That beautiful, rundown house was filled with plenty of childhood memories. My mother didn't like talking about all of the hard work that she put into it, only because she didn't want to make it seem like she was boasting. Although, the older that I got, the more that I came to realize that my mother had done literally everything possible in order to ensure that my little brother and I were able to grow with a safe and warm place to call home.

Years have gone by since I made my decision to reveal my secret to Souhei; and now, this house that my mother had put her blood, sweat, and tears into had another memory to carry. It was the memory in which I went into labor and delivered two, healthy, precious twins—a boy and a girl.

In honor of my father, Souhei and I agreed to name our son after him—Ookami. Our daughter's name, on the other hand, was Akine. It meant "autumn," which just so happened to be the season in which these two were born in. Not only that, but it also meant "sound" ... and I believed that by giving our daughter this name, it would be a great way to honor Ame. After all, Mom said that she could sometimes hear him filling the air with the sound of his howls. According to her, it was one of the most heartwarming and rewarding sounds that she had ever heard in her entire life.

The birth was unexpected. I wasn't meant to go into labor for at least another two weeks, so Souhei and I had decided to go visit my mom in that same wooden house that she still lived in til' this day. We had been in the middle of getting ready for supper when my water broke ... and we were too far out to be able to make it to the hospital in time.

Thankfully, Mom remained calm and escorted me into the room where Ame and I used to sleep when we were just kids. Even after all of these years, the blankets and pillows were still there, providing me with at least some comfort.

There was no hospital and no drugs. The pain was indescribable, but my mother acted as the best midwife in the entire world as she thought back to how my father had acted when she gave birth to me in that tiny apartment that she used to call home. Together, she and Souhei comforted me through each contraction, as well as encouraged me through every push that I had to make. The hours that went by felt like an eternity ... but when I heard those little cries from Akine and Ookami, it was as if the agony within my body had never existed. It was all worth it.

It came to my attention almost immediately that Ookami looked more like me, while Akine looked more like Souhei.

My hair was an absolute mess and I was dripping with sweat, but I didn't care. I was too busy smiling at the twins that were in my arms, completely stripped of the clothes that I had been wearing before my water had broke. Now, I was wrapped up in only a sheet with Souhei sitting on the floor beside me. There were tears of happiness curled up in the corners of his eyes as he also stared at the two cooing miracles that we had created and brought into this world. As soon as she had finished assisting in cutting the umbilical cords, my mother had left to go find one of the neighbors—who just so happened to be a doctor. So, it was just me, Souhei, and our babies.

"Ah, look at them. They're so small and perfect." Souhei said softly, right before he placed a delicate kiss against my forehead. "You did great, Yuki. Now, thanks to all of your hard work, we have a daughter and a son."

"I still can't believe it. When I was growing up, I never stopped believing that I would grow up to choose my wolf half over my human half ... and now, after all of these years, I'm a wife and a mother." I sniffled with joyful tears filling my own eyes, my smile never wavering. "I'm so thankful that they're healthy. I don't think that I'll ever be able to thank my mom enough for being here to help us through the delivery."

Souhei softly shook his head, saying, "Yeah, me neither..."

Akine and Ookami cooed, resting their watery eyes shut as they continued to lightly wiggle around in the quilts that my mother had found for them to be wrapped up in.

"Yuki ... I love them so much." Souhei whispered, keeping his affectionate gaze locked on the twins. "What do you think they'll grow up to be?"

As soon as that question left his mouth, my mind almost immediately filled with the thought of my parents again. The two of them came from entirely different worlds, yet they still fell in love and tried their hardest to build a life together. When I was born, they had agreed that they would let me grow to make my own decision on what I would rather be—a wolf or a human. Even after my dad died, my mom kept her promise to him and allowed Ame to make the same decision. In the end, I chose my human side, while Ame chose his wolf side ... and now, it was my turn to be a mother to unique children that were destined to grow and choose which lifestyle they preferred on their own.

I turned my head to look at Souhei. We stared directly into each other's eyes ... and with the brightness in my smile increasing, I answered his question.

"Whatever they want ... they can be anything. Then, when they make their decisions ... it's up to us to make it come true."

Shortly after I finished giving my response, Souhei and I heard the sound of a wolf howling in the distance. Deep down inside ... I could just feel that it was Ame—and it was as if he was giving his approval, saying that he agreed with the answer that I had given Souhei.