A/N: A short one-shot for Mother's Day. This is dedicated to all the mother's out here. Truthfully, this was my first DBZ fic I came up with, almost a year ago, but I only got to writing it last week. Once I read a story where a young woman went through repeated losses and trauma, but she pulled through and turned her life around after her baby was born, not wanting to burden him with it. It was one of the most moving stories I ever read. I can't remember the name besides being part of a novella, or else I'll give credit, but that was the inspiration for this story.

Enjoy.

A small house shouldn't have ghosts, she decided. A big one shouldn't either, but at least then one may have a shot to find a place to hide away from them. Here, it was impossible. Around every corner, Chi Chi was reminded of a presence that she wouldn't see again. It didn't matter the lovable doofus spent half the time away anyway, training or saving the world, or even being dead before. The fact of the matter was that he would return to her arms and a warm meal. Except now that was impossible. Her Goku was dead, permanently, and his ghost was everywhere. In the pictures scattered around, in her head, with her son's tired eyes.

Gohan was different. He was always a serious child, but now he was solemn. He wasn't her adorable nerd that also happened to be incredibly strong, but a wraith of a child who had to see his dad die. It broke her heart that she had no clue how to fix the problem, how to help Gohan cope with his grief as she struggled with her own.

He kept to the promise Goku made her. He stopped fighting and training and instead turned completely to his studies. It wasn't right, though. Gohan did it to bury himself away from the pain and guilt. It wasn't with pleasure, or necessity to grow into a respectable young man, but to keep himself walled in from breaking. Also, Chi Chi realized, to keep her happy. Because she was barely keeping it together as it was.

Crying over the photo of their wedding day almost every night, or scowling every time she saw her reflection. That wasn't the composed face of Chi Chi, princess of the Ox Kingdom, wife to Son Goku, and mother of one.

Mother of two.

As soon as she figured out that she was pregnant again, she resolved that she would be better. Well, it wasn't 'as soon'. Her first reaction was that Goku wouldn't be able to meet his second child, and she nearly broke down again right there. However, she kept herself off that – the self-pity that lingered at the edge of her thoughts – over the fact she wouldn't be able to be a single mother. She will be able to.

Chi Chi straightened out her diet, knowing full well from Goku and while carrying Gohan that Saiyans loved their appetites. This will be a healthy baby. She straightened out Goku's old gym (really, he had done most of his training outside anyway) to become a nursery. The dusty uniforms and supplies were depressing to look at in any case. Out they went, into her closet to be grieved for on another day.

She talked to Bulma, the only other one who knew what it was like to carry and raise a half-Saiyan child with strength obsessed husbands. They went out to eat together, little Trunks resting on his mother's hip as he banged and bent his toys together. They wondered if the two children would be friends, once the child was born. Sometimes, the two invited Eighteen out with them once she started to see Krillin. It was nice to have another woman in their strange mishmash group. Even with the blonde's cold demeanor, Chi Chi couldn't see the threat to the world who had Goku and Gohan training for years, or who had caused her to flee her house with her sick husband. She just grew to see Eighteen as another friend.

One new child did not mean she could forget her older one. She let Gohan know that she didn't want him to study if it will drive him crazy; that it was important to take a break. Her baby boy was a genius, and he would be fine if his nose wasn't in a book twenty-four seven. She made sure to go through photo albums with him, although at first he would flinch at painful memories or get embarrassed by the happy ones. She wished to let him know that he would always be precious to her, not because he needed to become the man of the house, but because he was hers, and she'll chase the cruel nightmares away.

Goten was the biggest ghost of all. She loved him for it. Even if there was sadness looking at her bundle of joy, he reminded her that there were memories to be happy about. He had the same look as his father, and somehow she knew that once he got older it would become more obvious. He had the same happiness, the same joy as wide eyes took in the new world around him.

And he was loud.

"There, there," Chi Chi rocked the baby gently, cooing a song that worked for Gohan. The said boy stood at the doorway, eyes like saucers despite knowing his brother for a week. She smiled. "Do you want to hold him?"

"I don't know if I can." While Goten was like Goku, Gohan was always more like her, a secret worrywart at heart, with enough fierce love to keep him going.

"Nonsense. I know you read all the baby books I bought and have a few 'brother manuals' of your own."

Gohan shifted from foot to foot. Realizing the attention wasn't on him, Goten quieted down and turned his head to see what garnered his mother's attention. He smiled. Gohan stuttered as he went on. "We-well, Mr. Piccolo said that books don't always mean experience."

In the past, she would have chided the boy for spending time with Piccolo. That was firmly there, in the past. She appreciated the Namekian for being the silent, gruff support for her son the last several months, for practically his whole life. Instead, she nodded in agreement. "He's right, but you need to give yourself experience eventually. Here, hold your baby brother." She stepped forward and instructed Gohan on the proper way to support and embrace Goten.

Chi Chi took a picture of that moment once Gohan was comfortable with Goten in his arms. She was aware the boy wasn't as clueless as he wanted to look; he had babysat Trunks on many occasions, more so to prep himself for Goten's birth. Therefore, a picture joined the one already on her bedside. The old showing Goku and Gohan playing with an apple like a ball, with her exasperated expression in the background- it was her father who took that picture. She recalled, three times father and son tossed it back and forth before Goku split it in half, clean and efficiently, before handing the second portion to Gohan.

The new one was of Gohan making baby noises and faces at Goten, with the baby laughing. Nothing in what they had to cope with for loss would be easy, yet with this new life they could make it work. Then both her boys could grow up happy.

A/N: Hope that was enjoyable. It's a bit different than my usual style of writing. Love you all and have a great day! Let me know what you think if you feel so inclined :)