AN: Lookie! It only took me two weeks this time, instead of two months! Hehehe =D
Anyway, seriously, I want to say thank you guys for all your kind words. I know I've been chiding you for the last three chapters to review, but I seriously think this'll be the chapter that will get me 100 reviews. YAY! Can you guys do that for me? Please? *pouts* I will love you all so much.
In other news, most of this chapter... or half of it anyway, maybe a bit less... was written in the wee hours of the morning, since I am prepping myself to stay up late, for I am journeying to Disneyland today, I guess, since it's past midnight, but anyways, I'm journeying there for Grad Night! YAY! So I must try and get all the sleep I can this morning. Haha. Anyway, so if the last half of the chapter looks weird, don't blame me. I tried. I really did.
To all the fanfic writers out there–REJOICE AND BE GLAD! Summer is here!!!! Which means, more time to write! YAY! Along those lines, I can see a definite three more chapters of this story, plus the epilogue chapter (the one that's not in the book), and one more interlude, which should happen right after this chapter. I'm already postponing the interlude by one chapter, but now I have a few more ideas for an interlude so all is well. Okay. Oh, one more thing before I let you guys read (well maybe two):
Azn Angel Hikari: Just a little note–T.K. and Kari don't split up immediately after this [oops guess I spoiled it for all of you who haven't read "Together Again" and don't know what happens =D]; Aaron is six and Hope is four when it all goes down. So they have a few more years to go.
And the disclaimer–
*sigh* Must I continue to repeat myself? They're not mine! Geez! *runs away in frustration*
*
One Light, One Hope
Chapter Ten: Happiness
I blinked in reaction to Kari's statement. "We didn't use protection," I realized, speaking softly. "Are... will you be okay?"
"I guess... I mean, for most people this would be a huge shock... I really don't mind it because I know that you and I will be married soon, but... wow."
Kari and I sat there in stunned silence for a minute. "We're having a baby," I finally said, half to myself and half to Kari. "We created a life."
My fiancÉe smiled at me. "That we did." She involuntarily placed a hand over her abdomen and I put my hand over hers, returning her smile. "Kari, no matter what, I promise I'll be here for you. I'm not leaving you because you're going to have a baby–in fact, I intend to do just the opposite."
Kari's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you. I know this is going to be hard for both of us... thank you so much for not leaving me."
"Of course not, Light. I love you. I'm going to marry you. This is just another reason to stay with you."
~*~
"Eighteen! You just turned eighteen!"
It was the day after Kari had returned, two days before Tai and Sora's wedding. It also happened to be Kari's eighteenth birthday, and the day we were going to break the news to her parents.
"I know, Mom... but T.K. and I intend to raise this child together. We are getting married in six months, after all. That was part of the plan before this came along," Kari explained.
Mr. Kamiya sighed. "You children are so young though. You'll barely be out of high school and newlyweds when the baby comes... what are people going to think of you?"
Kari stood up indignantly. "What are you suggesting? Are you saying that people will think I'm a slut?"
"I didn't say that, Hikari. I just don't want you to get hurt," her father sternly addressed his daughter. "We love you, and we just want what's best for you."
"And you don't think that T.K. and our child are what's best for me," Kari finished for him.
Mrs. Kamiya leaned over and took Kari's hand. "Kari, honey, if it were any other situation, believe me, we'd be much angrier. We know T.K. loves you and will take care of you–we have faith in him. That's why we gave you two our blessing. It's just that the position you're in right now is so difficult. You're both still in high school, and you still have that stress to deal with, as well as getting into college, all of your other extra-curriculars, and planning both a wedding and finding a place to stay and raise your baby. Your father and I are especially glad that T.K. is here to help, because most other guys would not, but it is still extremely difficult to do what you're going to have to do. We're just concerned, that's all. We wouldn't dare ask you to give up your baby or its father."
Kari smiled. "Really?"
Mr. Kamiya nodded. "You're an adult now, Kari. As much as we hate the fact, it's the truth, and we just need to let go. It's much harder to see you go when you're so much more vulnerable. Just please try to understand where we're coming from."
"I understand. And I'm sorry that we've put you in this position, but we're going to make it. You'll see."
"Oh, Kari. We know you will." Hugs were exchanged all around, and I bravely shook hands with Kari's father. He didn't say much to me, but there was an unspoken agreement between us that we both understood; if anything happened to Kari, I'd be in for it.
~*~
The rest of our senior year flew by; at the same time when we were getting acceptances and rejections from colleges, Kari and I were planning what kind of cake and flowers to have at the wedding. Mimi had promised to make her dress as a present, while Sora was doing all the centerpieces. I think all of our friends knew the kind of burden having a wedding right out of high school was, especially with a baby on the way. There were tux fittings and basketball games on the same days; trying to figure out where we'd be living at the same time we were trying to figure out what schools we'd be going to; and AP tests and caterers appointments filled other days. Occasionally, I'd be walking through the halls of school with Kari and I'd catch a suspicious glance come our way, but Kari didn't let it get to her; she held her head high and walked as if the growing bulge in her stomach didn't exist. Or better yet, she walked a bit more proudly because of that child growing inside her–our son or daughter gave her strength. But I saw what she was trying to hide; every little look, every little comment brought a little more hurt to Kari.
With all the things we were doing, we somehow found time to visit a doctor and to see how our baby was doing. Kari's due date was established as around July twenty-first, and we later learned that our firstborn would be a boy. Instead of focusing in math class on how to take the integral of an equation, Kari would doodle on her notebook, writing down boy names that she liked. We finally decided on Aaron–we had looked up the meaning of that name and found it to be "light-bringer," something Kari and I both appreciated.
Finally, we graduated, two weeks before the wedding. It was harder for Kari to move around–Kari had always been petite and skinny, and even through her pregnancy, she didn't show much. Still, having the extra weight slowed her down some and she rested a little bit more. This made me a little wary and a little more overprotective.
As our impending wedding grew closer, Kari and I both became more and more excited. The girls held a bridal shower for her, while the guys tried to throw a bachelor party for me. Somehow Davis got in on the planning committee and it ended up being quite the disaster; however, we made the best of what we had. It's one of those experiences I like looking back on and laughing at–Davis, somehow, was a great supplier of all those moments.
The night of June twenty came, finally, on a joyous occasion. We were at the rehearsal dinner and Tai and Sora had just announced that they were expecting as well. Congratulations were offered all around as Kari gingerly stood and hugged her sister-in-law. As the girls chatted, Tai approached me. "Well, tomorrow we become brothers," he said.
I nodded. "Yeah."
"Are you ready?"
"Tai, I've been ready since the day I asked her to marry me... and a few days before then, too." I inhaled deeply. "It's just... all of this has been overwhelming. People were right when they told us that, but I think it's worth everything in the world."
"Yeah... especially being an uncle." Tai grinned. "I can't wait to be an uncle–I thought I'd have to wait for a little longer. You two surprised us."
"Yeah, well... it's amazing what two months of separation can do two a couple."
Tai laughed good-naturedly. "I know what you mean. I know so many people have told you this, but if it was any other guy, and any other situation, it wouldn't be such a good thing. But we know you guys love each other–I mean we could see it back when you were thirteen–and I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt Kari. And she's always dreamed of being a mother–she's always loved children. We're all happy for you two, we can see the happiness practically radiating from you."
"Thanks, Tai. It really means a lot that we have your support."
That night, I lay in bed, wondering about the possibilities before us. We were going back to New York for our honeymoon, with Mimi and Joe; but we still didn't know what we were doing after that. I had been accepted into several colleges–some in Japan, others in the United States, and the college Kari had gone to during her stay there had accepted her in as well. As I perused this information in my head, it occurred to me that it would be much easier for both Kari and myself to move to New York, especially because we both had scholarships to the colleges that had accepted us. Actually, I then remembered, I had applied to the same college that offered the study abroad program–the application for the program doubled as an application for the college itself–and although they did not accept me for the program, the college did take me. A plan formulated in my head as I lay there.
I also thought about what was going to happen tomorrow. I was going to exit one stage of my life and enter another; all with Kari by my side. Soon we were going to become parents, have a life totally dependent on us. I lay there, thinking of all the blessings God had supplied me with and thanking Him for them... and as I wished that I could be a good husband and father, I slowly drifted off to sleep.
I didn't get a lot of sleep that night. I mean, I did sleep–otherwise images of Kari, our family and our future wouldn't have graced my dreams–but for some reason it was hard for me to sleep. I woke up to the first rays of dawn streaming through my window and glanced at the clock. 5:12 a.m. Wow... it was pretty early for the sun to be coming up. I lazily hit the radio button on my alarm clock and listened to hear what was going on.
"Did you know that today is the summer solstice, the first day of summer? This day is marked by the amount of sunlight spilled on the earth–the summer solstice is the day that the earth receives the most light–the sun rises the earliest and the sun sets the latest on this day."
Suddenly, it occurred to me why Kari wanted to get married today. Today was the day with the most light. Smiling, I lay back down in my bed and slept for a few more hours.
When I awoke again, people were already bustling around. I could hear voices outside my door–most likely Tai, Matt and Mimi arguing. I think they were debating whether or not to wake me up. Mimi was insisting that I wake up now and try on my tux, while Tai and Matt were defending my need to sleep.
"Okay, okay, guys, I'm up," I interrupted them, throwing open the door. "With all this racket, how do you think I could sleep?"
The three of them looked at me sheepishly. "Well, Mr. I'm-going-to-be-married-in-a-few-hours, go take a shower and try this on, okay?" Mimi threw my tux at me.
"Fine." If this was the scene here, I could only imagine what it would look like at Kari's place.
All too soon, we found ourselves at the church. It was about fifteen minutes before the ceremony, and I was about to take my place at the altar, when I ran into Kari's father. "Mr. Kamiya, hello."
"Hello, Takeru." He looked at me expectantly, as if he was waiting for me to say something.
"Um... I just wanted to say thank you for giving Kari and me your blessing. It really means a lot that you trust me with her."
Mr. Kamiya smiled. "T.K., we've known you since you were eight. You and Kari have always been so close, you became like another son to us. Today it becomes official. Thank you for making Kari happy, and for giving us a grandchild."
I blushed a bit and said, "You're welcome." I turned to walk away, but he called me back. "And T.K.... don't be so nervous. It was only a matter of time before this was going to happen."
The time flew by and finally, it was time for the ceremony. I stood eagerly at the altar, with Matt, as my best man, at my side. Because of this very special event, the Digimon were here as well. Gabumon was our ringbearer; he processed down the aisle first. Next came Palmon, throwing flowers out of a basket held up by Patamon. I smiled at my Digimon friend and felt so grateful that he was here with us to share this special time with me. Agumon and Biyomon walked down the aisle together after that. Then came the human part of our wedding party. Yolei was escorted by Davis, while Mimi was escorted by Tai. Rounding out the party was Sora, Kari's matron of honor. I could see her gaze wistfully at her husband, as if they were re-living their own wedding not too long ago. I smiled at this affection, then nervously darted my eyes to the closed doors of the vestibule, where I knew Kari was waiting.
The wedding march began and everyone stood and faced the back, as I did, and waiting there was Kari, on the arm of her father. My first glance at her took my breath away. She looked so beautiful as she walked up gracefully towards the altar–towards me. My heartbeat quickened as she drew nearer, and for a while it seemed that it was just the two of us in the whole room. Her dress was modest and elegant, and you could only barely tell that she was pregnant, unless you knew already. But the most beautiful thing about her was her smile, her smile directed towards me, her eyes shimmering with happy tears.
I watched my bride intently glide up to the front of the church, Gatomon behind her holding up her veil, until she and her father reached the altar. [AN: that's a weird sentence. it kind of rhymes.] Once they arrived, Mr. Kamiya turned to his daughter and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, Kari. And I will always be here for you if you need me, okay?"
"I know, Dad." She smiled. "I love you, too."
I watched as Kari's father took her hand and offered it to me. "She's yours now. Please take good care of her."
I nodded. "I will. I promise." I took my bride's hand while Mr. Kamiya returned to his seat next to Kari's mother, and the picture was complete–the ceremony was about to begin.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of these two young people..." the preacher began. I soon focused out–all I could focus on was the vision in front of me. "Kari, you look amazing."
She smiled brightly. "Thank you." She appeared to be in thought, never breaking eye contact, and then she said, "I can't believe we're finally here."
"I know." I lifted my hand, holding hers, up to my mouth and kissed her hand softly. "This is going to be the happiest moment of our lives, so treasure it, okay?"
"Of course."
The ceremony went by in a blur, until it was time for the vows. "The couple has prepared their own vows," the preacher announced, and with that, Kari began to speak.
"I don't know where to begin... I met you ten years ago, Takeru, when I was a fragile, innocent, shy child. You were there to lead me, to be my friend, my companion. You became a part of me from an early age, and I do not know how I can ever survive without you in my life. Whatever came in our way, you had this resilient hope within you, something that helped me keep going. You have given me so much and protected me from so much, and I thank you. I realize that I cannot exist without you, because without Hope, there is no Light, and so I promise to be there for you, no matter what, through bad times and good times, through sickness and health, through richer or poorer, until death do us part." A single tear fell from Kari's eye, but she managed to smile up at me. I wiped her tear away with the pad of my thumb before reciting my own vows to my very-soon-to-be wife.
"Hikari... my angel of light..." I trailed off, telling myself to breathe or else I wouldn't be able to say the rest of my vows, "We've known each other for so long, and through that time we have become so close that we are now a part of each other. We started as playmates, then as friends, then best friends, and finally lovers. You have shown me what it is truly like to love someone, to want to give your whole heart and soul to protect that person, to honor your commitment to her through anything that tries to come between... you have given me so much, and shown me so much. If I had to describe you in one word, that word would be beautiful, because not only do your eyes shine with the light of love, your hair rippling in the breeze, but you have the kindest, most amazing heart of anyone I know, and it truly makes me wonder how that heart can feel so much for someone like me. Know that I can never be without you, for without Light, there is no Hope. I promise to love you, to honor you, to cherish you, to obey you, to be by your side always, protecting your beautiful heart, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part." I smiled at Kari, tears pricking the back of my own eyes.
"The rings, please," the minister asked, and Gabumon presented Sora and Matt with the rings. I took Kari's ring from Matt and slipped it–a simple, yet beautiful, gold band with a tiny pinkish-white diamond–on her finger, repeating after the minister, "With this ring, I thee wed."
In the same fashion, Kari took my wedding ring from Sora and slipped it on my finger, echoing, "With this ring, I thee wed."
I grinned at Kari as I realized that the ceremony was pretty much over. I couldn't hear exactly what the minister was saying–I was too busy smiling and gazing at Kari, but I heard loud and clear, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Takeru Takaishi." He turned to me and said, "You may now kiss your bride."
"Kari, we did it," I whispered to her, before lifting up her veil, cupping her face in my hands, and lifting her chin up softly so that her lips could meet mine. Right before our lips brushed, Kari whispered, "T.K., I love you..." I could hear the applause and the cheering faintly, but all I could focus on was the first married kiss between Kari, my new wife, and me.
After the wedding, we headed to the reception, and in the car, Kari and I were just basking in the afterglow of becoming husband and wife when all of a sudden, Kari gasped and her hand flew to her stomach. "What? What's wrong?"
Kari smiled. "Nothing... it's just that the baby is kicking... he's happy his mommy and daddy are finally married. Aren't you, sweetie?" she said to her stomach, addressing our son. I smiled and kissed her forehead. "So am I, Kari, so am I."
We got to the reception and basically had a blast. We did the cake, the bouquet toss (Mimi caught that), the garter toss (Joe caught that, surprise surprise), the toasts, and all that other fun stuff, when it was finally time for the first dance. The DJ announced it and I took Kari's hand and led her to the dance floor. As I listened to the words of the song flow through the room, holding Kari closely, I gazed lovingly at my wife, and she asked, "What?"
I didn't say anything for a minute, until I finally told her, "I love you, Hikari Takaishi. And there are no words to express just how deeply I love you–except maybe this song."
Kari smiled and tightened her hold around my neck.
Never knew I could feel like this,
like I've never seen the sky before
Want to vanish inside your kiss
Every day I love you more and more
Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing?
It's telling me to give you everything
Seasons may change, winter to spring,
but I love you until the end of time
Come what may, come what may,
I will love you until my dying day
I was filled with so much love for Kari and stuck with no way to express it–it was quite overwhelming. So I just held her close as we moved to the flow of the song, as Nicole Kidman's voice replaced Ewan McGregor's. I could hear Kari singing the words softly in my ear as we danced.
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste
It all revolves around you
And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather, and stars may collide,
but I love you until the end of time
Come what may, come what may,
I will love you until my dying day
Oh, come what may, come what may,
I will love you...
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place...
Come what may, come what may,
I will love you until my dying day
~*~
The party was winding down, and so I decided to take Kari on a little walk. We headed out to the gardens, where the huge arch full of roses was that everyone walked through, and sat on a bench that had somehow been placed underneath it. "Oh, Kari, today has been amazing."
"I know. And it's just the beginning." She smiled and kissed me gently, then pulled away as I cradled her face in my hands and kissed her forehead even more gently, as her hands came to rest on my forearms. We stayed there like that for a minute until a bright flash blinded the both of us. As we turned to see who had taken that picture, we found Sora standing there, beaming happily. "You know, there were so many formal pictures of you guys taken, that I needed to find an informal one, and that was the perfect pose you guys just had–I couldn't resist. Sorry."
"Oh, Sora, that's just fine. Come here." Kari stood and gave her sister-in-law a big hug. "Thank you for helping me with this wedding."
With the reception over, and Tai, Sora and Mimi promising to clean up for us, Kari and I were on our way to our honeymoon. We were settling in the room Tai and Sora had put up for us before leaving for our honeymoon the next day. Kari had laid her wedding dress on the bed and was now in comfortable clothes. She sat on the bed, absentmindedly stroking the sequins of her gown, when all of a sudden she burst into tears. I had been hanging up my tux, my back turned to her, but I rushed to her side and knelt before her. "Kari, are you okay?"
She didn't say anything, just kept on crying. I got up and held her. "Oh, Kari, are you regretting this?" My heart stopped beating at my suggestion
"No, no... it's everything I've ever wanted," she insisted quickly. Then she looked up at me, amazingly able to quell her tears for a moment. "Don't ever doubt my love for you, okay?" She pulled me closer to her and kissed me, something that to this day I never tire of. After a few moments, she pulled away, getting up and hanging her dress next to my tux, as I sprawled out on the bed. Kari returned and knelt on the bed next to me, gazing down at me. "So... are you going to tell me what's up? Kari, you know the one thing that I cannot stand in this world is the sight of you being hurt. Tell me what's wrong. Please?"
Kari sighed, but shifted her position to laying next to me. I took her in my arms and began to stroke her hair lightly, in an effort to comfort her. "Oh, T.K... it's just that our senior year took a lot out of me, you know? Planning the wedding, finding out I was pregnant–everyone at school looked at me as if I was a freak." Now that she had started, I listened as the words came tumbling out of her mouth. "It was so hard to be without you for that span of time, and then when I did come back, we were planning the wedding and taking care of this little one, as well as everything else, trying to be normal teenagers, and..." Kari started to cry again as she explained things to me, and I held her closer to me as she began to sob. "People would look at me and turn their nose down, you know? And I would hear girls gossiping in the bathroom about how I turned into a slut after being a goody-goody, and that you were only with me because I was pregnant, you know, and I mean I didn't let it get to me, but now that everything's over... it's just been pent up for so long..." Kari trailed off and I held her close, stroking her hair, kissing her forehead. "I'm so sorry, Light. I didn't mean to do any of that to you."
"But that's the thing... none of it was your fault."
"Well, if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be pregnant," I commented dryly.
"And I don't regret it for a second. You have given me so much, including the one thing I've always wanted–a child. Even if it is going to be hard for us, we'll make it through, because we promised each other we would, right?"
"Of course." I kissed her forehead again as I saw her play with her wedding ring on her finger. Hearing her comment made me think. "Hey, Kar? I have a suggestion for you, but I don't know if you'll like it."
Kari sat up. "What is it?"
"I know how hard this has been for you, your senior year. I also know how hard it will be for us to be able to raise this little boy here without jobs, without a place to live... I wouldn't want to impose on either of our parents, and with college and everything, there's going to be so much cost."
Kari nodded. "I realize that. But... what are you trying to say?"
I exhaled. "I thought of something the other day... you can go to that college you went to last year right? When you were in New York?"
"Yeah..."
"And somehow, I got a full ride to that same college..."
My wife's eyes twinkled. "Are you suggesting that we move to America?"
"Maybe..." I playfully replied, kissing her nose softly. "Just think, we could move in with Mimi and Joe, find work, and be able to raise this child away from all the stress that you've already been placed under, while not having to pay for college."
"Oh, T.K., I would love to... even if it means leaving my family behind."
I exhaled again. "Yeah, I don't like that part of the plan, but I mean, once we get a place of our own, we'll be able to let them visit, and besides, Matt's band is touring the U.S. soon, and isn't Tai thinking of moving to Washington, D.C. to talk to the politicians over there about how he wants to be an ambassador to the Digital World?"
"Yeah, he did say something about that," Kari mused.
"Then what do you say, should we do it?"
"It's a big step..."
I took Kari's hand into my own. "Light, I'll do whatever you want to do, okay? If that means staying here, then I'll stay here, find a job, go to Odaiba U, whatever you want. I just want what's best for us."
"I know." Kari interlaced her fingers with mine. "T.K., I really want to go to New York. We're starting a new chapter in our lives and I don't want to be held down by parents or other people–I want to be able to live my life freely. I know we can do that there, as well as have some help in raising this baby as well as continuing our education. And..." she placed our hands on her slightly bulging stomach, "I want our child to be an American citizen."
"So in other words... you want us to do this right away?"
Kari nodded. "As soon as we get back from our honeymoon."
"Okay. We'll make the arrangements as soon as possible." I wrapped my arms around Kari again as we lay there, amazed at the fact that we were going to be sharing our lives together, fully and totally.
~*~
We cut our honeymoon short by a week, in order to get everything ready for our big plan. Besides, I didn't want to do too much anyway–Kari wasn't really in a condition to do anything. So instead we planned what we would do, what we would have to give up, and what to bring with us, as we somehow found a way to get there, as well. Our parents weren't thrilled at all–what else is new–but we explained to them that what we wanted to do, and since we were married now, there wasn't much they could do about it. So in two weeks, we packed up a small percentage of the belongings we had once owned, and made our way to the United States.
Mimi and Joe had graciously accepted us into their home with no questions asked, but instead doting on us, especially Kari, and making sure we were okay. I was especially concerned about Kari because she was approaching her due date and I didn't want her to have to give birth on a plane, or in an airport. Fortunately, there were no complications on our trip here. However, I knew the day was coming very soon. And on July twenty-first, just as the doctor had predicted, Kari shook me awake at two-thirty in the morning. Actually, we were both awake, our bodies still on Japan time, but Kari's push jolted me into an extremely awake mode.
"Kari, what's wrong? Is it the baby?"
She gritted her teeth and then sprawled back on the bed. "Yes... I think I'm in labor."
"Okay, hold on. Let me get Joe." The very wonderful thing about our plan was that Joe was now interning at a local hospital not very far from the apartment–closer than the hotel Mimi had put us up in back when Tai and Sora had their engagement party. Thankfully, I had raced outside and found Joe poring over some book. He looked up at me and noticed my panic. "T.K.? Are you okay? Is it Kari?"
I nodded. "Yeah... she thinks she's going into labor. Can you check on her?"
"Sure." With great haste, Joe was up and in Kari's room in no time. She was lying very calmly, waiting for us to get there. "Hey, Kari. What's the status?"
"Well my water broke about ten minutes ago and the contractions are far apart and not as strong–" She was cut off as I guess another contraction hit her. "Okay, Kari, just breathe deeply... that's right... don't take this the wrong way but I gotta see where you're at, okay?" Joe reassured her.
Kari nodded vigorously and Joe checked underneath Kari's nightdress to see her status. "Well, you're about two centimeters so far. We're gonna get you to the hospital, okay?"
"Okay." Not knowing what to do, I stood there dumbly, but frantic. "T.K., can you get an overnight bag and throw some things in it?" Kari requested.
"Already taken care of," a new voice sounded. It was Mimi, triumphantly holding a bag. "This should be about everything, Kari. Now, let's get you to the hospital!"
With that said, the four of us rushed out of the apartment, Kari in a wheelchair that Joe had found somewhere in the apartment. I don't know how he got it, but I was thankful that he did. Anyway, we made it to the hospital, checked Kari in, and while Joe went to assist, Mimi and I paced. Or, to be more specific, I paced and Mimi tried to calm me. "T.K.," she said, placing a hand on my shoulder, "be calm. Everything will be fine."
"I really hope so, Meems. This is my first child... I don't know what to expect, what to do..."
"Here." She gently took my wrist and led me somewhere–I don't know where. But in a few moments we were standing in front of a bright room full of bassinets. "Look at all these new lives, T.K. In a few hours–hopefully–one of them will be yours."
I gazed at the tiny babies that were sleeping peacefully in their bassinets. They were so small, but so perfect... there was so much potential for all of them. I could envision new parents holding their bundle of joy and making all the aspirations parents want for their children, and I smiled. Our little boy was going to be no different–he held all the hopes and dreams Kari and I had for him; that's one of the reasons why Kari wanted him to be born here. I retreated out of my own thoughts and turned to Mimi. "Thanks, Mimi. I think I'll go see Kari now–I have a feeling she might need me."
Sure enough, I headed into the delivery room after being scrubbed to hear Kari's screams of pain. I winced, hating to see her like this, and saw her shoot a death glare at me. "Takaishi, you're not coming near me ever again!" she yelled, and I could hear one of the doctors stifle a chuckle. I ignored her and stroked her hair and held her hand, and she squeezed it extremely hard as another contraction ripped through her. "Okay, Kari, push... you're almost there." I was amazed at how fast the contractions were coming and how strong they seemed to be–it felt like Kari was bruising my hand. Finally, the doctors chided her, "Come on, Kari, just one more."
"I can't do it," Kari cried, her exhaustion apparent. I was worried for her–she had always been weak and susceptible to illness, especially as a child, and I was afraid that this was going to make her ill again. Yet I knew that she had to do it for the sake of not having our child stuck in her, so I kissed her forehead, patted it down with a cool washcloth, and pushed her hair out of her face. "Light, just one more. I know you can do it." And with me whispering soothing words, she pushed and our first-born came into the world.
His shrill cries filled the delivery room as everyone smiled with joy–Mimi, Joe, myself, and Kari, especially–and the doctors announcing "It's a boy!" Kari sank back in her bed and closed her eyes, then opened them as I had the honors of cutting his umbilical cord. As the nurses went to go clean him off, I smiled down on my wife. "You did it, Kari. I'm so proud of you."
Kari laughed dryly. "Remind me to reject any advance you make for the next year. At least."
I laughed. "But we have an amazing gift." Right as I said this, one of the nurses brought the baby, wrapped in blankets and a small blue beanie on his head, to Kari's bedside and placed him in the arms of his mother. Kari's eyes filled with tears as she gazed upon her–our–newborn son. Kari gasped right away when the baby opened his eyes to see his mommy. "Oh, T.K., look–he has your eyes." She looked up at me and smiled, then turned to her son. "Hello, there, little one. I'm your mommy... oh, you're so perfect." She kissed his tiny forehead softly. "And that's your daddy right there. Say hello to him." Kari offered me our son and I smiled, then took the small bundle from her arms.
"Hi, there. I'm your daddy... and I can tell right now that you're gonna be a great son, and a great person. Your mommy and I have so many hopes for you, so many dreams that we hope you can fulfill for us. But right now, you don't have to worry about that, okay? Just know that we love you... we love you so very much, and all you have to worry about is being cute and being loved, okay?" I placed the tip of my index finger in my son's tiny hand and he grasped it hard. I smiled. "Don't worry, I'll always be here for you when you need me to be, okay?" I felt this overwhelming rush of emotion come to me, something I had never felt before–pure, unconditional love, and the need to protect and guide this life, knowing that he was depending totally on Kari and me. It was amazing, the feeling of knowing that someone totally trusted and depended on you.
Later, we had settled into Kari's room and she was holding the baby intently, playing with him as his newborn gurgle made us all smile. "Kari, what's his name?"
"Aaron," she replied promptly. "Didn't we already decide on that?"
"Yeah... but he needs a middle name too."
"Okay. I think I want all our children to have some sort of a Japanese name, even though they're born here, so that they can retain their culture."
"Fair enough. So what do you think?" I asked my wife. We sat in silence for a moment, and then I thought of the answer. "Taro."
Kari smiled. "Yes, that fits him perfectly. Happy birthday, Aaron Taro."
The next day, I had left and come back very quickly, when there was a knock at the door. "Can we come in?"
We looked to the door and saw nearly ALL of our friends and family–parents, siblings, their significant others, other Digidestined–all standing in the doorway, or attempting to all stand in the doorway. I looked at them in amazement and Kari gasped. "Oh, my gosh! How did you all get here so fast?"
"Mimi called us as soon as she knew you were going into labor and we jetted our way over here! How is he doing?" Tai asked.
"Oh, Aaron is doing wonderful." Kari beamed. "He's so amazing." All the girls came in and began to fuss and coo over how cute he was, and I heard the comment every so often about the resemblance between his eyes and my own. I just shook my head and walked over to the guys. "So, how does it feel to be a father?" Tai asked, curiosity shining in his eyes.
I grinned. "It's so amazing, Tai. You realize that there's this life, this person who needs you totally, and it's just... amazing. It's hard to describe in words, but once you have your own child, you'll understand."
"I hope so."
Later that day, after all the mingling had been done, someone yelled out "Group picture!" and everyone scrambled around trying to find a place. Since there were so many of us, we went out to the lobby of the floor Kari was in and cleared out some of the furniture. Davis dragged the rocking chair out of the nursery–much to the protests of the nurses–to the middle of the lobby, so that Kari could sit. Everyone posed around us and someone–I didn't know who it was–yelled out to get ready, but all I could do was stare at my beautiful wife and my amazing son, trying to grasp the reality that they were both mine. I knelt next to Kari's chair and admired the mother and son. "You two look so beautiful."
Kari smiled. "Thank you. T.K., sometimes I don't know what I would do without you–you're too good to me."
I shook my head. "Not good enough." We continued to gaze into each other's eyes until we realized that the picture had been taken and Aaron started to cry. "Oh, shh," Kari soothed, rocking Aaron in her arms. "It'll be okay."
Soon, Aaron fell fast asleep, and I could tell Kari was worn out, so I offered to take Aaron to the nursery for her. Kari smiled gratefully and Tai helped her back to her room, while Davis dutifully returned the rocking chair back where he had found it. As I laid little Aaron down in his bassinet, I couldn't help but think about what Kari had told him. "It'll be okay." And somehow, I knew that things would work out for us.
Aww, isn't that so cute? =D I had fun writing this chapter. Two more notes–the song T.K. and Kari dance to, at their wedding, is called "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge. It's a beautiful song, go DL it or listen to it if you haven't heard it okay? =D And... Aaron's middle name, Taro, means "first born" in Japanese, I think, because I looked it up but you never know, these Internet people can be slightly off. So let me know if I got it wrong okay? In the meantime, REVIEW! Get me to 100! Please!!! *gets on knees and begs* please please please please please...?