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December 3rd 1986
Tokyo
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"Hey, you."
Groggy, the woman opened her eyes slowly.
"Daiki? What… happened?"
"You fell asleep. Don't worry, you're fine. Both of you."
"Mamoru?"
Daiki Chiba smiled as he helped his wife to sit down, then proudly he went to retrieve their newborn son.
"Here he is. And he's healthy and very handsome."
He gave the baby to her and she immediately began to silently cry, happiness and relief pouring out of her.
"Hey, you. He's… he's…"
"I know. I know," Daiki half laughed and half chocked. "I know, Kasumi."
"After all this time… all these doctors telling us to stop… He's there… our baby…"
"Yes. We succeeded. We have our son. We have our family."
"Our miracle."
Daiki kissed her and sat down next to them, sighing tiredly.
"Your boss sent you flowers and congratulations. Ren and Nami will come see you tomorrow morning. They'll bring Seigi too. He wants to meet Mamoru."
"When I think that Sei's already two years old!"
"Yes. Can you believe that one day our Mamoru will be that big, too? And later, he'll be a young man." He smiled, watching his son move calmly his tiny fingers around his mom's pinkie. "What are you thinking?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm so happy, Daiki."
"I know. I am, too."
"Daiki…"
"What?"
She hesitated. Could she really tell him about the dreams? About the king she had seen and that kingdom on the Moon, about the foreboding? She had seen Earth being eaten by darkness, and her son, her precious little boy then a man with warm brown eyes, a serious face and strength in his heart, handsome and brave, standing between evil and his world. She had seen things, impossible things.
"No. No, nothing. I'm a little tired."
"Do you need something?"
"No, thanks. I have all I need."
She rocked her son against her and quietly sighed, forgetting those nightmares. She had to think of the future, now that they finally had that child they had dreamed about for years. Now that they, who had no more family besides their friends, had created their own.
"I'll have to go back to work soon." Daiki sighed. "I'm not really looking forward to it."
"You love your job."
"Of course. But I'll miss so many things! We've waited so long for him, and now that he's finally here… I want to be at his side every step of his life. I don't want to be like my father was."
"You're not him. Our son will have someone to look up to, someone to look after him and to love him."
"He will have two people like that."
"He's lucky."
"He is, and we are. I'm sure he'll be a great little man."
"I'm looking forward to see what he'll become."
"A teacher, like his daddy."
"Or a librarian, like mommy."
"You're forgetting thief."
"Hey! I was young! And shshsh!"
Daiki laughed.
"Nobody is listening to us, we're alone!"
"Still. Stop teasing me about my past."
"Yes, Mamoru, mommy has a past."
Mamoru…
Kasumi Chiba had the feeling that this name was perfect for her baby.
But I'll be your protector, Mamoru. I'll be there between you and darkness. I promise. You won't grow up like me, alone and scared. Nobody will ever hurt you. I'll always be there for you, my son.
Always.
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