"Akemi?"
Akemi looked up at her mother's call; she's standing at the door, hands behind her back as she entered.
"I know I'm not around a lot." She admitted, looking away. Akemi pushed her phone away, sitting up straighter, "and I know that you and Kyō... Doesn't get along."
She tensed slightly at that, "Mum?"
"I... Can't always be here for you, all your life and I'm really sorry about that." Her mother continued, "I know nothing can make up for the time I missed and I will miss, but Akemi, I want you to have someone to rely on. I know you have friends, and Kōki, and Hibiki, but I also know that there are still things you keep exclusively to yourself."
Mum's right. Of course she's right. She never told Hibiki that she's bi, she never told Tenya she once had a crush on him, she never told anyone that she...
That she once...
Akemi looked away, and nodded, "...Yeah, I... I guess."
Her mother smiled, "So I got you something." She said, softly, before turning to the door and calling out.
"Kōki? Bring him in here, would you?"
"Alright! He's heavy!"
Akemi looked up, frowning, but then Kōki stumbles in.
With an enormous cat hanging from her arms.
"Is that—" Akemi's jaw dropped open, "Mum, that's a..."
"Yep." She grinned, "I know you like big cats, lions and panthers, he's as close to those I can get."
Kōki dumped the large grey cat in her lap and it climbered off before curling and slumping all over her bed.
"It's a Maine Coon- Ragdoll mix." Her mother said, "his eyes look just like yours, don't they?"
Akemi struggled to lift the cat; he melted like a puddle as she scratched his chin, purring and confirming the 'cats are liquid' theory.
"Mum..." She hugged the feline tight to her chest; half his body is dangling down as he's too big to fit in her arms, she held up the cat with one arm and then hugged her mum with the other.
"Thanks, mum."
"Aww... You're welcome, sweetie."
"... I'm naming him Smudge."
And about five minutes later, Kōki found a tiny cream pom puppy sitting in her coat pocket staring at her with sparkly bready eyes, and her mother is heard giggling behind the door.
"Oh my God, MUM!"
Akemi likes big cats; Kōki like tiny dogs.
...She named the pom Doge.
Please RnR for more of Smudge and Doge!
