"Maman! Maman!" Called a sweet little voice from the stone courtyard. A small girl rounded the large fountain in the center and finally spotted her mother standing just off the stone floor. Her hazel eyes danced as she watched the wind play with the silvery tresses of her mother's hair. She ran into her mother's outstretched arms and the two settled under a nearby shade tree.
"Cordelia." Victorique lovingly patted her child's head. The girl snuggled closer to her mother and was nearly lost in the massive amounts of silver hair.
Her own blonde was striking intermingled with her mother's silver.
"Maman, where did you go?" Cordelia asked nuzzling the lace of her mother's dress.
"I just needed to get some fresh air my Delia." Victorique smiled and kissed her precious daughter on the forehead.
Victorique held her daughter close as her breathing slowed. Soon soft sounds of sleep could be heard all around. Victorique rocked her daughter gently as she slept, thinking back on the major events of the past few years.
When Kujo had returned from war Victorique could finally breath again. In the first few months she was afraid that the Kujo she knew didn't exist anymore in the body of the man she saw before her. As time passed she found him to be the exact same Idiot she had fallen in love with.
How did he propose? Read: The Springtime Reaper Proposes to the Golden Fairy
They were married by the sea and spent two months there on holiday. Kujo had always promised that he would take her to see the ocean again, just the two of them. They spent every day on the beach, relaxing and playing in the crystal clear ocean waters. Victorique's face flushed red as she remembered how every night had been spent. Even now the kisses he stole in the early morning light made her heart race like she had never been kissed before.
A few months after they returned from the shore Victorique began to experience severe bouts of sickness in the mornings. Not wanting to worry Kujo she tired to keep her sickness a secret from him. The doctor ran several tests and Victorique waited for the results for days. She'll never forget the day the doctor called. She had been out for a walk in the garden to get some fresh air when she heard the telephone ring. From the window she heard Kujo answer.
"Yes, Kujo residence. Oh, Doctor, why-" There was a pause and Victorique's heart sank. She made a dash for the back door and ran for the door to the parlor. She stopped just outside and listened.
"Thank you. Thank you for telling me." Kujo had then hung up the phone. The tone of his voice was indescribable to Victorique. She couldn't determine if he was sad, mad, happy or bewildered. She slid around the door to chance a glance at his face and screamed in alarm. He slid the door the rest of the way open and threw his arms around her, pulling her close.
"What did he say?" Victorique asked. She was prepared for the absolute worst possibility, that whatever was causing her sickness was terminal. When she felt her shoulder become damp from Kujo's tears her heart plummeted. When he began to laugh and picked her up from the floor she thought that he might have gone temporarily insane. When he started to pepper kisses across her cheek and down her jaw she pushed his face away rather forcefully and stared him straight in the eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me you went to see the doctor? How long have you been keeping your morning sickness from me?" He asked, a smile on his lips even though he was trying to sound stern.
"What did he say?" Victorique demanded. She didn't know what to gather from his bizarre actions.
"Congratulations." Kujo's smile grew even bigger and he hugged her to him even tighter.
"What?" Victorique exclaimed. She couldn't help but think the doctor had to have lost it. Who would congratulate someone on having a life threatening illness?
"I hope the baby has your eyes." Kujo all of whispered before planting another kiss on Victorique's forehead.
"B-b-baby? BABY?" She questioned. Kujo nodded and if possible his smile grew even wider.
After Victorique had recovered from the news, and a few lingering kisses had been shared, the two spent the rest of the day lounging on the sofa. Victorique was snuggled on top of Kujo's chest and he had his arms wrapped around her, absentmindedly playing with her hair as they talked.
"What will we name her?" Kujo asked, twirling a silver strand of hair around his finger.
"How do you know the child will be a girl, Baka?" Victorique muttered, her voice muffled by Kujo's shirt.
"I-I don't…..I just hope so." He replied, his voice a little uncertain.
"Then I'll humor you." Victorique replied, completely ignoring his last statement, or so he thought. "Why do you want it to be a girl?" She asked looking up at Kujo. His face turned blood red then his eyes took on a determined hardness. His voice was soft but his tone was deliberate when he spoke.
"I want, as the best father I can be, to give her all the love and kindness that you were never shown." Kujo smiled at the mixed expression on her face.
"S-so what would you name her?" Victorique asked, changing the subject fast.
"Well, if it's alright with you….Cordelia." He flashed her another smile. Victorique stared at him in amazement before she began to cry. She was so incredibly happy that she was shedding perfect tears of joy. She had laughed, cried, hugged and kissed her husband savoring the absolutely perfect moment. Even now it was one of her favorite memories.
Victorique glanced down at her beautiful daughter and moved her heavy golden bangs out of her eyes. As simple as the gesture may have seemed it was one of Victorique's most cherished privileges. She had vowed the day that she found out about a tiny Cordelia growing inside of her that she would always love and protect her. She would be the best mother out of every mother in the world.
Today on her little Cordelia's fifth birthday the emotions were so overwhelming that a few tears slid down her cheeks. Victorique was so consumed by her emotions that she didn't notice Kujo's presence until he was almost standing beside her. When she heard his footsteps on the stone pavement in front of her she glanced up. Her heart felt so full that it might burst. Kujo dropped to his knees beside her and moved in close. He wrapped his arms around her and patted his daughter's head. Cordelia stirred in her mother's arms and her eyes fluttered open.
"Papa!" She exclaimed before jumping into his arms. Kujo laughed and hugged her to him.
"Calm down Delia. Papa has a present for you!" Cordelia stopped squirming in his arms and sat on the ground in front of her parents. Kujo looked at Victorique and flashed her a mischievous grin.
"What do you think Maman? Has she been good enough to get her present today?" Kujo asked Victorique in a teasing tone. Cordelia looked almost pleadingly at her mother.
"I don't know Papa." Victorique played along. Cordelia's eyes grew wide and her lips curved down as she began to pout. Kujo grabbed Victorique's hand and gave it a quick squeeze before he pulled a long box from his pocket. He handed it to Cordelia and she opened it quickly. She stared at the box and exchanged a quick glance with her mother.
"It's just like Maman's!" Cordelia exclaimed taking the golden pendent from the box and running her fingers across the pattern engrained in the metal. Also like her mother's it opened to reveal a picture inside. Cordelia touched the faces of her father and mother and then stopped on the baby in their arms.
"That's you!" Kujo said, ruffling Cordelia's hair. Cordelia fought off his hand playfully and stood up in front of Victorique.
"Maman put it on!" She sang. Victorique took the pendent from her daughter and pushed her golden hair out of the way. When the clasp was fastened Cordelia turned and hugged her mother.
"I love you Maman!" She nuzzled closer to her mother and held her tightly.
"What about Papa?" Kujo cried, pretending to sound shocked and hurt.
"I love you too Papa!" Cordelia called from her mother's side. The little family sat together like that for several moments. When she began feeling a little restless Cordelia let go of her mother and went after a butterfly she saw flutter by. Kujo and Victorique sat and watched their daughter play peacefully. Kujo wrapped his arm around his wife and she took his free hand in hers. After a moment Victorique took his hand and laid it on her abdomen.
"Are you alright Victorique?" Kujo asked, his warm breath cascading down the back of her neck.
"I wonder. What should we name her brother?" Victorique did her best to keep a straight face as the realization hit Kujo smack in the face.
"H-her brother?" Kujo hopped up from their comfortable position to sit on his knees in front of Victorique. He took both her hands in his.
"Well, it may be another girl…" Victorique was cut off by Kujo's lips pressed against hers.
"Really?" He asked pulling her in for a tight hug.
"Really." She replied smiling into her husband's shoulder.