Chapter 21
~Five years prior~
Mei had intended on spending the morning relaxing.
With her exam finished for the term, she was officially on her summer vacation and had planned on spending the first part of her morning reading before getting started on her work for the academy.
She had no doubt that she'd passed but with the added strain of her pregnancy on top of her academy work, Mei was relieved to finally have a little bit of extra free time to herself, affording her the rare opportunity to sleep in, and there were days when she had managed to do just that. But today wasn't one of those days. With her due date approaching, the baby seemed to be getting more and more active, making it difficult for her to sleep. Typically she would have used to time to make herself some breakfast, but lately, either Udagawa or Yuzu made it their priority to prepare her meals for the day and ensure she took her vitamins and medications.
Despite her gratitude to the pair for preparing her for the day, Mei was beginning to get annoyed with them for pampering her.
She knew that they were only doing what was best for her, given the doctor's orders and her approaching due date, but she was by no means an invalid and there were times she'd scolded them for trying to keep her from making herself a simple mug of approved tea.
However, she'd slowly begun to relax and knew that fighting with them wasn't going to do much good, and after a long talk the two eased off, but they still found ways to skirt around her requests on occasion and this morning Mei was grateful for them.
When she woke up that morning, Mei's body had been so stiff that she'd required Yuzu's help to get out of bed so that she could go to the bathroom.
It wasn't the first time Mei had required such help. Her stomach made even the most simple tasks almost impossible, but that didn't mean she was any less embarrassed at the notion of requesting Yuzu's help getting off the toilet.
"I hate this," sighed Mei after she'd finished cleaning up and headed to the small nest of blankets and work materials she'd made on the couch. "It seems like the closer I get to my delivery date the more my body hates me."
"I know you do," laughed Yuzu as she sat behind Mei so her hands could begin loosening the knots in Mei's shoulder and neck. "But just think, you only have a few more weeks, and then you'll be peeing on your own."
Mei managed a small chuckle before letting out a whimper when Yuzu found an unusually large knot between her shoulder blades.
"Rough morning," laughed Udagawa as he appeared with her breakfast and supplements getting a lazy nod from Mei. "Do you need me to fill the tub? I can stay a little later if you need some help getting in and out."
"I'll be fine," groaned Mei as Yuzu's thumbs began massaging the base of her spine. "I just need to get up and move around a bit. Yuzu can you help me take a walk outside before you go to class? Not a very long one, but just something to get me out of here for a while."
"I think we can do that." Yuzu's hands left Mei's back and wrapped around her girlfriend's neck and squeezed her carefully. "I don't need to leave until one, so we can take a long walk and get you a nice lunch. Is there anything special you want?"
"Not particularly," answered Mei, feeling her face warm up at the intimate contact. "But can we look at something for dinner? I would like something fried if that's all right."
"Absolutely," chimed in Udagawa before checking his watch and cursing beneath his breath. "I have to get going. Do you two need any money for the groceries? I'm going to be staying at my place tonight with Rena, but I'm more than happy to help with dinner if you need it."
"We'll be fine," said Yuzu with a grateful smile. "But thanks for the offer. You and Rena have fun on your date."
"Thanks, Yuzu." Udagawa gave a cautious look to Mei and then back at Yuzu and said, "Call me if..."
"I got your number on speed-dial." Yuzu pointed at her phone and the house phone and smirked. "I also programmed it into the house phone. If something happens, you'll be the first person I call if we have to go to the hospital."
"Okay." Udagawa made a gesture towards Mei and stopped, casting a nervous look at both Mei and Yuzu. "Mei is it okay if I say goodbye?"
"Of course. Yuzu do you mind?"
"Not really," said Yuzu, narrowing her eyes at Udagawa. "Just don't get any ideas."
"Really?" Udagawa rolled his eyes making Yuzu giggle and Mei smirk. "Can I say goodbye to my son or do you have more jokes up your sleeves."
"I've got plenty of jokes," grunted Yuzu as she pulled her and Mei back against the arm of the couch and carefully patted Mei's stomach. "But since you gotta get going, I'm going to hold off on them. So have at it."
Snorting, Udagawa waited until Mei was comfortable before leaning down and giving her stomach a gentle caress and a light kiss.
"I'll see you soon. I love you." After saying his Udagwa stood up and gave Mei a chaste kiss on the cheek and smiled at Yuzu. "You two have a good time. I'll see you in a few days, if not sooner."
"Later, Udagawa-san."
"Tell Rena I said, 'Hello.'"
After hearing the front door shut, Mei struggled to sit up in an effort to get her food but failed and collapsed into Yuzu's arms and let out a disgusted groan at feeling so helpless.
"Do you want some help?"
There was a hint of laughter in Yuzu's voice and deciding to have a bit of fun with the blonde, Mei nodded and said, "Can you please hand me the rolled omelette?"
"Do you want me to feed you too," joked Yuzu as she shifted out from beneath Mei and began preparing the food.
"If it's not too much trouble."
There was a clattering of dishware and Mei smirked as she watched as Yuzu nearly dropped the plate and chopsticks.
"O...okay," gulped Yuzu as she fixed the plate again and picked up some of the omelette with the chopsticks before turning to Mei and began moving it toward the younger woman's mouth.
Deciding to go a bit further with her joke, Mei opened her mouth and slowly edged toward the offering, her eyes locked on Yuzu's as her mouth enveloped the egg. As she began chewing, Mei could swear she saw the steam shoot out from Yuzu's ears. Swallowing loudly, Mei watched, humored as Yuzu fumbled with picking up another bit of egg only to have Mei take the plate and begin feeding herself.
"Thank you for your help, Yuzu," said Mei, adding a salacious tone when she reached her girlfriend's name. "But I think I can manage from here."
"Ri...right." Yuzu's voice was little more than a whisper as she collapsed into the couch, exhausted from the endeavor. As Mei continued to eat, the blonde grabbed the remote with her left hand while her right massaged Mei's stomach, hoping to feel the baby begin to move.
"He's not very active today," said Mei after finishing her omelette and move on to her rice and fruit. "But this seems to be normal after keeping me up all night. He should be moving by the time you get home from your exams unless you have to work tonight."
"I'm off," coughed Yuzu as she sat up and moved a little closer to Mei trying to steal a piece of melon, only to be thwarted by Mei hand feeding her a small slice. "So I can make whatever you want tonight."
"Can we have pork cutlet?" Mei brushed some hair behind her ear and looked nervously at Yuzu and smiled. "I've been craving something fried for the past few days, and I think that would be something I could eat without much difficulty."
"Okay," said Yuzu lazily, her eyes glued to the television screen.
Setting down her plate, Mei turned her attention to Yuzu and asked, "Are you upset with me?"
Yuzu blinked a couple of times and turned from the television to Mei and asked, "No, why would I be upset?
"My teasing a few a few minutes ago," Mei fiddled with a strand of her hair as she spoke, "did I go too far?"
Yuzu dropped the remote on the couch next to her and wrapped her arm around Mei's shoulder and kissed her girlfriend's cheek.
"It was kind of a lot," admitted Yuzu while resting her head on Mei's shoulder.
"I'm..."
"Nope," protested Yuzu lifting her head off of Mei's shoulder and shaking her long hair. "You're not apologizing; not for that."
"But you just said..."
"I know what I said, Mei." Yuzu grinned at the disgruntled scowl on Mei's face but didn't flinch. "But it's more my fault than it is yours."
"What do you mean?" Mei placed a hand on the one Yuzu still had resting on her stomach and squeezed it, hoping the assumption that had just surfaced in her mind was correct. "Is it because I'm pregnant? Or is it because we still haven't kissed."
"It's kind of a mix of both." Yuzu shifted uncomfortably and with a downcast look and shrugged.
"Don't get me wrong," said Yuzu hastily when she saw Mei's face fall in disappointment, "I still think you're beautiful, you know that, and I do want to kiss you. But I'm just kinda scared that I won't want to stop at kissing, and I don't know how you'll feel about that. Especially with the condition, you're in, and it's kind of, I dunno, I guess it's putting this mental block in my head that's making this more difficult than it needs to be."
Mei's face turned as red as Yuzu's when she heard the anxiety in the blonde's voice and said, "I see," while twirling some hair around her finger.
Mei had always wondered about Yuzu's hesitance in the more physical aspects of their relationship, elements she'd once been eager to pursue and ones that Mei had been anticipating ever since they'd readmitted their feelings to one another.
Even though it'd been a couple of months, Yuzu and Mei had done little more than cuddle and kissed one another on the cheek or forehead. Mei had tried a few times to get Yuzu to kiss her honestly, but the blonde always backed out at the last second. It left Mei confused and dismayed, but she held true to her promise and never forced an answer out of Yuzu and instead comforted her lover with soft words and gentle caresses.
"I'm sorry," whispered Yuzu, pulling her hand from Mei's laps and resting it between her knees. "I guess I'm still kind of unsure about everything and I don't want you to feel ashamed or make it seem like I don't want to express myself to you like that..."
"I understand." Mei moved a little closer to Yuzu, making the blonde's face turn red and her legs begin to shift uncomfortably. "I'm not sure I'm ready for things to proceed in that direction, given my current condition, but that doesn't mean I'm against doing them with you in the future."
"Are you sure," laughed Yuzu lightly as she remembered a few of their earlier attempts to try and persuade the other to move beyond kissing. "In case you forgot, we don't have the best track record when it comes to situations like this.
"I remember." Mei managed a strained smile while remembering that night in the hallway, during their overnight trip and regretting her cowardice. Steeling herself against the stampede of doubt that was beginning to surface Mei managed a nervous grin and nodded. "But I want to do those things with you Yuzu when we're both ready."
Yuzu's face turned, if possible, even redder causing the blonde to hide her face between Mei's back and the couch.
"Did I say something wrong," asked Mei as she felt Yuzu slip her arm around her neck.
"No," groaned Yuzu while rubbing her face against Mei's arm. Her face was hot, and despite her shot nerves, Yuzu couldn't resist kissing her way up Mei's arm, before resting her head in the crook of Mei's neck. "You said a lot of things right, Mei."
Mei shivered a bit at the warmth of Yuzu's breath on her ear, her first instinct was to pull away, but chose to wrap her arm around the blonde's waist and smirked when Yuzu gave her neck a cautious kiss.
"Yuzu," moaned Mei at the sensation of Yuzu's lips prolonged contact, "what are you doing?"
"Kissing you," chuckled Yuzu, making her way up Mei's neck toward her jaw. "You want me to kiss you, right?"
"Yes," chuckled Mei as Yuzu's hair tickled her ear. "But I meant an actual kiss, not...not this."
"I know." Yuzu kissed the corner of Mei's mouth. "You like this though, right?"
"You know I do." Mei pulled her head away and rubbed Yuzu's forehead with her nose and smiled. "I miss kissing you, Yuzu."
"I miss it too."
Yuzu turned her gaze upward and palmed Mei's cheek, her thumb stroking the soft, pale skin.
As she stared into Mei's calm lavender eyes, Yuzu could hear her heart thundering in her chest, waiting to see if Mei would make the first move, but she didn't. Instead, the younger woman just continued to wait patiently for Yuzu to find her nerve while her right hand covered the one Yuzu had on her cheek, prompting her to kiss the blonde's palm occasionally.
After the second kiss, Yuzu let out a defeated sigh and rested her forehead against Mei's and whispered, "I'm sorry, Mei."
"It's all right, Yuzu," whispered Mei after kissing Yuzu on the cheek.
"No, it's not." Yuzu slipped her arms around Mei's neck, her hands burying into the raven locks while she kissed the side of Mei's head cursing herself for being unable to do more. "I want to do that for you, for us, but I get so scared whenever I think about it. Not just what it can lead to, but what it might not lead to."
"Yuzu." Mei's arms slipped around Yuzu's waist, pulling her tight against her. "What are you afraid of? "
"That…"
Yuzu's voice was shaky, and Mei proceeded to stroke her girlfriend's hair and whispering her name in hopes that it would help her calm down.
"You don't have to tell..."
"I'm afraid I won't feel anything when I kiss you," butted in Yuzu, cutting Mei off rather abruptly. "Or that you won't feel anything when you kiss me. And I don't mean the things we've been doing, like the kisses on the cheek and..."
"I know what you mean." Mei kissed Yuzu's neck and chuckled. "But I'm okay with what we've been doing; you don't have to apologize. I promised you I wouldn't force you to do anything and if this is what you're comfortable with doing, then I am fine with it. A little disappointed, maybe, but," Mei pulled away and wiped away a stray tear from Yuzu's cheek and kissed her forehead, "I'd rather have this than nothing. As long as I know you love me, then what we have will suffice."
"I do love you, Mei." Yuzu smiled and kissed Mei's hand. "I want this to work, and I'm sorry if I've..."
"No apologies," said Mei, her hand enveloping Yuzus. "You told me not to apologize earlier, and I'm not going let you apologize for your feelings. You're honest, and I'm happy you're willing to talk to me about it."
"That's not what I expected to hear," laughed Yuzu when she heard Mei's words. "When did you get so smart about stuff like this?
"I've had some time to learn a bit about how to handle your feelings." Mei pointed over her shoulder at the bedroom door. "I have a bookshelf filled with literature about situations like we're in, you can borrow them if you like."
"I'd rather talk to you if that's okay?"
Mei could still see the strain in Yuzu's smile but noted that it had considerably lessened and nodded eagerly.
"Of course it is, Yuzu." Mei lifted Yuzu's hand and placed it on the spot where she'd last felt the baby move and grunted when he began shifting. "I want to build a home for him and us, and it seems he wants us too as well."
"I can tell," sniffed Yuzu as she felt something rub against her hand. Leaning down, Yuzu leaned down and placed her cheek against Mei's stomach and began speaking. "What do you say, little guy? You wanna live with your Mommy and me?"
"I'll never understand yours and Udagawa's obsession with doing this," chuckled Mei as she stroked Yuzu's hair. "I understand that he can hear your voice, but I'm not sure if he even understands you."
"You talk to him more than we do," laughed Yuzu, sighing in contentment as Mei's fingers combed through her hair. "I can't tell you how many times I've woken up and laid there, listening to you tell him how much you want to meet him and hold him."
"He's inside my body Yuzu." Mei blushed at Yuzu's retort but found no reason to hide the fact that she'd taken to talking to stroking her stomach and talking to the baby as often as she could. "It's only right that I communicate with him; he needs to know how I feel."
She found a sort of solace in it on the days when she didn't have anyone else around to talk to. Sure there were days Himeko, Suzuran, or Mitsuko would stop by to visit and check in on her, but they couldn't stay long most days given their schedules, so Mei turned to her one constant companion for conversation, even if it was one-sided.
"I'm well aware of where he is, Mei." Yuzu kissed Mei's stomach again before resting her head against it. "He was kicking me in the back last night, it was weird, and I didn't get a lot of sleep. So thanks a lot for that."
"Take it up with him, not me." Mei rubbed the side of her stomach and winced when she felt him kick again. "I can't control what he does, and in case you forgot, I haven't had a full night's sleep in weeks because he's been so active."
"I thought that's why you were having me sleep in the bed more?" Yuzu sat up and gave Mei an exaggerated pout. "To help you sleep."
"That's a reason, Yuzu." Mei played with some of Yuzu's hair before resting her head against Yuzu's chest, feeling the small lump of the ring hidden beneath the shirt. "I miss having you next to me, and most nights it does help me sleep better. But right now he's dictating my schedule so on the nights I can't sleep, having you next to me helps in more ways than I could ever express."
"I know what you mean." Yuzu kissed the top of Mei's head and wrapped her arms around the younger woman and began rocking her back and forth. "I'm glad we're sharing a bed again too, even if it is just cuddling."
"I rather enjoy the cuddling." Mei felt a sharp kick in the side of her stomach and instinctively clutched it, breathing sharply while her hand began frantically searching for the source.
"Are you okay?" Yuzu pulled away and stared down at Mei who looked like she was in pain.
"Yes," Mei's hand continued it's searching and after several frantic attempts breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the baby moving at his usual pace. "He's just a little too active at the moment. I didn't think he could kick that hard."
"He's full of surprises," chuckled Yuzu, stroking Mei's cheek and smiling. "Just like his mother."
Mei's face turned a bright red and after a nervous cough asked, "Can you help me stand up? I think I'd like to take that walk now."
"Awww," Yuzu gave Mei's cheek a quick pinch before standing up and extending her hand, "did I embarrass you?"
"Slightly," grunted Mei as Yuzu helped her get to her feet.
Yuzu did little except smile while she led Mei to the bedroom to help her get dressed.
It was an annoying task, with much complaining from Mei as she fought Yuzu over every little thing from what pants she should wear to which socks were her compression ones. More often than not, Yuzu was right, but Mei wanted Yuzu to give up so she could dress, but the blonde's determination to help eventually wore her down, and Mei was forced to accept her assistance.
Luckily for Mei, the weather was changing which meant that she with could get away with a pair of overalls Yuzu had bought her and a loose black teeshirt which meant that if she required the use of a restroom Yuzu wouldn't need to help her.
When they finally reached the outdoors, Mei let out a sigh of relief at finally being out of the apartment and immediately took Yuzu's hand and pulled her close.
"Easy," laughed Yuzu as she was pulled off her feet before squeezing in tight next to Mei to avoid hitting people as they walked toward the store. "I'm right here."
"I'm aware," sighed Mei when she felt Yuzu's arm against hers. "I'm just happy to be out of the apartment for a while, even if it's not for very long."
"It kinda feels like we're on a date." Yuzu rested her head on Mei's shoulder, earning them a few awkward looks but neither of them paid any attention. "We haven't been on one since the hotel if you can count that as a date."
"We can count this as our first official date." Mei rubbed her cheek against Yuzu's hair and squeezed her hand. "It's not much, but I don't mind."
"Heck of a first date." Yuzu reached across her body and patted Mei's belly. "But I like the sound of that; makes for a funny story."
"What do you mean?" Mei was already beginning to feel the strain from their walk, even though it'd only been ten minutes, but she wanted to keep going if only to pad out her time with Yuzu.
"Well think about it," Yuzu managed to move a bit away now that the crowd had dissipated. "We've got a few people who know about us and think how funny it'll be if we tell them that our first date after getting back together was us going to the grocery store."
Mei had to take a second to process what Yuzu was talking about and when it finally hit her, she began chuckling while Yuzu scratched the back of her head.
"You are right," said Mei between her stifled laughs. "That is a rather awkward first date."
"Better than a trip to a graveyard, at least." Yuzu slipped back in next to Mei and entwined their fingers, her shoulders tensing as she remembered the promise from back then. "I still owe you that crepe, you know."
"Yuzu, what are you..."
"The fireworks festival," said Yuzu as she picked up a basket outside the grocery store, leading Mei in. "You got that crepe because of when we visited my dad's grave right?"
"Yes." Mei felt her chest tighten as she remembered wandering the festival, doing her best to try and emulate the actions she thought Yuzu'd always dreamed of having. "I thought it'd be nice to fulfill that promise, but as you remember we had some difficulties."
"Sorry about that." Yuzu lets go of Mei's hand so she could begin inspecting the meat, but also to make it so the taller woman couldn't see her face. "If I'd told Matsuri 'no' maybe you would have had a better time and things wouldn't have turned out the way they did."
"It was disappointing." Mei joined Yuzu under the pretense of inspecting the food only to spend her time brushing her hand against Yuzu's arm in an attempt to make her girlfriend smile. "But it still proved to be an enlightening trip, despite our many interruptions, if you recall."
"I do." Yuzu finally decided on her purchase and set it in the basket and turned to Mei, her mood slightly elevated. "But I want to make it up to you first chance I get."
"Isn't this making it up to me?" Mei pointed at the basket before taking Yuzu's hand.
"I guess," shrugged Yuzu as the continued their way through the store gathering supplies. "But I wanted that date to be special, and I screwed it up, just like..."
"Stop." Mei halted their progression and pulled Yuzu tight and wrapped her arm around Yuzu's neck and pressed their foreheads together. "We both made mistakes and we've both agreed to work beyond this and dwelling isn't going to allow us to do that."
"I know." Yuzu closed her eyes and let out a relaxed breath. "But I wanna talk about it at some point; get some closure ya know?"
"I understand," Mei kissed Yuzu's forehead and began leading her girlfriend toward the produce, "and we will. But, not to sound rude, my legs and feet are starting to get sore, and I'm going to need to rest soon so can we please finish the shopping?'"
Yuzu kissed Mei on the nose and said, "Your wish is my command."
Mei watched as Yuzu's anxiety disappeared behind her confident smile, and after another twenty minutes of deciding on what to accompany the pork, they paid for their food, though the balance was considerably higher as Mei felt the need to add in a few desserts right before check out. Mei offered to cover her impulse purchases even going so far as to ask if the cashier could run them as a separate purchase, but Yuzu insisted on paying for them.
"You didn't have to do that," said Mei as they left the store, staring down at the puddings and cakes. "I don't even know why I grabbed them; I'm not supposed to be eating this."
"When was the last time you had something sweet?" Yuzu peeked into the bag and pointed at a small cake with a bright red strawberry on top. "I thought you liked stuff like this?"
"I do." Mei sighed and stared back at the store and then her bag. "But the doctor said I have to be careful. She's already concerned about my..."
"One cake won't kill you," sighed Yuzu as she pulled out the pork cutlet and a few other items that weren't doctor approved. "We're already going this far with dinner so let's have one night where we cut loose. Fried pork, some rice, a cake, some pudding." Yuzu moved closer to Mei, a lecherous grin on her face. "You and me on the couch, snuggled close as we watch a movie; your choice of course, and who knows maybe we won't watch the movie."
"Is that right?" Mei snorted and shook her head before turning toward the apartment. "Earlier you told me you didn't want to kiss me because you're nervous that it won't be what you expect and now you're offering…."
"I am nervous." Yuzu scratched the back of her head and sighed in frustration. "But I just thought that if I set the mood right, I wouldn't be as nervous, and I won't disappoint you."
Yuzu began kicking her feet as they walked down the street, forcing Mei to pull her off into a side street, carefully pressing her against the wall.
"Yuzu, look at me."
Yuzu managed to lift her head, her shoulders shifting uncomfortably as asked, "What is it, Mei?"
Mei lifted her hand and caressed Yuzu's cheek and leaned in, resting her head on Yuzu's shoulder, oblivious to the glances they were getting.
"Stop worrying about disappointing me," whispered Mei, thankful that she felt Yuzu begin to relax. "I understand your frustration. It's been a long time since we've done something like that so there's no reason to rush and like you said," Mei stepped back and pointed at her stomach, "I'm not exactly in the best physical state at the moment, and I won't be for quite a while."
"Yeah, that's true," giggled Yuzu as she rubbed Mei's stomach. "But I still want to cuddle on the couch and watch a movie, can we at least do that? I'll even let you use me as a pillow."
"I had already planned on doing that," Mei smirked and took Yuzu's hand and led her back out into the street and headed toward the apartment.
"Oh, I see," Yuzu snorted and picked up her pace, stepping a bit ahead of Mei, "I've become nothing more than a glorified pillow."
"Only because you offered," Mei reached out and took Yuzu's hand and began trying to keep pace with Yuzu as they made their way through the crowd. "You have an incredibly comfortable lap, and I'd be a fool not to take you up on it."
"Is that the only reason," giggled Yuzu, keeping her quickened pace in an effort to force their way through the crowd.
"Does there need to be any other reason?" Mei was starting to feel some stabbing pains in her feet but didn't want to come off as a burden.
"Not really." Yuzu turned to face Mei and came to a sudden stop when she saw the pained expression on Meis' face. "Mei, what's the matter?"
"Nothing. I'm fine; let 's go we're almost home." Mei took a couple of deep breaths and straightened up only to have her knees buckle, and Yuzu rushed forward to catch her.
"No, you aren't." Yuzu sighed in disappointment and wrapped Mei's arm around her shoulder and lead her to a nearby bench. "You pushed yourself too hard, and I didn't help by pulling you along."
"I'll be fine with some rest Yuzu." Mei groaned as Yuzu helped her sit down and ran to a vending machine and bought a bottled water. "There's no reason to fuss since we're close to the apartment; I'll rest when we get there."
"You're going to rest now," snorted Yuzu, handing over the bottle. "Even if we're not far from the house, the doctor said when you need to rest whenever you feel the need to, and I'm not gonna risk you collapsing on me in the middle of the street."
"Fine." Mei snatched the bottle and took a large drink, feeling refreshed but even more disgruntled now that she knew Yuzu was in the right. "I'll rest, but only for a few minutes. It's getting hot out here, and that can be worse than me walking around."
"I know." Yuzu smiled and looked ready to say something else, but was interrupted by the sound of a bright and cheery ringtone. Excusing herself, she pulled her phone out and squeaked happily when she saw the name on the screen.
"Hey, Sara," Yuzu answered brightly while Mei continued to sip her water. "Where am I? I'm in front of a bus stop with Mei. No, we aren't going anywhere, we're on our way back from the store. You're where? Oh yeah, I forgot you were coming to visit today."
Yuzu looked down at Mei with an embarrassed look on her face and said, "Hey did you forget about Sara coming to visit us today?"
Mei stopped halfway through bringing her bottle to her lips and groaned in frustration.
"I did." Capping the bottle, Mei stuffed it into her purse and looked up at Yuzu. "Where is she? Is she nearby?"
"She's a few streets away," said Yuzu before being interrupted again. "Oh wait, you're that close?! Ummm where...oh, I think I see you!"
Yuzu's hand shot into the air and began waving at a person across the street. Mei turned her attention to where Yuzu was looking and saw a short, silver-haired woman, dressed in a jean skirt and a blue blouse waving back at them with a massive smile on her face. Her hair was cut to just above her shoulders, which Mei thought looked a little odd on her friend, but made a mental note not to mention it.
As Sara ran across the street, Yuzu helped Mei onto her feet, and they headed over to the crosswalk where Yuzu immediately picked Sara up and hugged her, making the shorter woman yell at her in frustration.
"Yuzu put me down! You know I hate it when you and Nina do this to me!"
"Sorry," Yuzu put Sara down on the ground before giving her friend a proper hug, "I couldn't resist."
"Yes, you could." Sara gave Yuzu a disgruntled look, but it didn't last, and soon she was smiling back at the blonde. "I'll let it slide this time, but after this don't do it again."
"All right, all right." Yuzu gave Sara a thumbs up before moving next to Mei and locking hands with her girlfriend. "I'm sorry I got excited, but it's been a long time. All we ever do is video chat, and even with Nina at my school I barely see her."
"I know." Sara sighed and stared up at one of the street signs as she spoke. "But it's her life, and she gets to do what she wants with it. She's passing all her classes and working so much that our parents are getting worried about her, I keep telling them to calm down, but it is what it is."
"I'm sure Nina is fine," said Mei reassuringly. "It's nice to see you again by the way."
"It's good to see you too Mei." Sara walked up and gave Mei a cautious hug, unsurprised that Mei was hesitant about the physical contact. "Was that too much?"
"No." Mei shook her head, though she was certain her face was betraying her. "It's just a bit awkward seeing as how I'm…."
"Pregnant," asked Sara pointing at Mei's stomach and smirking impishly. "Or is it because you and Yuzu got back together?"
"Ummm…," Mei's cheeks flushed, and both Sara and Yuzu chuckled to one another at her confusion making her even more frustrated. She had been the one to tell Sara about her and Yuzu's attempt to become a couple again, but it was still frustrating to hear the woman she'd once attempted to replace Yuzu with sound happy about the two of them getting back together.
"Are you okay Mei?" Yuzu walked up and brushed the hair out of Mei's face, eager to see the embarrassed look on her lover's face. "You're looking kinda red."
"I'm fine," Mei grunted before turning away from Yuzu and begin walking toward the apartment. "It's just a bit warm out, and I'm having some stomach issues, once we get upstairs, I'll be fine."
"Stomach issues?" Sara turned to Yuzu, and the two of them fell in step behind Mei, both of them eyeing her cautiously.
"She's been having them for the past days," whispered Yuzu while Mei lead the way toward the apartment. "We think she's getting close, but the doctor said they might be these false labor pains so we're keeping an eye on her and it's making her a bit cranky."
"I see." Sara nodded and watched Mei closely, noticing the slight limp in Mei's step. "What about her leg? Did she hurt herself?"
"Not really," answered Yuzu with a pained look. "She's having trouble walking because of all the extra weight, and her muscles are in kind of overload. So if you don't mind, can you help me keep an eye on her while you're hanging out with us?"
"I'd be happy to." Sara smiled and picked her pace, enticing Yuzu to do the same.
They caught up to Mei quite, and after a short disagreement, Mei relinquished her bag to Sara and allowed Yuzu to open the door for her. Thanking her, Mei took the arm Yuzu offered her and after making sure Sara made it in okay, began walking toward the elevator. Mei and Yuzu both rolled their eyes when Sara greeted the security guards with an overly zealous greeting, catching them off guard.
"This is a nice building," said Sara in amazement as she stared up at the elevator ceiling. "Much nicer than the one you used to live in."
"That's only because it's newer." Mei tapped the button for their floor and moved a little closer to Yuzu, letting out an anguished moan as another bout of pain shot up her spine and asked Yuzu to rub the middle of her back.
"That explains why everything is so clean." Sara continued to try and maintain her interest in the elevator but smiled to herself when she saw Yuzu's cheek brush against the top of Mei's head in a catlike manner as she continued to massage Mei's back. "How can you afford this though? Is it because of your husband or..."
"Inheritance," yawned Mei as the door dinged open and the three of them stepped into the hall. "Once I came of age, much of my inheritance was released to me, and after agreeing to the divorce, I found a place of my own to live. But you are correct to assume that Udagawa-san is helping me to a degree. Despite my request he not, Udagawa-san had taken it upon himself to help me with certain necessities until I'm finished with school and can begin my career."
"Well, you certainly picked a big enough place to live in." Sara hummed quietly to herself as they entered the apartment and stopped in amazement at the size of the entryway. "I think you went a little overboard, Mei. This place seems pretty big for just you and a baby."
"She won't be alone," laughed Yuzu pointing down the hall. "My room's the first one on the right, and Udagawa-san is staying in the room at the end of the hall until she's recovered and the baby is old enough to move back and forth between here and his place."
"I see." Sara winked at Mei and smirked when her friend avoided her gaze and scurried toward the counter. "Do you want me to help put this stuff away? You can go sit down if you want, you look tired."
"Thank you." Mei set her bag down on the counter and placed a hand on her lower back, digging the heel of her palm into the not that refused to give her peace. "Don't worry too much about the dry goods; those should be fine. Just put away anything that needs to be refrigerated."
"You got it," sang Sara as she began putting away the food while Yuzu helped Mei to the couch before disappearing into the bathroom.
There was the sound of rushing water, and after a minute Yuzu appeared with a giant bowl of water and a fresh towel. Sara busied herself with the groceries, only looking away when she heard Mei hiss in pain.
"Yuzu that's too hot!"
"Relax, Mei." Sara appeared in the living room and watched curiously as Yuzu helped Mei put her feet into the water before adding in what looked to be a white powder. "Sara, can you grab a few ice cubes for me, please?
"Of course." After a couple of moments, Sara returned with a large cup of ice and handed it to Yuzu who added it to the bowl. Sitting down, Sara picked up the scent of mint and something else that she couldn't quite place, and was relieved when she saw Mei close her eyes and rest her head against the back of the couch while Yuzu massaged her calves.
"Better," smirked Yuzu as a small moan escaped Mei's throat.
"Very much." Mei reached out and stroked Yuzu's hair. "I'm sorry for yelling."
"Don't worry about it." Yuzu climbed to her feet and smiled at Mei before checking the clock on the wall and grumbled. "Dammit, I need to get to class, are you going to be okay? If it's too much for you, I can try and talk to my instructors about resched..."
"You will do no such thing," snapped Mei making Yuzu jump back in surprise. "You're going to finish your tests today. There's no sense in delaying them when you're so close to finishing for the term. Rescheduling will just complicate things."
"Okay, okay." Yuzu caressed Mei's cheek and chuckled." Are you going to be okay while I'm gone?"
"I think I can manage," smirked Mei, taking Yuzu's hand. "Sara, are you going to be staying for a while?"
"Of course!" Sara's face lit up at the invitation. "I have some plans with Nina later, she wants me to meet her boyfriend or something, she wasn't all that clear when we talked; I'm just hoping it's not another mixer. But I can stay until about six or seven if that's okay."
"That'll be fine." Yuzu squeezed Mei's hand and winked down at her before focusing on Sara. "I'll be back around three, maybe a little later depending on my tests. Sorry, I have to leave. I completely forgot about my exam schedule."
"Don't worry about it." Sara smiled up at Yuzu and then at Mei. "I'll take good care of her. You just focus on your exams, and we'll be here when you get back."
"Thanks." Yuzu leaned down and kissed Mei on the cheek and whispered, "I love you."
"I love you too," whispered Mei, nuzzling her forehead against Yuzu's chin before letting her go. "I'll see you soon. We're still having our movie date, correct?"
"You know it."
After Yuzu waved goodbye to Sara and headed toward the front door.
When it clicked shut, Mei reached for the remote control and began trying to find a documentary that she'd recorded while Sara smiled knowingly at her.
"Is there something you wish to say," asked Mei after finally finding the show she'd been planning on watching for the past few days, but the look Sara was giving her was making it difficult to concentrate.
"I'm just glad the two of you finally managed to patch things up." Sara's smile continued to grow with each word that left her mouth.
"We haven't completely patched things up, not yet." Mei turned the volume up a little higher and turned her gaze away from the television toward Sara. "We're still working through many of our issues, but we're better than we were."
"I can tell," laughed Sara as she relaxed into her chair, folding her hands over her stomach. "Yuzu called me back when you two first started talking."
"What did she tell you," inquired Mei, astonished that Yuzu hadn't told her about this.
"Mostly about how afraid she was," said Sara with a sad sigh. "About how she might be making a mistake and that things would end up worse than before, but," Sara pointed around the house, noting all the little items and touches that showed Yuzu was slowly making her mark on the apartment, "you two seemed to have avoided the worst case scenario."
"I don't know about that. There's still sufficient space for error, but I'm hopeful." Mei wiggled her toes in the water and felt the tension in her feet begin to dissolve. "Things haven't been that easy, and we're still figuring one another out, but we're progressing."
"I'm glad to hear it." Sara grinned at Mei but felt a small knot in her stomach when she saw the look of discomfort in her friend's eyes. "Are you okay? You must be a bit overwhelmed with everything going on."
"It has not been pleasant." Mei pulled her feet out of the now chilled water and set them on the towel. "School and my work I'd have been able to handle, but this," Mei placed a hand on her stomach and sighed, "was not something I'd planned on."
"Yuzu seems to be handling it well enough." Sara reached into the bag she'd brought with her and pulled out a reusable water bottle and took a deep drink. "Not to mention your ex is here to help, so I imagine it's been a lot easier than you initially thought."
"I honestly don't know how I would have managed without the two of them here." A grateful smile played across Mei's lips as she felt the ring on her chest. "But what about you? It's been a long time since we've had a chance to talk and I'm sure you didn't come here just to listen to me talk about myself."
Both Sara and Mei shared a small chuckle at her comment and Sara began talking about her classes and all of the hard work she was putting into becoming a social worker and about all the kids she'd been helping.
"Sounds like you've found your niche," said Mei after a good forty-five minutes of conversation. "I'm sure the branch you're working with would be more than happy to hire you after graduation."
"One of my supervisors said something similar." Sara grinned sheepishly after hearing Mei's compliment. "But the truth is that right now I'm too busy to think about where I want to work at the moment. Between my part-time job, studying, and everything else I don't really have any free time. I already finished up a full class schedule and thanks to getting ahead with one of my other classes; I'm not going to have a break next semester because I had to fill in a few classes. Not to mention all the extra homework I was given by my other professor before the break."
Sara let out a loud whine and began kicking her feet in protest, looking an awful lot like an incredibly short Nina.
"I just want to enjoy my summer vacation without having to do homework for once, is that too much to ask?! I thought we were supposed to be done with all of this since we're out of high school!"
"It's only going to get worse." Mei winced at what felt like a stabbing pain in her side and blinked a few times as it subsided. "When we're out of school, we won't be given extended breaks, so enjoy them while you can."
"I guess you're the last person I should be complaining about this to." Sara lowered her gaze to Mei and smirked. "You've been doing this kind of stuff for years, after all. I kind of forgot that you're used to it."
"That is an understatement if I ever heard one." Mei chuckled but had to stop when she felt another sharp pain in her side and reached for the side of the couch and struggled to push herself up only to slip on the towel and hit the couch with a low thud. Realizing what she'd have to do, Mei swallowed her pride and turned to Sara and asked, "Sara, I hate to impose, but would you mind helping me off the couch? I need to use the restroom."
"Okay," Sara said with a confused look. Standing up, she stepped over to Mei and with a significant degree of difficulty was able to help Mei find her balance and as awkward as it was, helped Mei walk to the bathroom.
"Thank you," sighed Mei after she was able to rest her hands on the counter and turned on the water and began washing her face. "I'm sorry that you have to see me like this."
"Why?" Sara noticed that some of the color had drained from Mei's face and looked around for a cup or something else she could use to help Mei calm down.
"It's just strange having to ask you to for help." Mei dried her face on a hand towel, looking reasonably more composed.
"Don't worry about it." Sara reached out and took Mei's hand, thinking she had accomplished her goal. "We've been in more awkward situations than this, so quit beating yourself up."
"You sound like Yuzu," Mei smirked and pulled her hand away from Sara and tilted her head toward the door. "Do you think you could give me a few moments alone? I'm feeling a bit fatigued and if you don't mind could you maybe prepare us some drinks and snacks while I..."
There was another sharp stab in her stomach, but unlike the other times, Mei wasn't prepared for it. It was so sudden that her knees began quaking enough to force her to catch herself on the edge of the sink, but even that wasn't sufficient to keep her standing, and if it wasn't for Sara reaching out to grab her, Mei was confident she would have been in serious trouble.
"Mei, are you all right?"
Mei could barely make out Sara's face thanks to the pain, but she managed a deep breath and tried to speak, but stopped
"I don't know," whispered Mei as she began moving her hand across her stomach, trying to find where her son had positioned himself. "I can't feel him and..."
There was another shock in her body and this time, Mei' ended up on the floor, slowed by Sara's grip and the fact that she'd managed to slide her back against the sink and up on the floor.
"Sara, I can't feel him," panted Mei, her head covered in sweat as she began breathing rapidly while something warm spread across her thigh. "I...I think my water..."
Mei bit back a scream as she felt what was possibly another contraction, reaching out she took Sara's hand and calmed a bit when she felt her friend's reassuring grip. Wiping the sweat from her eyes, Mei gave Sara a pleading look and gulped, "Sara, I need you to call emergency services, tell them my water broke and..."
"Mei, I don't think that's water." Sara pointed at the growing stain between Mei's legs, her face paler than usual.
"What are you talking about?" Mei's eyes followed Sara's finger and instantly regretted ever looking.
Instead of a dark blue spot she'd been expecting, Mei nearly collapsed when saw that a large red stain had appeared on the thigh of her outfit.
"No, no, no," whispered Mei as her heart began pounding in her ears. Her breath grew more and more erratic as she felt at her stomach, hoping for some semblance of movement from her child, tears pouring down her cheeks. "Sara I can't...Sara, I can't find him."
"Mei, Mei look at me." Sara took Mei's face in her hands and lifted Mei's eyes to hers.
Mei could see a similar fear in Sara's eyes but was relieved to see that the shorter woman seemed to have a better handle over her emotions.
"Sara, we need to… call..."
"We will," said Sara frantically. "I'm going to call someone, but I have to leave you to do it. I don't have my phone on me."
"Please...please don't…."
Mei reached out and gripped Sara's wrist so tightly that she nearly drove her to tears.
"I have to, Mei." Sara stroked Mei's hair and tried her best to look brave. "If I don't, things will get worse. I promise I will be right back."
"Okay." Mei panted and nodded in understanding. She knew Sara was right and despite the need to have someone stay with her, Mei knew it was the only way to protect herself and her son. "Just, hurry back, please?"
"I will." Sara gave her a tearful smile before leaving the room.
When she was alone, Mei's hands returned to her stomach, and she began rubbing it cautiously, searching again for any sign of movement.
"Please," she whispered as she began slowly feeling across her. "Please don't do this to me."
From the hallway, Mei could hear Sara's voice shakily begin by explaining the situation to the person on the other end.
"Come on, Hideki," whispered Mei as her hand drifted closer to her thigh. "Let me know you're okay, please?"
"Yes, please, send someone right away," was the next thing Mei heard Sara say, her breathing growing more relaxed now that she knew help was on the way.
"You're going to be okay," said Mei, and she finally felt what she hoped was his foot or hand rubbing against her palm. "I promise, Mommy will protect you."