Leona sat on her bed and sighed deeply. How did this happen, she thought, how did it happen to me? She looked at the ring on her left hand, one that he had given her. She looked over at the framed picture of the two of them together on her dresser. They had been going steady for nearly a year and a half; things had been going great. And then, one night, it happened. They got caught up in the heat of the moment.
That was weeks ago. Earlier that day, Leona had found out why she had been so sick and why she was late. Much as she had hoped it was a nightmare, those two lines were there plain as a day.
"Leona, what are you doing?" called Heidern.
"Nothing, sir," replied Leona.
"Then get down here, your supper's getting cold!"
With another big sigh, Leona slowly went downstairs.
Papa I know you're going to be upset
'Cause I was always your little girl
But you should know by now
I'm not a baby
"You look tired," said Heidern when saw Leona. "Are you okay?"
"No," she confessed. Then she finally said, "Papa Heidern, I have something really important to tell you."
"What is it?"
"I'm... pregnant."
You always taught me right from wrong
I need your help, daddy please be strong
I may be young at heart
But I know what I'm saying
"You're what?" asked Heidern, his eye widening with shock. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," replied Leona. "Quite. I've been showing all the signs, and the test I took this morning came up positive."
"Whose is it, then?"
This was the part Leona dreaded. Heidern had known about her boyfriend, and he didn't really like or trust him. But Leona had always reassured her foster father that nothing would happen.
The one you warned me all about
The one you said I could do without
We're in an awful mess, and I don't mean maybe - please
"Iori," she said.
"You mean that redhead punk you've been seeing?"
"Who else could it be?"
Heidern sighed. Then he told Leona, "Young lady, I hope you realize what you have done!"
"It was an accident!"
"That's no excuse! As soon as you finish eating, I want you to go upstairs and think about this! And I don't want to see you again for the rest of the night!"
Papa don't preach, I'm in trouble deep
Papa don't preach, I've been losing sleep
But I made up my mind, I'm keeping my baby
I'm gonna keep my baby
Leona had to comply with her foster father's request. As soon as she found herself on her bed again, she did think about her situation. Abortion was out of the question. I've killed enough people already, Leona thought. At first, she thought about giving it up for adoption. It seemed like a good idea at first, but then Leona remembered how she had loved her birth parents, despite having accidentally killed them in a fit of rage. To this day, she still missed them.
By the time Leona drifted off to sleep, she had made up her mind to keep the baby. However, she quickly woke up when she realized something important. She still had to tell Iori! She promptly called him.
"Hello," said a groggy voice on the other end.
"Iori, it's me."
"Leona? It's 4:30 am!"
"Iori, there's something I have to tell you! It's important!"
"Can't it wait?"
"Look, just meet me at the park tomorrow afternoon and we'll discuss it then."
"Okay. Sayonara."
The next morning, Leona told her foster father about her plans to meet Iori.
"I have to tell him," she said.
"Fine, Leona" replied Heidern. He had nothing left to say to her at that moment.
A few hours later, Leona waited on a park bench. She was a little worried about how Iori would react. Granted, he wasn't exactly the man he used to be, but he was still unpredictable.
At last, Leona saw Iori in the distance. She gave a quick wave, and as soon as he saw her, he came and sat down next to her.
"What is it?" Iori asked her. "What do you need to tell me?"
Leona sighed, then she said, "Iori, remember a few weeks ago, when we... you know?"
Iori nodded.
"Well, I'm pregnant. With your kid."
"What? When did you find this out?"
"Yesterday. And I've already decided I'm not gonna get an abortion or give it up to someone else!"
"I see."
An uneasy silence came over both of them. At last, Iori said, "Could I have some time to think about this?"
"Okay."
When Leona returned home the first thing she was asked was, "So, what did he say?"
"He said he needed some time to think about it."
Heidern only shook his head.
He says that he's going to marry me
We can raise a little family
Maybe we'll be all right
It's a sacrifice
Three days later, Iori called Leona. "I've come to a decision," he told her.
"What's that?" Leona was almost afraid to ask.
"Not over the phone! I'll tell you this evening, at the cafe."
Leona did not bother to ask Heidern if she could go out that evening. Communication between the two was still minimal, if any. She met Iori as planned.
"So, what's your answer?" she said.
"Well, I've really been thinking about this, and I've decided..."
"Decided what?"
"Come outside."
Leona followed Iori outside. Once they were there, they stood silent. And then Iori sighed and said, "Leona, marry me!"
"What?"
"Marry me."
"Iori... you mean it?"
"Yes. So, what do you say?"
"I say, yes! I will marry you!"
The two of them then shared a big kiss. Then Iori told his bride-to-be, "This weekend, we can look for a good two-bedroom apartment. I already have a few places in mind."
Leona only nodded, though she was smiling and tears of joy streamed down her face.
It was very late when Leona returned home. She was hoping she could get inside and to her room without Heidern noticing, but her plan failed.
"And just where have you been, young lady?" said Heidern.
"At the cafe, with Iori," replied Leona. "I didn't mean to stay out so late."
"Well, did he give you an answer?"
"Yes. He proposed to me, and said that this weekend we can go look for an apartment."
"And you believed him?"
"Papa Heidern! We've been going out for a long time now, why are you still so distrustful of him?"
"Look, I don't want to talk about this anymore tonight! Just go on to bed!"
"Yes, sir."
The next weekend, Iori and Leona met at the park. Iori couldn't help noticing the distressed look on Leona's face.
"What's wrong?" he asked her.
"Oh, Iori! Papa Heidern and I have barely spoken or communicated at all ever since I told him I was pregnant!"
"Have you told anyone else, by any chance?"
But my friends keep telling me to give it up
Saying I'm too young, I ought to live it up
What I need right now is some good advice, please
"Yes, I did tell my friends, or who I thought were my friends, and they said I was a fool to consider keeping the baby! In fact, one just had to go on and on about her abortion, saying 'it's no big deal'! Well, except Mai, Shermie, and Chizuru. Mai got all happy and excited for me, as did Shermie (you know them, they're a bit on the ditzy side, and they're pregnant themselves). Chizuru was supportive enough, she told me to act 'as I felt needful'."
"My friends were a little better about it. If you consider the way they kept praising my... bedroom skills, supportive. Either way, screw all of them! We can get along just fine without their 'support'! Now, let's go apartment hunting."
"Actually, I'm not sure if it's one of the places you probably had in mind, but Mai just got an apartment at this new complex downtown. She and Andy were quite pleased with it, and they still have four two-bedroom apartments left."
"Then let's look there."
That ended up being a good idea, since that's where Iori and Leona decided to move in together. However, Leona could not bring herself to leave home given her strained relationship with her foster father. She still couldn't understand why he still disliked Iori, and why he was barely talking to her.
Daddy, daddy if you could only see
Just how good he's been treating me
You'd give us your blessing right now
'Cause we are in love, we are in love, so please
But then Leona remembered what Iori had said earlier. They could get along just fine with just one another. So she moved into the new apartment with Iori. They were married in a private ceremony (only seven other people besides the judge were present) two weeks after they moved in together, and Iori treated Leona like a rare treasure for the next several months.
One night, Leona was awakened by a sharp pain in her abdomen. She thought little of it, but then she became aware of a wet feeling between her legs.
"Iori, get up!" she yelled.
"What?"
"I think it's time!"
"Yeah, it's 3 a.m.!"
"I mean it's time! My water just broke, and I'm having contractions!"
With that, Iori shot right out of bed, got dressed as quickly as he could, grabbed Leona and drove to the hospital. They were admitted immediately.
Eight hours later, Iori's hand was really hurt, and Leona was screaming as if she were close to a Blood Riot (which, fortunately, she wasn't at that moment)."
"Almost there," said the doctor. "Just one more push."
Leona tightened her grip on Iori and gave one last push. The next thing anyone knew, her screams gave way to the cries of a baby.
"Congratulations!" said the doctor. "It's a little girl!" The doctor then handed a small bundle to Leona.
Iori and Leona looked lovingly at their new daughter. She had blue eyes like her mother, but other than that she looked very much like her father. She even had a tuft of crimson hair.
"So what should name her?" Leona asked her husband.
"Ume," he replied. "Her name is Ume Yagami."
"Sounds nice to me." Leona then looked at the baby and said, "Hello there, Ume." She was genuinely happy, but deep down she still couldn't help thinking about how she had left home on such bad terms.
Just then, a nurse came and said, "Mr. and Mrs. Yagami, there's someone here to see you. He insists."
"Let him in," said Leona.
The nurse complied, and Leona was shocked to see who it was.
"Papa Heidern?" she said.
"Yes," said Heidern.
"But how did you know I was here?"
"Well, first I went to your apartment, but when I found you weren't there I started to head home. Then I happened to see a friend of yours, and she said you had gone to the hospital. So here I am, and here you are."
"Why? Last I saw you, you would barely speak to me!"
"I've had a change of heart." Heidern didn't say any more, but Leona could see in his eye what he could not tell her. He then saw Ume and said, "You have a beautiful daughter."
"Thank you," said Leona, nearly crying with joy.
Heidern then gave Leona a big hug while Iori held Ume. Then he told Iori, "Take good care of them."
"I will... sir," said Iori.
With that Heidern gave the new family a quick salute and then left.
"Feel better now?" Iori asked his wife as he placed his daughter back into her arms.
"Yes," said Leona.
The happy couple then shared a big kiss, knowing everything was going
to be all right from now on.