Chapter 2

A Day At the Park

Nozomi and Honoka take their seven kids outside for the day since it's bright and sunny. Umi is clinging onto Honoka while Kotori is holding her mother's hand. Nozomi is trying to manage the super hyper Rin while Maki is just walking with Hanayo while the shy honey blonde clings onto the red head as she frantically looks around to see if anything will jump at her. Eli and Nico just run ahead of their parents, just excited to play on the playground they always play in.

"E-Elicchi! Nicocchi!" Nozomi calls. "Slow down, please! I-I can't handle…..Rin-chan! Hey, will you quit wiggling around?"

"The park! The park, nya!" Rin chants. "Nya, nya, nya, nya, nya~!"

Honoka laughs nervously. "U-ummmm…Nozomi-chan…if you want, I can take one of the kids. Here, how about I take Hanayo-chan?"

Nozomi glances over at the honey blonde. "She seems okay next to Maki-chan. Could you at least take Rin-chan? She's just…a handful at the moment."

"Sure." Honoka starts to walk towards the orange haired girl, but she has to use all her strength to even walk towards her daughter since Umi is clinging onto her mother so tightly. Then, the ginger has an idea. She picks up the shy bluenette and puts her on her back then takes Rin's hand. Umi squeals cheerfully, putting her hands in the air. Nozomi giggles at this cute sight.

"Seems like Umi-chan likes this ride~" she teases.

"It's the only way to take Rin-chan," Honoka says. "Besides, Umi-chan doesn't want me to leave her at all, so she has to cling onto me every time we go somewhere."

"She's very shy, you know that," Nozomi says.

"Yes, yes, I know. Hey, we're almost there anyways. So, let's go."

"YAAAAAAAAY!" Rin says loudly as she runs full speed ahead, dragging Honoka along. "PARK! PARK! PARK, NYAAAAA~!"

"W-wait, Rin-chaaaaaaan!" Honoka cries as she is helplessly being dragged by her own daughter.

Umi hangs on for dear life while Kotori is being dragged with Honoka. Nozomi gives a nervous smile.

"Well, ummm, at least I don't have to deal with Rin-chan for the moment. Eheheh…"

When the big family finally arrive at the playground, they let their daughters run and play. However, Umi is very hesitant and chooses to stay close to her mother Honoka. She hugs the ginger and buries her head in her chest, whining softly.

"H-hey, Umi-chan," Honoka says. "Ummmmm….could you let go?"

Umi whines as she shakes her head. The ginger sighs. She feels that she can never break Umi's shy habit. However, Eli takes notice of this and runs over toward her mother.

"Hey, may I take Umi for you?" she asks.

"Yes, please!" Honoka replies, feeling relieved.

Eli taps the bluenette's shoulder, but it only startles her and hug Honoka tighter.

"Umi! Hey, Umi!" Eli says. "Why don't you play with your big sister?"

Umi slowly turns her head to reveal small tears in her eyes. She grips onto her mother's shirt and looks down at the ground.

"Go on, Umi-chan," Nozomi says. "Elicchi won't leave you. Neither will Mama Honoka. We're right here."

Umi looks up at her two mothers with her big adorable golden eyes and then back at Eli. She gives a slight nod, releases her grip on Honoka and slowly takes Eli's hand. The small blonde smiles and takes Umi toward the play ground to play. Nozomi and Honoka take a seat at a nearby bench and watch their seven daughters play with each other. Rin is running around, chasing Maki and Hanayo with a stick, shouting "Nya!" over and over. Umi, Eli and Kotori are playing Tag with Nico, who happens to be a slow runner and is unable to catch Eli most of the time. Nozomi and Honoka giggle at this and turn toward each other with a smile.

"Thanks for coming," the violet haired girl says.

"You insisted, Nozomi-chan," Honoka says. "I had no other choice. Hehe~!"

"Well, like I said, I can't handle 7 children alone."

"Yes, I know. Though, Maki-chan, Hanayo-chan and Rin-chan are our adopted kids. Meaning they aren't our real…"

"Yes, but they are still our daughters to me," Nozomi cuts her off. She looks down at the ground with a serious expression. "I can't blame them for what they have been through together….I mean, after hearing about their parents abandoning them and then being taken to the orphanage…"

Honoka shakes her head at the memory. "They were obviously not good parents. I bet they were much too lazy to even know the meaning of a good parent and raising their children well."

Nozomi nods. "Yeah. But none of that matters. I mean, look how happy they are right now?"

The ginger nods as she scoots closer and takes her wife's hand, gently squeezing it. "Yes. All thanks to you, Nozomi-chan. You saved their lives."

"Indeed."

Honoka leans in to kiss her wife on the cheek. "I love you, Nozomi-chan. I am very grateful to have seven daughters."

The violet haired woman returns the favor and caresses her cheek. "I'm glad, Honoka-chan. And I'm sure our kids are grateful to have us mothers as well, especially Maki-chan, Rin-chan and Hanayo-chan."

The two share one last brief kiss before turning back to watch their children, holding hands and Honoka resting her head on her wife's shoulder.