Chapter 3: Signal A New Beginning

(Author Note: If you'd like to, please listen to "Itoshisa to Nokumori" by Masanori Takumi [It's on YouTube] while reading this slowly.)

The noon sun shines gently on Lindsay's sleeping face. Taruto sits on the end of her bed, watching her as she takes each breath. He lightly touches the tips of her soft, Asian hair. He smiles, unable to truly believe he was spending his days with such a perfect girl.

He leans over to kiss her cheek. His hair tickles her, and she opens her eyes just as his lips touch her. She looks up at him and smiles gently. The two stare at one another face to face for a while before Taruto leans in to kiss her again.

"Good morning, Lindsay," he whispers into her ear. "I made you breakfast."

She sits up. "You did? Really?" she sniffs the air. "No smoke!"

He moves to the dresser and picks up a tray containing cereal, eggs, toast, and orange juice. He sits it gently on her lap and takes a seat.

Lindsay pokes at the egg, half expecting something to pop out of it. She turns it over and finds the bottom burnt to a dark crisp. She giggles. Taruto blushes.

"Thank you." she takes a bite of the egg, grimaces, and takes a sip of the orange juice. "What's the occasion?" she asks as she lifts a piece of toast. Almost immediately, she drops it. She picks it up again and looks underneath. Lying there was a ring with a single diamond. She looks at Taruto, who has already moved to kneel on one knee. Lindsay cups her hand over her mouth, smiling from ear to ear.

"These last three years have been amazing with you. I never thought I'd find someone who loves everything I do and can joke around and who I love... and who is also my best friend." He takes the ring in one hand and grabs her hand with the other. "Lindsay, now that we are both 18...would you marry me?"

"Yes! Yes! Definitely, definitely yes!"

Sofia sits up and lets her legs dangle out of the bed, wrapping herself with a sheet. Pai wraps his arms around her shoulders, watching her as she opens a box and pulls out a pill. He sighs as she puts it in her mouth and takes a swig of water.

"Do you really have to take those?"

"You don't want me to get pregnant, do you?"

"Yes, actually, I do..."

She whirls around to face him.

He lies back down on the bed. "I hope those pills don't work..." he murmers.

"Why would you say that! No one even knows about-" She watches him and sighs. "Daniel..." She leans over to kiss him on the cheek. He doesn't move. She stares at him for a few seconds, thinking. "You really want a kid that much?"

He sighs, then turns to her and leans up to kiss her lips. "It's okay. We're still young. There's plenty of time." He forces a smile.

Sofia stares in his eyes, "You really want a baby, don't you?" She lies down next to him, watching his pained expression. They'd already been married three years, but they were still both 23. Sofia wanted to concentrate on her career, but she had also seen Pai's joy as they interacted with children as Knight and Mew. They stay in silence.

Sofia grabs his hand, "Boy or girl?" she asks, trying to make herself contemplating it.

He doesn't even have to think, "A girl. A cute little girl who looks just like you when you were little," he pauses. "Or a boy would be nice. He could attend our school."

Sofia forces herself to smile. "That might be nice."

He turns to her, "You're considering it?" He notices her slight grimmace.

"I'm considering it," she imagines herself pregnant and shudders.

"What was that?"

"A chill..."

He lets go of her hand and touches her stomach. "I think you'd be beautiful pregnant."

"I swear you are the weirdest man alive. I'd look terrible!"

He turns to face her. "You'd be beautiful because you'd be carrying our baby."

She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him, slightly touched. "Okay... I'll stop taking the pills..." she whispers as she ruffles his hair. "But you are changing diapers."

He wraps his arm around her waist and kisses her back. "Thank you."