Twins!" Nanami said proudly waving the pictures from the sonogram. Tomoe looked on annoyed. "I told you that already! Why do you act like this is new information? My hearing far exceeds than that of human and youkai alike."
Tomoe stared at Nanami in complete annoyance. They had stayed at the doctor's office longer than necessary because Kei had to deliver another patient's baby even though there was party preparations and shrine duties that needed to be attended to. He quickly found his annoyance dissipate, and instead found himself admiring the warm look in Nanami's eyes, the sheen of her skin, and the rosiness in her cheeks. 'She is so stunning!' he smiled.
"So, are we keeping the babies' gender a secret?" the Dragon King asked.
"Well," Nanami started, "We are having a girl and a boy. But here's where it gets complicated: so far as we can tell, the girl looks human while the boy has fox ears."
"It seems that one child will be human while the other is youkai," Tomoe finished.
"Anyway, we will talk about babies later. Right now, I just want celebrate the past ten years we've had at the shrine."
Nanami surveyed the room, her eyes lingering on her most cherished friendships: Himemiko and Kotarou, Ami and Kurama, Mikage, Mizuki, the Dragon King and Kimehime, Onikiri, Kotetsu, Juiro, Shuiro, Kei and Isobe. Like Mikage had said: these were bonds that she, a little girl growing up alone, had formed. For these past ten years, she relied on these bonds heavily - through high school, college, her father's death, and her marriage. Yet, there was one bond - a single thought, that crept slowly from the back of her mind: Akura-Ou. Nanami felt a tear slide down her cheek.
"What's wrong, Nanami? Pregnancy hormones again?" Tomoe asked.
Nanami brushed the tears on the back of her kimono. "Yes, my hormones are getting out of hand."
"Do you want me to announce it then?" Tomoe asked.
"No. For now, I just want to enjoy this. I haven't seen everyone in one room since our wedding!"
A looked of concern crossed Tomoe's face. "We will need to tell them soon."