Chapter 4: Nappies and Snot, anyone?
Kuwabara awoke to the scent of fresh air and fog. He felt a dead-weight in his lap and tried to move it only to have a shriek burst out of nowhere. He looked down and found a crying child in his lap, threatening to wake up the rest of the villagers. He panicked and clapped a hand over the kid's mouth and tried to calm it down before the villagers woke up. Eventually the cries stopped and Kuwabara held his breath to listen intently to make sure no one was awake.
He looked down at the little girl in his arms and smiled. "What's your name, little girl?" he asked quietly. The girl looked up at him with innocent eyes and said, "Lily." "Lily, hmm?" She nodded. He liked the sound of it and fit her nicely. "Well, Lily, would you like to go on a trip with me?" he asked. Lily nodded rapidly and giggled her approval. Wrapping her arms about his neck, she gave him a wet kiss on his cheek and braced herself as he stood to grab his sack and walk out of the cave.
The sun shined brightly in the sky as Kuwabara and his new charge walked hand-in-hand for miles stopping once in a while to rest and eat. It wasn't until they reached a town that Kuwabara started to worry about diapers and appropriate food for Lily. So he walked into a grocery store with Lily in his arms and looked for the aisle with baby stuff in it. He saw the label "Huggies" and grabbed it off the shelf to look at the quality and hoped there would be instructions on how to put the darned things on. A pregnant woman walked into the aisle and started looking at diapers and noticed the red-haired man with a toddler in his arms. She smiled warmly at them and walked up to them.
"Hello, there." She greeted. The red-haired man looked up from his reading and smiled at her. Wow, she thought, isn't he attractive when he smiles.
"Hi. What would you recommend as good quality diapers?" he asked. He seemed serious.
"Luvs. They're cheaper and are more absorbent so there'd be less changing. First time shopping?"
"Pretty much. I literally just adopted her and I wanted to make sure she has everything she needs. Next stop is clothes." He winked. The woman's stomach fluttered.
"My name's Emily. And you are?" she asked.
"Kazuma Kuwabara but I prefer to be called Kuwabara. So, Emily, what's a beautiful woman such as your self doing at the grocery store by yourself? You should be at home resting." He commented. Emily giggled.
"I'm a single mother and I needed supplies for my other little one who is about your girl's age. Would you like some assistance in the wonderful world of shopping for toddlers?"
Kuwabara beamed and heartily agreed to shopping with her. While they were in the checkout lane, Kuwabara inquired about why she was single.
"Oh, my husband died 7 months ago of a heart attack. He died the night this little one was conceived." She explained while rubbing the bulge beneath her chest. Kuwabara had the grace to look sorry for asking but he smiled down at her while he paid for their items. They used Emily's car to hold their purchases while they went shopping for clothes for Lily.
At the Gymboree*, Kuwabara left the choosing of outfits to Emily. She picked out an assortment of play clothes, pj's, and formal wear, including shoes.
"How's life been so far?" He asked her.
"Oh, it's been difficult finding a job to pay the bills. But, I'm using my husband's life insurance to do all that. My other child is with a babysitter right now. What's going on with you?" she replied. Kuwabara shrugged.
"Not much, I just graduated from high school and I'm on a 'self- discovery' trip until I go to college." he began, but was interrupted by Emily's surprised gasp.
"You're 18? I thought you were a bit older than that! What are you going to do with Lily when you go to college?" she exclaimed.
"I have a girlfriend at home who lives at a shrine. I can have her watch Lily while I'm in class and studying and whatnot. I was thinking of heading back there now, since I now have a child to look after." He explained, nonchalantly. Emily still couldn't take it all in.
"Wow. And I thought you were a single parent just like me, my mistake." She muttered sadly. Kuwabara looked amazed.
"I don't know what to say. I've never been hit on before." He chuckled. Then an idea sprung to mind. (I bet we could all just see the light bulb above his head.)
"How about you come with me back to Tokyo? You can live in the shrine with your kid and when your second one is born you can look for a job! You could meet my friends and my sister. That is if you want to. I think it would be great." He offered. He looked so hopeful that Emily didn't have the heart to turn him down.
"Are you sure they wouldn't mind? Especially your girlfriend, what would she think?" she asked.
"Yukina wouldn't mind once everything's explained. In fact she would love another woman her age to talk to. No offense to Genkai but the old lady's to rough around the edges for good girl talk, if you know what I mean." He assured her. Emily smiled.
"Okay, since that is settled. When we're done here, we'll go back to your house and take care of the details and by the end of the week we'll have you moved in at the shrine. How does that sound?" he suggested. She nodded and they paid for the clothes and went back to her car to go to her place. The start of a new life in Tokyo, she thought, this ought to be intriguing. Kuwabara on the other hand was excited to bring Emily home with him and Lily.
Kuwabara awoke to the scent of fresh air and fog. He felt a dead-weight in his lap and tried to move it only to have a shriek burst out of nowhere. He looked down and found a crying child in his lap, threatening to wake up the rest of the villagers. He panicked and clapped a hand over the kid's mouth and tried to calm it down before the villagers woke up. Eventually the cries stopped and Kuwabara held his breath to listen intently to make sure no one was awake.
He looked down at the little girl in his arms and smiled. "What's your name, little girl?" he asked quietly. The girl looked up at him with innocent eyes and said, "Lily." "Lily, hmm?" She nodded. He liked the sound of it and fit her nicely. "Well, Lily, would you like to go on a trip with me?" he asked. Lily nodded rapidly and giggled her approval. Wrapping her arms about his neck, she gave him a wet kiss on his cheek and braced herself as he stood to grab his sack and walk out of the cave.
The sun shined brightly in the sky as Kuwabara and his new charge walked hand-in-hand for miles stopping once in a while to rest and eat. It wasn't until they reached a town that Kuwabara started to worry about diapers and appropriate food for Lily. So he walked into a grocery store with Lily in his arms and looked for the aisle with baby stuff in it. He saw the label "Huggies" and grabbed it off the shelf to look at the quality and hoped there would be instructions on how to put the darned things on. A pregnant woman walked into the aisle and started looking at diapers and noticed the red-haired man with a toddler in his arms. She smiled warmly at them and walked up to them.
"Hello, there." She greeted. The red-haired man looked up from his reading and smiled at her. Wow, she thought, isn't he attractive when he smiles.
"Hi. What would you recommend as good quality diapers?" he asked. He seemed serious.
"Luvs. They're cheaper and are more absorbent so there'd be less changing. First time shopping?"
"Pretty much. I literally just adopted her and I wanted to make sure she has everything she needs. Next stop is clothes." He winked. The woman's stomach fluttered.
"My name's Emily. And you are?" she asked.
"Kazuma Kuwabara but I prefer to be called Kuwabara. So, Emily, what's a beautiful woman such as your self doing at the grocery store by yourself? You should be at home resting." He commented. Emily giggled.
"I'm a single mother and I needed supplies for my other little one who is about your girl's age. Would you like some assistance in the wonderful world of shopping for toddlers?"
Kuwabara beamed and heartily agreed to shopping with her. While they were in the checkout lane, Kuwabara inquired about why she was single.
"Oh, my husband died 7 months ago of a heart attack. He died the night this little one was conceived." She explained while rubbing the bulge beneath her chest. Kuwabara had the grace to look sorry for asking but he smiled down at her while he paid for their items. They used Emily's car to hold their purchases while they went shopping for clothes for Lily.
At the Gymboree*, Kuwabara left the choosing of outfits to Emily. She picked out an assortment of play clothes, pj's, and formal wear, including shoes.
"How's life been so far?" He asked her.
"Oh, it's been difficult finding a job to pay the bills. But, I'm using my husband's life insurance to do all that. My other child is with a babysitter right now. What's going on with you?" she replied. Kuwabara shrugged.
"Not much, I just graduated from high school and I'm on a 'self- discovery' trip until I go to college." he began, but was interrupted by Emily's surprised gasp.
"You're 18? I thought you were a bit older than that! What are you going to do with Lily when you go to college?" she exclaimed.
"I have a girlfriend at home who lives at a shrine. I can have her watch Lily while I'm in class and studying and whatnot. I was thinking of heading back there now, since I now have a child to look after." He explained, nonchalantly. Emily still couldn't take it all in.
"Wow. And I thought you were a single parent just like me, my mistake." She muttered sadly. Kuwabara looked amazed.
"I don't know what to say. I've never been hit on before." He chuckled. Then an idea sprung to mind. (I bet we could all just see the light bulb above his head.)
"How about you come with me back to Tokyo? You can live in the shrine with your kid and when your second one is born you can look for a job! You could meet my friends and my sister. That is if you want to. I think it would be great." He offered. He looked so hopeful that Emily didn't have the heart to turn him down.
"Are you sure they wouldn't mind? Especially your girlfriend, what would she think?" she asked.
"Yukina wouldn't mind once everything's explained. In fact she would love another woman her age to talk to. No offense to Genkai but the old lady's to rough around the edges for good girl talk, if you know what I mean." He assured her. Emily smiled.
"Okay, since that is settled. When we're done here, we'll go back to your house and take care of the details and by the end of the week we'll have you moved in at the shrine. How does that sound?" he suggested. She nodded and they paid for the clothes and went back to her car to go to her place. The start of a new life in Tokyo, she thought, this ought to be intriguing. Kuwabara on the other hand was excited to bring Emily home with him and Lily.