There was a window in the front of the meat shop where a playpen had been set up. It allowed the customers to see the new Curtis addition while they worked behind the counter just in tandem as they always were. What they weren't expecting was one too many people gushing over the little girl surrounded by her stuffed animals and picture books leading to the precipice of a meltdown. When Izumi came back to the counter to serve the customer, it was all she could do to refrain from gawking and laughing as she watched her daughter drag herself up to reach over the playpen and chuck a stuffed purple elephant at the lady in question who had bothered her moments prior.
Izumi bit the inside of her cheek and continued to keep her focus on the customer. Unfortunately, the customer had moved closer to the playpen, looking at more of their wares and thus the second stuffed animal hit her square on the behind, eliciting a squeak of surprise. "I am so terribly sorry, Mrs. Thompson. It looks like someone might be getting fussy," Izumi said, walking around the counter swiftly and picking up both stuffed toys to return them to the playpen. Kairi stood there, gripping the pen tightly to keep her height, a firm pout on her face as she stared at the customer.
She flopped back down in the pen and tried to imitate her mother crossing her arms, but the whole image looked more petulant than pissed, and Izumi grinned at her daughter before picking her up and settling her on her hip. "Why don't I ask Sig to help you out while I calm this one down."
"Of course, dear. And what a little cutie she is," Mrs. Thompson said in a sickly sweet baby voice that grated on even Izumi's nerves.
Kairi was having none of that and babbled incoherently but clearly indignant at the woman. Walking to the back of the shop, Izumi called to her husband what was happening and then addressed their child. "Clearly, you're taking after your father's introversion, but that's no reason to be rude, sweetheart," Izumi said calmly, in a normal voice; she refused to baby talk to her child. Kairi paid her no mind, glad to be away from the creepy woman as she played with one of her mother's dreadlocks. Izumi sighed and shook her head; it was so simple to distract and appease their daughter. She just hoped it would always be this easy.
Coming into the living room, Kairi's eyes lit up and she made grabby hands toward the shining waves of the lake out their back door. "Do you want to go for a swim?"
"Ah, ah!" Kairi said, or rather grunted, trying to twist her body to get out of her mother's arms and toward the door. Izumi set her down for a moment as she moved to the chest they kept in the living room for beach things, collecting a set of wing floaties, sunscreen, and a hat for herself. The window of their back door was low enough that even on all fours, Kairi was able to stare out at the water while she waited.
Izumi pulled Kairi back from the door slightly and then opened it, allowing her daughter to crawl out onto the back porch and under her careful eye, climb down the steps to the grass of their backyard that led to the sand. It was slow going but if there was one thing that was obviously a trait of Izumi's Kairi had adopted. It was most definitely her desire for independence. It didn't last long as Kairi got annoyed with how slow she crawled and she teetered back to sit on her bottom, but before she could let out a wail of annoyance, Izumi scooped her up and walked the rest of the distance to the lake and along the planks of a brand new dock.
"That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Izumi asked, sitting her daughter on the dock and removing her daughter's shirt and leggings so she could put the sunscreen on her pale skin. Playing a form of pat-a-cake with Kairi to distract her from swimming immediately after applying the sunscreen, Izumi chuckled when her toddler made an all too Sig-like grunt of frustration. "Okay, okay, now we can swim, dear," Izumi relented, putting on the wing floaties and pushing her own leggings up before slipping into the water with her daughter.
Kairi squealed in excitement when her chubby legs touched the cool water, kicking almost immediately. Izumi squinted against the splashes for just a moment before lowering her daughter further in, keeping a firm grip on her waist. The girl squirmed every which way, legs flailing under the water, hands smacking against the top of the liquid as her face shone with joy. This kid really was a fish out of water. What was it Mason had said? She was born between a water and an air astrological sign? That would certainly explain her love of baths and swimming in the lake. Izumi usually didn't pay much mind to those horoscope predictions but it was nice in helping to understand her child who couldn't yet communicate with them. Gave her an insight she presently lacked.
What was ironic was that Kairi's name apparently meant ocean village or sea, a name they both had picked out for their daughter unknowing of her attachment to water which was blossoming more as she aged. Izumi was once again grateful for finding such a lovely home in Dublith; it would truly be a great place to raise their children and make a decent living.
"Mah-mah."
Izumi's head shook fiercely for a second. What was that she just heard. She looked down at her daughter, assuming it was her imagination of the fact she was babbling consonant sounds and happened to choose 'm'.
"Mah-man," Kairi repeated, her gaze never once wavering from staring at her mother.
Tears welled in Izumi's slightly darker eyes and she lifted Kairi out of the water to nuzzle their noses together. "Yes, that's right. I'm your mama," she said, kissing her child's cheek affectionately before settling her in the water again. This time, Kairi splashed and played happily as she continued to repeat the sound that pierced Izumi's heart in the most delicious way possible, a steady glow of affection beating there.
Kairi was progressing faster than most people recounted, but that was always a good sign, right? Better than some developmental issues due to being a preemie, but you never know what could happen down the line. But Izumi would do everything in her power to protect this precious little life she had given birth to, ensuring she had the best life possible.
