Mary leaned towards her wife, pushing white strands behind her ear. “A few more pushes and you’re done.” She kissed the shell of her ear and Ririka whined, pushing.

Thirty minutes later a cry broke out throughout the delivery room and Ririka’s own tears followed along with one finally exhale of pain and relief. The doctor gave a loud, overjoyed chuckle. “It’s a girl!”

The baby cried in the doctor’s arms, bright red and squirming. The doctor walked around to Ririka and Mary and Kirari backed away, giving her room. She gently placed the squirming baby on Ririka’s chest and the new Mother did not hesitate to gently hold the child’s back and neck, pressing their cheeks together. Mary, who was watching the scene, burst into tears.

“Mary, she’s so soft .” She became engrossed in her newborn, refusing to peel her tired eyes away from her. Mary leaned back down, placing her own hand on top of Ririka’s kissing the child’s head softly and then Ririka’s. “You did so good. God, I love you. You did amazing…!” She kept repeating praises through her sobs, kissing both her child and wife wherever she could reach. Kirari watched her niece take her first breaths, small body moving in a rhythmic pattern as her parents held her. She couldn’t believe that she was in this position, but here she was, an Aunt who had just watched her twin give birth. Seventeen year old Kirari would’ve never expected this and neither would her twenty three year old self.

She smiled down at her sister who looked up from the baby and returned it. Tears continued to flow from her eyes. Kirari reached forward to wipe them silently. “Good job, Nee-san.”

Both Mary and Kirari had been ushered out of the room sometime later to fully clean up both Mother and child as well as to help her with breastfeeding. Sayaka waited for them in the lobby outside. She had seen them approach and had immediately stood up, expectation on her face.

Both the new Mother and Aunt smiled at her which made Sayaka give a happy grin. “It’s a girl.” Mary confirmed for her.

“I knew it. Kirari bet that it was going to be a boy.” Mary raised a tired eyebrow.

“You guys bet on the sex of our baby?” The couple paused, but Mary just laughed at them after a moment.

“It’s fine. So did we. Ririka won if you wanted to know.”

Sayaka gave a chuckle. “Of course she did.” She then reached for the bag that sat next to her. “Do either of you need a change of clothes? I checked and there were some in here.” Kirari glanced at her pajamas and Mary shifted awkwardly, finally noticing how her sweat made her clothes cling to her body.

She glanced at Kirari. “Yes please. I should have clothes packed for me and Ririka so if you want to wear hers, it's fine. I plan to run back to the house once everything settles down and pack a better bag anyway.” The older woman nodded, taking her up on the offer.

Kirari was wearing one of Ririka’s oversized sweaters and cargo pants while Mary was wearing her own hoodie and jeans. Sayaka had tried to get both of them to take a nap after the excitement of the day, but both women remained wide awake.

“I’m glad you were with her.” Mary started, stress lines showing under her eyes. “The bakery we went to had no service, so that's why you couldn’t reach us. If you weren’t there, it could’ ve been really bad, so thanks.”

Kirari nodded. “You’re lucky you made it on time. Both my sister and I were writing your will while we were waiting for you.” She said bluntly. Mary shivered, knowing that there was probably more truth in that ‘joke’ than she’d want to know.

“Yeah. It’s thanks to Sayaka, honestly. I was freaking out and she managed to stay calm and collected. I guess dealing with you for all these years prepared her for things like this, huh?” She joked. Kirari made a face, but her fiancée simply gave a laugh.

“Yes, that's probably the case.”

Mary was about to continue the conversation, but a nurse walked into the lobby, asking for her, which made her sit up straight.

“Mrs. Saotome? You’re able to see your wife and child if you’re ready.” The tanned woman nodded at the nurse, sweat dripping down her face due to nerves.

She turned to Kirari. “You coming?”

Kirari shook her head, staying in place. “Not this time. Be alone with your wife and child for a while. I’ll meet her when Ririka’s ready.” She gave her sister-in-law a grin and Mary returned it, a sense of comfort occurring between them. Sayaka watched silently with her own smile.

Mary left and Kirari was alone with her fiancée. She turned to the dark haired women, curiosity in her eyes. “What if we had a baby?” Sayaka, who was very used to Kirari’s arbitrary questions, just stared at her blankly, unamused. “What’s that look for?”

“Absolutely not. I’m not raising you again.”

Kirari gave an offended gasp while Sayaka just shook her head, laughing at her dramatic lover.

Mary stood outside Ririka’s hospital door for a moment, collecting herself. She took a deep breath before twisting the handle.

The scene inside caused her to burst straight into tears once again.

Ririka was propped up on some pillows. Her hair was messy with her bangs still drying from sweat. Her skin was flushed, and she was beaming down at the bundle in her arms with pure love. She was glowing in a way Mary had never seen before and she had always known that her wife was beautiful, but this… This really sealed the deal that Ririka was the most beautiful woman in the world to the point her own identical twin couldn’t compare in her eyes.

Ririka seemed to have heard her sobs and looked up, eyes curling in joy as she raised her hand in fatigue, beckoning her over. “Come meet your daughter, Mary.”

The younger woman sniffled and made her way over, taking a seat to Ririka’s left. She looked down at the bundle and she was greeted with a flushed face. There was a small white cap on her head, so they couldn’t tell if she had hair yet or not. Her face was relaxed in comparison to her previous crying and squirming. “God, Ririka, she’s beautiful.”

Ririka nodded in agreement. She gently lifted her finger to the infant’s nose and brushed it. The baby’s face scrunched before relaxing once more. “She has your nose.” Ririka whispered, giving Mary an overjoyed smile. Her wife just cried harder, nodding. Ririka moved her hand from Megumi’s face to Mary’s cupping her freckled cheek gently. “When did Saotome Mary become such a crybaby?” She giggled.

Mary just leaned into her hand, pressing kisses to her wrist. She moved from her wrist to her fingers before leaning up from her seat. She pressed kisses to the crown of her wife’s head and then to her cheek and finally her lips. She then turned her attention to the infant and oh so gently pressed a kiss to her forehead, afraid she may break. “You did amazing, Ririka. I love you both so much.” Ririka just gave her a watery smile.

At that moment, the baby seemed to take an exaggerated breath, catching her parent’s attention. She yawned and her eyelids twitched until she slowly opened her big blue eyes, blinking up at her Mothers. The couple smiled. “... And it seems that she has your eyes.” The older woman just gave a breathy laugh.

“Yes, it seems so.”

Kirari had tried to leave earlier in order to give the new parents some privacy, but Ririka had asked for her and Sayaka to visit, halting her plans.

When Kirari had walked through that door, she was immediately blown away at the look on her sister’s face. If she had any doubts about Ririka’s future as a Mother, they had all vanished at that moment. There was so much love and relief on her face that the younger twin almost wanted to look away.

She stiffly stood at her sister’s side, looking down at the sleeping bundle. She did not know what to do in this situation and both Sayaka and Mary seemed to watch in amusement, very aware of this. Ririka looked as if she could tell as well, so she shifted, moving up in a proper sitting position with a slight grunt. The three other adults in the room moved to help her, but she shooed them away.

“Come here, ‘Rari.”

Kirari blinked, before giving a slow nod and sitting in the visitor chair, scooting closer. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Nee-san?”

Ririka just smiled at her. “Yes, it’s fine. I want you to hold her.”

Kirari remained stiff as Ririka leaned towards her, bundle in her arms. She was so focused on her sister’s movements that she didn’t realize Mary placed a hand on her shoulder, urging her to relax. She looked back at her and she didn’t see any animosity in her honey brown eyes. Both Ririka and Mary were looking at her with trust and Kirari let out a shaky breath and held out her arms, letting the infant be placed in her arms.

She looked down and a blue identical to her own stared back. The only difference was the girl’s eye shape as well as the hint of gold around her pupil. White lashes blinked at her in interest and Kirari gave her an awkward smile as her sister-in-law gently guided her hand to the back of her head.

“... She kind of looks like a raisin.” Sayaka let out a loud sigh, but Mary and Ririka just laughed, too overjoyed to care.

“That’s just how newborn babies look. Give her a few days.” Sayaka lectured. Kirari just smiled and nodded.

She glanced down at the strands of white peeking out of Megumi’s little cap, most likely shifting from the movement of being held by different people. “Oh, thank goodness.”

"What is it?" Her sister looked at her in alarm. Sayaka narrowed her eyes at her fiancée in warning, knowing that she plans to be a little shit. 

Kirari's grin practically split her face. "Oh nothing. Just grateful she obviously looks more like us. Although I guess that was to be expected due to our dominant genes." She let out a cheeky laugh after finishing her sentence.

She could practically hear Mary's eye twitching from behind her and she couldn't help but give her credit for not immediately saying something other than a muttered word under her breath. 

With the touching moment being ruined, Ririka could only let out a sigh. She reached over to her little sister and pulled at her ear, making the younger woman jump.

"Ow, okay, apologies, apologies. I am currently holding a baby. Please stop, Nee-san." Ririka did, in fact, stop, huffing while taking her daughter from her sister. Kirari let out a relieved breath until Sayaka came from behind her and grabbed her other ear out of annoyance.

The three other women laughed at her winces of pain and Kirari wouldn’t have it any other way.

A week later, Kirari and Sayaka were back in Japan, leaving the couple to bond with the newborn. They had another week until Mary’s parents visited as well, which gave Ririka time to rest.

Or try to rest as the woman couldn’t keep off her feet for longer than a few minutes despite Mary continuously scolding her. The paler woman would just pout at her before begrudgingly accepting the request for a total of fifteen minutes.

This combined with the fact that Ririka hasn’t been sleeping well caused Mary to worry. Lack of sleep wasn’t uncommon for new parents, but usually it was caused by their infant crying. Megumi was already proving to be a very quiet child, only crying for her basic necessities so far, which allowed the couple to sleep most nights so far. Despite this, Ririka was up each night for reasons unknown to Mary.

It was towards the end of the week in which the blonde had woken up to the sound of crying when she realized why. The crying had come from the nursery and she already knew that Ririka was already in the nursery in spite of Mary urging her to wake her up when Megumi cried so Ririka could rest, still healing from the birth.

She got up and Bella followed behind her, tail wagging in a lazy motion as she followed her owner.

She stopped at the opening of the room, staring silently at her wife’s back. Megumi was silently asleep once again. Ririka just watched her breath, rubbing small circles on the infant's back, barely gracing her skin in fear that she may hurt her.

Her hair shone due to the moonlight and Mary was mystified when her wife turned to face her, dark bags under her eyes. She took a few more steps into the room and Bella laid down at the entrance of the doorway, ready to go back to sleep.

She stood next to her wife in front of the crib, staring down at her daughter tenderly. “ Mi amor , why do you refuse to go to sleep?”

Ririka raised an amused, but tired eyebrow which had Mary wiggling her eyebrows. She let out a quiet chuckle at her wife’s actions before looking back down at the sleeping infant.

“I feel that if I look away, both you and her will be gone. That all of this was just some messed up dream and I’ll wake up to my mask staring back at me.” She admitted, grief distinct in her tone.

Mary cupped her cheek and turned her to face her. Her thumb brushed against her fading freckles across her cheekbones. Instead of saying anything, the younger woman stood on her tippie toes and kissed her. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to convey all of her love for her wife into that one action.

Ririka kissed her back passionately, a single tear dropping from her eye. Mary pulled back, but kept their foreheads pressed together. “You don’t have to worry about anything like that anymore, Ririka. Neither of us are going anywhere, I promise.” She wrapped her arms around her wife’s neck, fingers playing with the ends of her hair. She pulled Ririka into a kiss once more and slender fingers danced along the skin of her waist that was showing due to her shirt riding up.

Mary moved from her lips to her jawline and finally to her neck. Ririka hummed at this before pulling away. “Mary… The doctor said we have to wait three months before that.”

The blonde tilted her head in confusion before turning a bright red. “I wasn’t hinting at that, pervert!” The white haired woman let out an ‘oh’ before giving her an embarrassed smile.

Suddenly a whine broke through the room and the couple turned down to the crip. Megumi was once again awake, but wasn’t crying. She was pouting at them seemingly for interrupting her sleep.

Her light eyebrows were frowned and her eyes were narrowed with an adorable turn of her lips. All Ririka could see was a little Saotome Mary in that moment.

“Oh no…”

“What is it?”

“She has your eyes.”

Mary looked at her in confusion. “But her eyes are blue?” Ririka just giggled to herself. “Ririka… What do you mean… Ririka?”