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“How is she holding up? Did the doctor find anything wrong?”
“No, no, everything is normal! We weren’t sure how her body would take to childbirth but it seems she pulled through. And your baby is in perfect health, you are very lucky.”
“May I see her?”
“Of course, but be quiet. She just got the baby to sleep.”
Taion gently pushed the door open to one of the maternity ward’s rooms, the doctor pushing aside the curtain to reveal…Eunie.
She seemed exhausted, her wings drooping slightly and the shadows under her eyes slightly darker, but she was happy. She was holding a bundle in her arms, the look in her eyes so happy and her smile so bright as she gently rocked it. Taion knew what was inside the bundle, but even still he felt nervous as he silently approached. Eunie looked up from the bundle, her eyes meeting his as she gently beckoned him forward.
“I was wondering when you’d finally show up to meet your daughter.” She teased, Taion laughing as he knelt next to her, utterly amazed by the baby she held in her arms. Their baby. Her expression was calm as she slept soundly in her mother’s arms, rocking to sleep gently.
“The doctor wouldn’t let me in until they were certain you and the baby were up for company.” Taion whispered, gazing at the baby with such wonder as Eunie giggled.
“She’s a strong girl, just like her mother. I knew she’d pull through.” She said, Taion smiling as he cupped his hand against Eunie’s while she held the baby.
“She’s remarkable. Just like you.” He breathed, Eunie sighing happily as she leaned into Taion, his arm wrapping her and their baby as gently as he could.
“I think she’ll be as amazing as her daddy when she grows up.” She looked toward Taion with a smile.
“If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up.”
“I concur.”
Taion leaned in towards her, Eunie smiling as she closed her eyes and felt his lips press against hers. His mouth felt warm, his presence was comforting. He breathed her name against her lips before kissing her once more. This was perfect, he was perfect, he was…
Not there.
Eunie’s eyes opened slowly only to be met with darkness. It must still be nighttime over the colony, though it only served to make Eunie feel even more pained that her dream wasn’t real. It was a dream she had so desperately craved, the chance to have a family, a spouse. It was just her luck that the one she wanted that future with wasn’t with her anymore. It was soul-crushing, the thought of him being so far away.
Eunie reached over to her bedside and pulled out a small leather-bound book from under a few scattered papers. It had been a gift from Taion while they were saying goodbye, before their worlds had drifted apart once again, the endless now having finally concluded. The book itself held a variety of tea recipes that had been written in by Taion. All of the recipes and guides to collect the ingredients had been carefully described and neatly scripted onto the pages. Eunie hadn’t been a huge fan of tea until that night when Taion had offered her a cup to calm her down. It was the first time she felt she really saw the true him, beneath the expressionless mask he wore. It was a fond memory, even if it hurt to remember.
Eunie picked up the book and quietly slipped out of her bed in the tent she shared with Noah and Lanz. There was a canteen somewhere nearby, she was sure of it. All she needed was hot water to make the tea. She carefully picked up a small metal tin and slipped out of the tent and ran as quietly as she could to the canteen. There wasn’t anyone patrolling that she could see but she didn’t want to accidentally wake up the entire colony either.
The kitchen at the canteen had been left empty but also unlocked, allowing Eunie to slip in and turn the lights on, the sudden brightness temporarily blinding her. Once her vision had cleared, she carefully set the book down next to a stove as she filled a kettle with water to heat up. She leaned over the book to make sure she was reading the steps right, though the recipe had been drilled into her mind with how many times she had read through it. She traced her fingers over the ink of Taion’s writing, imagining him writing in this book while he sat by a fire, his brows scrunched in concentration while the rest of their party was asleep. It brought her a slight laugh as the kettle began to whistle. She quickly pulled it away from the stove, following the precise instructions within the small book until the aroma of the tea filled her nostrils.
It was a comforting smell, reminding her strongly of Taion as she blew on the tea to cool it down. She sipped the tea slowly while looking towards the horizon, a small smile on her face.
Taion sighed as he sipped upon his tea, his eyes gazing up towards the horizon as he thought back on his dream. It had all felt so real, the maternity ward, Eunie’s warm smile as she held their baby, the kiss the two had shared before he awoke. It pained him immensely to wake up again after he finally felt like he had achieved real happiness. He laughed, wondering how in the short period he had known her that she had impacted him so. He missed her greatly, the only comfort being the tea he now held, the same recipe that he had made to calm her tremors in her hands that night.
A part of him wished that he could go back to that night. They were still under the threat of Moebius and Z, but at least she was there with him. Their reward for saving the world was to be torn apart felt almost bittersweet. He wondered if she was doing the same thing as him now, thinking of him in her own world. He dearly hoped so, he hoped that she was missing him as much as he was missing her. She was with Noah and Lanz, so she wasn’t alone. He wasn’t alone either, but he still missed her presence nonetheless. He could only hope that one day he could see her again, not in his dreams but through his eyes. That was the wish he yearned to be granted now most of all, and he swore he’d do anything to make it happen. He had his whole life ahead of him to find her, he just needed to be patient.