But I will walk
Down to the end with you
If you will come
All the way down with me
From the entrance to the exit
Is longer than it looks from where we stand
I want to say I'm sorry for stuff I haven't done yet
Things will shortly get completely out of hand
2013:
I looked myself over in the mirror. Mother had bought me a brand new outfit for Matt's graduation party. She had never quite forgiven him for breaking up with me (and almost breaking my nose), but she also told me that a woman who held a grudge was no woman at all. A long blue dress that hung loosely off my hips and an over jacket that buttoned up all the way to my throat. Every time I looked in the mirror, I was reminded of something, or someone, that I just couldn't place. It wasn't the most fashionable thing in the world, but Mother had insisted I wear something formal.
I had been invited, along with all the other Chosen Children, to a party Tai was throwing for Matt for graduating as valedictorian of Tokyo University. My ex had worked his ass off, shooting up from barely attending junior high to the very top of his class. I was excited for him, glad that he had decided to do something with his life, even if Mother tisked every time his name was brought up in casual conversation.
I looked at the clock. I had ten minutes to reach the motel Tai had rented out for Matt's party. Mother didn't know exactly where it was being held, as she would probably just die knowing it was going to be me and a bunch of men in a motel, even if we had all been friends before.
"Mother!" I called, knowing she was in the living room. Even at her age, she still did ikebana from the house. "I'm leaving!"
"Call me tonight, so I know you're safe," her voice drifted down the hall.
"I will!" By this time I knew what she wanted me to call and tell her. That I wasn't sleeping around, giving away my precious virginity. It made me mad, sometimes, the way she tried to run my life. The way she picked and nagged at me until I gave in – until I gave up rough and tumble soccer for feminine tennis and then even that was too boy-ish for me; until I started wearing skirts instead of pants, and then shapeless dresses instead of cute miniskirts. But then I would stop and think of Biyomon, of my cute little Digimon that I hadn't seen in ten years, who always reminded me that Mother loved me. That whatever she did was always because she had me at the forefront of her mind.
"I'll see you tonight, Mother!"
I closed the door behind me, grabbing my high heels so I wouldn't have to run down the stairs in them. There was a taxi waiting for me, and I knew he was going to drive off if I wasn't there soon. I could feel the tears starting in the bottoms of my stockings, but those wouldn't matter once I was at the party – none of the other kids would want to look at my feet, anyway.
As I expected, my taxi driver was starting to creep away by the time I ran into the parking lot, but I managed to wave him down.
"I need to go to, uh," I pulled my cell phone from my purse, bringing up the text Tai had sent me with the address. "Celestial Mansions Motel, please."
"Traffic'll put you there in about a half hour," my driver said.
I made a face that was sure to smear my makeup. I was already running late. "That's fine. Faster than I'd get there any other way."
We pulled into the busy streets and I leaned back, looking out the window. The sun was setting, but it was still bright enough out to see all the people walking by. Happy families and loving couples all heading home for the night. Something I was sure I'd never get the chance to experience. My phone was vibrating, Yolie texting me and asking me where I was. I considered texting back, even calling, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I already didn't want to go to this party in the first place, to congratulate my ex on his personal achievements. It's not like I was bitter, or anything, that he'd managed to get into and graduate college while I started working for Mother directly after high school. I just figured he would have made some other friends by now that he would want to see more than me.
As it was, a half hour was being gracious. The party started at seven and it was almost eight. I considered just paying the taxi to bring me home, tell Mother that it had been canceled, but Yolie kept blowing up my phone and I knew I couldn't keep her waiting. She was my best friend, the only one who I knew would always take my side in anything. I paid my fare, put on my high heels and walked in, swallowing my pride so I could say something nice to Matt when I saw him.
I had barely made it through the door when I was tackled by a rush of rose-scented lavender blur. Yolie was laughing, squeezing me like she hadn't seen me in years.
"Oh, Sora, I'm so glad you made it!" she cheered. "I almost didn't recognize you, you look so... not different, but familiar. Just not you."
I grinned at her. There was always something incredibly warm about Yolie that could always cheer me up. Perhaps it was the star barrette I noticed in her hair, one like Mimi used to wear all the time. "I'm amazed you managed to get here at all, don't you have a kid?"
She hooked her arm through mine, dragging me through the motel lobby and closer to the loud music I knew Tai had chosen. "Yeah, Michiru is a handful right now, going through the Terrible Twos, you know. But she had a mild fever this morning, and Ken decided to take her to his parents for some rest. Besides, Mr. and Mrs. Ichijouji absolutely adore her, so I know she's in good hands."
She continued to babble, a comforting stream of words, about her family and how her brother and sisters constantly demanded her daughter's short attention, how her parents kept pushing her and Ken to get married and make their family "official", how all Ken's parents wanted was to see their son happy. It made me kind of sad to realize just how little I'd hung out with her since I'd graduated high school. Mother had kept me so busy working for her, I hadn't even gotten the chance to go to college.
"Here we are!" Yolie laughed when we entered, as though I was the one they were all waiting for.
Tai cheered, raising his drink in a toast and laughing. Izzy was at his side, and I could almost hear him lecturing about alcohol. I saw the matching glint of gold on their fingers and tried to squash that sickly feeling rising in my stomach. So what if they were together, and had lasted longer than any relationship I'd ever had? They were still f-... friends and I was happy for them.
I saw Izzy sigh and wander over to Kari who offered him her bottled water. I could see the bulge on her stomach and Yolie whispered in my ear, "Poor Kari, all she's ever wanted was a girl. But when we came back from the sonogram the other day, they said it's going to be her second boy."
"That's terrible," I giggled. Still, even two boys would be much more wonderful than being alone with Mother. I looked around. "Is TK here with her? I thought they were married."
Yolie made a face. "TK is... Well, not here. I don't think he even knows Matt went to college, let alone graduated."
"Really?" This was a surprise. I thought the brothers were nearly inseparable. "What happened?"
"I dunno." Yolie shrugged and waved at Davis who was wobbling just as much as Tai. "They just, kinda, got into this huge fight when Matt graduated high school and they stopped talking to each other. I heard it had something to do with their parent's divorce."
"But they divorced when they were so young." Matt never told me anything about it, no matter how much I pestered him. "What could have affected them after so long?"
"Speaking of," Yolie put her hands on her hips and looked around, "where is Matt anyway? This is his party after all."
"Looking for Matt?" Kari was standing next to us suddenly and I jumped. She laughed at me, putting one hand on her bulging stomach. "Sorry, Sora, I thought you saw me." She hugged me and smiled. "It's so good to see you, again."
"You too." She was always a pillar of strength for everyone and I was happy TK had married her. "But yeah, uh, you know where... M-Matt is?" It was hard to say his name, even after so long.
"I think I've seen him over at the bar. He's talking to Joe." She gave a dreamy little smile and I tried not to frown. Great. Joe.
I let Yolie get distracted by chatting with Kari and slipped away. I wasn't sure what I was going to say to my ex, but I knew I couldn't be too harsh. Who knew what would happen if Mother found out I was being... unfeminine. The music was harsh and loud, so I was glad to put it behind me as I wandered around, looking for the bar Kari had mentioned. Hopefully, once I found it, Matt would be alone so we could talk.
"... were accepted. I just wanted to say congratulations." Joe. Damnit, why did he always have to be there whenever I wanted to talk to Matt.
"Thanks, man." Just the sound of his voice was enough to make my knees weak. He'd grown into a handsome young man, and even after giving up singing, he still sounded nice and smooth. "You could have just said so with the others instead of waiting all night."
I peered around the corner. Joe was sitting at the bar, holding something in his lap. Matt was standing next to him, blushing lightly. Bastard was probably drunk already.
"I just, well, I wanted to give you something." I wasn't sure I wanted to see this. I knew Joe liked Matt, it was obvious to everyone (especially Kari, who had let it slip a few years ago), so what would he want to give my boyfriend? My, my ex-boyfriend?
"You don't have to give me anything. Hell, I should get you something. If it weren't for you and Izzy, I don't think I'd have even passed the entrance exams."
I bit my lip, almost spitting as I tasted my lipstick. I hated how Matt looked right now, like he was... was... relying on someone. If I knew anything about Matt, it was that he was strong, and independent, and didn't need anyone! That's why he left me! Mother said so!
Joe handed over what it was in his lap. "The moment I heard you were accepted, I found it online. I hope I got the right size. I asked Tai, and he said he didn't know, but he gave me your old size and I figured you couldn't have gotten much bigger..."
The whole time he rambled like a weirdo, Matt had taken whatever it was, holding it up. It was a jacket, deep blue and very comfortable-looking. White snaps fastened up the front, and I could see a name tag embroidered above the breast pocket "Yamato Ishida, Houston, TX". He turned it and I could see the large NASA patch stitched to cover the whole back.
"Oh, wow..." He looked like he was about to cry. Joe was still babbling, looking anywhere but at Matt. "Joe, you, you really didn't have to."
Joe blushed, and I clenched my teeth. There was no way I was going to sit here and watch this... disgusting scene play out before me.
"Hey, Matt," I called, walking around the corner like I'd just gotten here. The two men looked at me and I shoved myself into the empty space between them as though I could fit. I twirled my bangs around my finger and pouted, like I'd practiced when I was younger. "It's been a while, huh?"
"Y-yeah." He stepped back. "Sorry about your nose. I didn't break it, did I?"
I giggled. Sweetness and kindness, that was what ensnared men. "It's fine. Just like me." I reached out, walking my fingers up his arm like I used to. If I acted like we'd never broken up, he was sure to remember how nice it used to be, right?
Just keep doing what Mother told me to do.
I felt Joe stand behind me. I didn't want to take my attention away from Matt, or else he might get away from me again.
"Excuse me," Joe said softly. "I should be getting back soon. Shin and Shuu have work in the morning, and I have to get to school tomorrow."
"Joe, hey, wait -!" Matt reached out and I took his hand.
"Matt, please." I intertwined my fingers in his, pressing myself against his chest. I gave him my best pouty lips and whispered to him. "I want to give us another try..."
"Sora." He pulled away and began following after Joe who had already left the bar. "Just... no. I'm going back to the party to say hey to everyone. I have work tomorrow, anyway."
I fumed, trying not to let my makeup crease. I didn't bring my makeup bag with me to fix anything. If Matt didn't want to be with me, than I didn't want to be with him either!
I sat in the motel lobby, sipping at whatever it was Tai had handed me. The night was dragging on; Joe, Kari, and Yolie having already left. Davis was still talking to Tai, and Matt was drinking something he'd brought in himself, slurring at Izzy. I couldn't hear what he was saying, just the sound of his voice drifting across to me.
What I really wanted to do was just go home, tell Mother that Matt wasn't interested anymore and have that be that. I would deal with her ranting and raving at me about whatever she'd imagined happened to me that night long ago when we'd broken up. This last ditch effort she'd made me go through was just embarrassing, to me and all my friends, and I was tired of it.
I looked around. If I just slipped out now, I could call Izzy tomorrow and apologize. Tell him I was feeling ill, or something like that. I set my drink aside and stood. None of the boys were looking at me as I slipped down the hallways. I kicked off my shoes, feeling my toes poking through the holes in my stockings. Mother was going to be upset about them being ruined.
I was just about to push open the main doors, fishing in my purse for my cell phone to call a taxi when I felt a hand grab my arm. I jumped – was it some weirdo?
"H, hey you..."
It was Matt. He was standing over me, blinking heavily. He didn't even seem to realize that he was grabbing my arm. He was wearing that NASA jacket, clasped all the way up to his neck.
"Matt? What's going on?" He was scaring me a little, and the smell of alcohol was overwhelming.
"I need to talk to you. Now." He started dragging me away. I yelped as I dropped my purse, but he didn't stop. I thought he was going to take me to the lobby, talk in front of the others, but we ducked into a room. It was dark, the curtains drawn tight, and we both stumbled as he dropped me on the bed. He staggered a moment, sitting next to me. I was reminded, briefly of that night long ago.
But there was no way that was going to happen here.
"What is it Matt?" I was tired of trying to catch him again. I would just let him pass out here and be on my way.
"I jus'... I wan'ed to tell you that I, I, I'm sorry." He leaned over me, and I could smell what he'd been drinking. "I shoul' have never let us fight. I never wan'ed it to end, you have to know that!"
What?! What was he saying?!
Had Matt... Had he always felt this way? My face was red, I knew it was.
His hand found my thigh and he squeezed it. "You loved me, an' I want you to know I've loved you f'r as, as long as I knew you."
Love?! Oh, God, I didn't realize just how deep this ran. And for as long as he knew me?
"Then why would you...?" Attack me? Hurt me? Avoid me like the plague?
He slipped and we fell, him on top of me, lips pressed harshly against mine. I didn't know if he meant to kiss me, but it was very, very nice.
"I was jus' s-scared." He was mumbling against my lips and I could barely hear him. "Embarr'ssed to be that way in fron' of everyone. I know you, y're shy and cute and sweet and cute, and I'm ready f'r everyone to know how I feel. How we feel." His hands were running up and down my waist, making me warm and tingly all over. "You still love me, don' you?"
"O-of course, Matt!" I blushed at how loudly I yelped that. "I love you!"
"Thank you, God," he whispered and we kissed deeply, for the first time. He tasted like a bar, like cigarettes and alcohol, but it was wonderful. "Oh, Joe, you've made me so happy..."
Joe?
Joe?!
Joe!
You son of a bitch, Joe!
I shoved Matt just like he'd shoved me, listening as he fell off the bed with a whump. So that's what it was, the way I looked. I looked like Joe when he was in high school – blue jacket, short hair! My vision was blurry and I could feel hot tears running down my cheeks. I couldn't believe it! Matt resparked all the feelings deep in me I thought I'd buried years ago, only because he thought I was a damn boy!
I stood, and felt the hem of my jacket catch on a spring. Damnit, Tai, you just had to cheap out, you bastard! Just wait until Mother found out about how ruined my dress was now!
I looked at Matt, passed out on the floor. I wanted to kick him, over and over, but I just growled and stormed out of the motel. My purse was still scattered on the floor, but I grabbed my wallet and my phone and left the mess there. I didn't like that ugly thing anyway.
I hailed a cab, barely coherent enough to give him the correct address and we were on our way, driving back home to where I belonged.
I woke the next day, my head pounding.
Or was that the door?
I rolled over in my bed, realizing that I had slept on top of the covers, fully dressed. Whatever alcohol I had drunk last night was suddenly attacking me with a vengeance, and my room spun around me as I sat up. I was worried I was going to puke, but a gross burp just made me feel kind of ill.
"Sora, open this door, right now."
Mother?
I rolled out of bed, stumbled to my door. It wasn't locked, Mother had removed the lock long ago, but she never wanted to walk in on anything I was doing. I opened the door and she gasped.
"What did that monster do to you this time?"
What was she talking about? She grabbed me by the wrist, dragging me to the bathroom. She was mumbling under her breath, growling something about me coming home so late last night. She wet a rag in the sink and began rubbing my face. My makeup had smeared over the night, though whether it was from Matt kissing... me... or from sleeping in it, I wasn't sure. The smell of alcohol still clung to my dress, and I could tell that Mother could smell it. She had a nose like a bloodhound sometimes.
"Mother, please."
"Don't take that tone with me, young lady." She rubbed the last of the mascara off my cheeks. "Now tell me, what happened?"
"Nothing, Mother." I sighed. "I got drunk last night and came home. That's all."
"That most certainly is not all." She eyed the tear in my dress. "That Yamato, he attacked you, didn't he?"
"Mother?" She was starting to scare me.
"You don't have to be ashamed, sweetie. I won't judge you." She hugged me tenderly, a warm feeling I was unused to coming from her. "Let Mother take care of you, ok? Now, get yourself cleaned up." And she left. I had no idea what she was talking about, but a shower sounded wonderful right now.
The water was wonderfully warm, relaxing the pounding in my head. I heard the door open and close beyond the bath curtain, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get clean and wash away what little I remembered from last night. Warm bubbles and honey-scented soap enveloped me, and I stayed in the shower until all the hot water ran out, and even past that until I was shivering.
I turned the faucet off, stepping out and letting myself drip all over the floor. There was a fluffy towel sitting on the toilet and when I picked it up, a beat up old box fell, almost into the trash.
"What's this?" I asked outloud.
First Response Home Pregnancy Test.
I yelped and dropped the small box. This time, it did fall in the trash.
"Mother!" I screamed. "Mother, what is this?!"
I heard her voice, standing right outside the door. "It is still early, so I might have to buy you another one after a few days."
"We didn't sleep together!" How could she even think that? "I told you!"
"What you tell me and what happened are two different animals, Sora," she lectured me. "I will be back in five minutes. That's how long it takes for the test to respond." And I heard her walk away.
Oh, God! This was so embarrassing! I buried my face in my towel and tried not to cry. Why couldn't Mother ever believe me when it came to boys?
I grabbed the package, reading the yellowed instructions with shaking hands. It didn't matter. I knew nothing happened and this would only prove it.
I, uh, did my thing on the stick and set it on the counter. I wished I could have done this before my shower, because now my hands felt so... dirty. I had just finished scrubbing them and dressing when Mother walked into the bathroom. She snatched the test off the counter and stared at it, as though it would reveal all the secrets of the universe to her.
"It'll be a minute," I told her quietly. I could barely look at Mother. "It took me a while to have to pee." She just gave me an odd look and I shut my mouth. What else was there to say? The silence was becoming overwhelming, and I felt like crying. Why couldn't she just believe me...?
"Sora!" Mother cried suddenly. "How could you?!"
I looked up just to be slapped across the face. She shoved the test in my face and I flinched away from the, uh, wet end.
"I thought I could trust you! You, you harlot!"
"What are you talking about?!"
Mother was crying, still holding out the test. There were two little blue lines staring me in the face.
"Positive? Positive?!" I couldn't believe it. I hadn't slept with Matt – I knew it! I mean, yeah, sure I was drunk and so was he, but... but I left! I ran out of the room!
Didn't I?
No! I couldn't think that way! I had my pride and it hadn't let me sleep with Matt last night, I knew it!
But the test... Did it really say I was pregnant? Really?
I started crying and Mother wrapped her arms around me.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. I didn't mean to yell." She was petting my hair, comforting me the same way she had when I cried into her after losing Biyomon. "Let's get this taken care of, ok?"
"You," I sniffled, "You don't mean an...?"
"No!" She pulled away and I saw the stern lines in her face. "I will not have that disgrace on our name. You said you met this boy's father, before, correct?"
Like, ten years ago. "Yeah...?"
"Then he will know what we have to do." She gave me a tiny smile. The first hint that she was starting to act like her usual self. "Get your makeup on, sweetie, we have to go get this fixed."
I couldn't move, I couldn't even think, this was the most humiliating moment of my life!
Mother had marched me out of our apartment, taking me on the bus and made me lead the way to Matt's apartment. I didn't know what she was planning on doing once she was there, after all, Matt had said he'd had work and I had no idea if his dad was ever there. Besides, I could barely remember what number his door was, but Mother refused to accept that answer. She'd marched up to the complex manager and demanded the Ishida residence.
My face burned and I could tell the woman recognized me even from all that time ago.
Mother waited impatiently, her very stance betraying her agitation while the woman looked up the information. Apartment 1313. Of course. How could I have ever forgotten...
The elevator ride was uncomfortable, for me and the two other men who happened to have boarded with us. Mother wasn't saying anything, not even looking at me, and all I could feel was shame. Shame for not remembering what it was that had gotten me into this mess.
I was sure of it, absolutely 100% certain, that I had not had sex. Ever!
Wouldn't I be the best one to know that?
The doors opened and Mother strode out of the elevator, leaving me to flounder in her wake. Matt's apartment wasn't too far from the lift, so it wasn't too long before she was banging on his door. She sounded like the police when they were making a raid.
"Mother, I don't think anyone will be here," I tried to tell her quietly. "It's the middle of the day, and..."
There was a rattling and Mother stepped back. Mr. Ishida opened the door, yawning and looking like he'd just woken up.
"Can I... help you?" He blinked heavily and wiped the bit of drool from his cheek. Mother looked at him, and I could see the corners of her mouth trying not to pull back in a sneer.
He was rumpled, probably having slept in the shirt he was wearing, and his hair was a mess. Even when she'd called the police ten years ago, demanding they do something about my bloody nose, she'd been sure to get fully dressed and made up before even thinking about opening the door.
"You are Malcolm Ishida, correct?" Mother asked. I wondered where she'd learned his first name. Even I didn't know it.
"And you would be?" Matt's dad frowned, looking like he was ready to close the door.
"I am Toshiko Takenouchi, mother of Sora Takenouchi." She motioned to me and I gave him a tiny wave. He made a face for a moment before brightening.
"Oh, that's right. You're that little girl with the Piyomon? Biyomon?" He gave me a warm smile. "You dated Matt for a while, huh?"
"I will forgive the inappropriate familiarity with my daughter as I have business to discuss with you and your son." Mother crossed her arms. "And where is Yamato?"
"Matt?" He looked like she was the first one to call him by his full name. "He's at work right now." He ducked into the apartment and then looked back at Mother. "He should be back in less than an hour, if you want to come back then."
"I will not be cast aside like some kind of salesman. As you are the head of the household, I will take my business up with you." And she invited herself in, pushing past Matt's dad as though he'd rolled out the red carpet for her. I bowed my head, apologizing and he just sighed, ruffling my hair like he did when I was fifteen.
"C'mon in, Sora," he said. "I just woke up, and Matt's been pretty busy lately, so you'll have to excuse the mess."
Unlike before, this time there was a mess. Mother, so calm and elegant in the face of danger, was rooted to the spot, surveying the small three-room apartment. Tai's old couch was still there, but now it was draped with dirty laundry and TV dinner trays. The trashcan that separated the kitchen and the living room, if they could be called separated, was overflowing, soup cans tumbling over onto the floor. Dirty dishes were piled up, not only in the sink, but on the counters and even the stove. There were several open letters on the dining table, and even a frame that had been opened but not resealed. It must have contained Matt's diploma, and he just hadn't gotten around to hanging it yet.
"Please, Mrs. Takenouchi," Matt's dad said, pulling out one of the mismatched dining chairs. "Have a seat and we'll discuss your... business."
Mother looked like she'd rather run from the apartment screaming, but she accepted the offer, sitting with all her usual grace.
"I would have appreciated your son, Yamato -"
"Please," Matt's dad interrupted and I saw Mother frown. She hated being interrupted. "Just call him Matt. The poor boy hasn't gone by Yamato since he was four."
"Matt, then," Mother spat. She hated nicknames. Said they were unprofessional and used as a way to hide something. "It is his future we will be discussing, and I would rather he be here to hear it as well."
"Future?" Matt's dad smiled. I'd never seen him so proud. "So your daughter told you, huh?"
"I hardly see it as cause to celebrate," Mother frowned. Mr. Ishida leaned forward in his chair.
"And why not? It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for Matt, and I think he should go for it."
"At least we are in agreement about something." Mother drew herself up. "And as the young man's father, what do you plan to do about it?"
"Me?" Mr Ishida chuckled. "I don't think I'm equipped to tell Matt about any of this stuff – he's the one who worked so hard on it."
I felt my very ears turn red as Mother shot me a glare.
"I don't believe this is a laughing matter. This will determine the course of our childrens' futures."
Mr. Ishida stopped his chuckle with a cough. "You're being rather serious about this, Mrs. Takenouchi."
"And you're not being serious enough!" Mother slammed her fist on the table, making all of us jump. "What do you plan to do about your grandchild?!"
Mr. Ishida began choking on nothing, and if I hadn't been paralyzed with embarrassment, I would have found it adorable how similar he and his son were.
"M-my what?!"
The door opened at that moment and I saw Matt walk in, announcing, "I came home!"
Instantly, Mr. Ishida was on his feet in front of his son, yelling at him, "What the hell happened?!"
Matt just looked bewildered. "What are you talking about? And lower your voice, Dad, you know how the neighbors are."
Mr. Ishida grabbed Matt's arm and turned him to face us. I blushed when he gave me a confused look, but Mother just said in that same stern voice of hers, "Your conduct last night has left my daughter in a... fragile state."
"What does that mean?" Matt was being dragged over to us. I couldn't look at him, I was just way too embarrassed as to how Mother was handling things.
"It means," Mr. Ishida growled into his son's ear, "this delightful young woman is going to be a mother. And you're going to be a father."
"W-What?! No way!" Matt tore himself away from his father. He was blushing like mad, and looking just as angry. "I've never, I mean, we've never -!"
"Last night my daughter came home in such a state!" Mother looked like she was about to cry. "She told me she was at your party and that you two..." She gave a sob, like it was her world falling apart. "That you decided to..."
"'Decided' my ass!" Matt yelled. Mother's eyes flew open and I shrunk back. There was no way I would ever curse in front of Mother. He didn't seem to realize it though, because he continued to yell, "There was nothing that happened between us! Hell, we got into a fight and she ran the fuck off!" He turned to me, and I could see rage and was that fear hiding in his eyes? "Tell them! Tell her, Sora!"
"I... I..." I wiped my eyes. I'd never seen Matt so angry before. "I don't really remember last night..."
"Then how the fuck could you know?!" His voice cracked and even his father flinched at the noise. Matt was pulling in on himself, looking more like he did when he was a child rather than a twenty-four year old man. I'd never seen him so scared of anything in his life, not even Puppetmon!
"I took a pr... a test," I said softly. I still couldn't bring myself to say that word. "It came out positive..."
"Well, it sure as hell isn't mine!"
That was when Mother stood. She lashed out, faster than she'd ever moved before, and slapped him across the face. Matt looked pale, like he was about to pass out as he gingerly held his cheek. He was shaking as she told him, "Just what are you accusing my daughter of? Loose morals? If she says you were the one she was with, than how can you accuse her of lying?"
"Matt, calm down," Mr. Ishida said, reaching out to support his son as he almost collapsed. "Calm down and think for once in your life. You came home drunk off your ass last night. Are you sure you remember the whole evening?"
"I think I would remember sleeping with a woman," Matt hissed, as though I wasn't supposed to hear.
Maybe he really was...?
"I will have no more of these private conversations," Mother announced and I realized she hadn't heard Matt. "I came over here to discuss the future of my daughter and your son. Now, sit."
Mr. Ishida and Matt sat at the table, as though they were used to being yelled at by strong-willed women. I would have laughed if I wasn't feeling so terrible. I think I might have been feeling that morning sickness or whatever it was I was supposed to be getting.
"I will not allow the Takenouchi name to have this black mark on it," she began, sounding as though we'd been getting along all afternoon. "My daughter, pregnant out of wedlock."
"It's not my fault," Matt grumbled under his breath and his dad gave him a sharp look.
"What was it you had in mind?" Mr. Ishida asked. "I'm sure we could make the, ah, proper arrangements, if you wished."
"I will allow no such thing." Mother sat up straighter. "My daughter is only recently with child, so if we managed to perform the ceremony in enough time, then the timing will seem correct."
"'Ceremony'?" Matt scoffed and I looked at the table. "Just what does that mean?"
"Of course, we will have to find a church with an opening and a priest with a free appointment." Mother looked expectantly at Mr. Ishida. "None of this will come cheap, you know."
"If you're trying to talk my son into marriage for the sake of a baby..." he began.
"Not for the sake of a baby, but for the honor of both our names. Have Ishida's no pride in how they conduct themselves in the public eye?"
Mr. Ishida opened his mouth, turning red in the face. He knew Mother was taking a jab at his divorce, even I knew it. But Matt shook his head.
"It's really mine, huh?" He looked at me. "You're not just making it up, or just saying so? The baby's mine?"
I nodded. That was the only explanation. That or aliens abducted me between getting out of the taxi and getting to my room, but I don't think anyone was in the mood for that joke.
"Then, I guess I'll do the right thing." He took a shuddering breath. Why was he so scared of me? "We'll get... married."
"But son," his dad whispered. "What about NASA? You just got the letter yesterday. Your training is going to start next week – they want you in Texas in two days!"
Training? What was he talking about?
"I can't go into space with a baby on the way," Matt said flatly. Space? "I'll just have to tell NASA to, you know, find another guy to be an astronaut. Shouldn't be that hard for them – I'm sure they have plenty of Americans who want to go to the Moon just as bad as me."
"What about everything you've worked for? You've worked harder than me to get enough money to go to America. You already bought the plane tickets. Matt, just think about this..."
Poor Mr. Ishida looked like he was about to cry. Space? Astronauts? The Moon? I'd never heard of any of this...
"Then all that money will just go to the baby." He shrugged carelessly, though I could still see the tension in his shoulders. "After all, I don't think Sora will be able to move in with us here."
"It is settled, then," Mother announced before Mr. Ishida could say anything else. "I have a friend who owns the apartment complex down the street from me. I'll see to it that you two have a room within the next few weeks. And I can call someone at our church to provide the ceremony. I expect that you will be able to furnish it?"
"Yeah," Matt grumbled. "I got plenty to spare right now."
"Then I shall see to the arrangements." She stood and smiled like we'd all been getting along so wee this afternoon. "I will be glad to have you in my family, Yamato."
