It had been a month since I saw the lipstick smudge on Kunihiko's shirt collar.
It a Saturday night.
They boys were in bed and it was almost 1 am.
"Where is he?" I said to myself breathing as another contraction hit.
They started earlier that afternoon.
I thought they were Braxton hicks considering that I was only 7 ½ months along, but they kept getting stronger.
I grabbed my cell phone and called him.
"You've reached Kuniko Aikawa, I am not able to take your call. Leave me a message and I will call you back when I can."
His voicemail…again.
I called his office phone this time.
It just kept ringing and ringing.
"Ah.." I screamed as another contraction hit.
"Mom?"
"Cooper…what are you doing up?" I said breathing heavy.
"What's wrong?"
"Listen, I need you to go wake Ethan up and get dressed ok."
"O..ok." he said running back to their room.
I looked at my phone and dialed Saeki's number.
Over the past month he has been the only one I can call for anything between medicine for the boys or to pick them up if I have to work late…he is an amazing person, no an amazing man. I don't know anyone else who would do what he has.
"Saeki, I need you to take me to the hospital…yes I know…ok." I said hanging up the phone.
I tried calling Kunihiko one last time.
It went to voicemail.
"I don't know why the hell you are not answering either of your phones but Saeki is taking me and the boys to the hospital. If you get this message we will be there." I said hanging up.
Saeki made it to the house in about 30 minutes.
"Anne?!"
"I'm in the bedroom." I said leaning against the bed railing.
"Where is Kunihiko?"
"I don't know…I…I tried….calling him." I said breathing through another contraction.
"Where are the boys?"
"They are in their room waiting. Take them to the car first." I said.
"Ok."
Saeki took the boys to the car.
"Ok, they are in the car. Can you walk?"
"I think so." I said.
The second I took a step a contraction hit that made me collapse.
"Maybe not."
"Ok." Saeki said.
He bent down and picked me up carrying me.
"Let's go."
We got to the hospital and they admitted me.
After being in labor for about 4 hours it was time to push.
"Were is Kunihiko?!" I screamed.
"We tried calling him but there is still no answer."
"Ok, Anne you need to push."
"Not without Kunihiko."
"Anne, I'm here ok?" Saeki said. "I know you rather have Kuni here but your daughter is coming if he is here or not."
"Ok…"
"Alright…next contraction I need you to push."
"Ahh!"
1 hour later.
"She will be fine Anne, she is strong like you." Saeki said holding my hand.
"But she was so small…and she wasn't breathing." I said crying.
"They have her on a breathing tube to help her. She just needs to start breathing on her own."
"But what if she doesn't?"
"She will. Remember the doctor said that she is premature. It is normal."
"Thank you Saeki…for everything."
"Anytime." He said hugging me.
"Anne?"
I let go and Kunihiko was standing there.
"What is going on?" he said looking at me and Saeki.
"Kunihiko…where were you?"
"I was at work…I got your message."
"4 hours later?!"
"Anne."
"No…I called you so many times…I left you a message yesterday at 6 when the contractions started. You missed her being born Kunihiko!"
"Where is she?"
"She is in the NICU."
"What, why?"
"You would know if you were here."
"Anne."
"Get out."
"What?"
"GET OUT!"
"I'm not going anywhere."
"You should leave Kuni. She doesn't need to get upset." Said Saeki.
"And you're going to stay here and comfort her? Like hell."
"At least he has been here! You are never around anymore Kunihiko!"
"I'm working all the time trying to keep a roof over our head!"
"And that work involves screwing Grace?!"
His face paled as he looked at me.
"I saw the lipstick on your shirt collar a month ago. After that I could smell the perfume too."
"Anne…" he started to say.
"I wasn't sure at first, but I went to surprise you at work last week…I saw you and her in your office."
He just stood there.
"Get out." I said looking away.
"I'm sorry." He said leaving the room.
"Anne…"
"Please…I just want to be alone." I said not looking at Saeki.
"Ok." He said leaving the room.
Saeki's POV
I walked outside the room and Kuni was standing there.
"What the hell were you doing here?"
"She called me when you didn't answer to bring her and the boys to the hospital."
"Were you in there when Ayana was born?"
"Someone had to be there for her since you weren't."
"You were in there?"
"She needed me to be there for her and coach her, especially after they took Ayana away to the NICU immediately after she was born."
"You still shouldn't have been in there!"
"Wait…you think…Kuni, I may be a pervert most of the times but I would never do that. I stayed up by her head looking at her the whole time."
"Where are MY son's?"
"They are with her mother. I called her when we got here. She came right over, unlike you, and took them back to her house."
"Ok, you can go. I can take care of everything from here."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"I am here now. I can take care of MY wife without your help."
"I will leave when Anne tells me to. Besides last time I checked she told YOU to get out. So I don't think that…"
The next thing I see is Kuni's fist coming in contact with my face.
"What the hell?" A doctor said rushing over.
"I'm fine."
"You need to leave." He said to Kuni.
"My wife is in that room and I am not going anywhere."
"…Just go home Kunihiko…"
We all turned around and saw Anne standing there.
"Let's go." Said a security guard.
"Anne…" I ran up to here and she collapsed.
"I'm fine Saeki." She said using my support and walking back to the bed.
"Sir, Dr. Fredrickson wants to take a look at your nose."
"I'm fine."
"I'll be fine Saeki, I'm just going to sleep."
"Alright, I will be right back."
After a few minutes.
"Alright well it looks like it is just fractured and not broken."
"Thank you."
"No problem. Do you want us to send the bill to…Mr. Aikawa?" he said looking down at his paperwork. "He is the one that fractured your nose."
"No, just send it to me."
"Ok."
I walked back to the room and Anne was asleep.
I could not understand why anyone, especially Kuni, would hurt her like that.