Six Years Later
"Yahoo! I now declare this club officially open!" Kitsune exclaimed from her precarious position standing on top of a barstool, her words only slightly slurred.
"You've done that half a dozen times already, Kitsune," Naru pointed out, wondering as she did so how her friend and now business partner managed to keep her balance despite her inebriated state. Kitsune grinned down at her with drunken good humour.
"Fine! I re-declare this club officially open," she exclaimed in a 'so there!' tone of voice. Naru rolled her eyes and surveyed her surroundings. Haruka had somehow shanghaied Haitani and Shirai into a drinking contest (a decision they were beginning to regret, judging by their expressions) while her husband looked on in amusement. Seta was also engaged in conversation with Kanako's husband, a quiet American who seemed friendly enough. When Naru had written to Kanako to tell her about the bar she'd decided it was time her friends in Japan met the man she'd married. Shinobu and Su were sitting together in one of the booths, deeply engaged in their conversation and Kanako herself was downing some kind of watermelon based drink that Mutsumi had somehow persuaded her to try. The incongruity of Kanako drinking from a tall glass with an umbrella in it brought a small smile to Naru's lips. For a moment she found herself wishing she had a camera to record the sight. Even Tama was present, perched on the bar and using a straw to drink from a bottle of mineral water. It's a good thing Motoko's not - arrgggh! Think about something else, Narusegawa Naru, right now!
It was not, in fact, really an official opening at all but rather (to use Kitsune's phrase) a 'club-warming party' to which only friends had been invited. In other words, Naru told herself, another excuse for Kitsune to get smashed. Still, she couldn't help but sympathise with her friend's enthusiasm. After all, they were opening their own business! Even after months of anticipation the thought still sent shivers of excitement down her spine. It had been Kitsune's idea and to begin with Naru had completely dismissed it. Them open a bar? Not likely. The fact that Kitsune had woken her up at one in the morning after coming home legless from a night of karaoke hadn't lent her proposal any credibility. It was the kind of moment that made Naru wonder why she'd agreed to share an apartment with Kitsune when they'd moved out of the Hinata Inn. Surely living by herself would be preferable to this? Naru didn't have such thoughts very often, but when she did they came in force. In any case, Naru had been privy to Kitsune's alcohol fuelled schemes on several previous occasions and hadn't paid the slightest attention to any of them. Who on earth would buy sake flavoured toothpaste? But for once Kitsune had managed to hold onto an idea as she passed from drunk to hung over to sober and at breakfast the next morning she'd raised the idea again, this time with more than just drunken enthusiasm. Naru had continued to ignore her and assumed that that would be the last she heard of the matter. A month later Kitsune had presented her with a rough but workable business plan that covered everything from division of labour to how much they could legitimately borrow from the bank. She'd even found a property they could rent, one that was fairly close to their own apartment. Naru had been openly disbelieving at first. A glance at Kitsune's work had brought her down to sceptical and eventually, after a particularly awful day at her nine-to-five job fending off her supervisor's advances, she'd come home and told Kitsune 'let's do it.' And that had been that. Taking Haruka on as a silent partner had helped to alleviate her concerns about their finances, though where the older woman got her money from Naru still had no idea. Kitsune had leapt into action, showing a side of herself Naru hadn't realised existed as she organised meetings, cajoled bank managers and tradesmen alike and brought the whole thing to fruition with minimal input from Naru, although Naru knew that from now on she'd be handling the financial side of things. When Naru had quizzed her friend on where she'd acquired her knowledge Kitsune had replied that years of crummy jobs in the service industry had taught her everything she needed to know about management 'and the rest comes naturally' she'd finished with a smirk. Naru shook her head, remembering. It seemed years of job-hopping and practical joking had taught Kitsune more about running a business than anyone had guessed. It was hard to believe that the cunning businesswoman who'd accomplished so much so quickly was the same person now standing on the bar singing an exceedingly risqué drinking song at the top of her voice, and carrying the tune surprisingly well under the circumstances. Naru decided she didn't want to know where Kitsune had learnt it. Even more disturbing, Haruka, Seta and Su all seemed to know the words. With a grin Naru downed her own drink and decided to join them. Tonight was a night for celebrating, after all.
Motoko looked down at the peacefully sleeping bundle cradled in her arms before her gaze shifted to the corner of their bedroom where her husband sat in a wicker chair, cradling a similar - no, Motoko corrected herself, an identical bundle - in his arms. A thought occurred to her and she remembered that there was something she had to say.
"I believe I own you an apology, my husband."
"Huh? For what, Motoko-chan?" Keitaro asked in confusion as he looked up from the child he was holding. The blissful expression on his face took Motoko's breath away, reminding her of the day they'd married, and it took a moment for Motoko to recollect her thoughts.
"I believe I said some . . . inappropriate things . . . during the birth," Motoko said softly, blushing and looking down at the sheet covering her as she spoke. The memory of the language she'd used during the last hour or so of the birth was something she found deeply embarrassing now. Her clan had access to the latest medical technology but in many ways they were still quite traditional. It was not customary, for instance, for parents to know their child's sex before the birth and in point of fact Motoko's second pregnancy had progressed so well that an ultrasound had been judged unnecessary. So it was hardly surprising that no-one had known she was pregnant with twins. Until the second little one made her presence felt, that is Motoko reminded herself. Her reaction to that revelation, after a strenuous birth preceded by twelve hours of labour, had been . . . unladylike. She'd said some things to her husband that did not bear thinking about. Keitaro stood up and crossed the room to perch on the side of the bed, little Senko still cradled in his arms. Motoko had chosen male and female names for the one child they had been expecting months before the birth, but Senko, unexpected, had not had a name waiting for her. Keitaro had suggested her name because he felt there was something magical about her unexpected arrival in their lives. 'A surprise miracle' was what he'd called her.
"It doesn't matter sweetheart," he told her now, smiling in the way he had. His smile became a little more mischievous as he continued. "After all, you weren't quite yourself at the time."
If Motoko had had the strength she would have thrown her pillow at him. She settled for a frown.
"Most amusing, husband," she said frostily. Keitaro just laughed, knowing she was teasing him. Mostly teasing him, anyway.
"I wonder what they'll be like," Motoko said after a few moments had passed.
"If they're even half as talented and beautiful as their mother, I'll be happy," Keitaro told her. That was when Motoko leant forward to kiss him, Kikuko still held in her arms.
"Ah . . . are we interrupting something?"
Tsuroko's voice was dryly humourous as she stepped into the room, Kyoko peering out from behind her aunt's skirt and giggling at the sight of her parents kissing.
"Not really, Tsuroko-chan," Keitaro replied calmly, giving Motoko a moment to master her embarrassment.
"Can I see the babies mama? Can I? Can I? Please, please, please?"
"You shouldn't bother your mother, Kyoko-chan. She's still very tired."
Kyoko cringed at her aunt's reprimand
"It's alright sister. Come and meet your little sisters, Kyoko-chan."
With a squeal of excitement Kyoko rushed past Tsuroko and clambered up onto the bed next to her mother to get a good look at one of her new siblings.
"She's all wrinkly!" Kyoko exclaimed in surprise as she peered at Kikuko's face.
"Babies usually are, sweetheart," Keitaro told her with a laugh as he leaned against the wall next to Tsuroko.
"Oh." Kyoko continued to stare at the oldest, by four minutes, of her two younger sisters as the adults in the room looked on. Keitaro and Motoko wore the expressions of warm contentment that might be expected of new parents but Tsuroko's expression was a little more ambiguous.
Even now I have doubts Tsuroko thought to herself as she leaned over Keitaro's shoulder to look at Senko. He is a good man and they are happy together. I shouldn't question it. But still, there are times when I wonder . . .
With a mental shrug Tsuroko quashed her doubts, as she had before and undoubtedly would again, and turned her attention to her sister, brother-in-law and their children. This was meant to be a joyous occasion, she reminded herself.
No room for doubts today.
Author's Notes
My Japanese to English skills are very rough, so I may well have gotten this wrong, but if I recall correctly the name Senko translates as 'wizard child' or 'magical child.'