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Harumi paused outside the bedroom door, leaning closer so she could listen to the voices coming from inside.
“One day, the beautiful mermaid found a handsome pirate captain lost alone at sea - Yunie, don’t chew the book, darling. The handsome pirate captain called out to the beautiful mermaid, for she was abandoned and afraid, lonely and separated from her ship.”
Harumi closed her eyes, listening to the gentle tones of her mother’s voice as she read to the toddler. She had often read to Harumi like this when she was the baby and both the voice and the story were familiar, still providing the same comfort they always had done. Nonetheless, there was a spark of jealousy in the back of her mind as Harumi realised her days of being the focus of her parents attention were well and truly over.
That said, it was difficult to care too much when her baby sister had brought her as much joy as she did responsibility.
“Papa!” Yuna shouted.
“No, my sweet. That’s not your Papa. That’s the handsome pirate captain.”
“PAPA.”
Harumi giggled. It was more than just coincidence that her mother’s first illustrated book featured an elegant, aqua-haired mermaid and a charming, boyish pirate, though it had taken her a good few years longer than it had taken Yuna to realise this.
“Harumi, is that you?”
Caught.
“Nope!” she replied, sticking a hand through the small gap between door and frame and waving at Yuna, “I’m the evil sea monster, come to kidnap the beautiful mermaid and her adorable baby daughter!”
Harumi darted into the room, crawling along the floor and peering up over the bed, Yuna’s excitable gurgling and the amused tutting of her mother driving her on.
“May I remind the sea monster that it is almost time for bed?” Michiru asked, resting a tilted head on one hand.
“Sea monsters don’t have bedtimes. Besides, you’re in no position to be giving commands, wretched mermaid!” Harumi pulled herself up onto the bed and dived at Michiru, who yelped in mock outrage.
“Fiend! How dare you think yourself worthy of my presence! I shall have you banished from all seven seas if you do not repent this instant!”
“How dare thee even speak to the mightiest creature that rules the oceans! Now, as punishment for your crimes, I will steal your tiny human child!” Harumi leaned over and pulled a clapping Yuna into her lap. In their laughter, the sounds of footsteps ascending the stairs entirely escaped the notice of all of them.
“Woah, woah, woah, what am I missing?” Haruka poked her head in the room and frowned. Harumi was sprawled across her mother who, somehow, had still remained pristine as ever despite being “attacked” by a monster-esque eight year old. Yuna was half tucked into the bed, beaming and clapping her hands at the charade.
“Are you guys…” Haruka’s lip mock-wobbled, wiping a non-existent tear from her eye, “Are you guys playing without me?”
“Oh look! It is my handsome pirate captain, a mere mortal come to slay the beast of the oceans!” Michiru winked at Haruka as Harumi sat bolt upright.
“You’re no match for me, pirate!” she yelled, jumping onto Haruka, who buckled slightly under the sudden weight and fell to the floor.
“Jesus, Haru, you’re getting heavy -uh, I mean, you cannot be telling me that my beautiful mermaid princess has failed to slay a weak and puny beast such as yourself! Why, I have known my mermaid to kill three times as many monsters in an instant!”
“Oh,” Michiru replied, eyes sparkling, “Well. Perhaps the beautiful mermaid was waiting for her gallant pirate captain to do some of the work for once.”
“But of course! I take down sea monsters like this one every day before breakfast!” Haruka announced, pinning Harumi to the floor and tickling her. She squealed and kicked her legs, accidentally kneeing Haruka in the stomach.
“Careful, you two!” Michiru said, breaking role for a second, as Haruka rolled onto her back, half-winded.
“I’ve…I’ve been defeated…Michiru…..go on without me….” Haruka reached a hand out towards her wife, before letting it dramatically fall to the floor.
“Hmmm….I think I know a way to ensnare the evil sea monster and return her to her cave,” Michiru said.
“Oh, really? And what would that be, oh puny mermaid?”
“A little trick I have up my sleeve that goes by the name of Bedtime.”
“Ohhh, but Mum!”
“Michiruuuuu!” Haruka sprang up, joining Harumi’s pouting face at the foot of the bed.
“The mermaid and her sea captain have some important business to attend to. And even sea monsters need their sleep,” she said, pushing herself up off the bed and brushing down the non-existent crumples in her dress.
“Fine,” Harumi groaned, “but this isn’t over.”
“Oh, I never said it was, dear,” Michiru smiled, pulling up the sheets for Harumi to climb in. The girl did so reluctantly, but she could feel sleep on the horizon as her head hit the pillow. Michiru tucked her in tight, and Harumi could hear the sounds of her papa doing the same for Yuna in the cot opposite.
“I love you, my little sea monster,” Michiru whispered, kissing Harumi’s forehead and letting one hand rest on her cheek for a moment.
“I love you too, Mum.”
As Harumi drifted off with thoughts of mermaids and pirates dancing in her mind, she had no idea that she would never again hear her mother’s voice recite that story, or her laughter as she watched her wife and daughter play fight. She had no idea that she would never again feel the softness of those lips upon her forehead, or the comfort of her mother’s deft hands tucking the sheets in around her, safe and sound. She had no idea that their game would never continue, that this would be the last time she would ever, could ever, play pretend.
And the memory would burn and sooth her mind in equal measure.