A few days have passed since he apparently returned to another time in his life. He still feels strange and is afraid to wake up being back in life that he wasted, that future full of loneliness and regret that he created with his own aberrant acts.
He has felt a little calmer, he wants to take the opportunity. It has started with small steps, but soon it will start with long and profitable steps.
-Dad.
Fuyumi appeared with a large glass of green tea behind him. She extended the tray to her father, waiting for him to take the glass.
—Thanks Fuyumi.
Enji took a long drink and wiped the sweat from his face with his hand. He had been working in Rei's garden all afternoon. She was in bed resting after going to the hospital for back pain three nights earlier. His wife was a simple woman, she liked to cook, read and above all take care of her garden, that place was like her little sanctuary.
He remembered her cleaning the undergrowth, putting compost in the ground, cutting the old flowers and watering the ground. Always so focused and with a smile on her face. Even when things started to get worse and worse in her relationship and with her family, she continued going to the garden and taking care of the plants.
Rei was not feeling well, and he wanted to comfort her by taking care of her garden, which she had not paid attention to because she felt sick. Enji wanted her to look at the garden and smile. He wanted to protect his wife's smile, her sanity, the love she still felt for him.
"Natsu and I can help if you want dad," The girl said worried about her father's arm.
"Don't worry, I'm fine, I'm just going to remove the dried flowers. Besides, it's very hot," he smiled gently, a gesture that made his daughter blush that she did not remember seeing a sincere smile like that on her father's face before. Enji returned the empty glass to her.
"Well then, I'll be inside with Natsu."
Enji nodded and went back to work. Fuyumi walked away not without first glancing over her shoulder and watching her father calmly cut the flowers. He was wearing a black cap with a flame on the front. In addition to jeans and a white short-sleeved shirt. He had hours in the sun, but he seemed to be doing well. Fuyumi knew that her father endure the heat much better, better than she and Natsuo. She also knew that was why he had refused their help every time the two children offered it.
"Is he still outside?" Touya asked his sister when he watched her enter the kitchen.
"Yes, it's about to finish." She put the tray and the empty glass down the sink.
"I don't trust his new side as a devoted father and husband," the boy said suspiciously.
Touya leaned back in his chair as he clutched at the table with his hands. His sister looked at him and made a winced of annoyance, she hated that Touya did that. One day he will fall on his back with the chair and split his head, the girl thought. She walked over to his brother and gently pushed the chair, leaving it with all four legs on the floor.
"I like it, you should give him a chance ..." Fuyumi beat his brother's hair "He is our father, we must support him."
"At any moment he will show us that bad side of him, you'll see ..."
Touya stood up and left the kitchen leaving her sister alone. The whitish-haired little boy refused to believe that his father wanted to change. His recent acts only put him on the defensive and he preferred to stay out of it. He didn't want to believe and he had his reasons. He had suffered for years because of Enji Todoroki and his sick lust for power. His goal of overcome All Might had blinded him for so long that he didn't realize the pain it caused his family. Being the eldest, Touya wanted his brothers to be happy and well, he would like to believe in his father, certainly and to have a normal and happy family. But the blows, the scolding, the hard workouts that exhausted him physically and mentally did not allow him to trust his father. He looked at Natsuo and Fuyumi closer to his father and that made him feel strange. Touya wondered if his subconscious also wanted that. If he also wanted to talk and share quietly with him. But suddenly the images of his hard scolding came, of the fear of failing and the blows, because he had already received several. His head full of mixed thoughts and feelings was driving him crazy. He could only resist them and try to appear normal.
Touya locked himself in his room. Natsuo watched him shut the door in annoyance, the youngest of the Todoroki understood his brother, and did not want to force him to accept something that bothered him. However, for Natsuo the new dynamics of his family fascinated him. He liked eating with everyone at the table, chatting quietly while watching a movie, watching his mother smile at his father gently and tenderly, which filled his chest with indescribable warmth. But what he liked most about his father now was his closeness. Before he was afraid of him and kept his distance, but now it was different, he could be by his side without fear of feeling his gaze or with the uncertainty of an unexpected wake-up call. He was even starting to get into the habit of curling up next to him while watching television. The first time, it was unintentionally, he had fallen asleep next to him on the couch, and his small, cold body had leaned against his father. When he woke up, he realized that he had let him sleep on his lap and was stroking his hair. While her mother on the other side of her father watched television. Enji had an arm around Rei's shoulders and she was leaning equally against his chest. It was a warm feeling, not bothered he by the heat emanating from him. Instead, it made him feel safe.
Natsuo send a compassionate glance towards his brother's door and continued on his way to the kitchen, where he found his older sister chopping some fruit.
"Natsu, do you want an orange?" she asked smiling.
"Sure." The little boy sat down and began eating orange slices with a pinch of salt.
"I'll bring Mom some iced tea and fruit."
Natsuo nodded with a mouth full of orange and his sister laughed.
Rei was lying on the bed, her face had a tired look out the window of her room as the wind slightly moved the branches of the trees outside. The doctor had given her some medications and the pain in her back had subsided. He had also told her that she should rest and be calm, but she felt useless being in bed.
Fuyumi appeared bringing a tray of fruit and iced tea. Her face was resplendent, her smile was perfect, the mother thought.
"Mom, are you feeling better?"
-Yes, thanks sweety.
"I brought you some fruit and iced tea."
"Did you cut it yourself?" she asked, tasting the strawberries.
"Yes," replied the kid, touching the nape of her neck, "I can do it alone. Do not worry."
"You are a wonderful Fuyumi girl." She took her hand and held it against her chest, her daughter smiled.
The little girl put a chair next to the bed and sat down while watching her mother eat.
"Where are your brothers?"
"Natsuo was eating oranges in the kitchen and Touya is in her room."
Rei knew that her eldest son was upset and wanted to be with him, wanted to be able to hug and comfort him.
"And your father?"
"He's been outside," she said as she stood up, she didn't want to tell her what he was doing, "but he's fine, he'll come to see you soon."
"Well, Mrs. Ishida will be coming soon, attempt that your brothers don't cause problems my love."
"Sure mom."
Mrs. Ishida was the Todoroki's cook, the woman had started working full time now that Rei was in bed. She prepared lunches for the children's school and also breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Since it was Saturday Enji had told her only to just come over to make dinner. They ordered breakfast from a restaurant and at lunch they ordered a pizza, that Natsuo was fascinated by, he had never tasted one.
Fuyumi left her mother eating and left the room to look for Natsuo, found him with their father in the courtyard, sitting on the grass. Enji had finished with the garden and little Todoroki had brought him some orange slices as a reward.
"Mom woke up, she's eating some fruit," Fuyumi said as she patted her brother's head.
"How does she feel?" The redhead asked with a few drops of sweat rolling down his face.
"She is okay, mom want us not to give Mrs. Ishida trouble."
The father nodded and stood up. The children followed Enji home. Natsuo and Fuyumi stayed watching a movie, before he could go see his wife there was a knock on the door, it was Mrs. Ishida who greeted him politely. The woman carried a bag with some purchases for dinner.
"Dinner will be ready soon sir," she told him as she walked into the kitchen.
Enji nodded and turned to go see his wife. He knocked gently on the door and heard the calm voice of his wife, took off his cap and entered the room.
"How you feel?", he asked, sitting down in the chair his daughter had used before.
"I'm fine, just a little bored, how have the children been?"
"Good, Fuyumi is a great help."
Rei nodded smiling.
"She is a very good girl."
"It's like you," he replied, taking her hand.
The warm touch of her husband ran through her body with an electrifying wave. Her heart beat faster and she felt like a schoolgirl in love. She thought her pregnancy was driving her hormones crazy.
Enji looked at his wife's eyes, they were gray, deep and temperate. They were like seeing the sky at night. A sky that really caught his attention. He was concerned about his situation. She had been trying hard lately. It had always been that way, he remembered it well. This time he wanted to make sure that Rei will rest and take things slowly. He did not want to see stress on his face or that the worries for the family and especially for him and Touya, diminish her health. He didn't want to make the same mistakes with her, like in the past.
Enji leaned over her and placed a warm kiss on her forehead. Rei placed a hand against her husband's chest and squeezed the fabric of his shirt in her hand, pulling him down. She kissed him on the lips and smiled when she noticed that he eagerly reciprocated. His free hand gripped her shoulder. They both looked into each other's eyes and she gave a contagious little laugh. Enji pulled away a little blushing, as he adjusted his shirt.
"I'll take a shower, Mrs. Ishida is already making dinner," he said and rushed to the bathroom.
Rei patted the sheet on her legs and sighed in amusement. Her husband was not exactly a don Juan, or an uninhibited man with women. Although he used to attract the glances of women and men, he was simply a bit reserved on such matters. But she had been able to discover what Enji Todoroki was like under his cold, unflappable gaze. She liked to tempt her passionate and daring side. And from time to time she liked to stagger him.
Later a while her husband appeared with a towel on his shoulders and dress in a black jinbei with thin vertical gray lines.
"I will ask Mrs. Ishida to bring your dinner, okay?"
"Sure, make sure the children sleep early."
"Sure," he said as he left the room.
Dinner went by without major problems. Fuyumi and Natsuo chatted animatedly with their father while Touya ate in silence. After dinner the boys helped lift the dirty dishes. Enji helped Fuyumi put them in the dishwasher and Natsuo helped dry them with a clean towel.
"You kids should take a bath," Enji said, placing the last plate on a shelf.
"Natsuo and Touya can take a bath first, I'll go see mom."
"Great," said the younger Todoroki, taking his brother's hand, pulling him with him and they were lost in the corridor.
Enji took a glass and filled it with water.
"It's time for mom's medicine," he said, and his daughter followed him.
The days began to liked him, they were calm. The children were behaved good, they were more receptive to him and he could approach without causing fear or anxiety on they. Touya was still reluctant, but he understood. For that he wanted to make the most of the time, he hadn't allowed his arm to heal with some healing quirk for that very reason. But he knew there were still many more things to remedy. I was going one step at a time.
