Welcome! I hope you guys are as excited as I am! I can't wait to continue and conclude Kumiko's journey in this sequel! Thank you for everyone who has supported this story!
Enjoy Reading~
Prologue (Kumiko)
We all have an idea how our lives will go. Deep down, we all have the fantasies that keep us pushing forward, hoping that if we keep slogging through each day that these dreams will come true. We all imagine what it must be like to fall in love; to accomplish something great in our lives; to have a reason to smile.
I always wondered what it was like to grow old and eventually die with the one I loved. I never needed fireworks or forbidden fruit. I just wanted a companion.
Her little whimpering caught my attention and I peered over the side of her crib. She stared up at me. She always hushed when she saw me, and I wasn't sure if it was because she was comforted by the presence of her mother or if she was frightened.
"Just like clockwork," I glanced at the clock and saw that she had woken up at two again. She was on a short sleep cycle that I couldn't break her out of. I picked her up and set her on my hip, "It's alright. You're more like me in that sense. Light sleeper."
She did nothing but stare. Sometimes I would catch her gawking at me for no reason—mouth open and those big, grey eyes honed in on me like a moth to a flame. It initially disturbed me, but only because her gaze reminded me so much of Kisuke's. Behind that blank, grey stare was a intricate mind working everything out.
Her close resemblance to Kisuke didn't distract me much anymore. It was comforting to have her by my side, regardless of how much she looked like that vile man. I often isolated myself from work and family to spend more time with her. I never would have thought that such a beautiful creature would come from me. She was the very reason for my existence now.
"Little Shizuko," I hummed, resting her against my shoulder. She lay her head into the crook of my neck with no complaint. I suspected that she was a cuddly one, like her father. She was always burrowing herself into me or my mother.
I cherished these nights where I could see Shizuko. During the week, I had to stay in the barracks and await orders from the new captain and Centrel Forty-Six. I missed her so much that it caused me pain, and I would leave as soon as I could to come back to the Kuna residence. It had become much easier as time went on, but the first six months after Shizuko had been born were terrible. Not just for me but my mother too. But in many ways, Shizuko was both of our ways of staying grounded in the midst of grief; both of us suffering the loss of Mashiro and my husband.
I stared out of the nursery window. The night was nearly over and I would have to return to Squad Eleven. Five days without this sweet bundle in my arms…but it was bearable. Whatever I did for the Seireitei and whatever I covered up for Central Forty-Six, I did for Shizuko. I did it to keep her safe.
"It's all for you, sweetheart," I kissed her head. I would hold her a little longer before I had to go. Just a little longer.
