That summer was a whirlwind of work. Not only was there the usual summertime grind of tending the crops and animals, but they had to work in a few trips, on horseback (the Behemoth was out of commission, all gas having gone bad a few years ago) to nearby towns to scavenge for supplies.
And all of it was made more difficult by Yuri and Yuki's approaching pregnancies.
It was an almost surreal experience for Yuri: riding out of Takizawa in a horse-drawn wagon (that had rubber car tires), already starting to feel awkward and swollen in her belly, Kurumi driving next to her, a trove of books, medical supplies, drugs, a professional-grade CB radio and an ultrasound machine in the back. The sun was an hour away from setting, the wind was warm, and they sang old J-pop songs all the way back home.
The CB radio kept them in touch with Ritsuko, Haruka's doctor at the settlement; she also came out to visit once, over the summer, as part of a trade of meat and produce for medical advice. The ultrasounds and the initial exams went well, and they all took time out for a few days of basic midwife training. (Yuri took to it like a professional, Miki and Kurumi did their best, although neither could fully hide their worry about what their wives were going through, and Yuki fainted more than once.)
As fall moved on, they worked on converting the spare bedroom into a nursery, filling the place with soft, warm colors and huge stuffed animals. Yuri's nesting instincts sent her into an overdrive of cleaning and canning produce, while Yuki, battling high blood pressure, was placed on bed rest for nearly a month. She spent the time reading children's books aloud to the child inside of her - Miki and Kurumi chipped in as well - and she carved wooden toys almost obsessively.
They both had false labor contractions as flurries set in, but it wasn't until a week past the first big snow that Yuki's labor began in earnest, in the thirty-sixth week of her pregnancy.
The labor began at two in the morning; Yuri and Kurumi stumbled out of bed through the dark, cold house, to face Yuki panting, sweating, glassy-eyed with pain. Miki was holding her hand and trying to comfort her, but she was nearly as terrified as Yuki. They eventually moved Miki outside the room to fetch supplies and fret, while Kurumi manned the radio to Ritsuko and Yuri coached Yuki through the contractions.
The day dawned grey and cold, and still Yuki moaned and screamed; hating herself for it Miki went outside periodically, partially to take care of the animals and partially to escape Yuki's cries that she could do nothing about.
Lunch came and went, and Miki had never felt less hungry in her life - it was only through great strength of will that she didn't vomit into the kitchen sink.
Finally, at 15:10 - Miki had been staring at the clock, trying not to think of all that could be going wrong - she heard a baby's cry from their shared room.
She ran in and threw open the door to see Kurumi, disheveled but smiling faintly, Yuri, covered in mess but leaning over to stroke Yuki's hair... and Yuki, crying, exhausted, and smiling as wide as Miki had ever seen her. She was looking down at a red-faced, black-haired bundle, gently nursing at her breast, but looked up as Miki entered the room.
"Mi-Miki..." she said softly. "Come see our daughter."
As Miki stepped to the side of the bed, Yuki looked down again.
"We're so happy you're here," she whispered to the baby. "Welcome to our club, little Megumi."