From the day Sesshoko learned how to walk, she had decided on a goal.
She was determined to get into her mother's closet.
It would be no easy task, as no one was allowed inside Kirimi's room except the woman herself, and, on the rare occasion, her husband.
But Sesshoko was always dazzled by the feathery boas and silk kimonos her mother gracefully donned, and the fine, beautiful makeup the completed her face. Sesshoko had wanted at least once, to go in and play dress-up.
So that's just what she did.
Staying close to the walls, she avoided housemaids and butlers, making her way into her mother's enormous room. She then found the walk-in closet and waltzed in, closing the door behind her.
She tried on many kimonos - all of which were far too big - and then, headed towards the scarves. Her mother owned many different scarves, but Sesshoko liked boas, the huge, feathery, furry ones that were softer than kittens' fur. Sesshoko dug around through countless drawers until she found the perfect one: a cream-colored boa made of the finest pelt. It was so soft to the touch, and warm. She slung it over her shoulder and was just about to walk out of the closet when she heard heated yelling on the other side of the door.
"You can't continue to see him! I know you brought that man into our home, and I won't allow this to continue any longer!" Sesshoko gasped. It was her father's voice! Why was he so angry, though? And with who...?
"The hell you will - I know! How 'bout I just leave with him when he goes back to America?! Then you'll never have to deal with either of us again!" Her mother! Sesshoko opened the door to peek, but just a crack, not too much to be seen or make noise.
"Kirimi! Do not leave me alone with our daughter!" Father's voice cracked. He was trying to sound firm, and angry, but he was choking on his own tears.
"Oh yeah?! Watch me!" Mother roared, and Kirimi heard stomping down the hall.
Before Sesshoko could think it through, she burst through the closet, tripping on her mother's oversized kimono. "Mommy!" She yelled, chasing after the sound of her mother's footsteps. She finally arrived at the front door, where her mother was talking to a butler. "Mommy!"
Sesshoko tripped down the steps, and landed at her mother's feet, the enormous kimono falling off in the process. The boa landed at her feet.
"Whuh-What're you doin' Mommy?" Sesshoko asked, tears making her huge eyes glisten.
Without speaking, Kirimi bent down and grabbed the fluffy boa, wrapping it around the little girl's neck. She then placed her hands on her daughter's cheeks, and kissed her forehead. She stood back up, and left without any last words.
"Mommy! Wait! Mommy come back!"
"Kirimi Taisho-sama?!" Izayoi yelled, shocked. The woman that hadn't made an appearance in fifteen years, suddenly decided to show up at their doorstep?! What was going on?!
"What the hell are you doing here Kirimi?" Inu Taisho said, voice full of malice.
With a flip of her ivory hair, Kirimi smirked, and spoke with a voice like diamonds. "It's Kirimi Vasquez now. And Inu-chan," She placed her manicured hands on her ex's cheeks. "I came here to see that my pregnant daughter's doing well."
"What?! How did you know about that?!" Izayoi asked. The poor woman, she was so frazzled. And she wasn't even in this.
"Obviously, I follow him on twitter." Kirimi held up her phone, showing numerous posts concerning Sesshoko's pregnancy. #SeventeenAndPregnant
"You won't have anything to do with this! Sesshoko is dealing with this the best she can, and I will not have you throwing her life even further off course!" Inu Taisho hollered at the white-haired woman.
With a sway of her perfect hips, Kirimi 'hmph'ed and sashayed out of the room. "We'll see about that."
And poor Izayoi was left having a panic attack as her husband brooded on the couch.
To say that Sesshoko was shocked to see her sister walking into the apartment they shared covered in assorted food items would be an overstatement.
Inuyumi came home from school like this all the time.
"Food Fight?" Sesshoko asked blandly, somewhat happy that right now she felt normal and emotionless.
Inuyumi, however, was bouncing off the walls. "Yup! But who cares about me?! You had and ultrasound-type-thingy today didn'tcha?! C'mon, tell me if it's a boy or a girl! Tell me tell me tell me!"
Trying to hide the blush that graced her cheeks, Sesshoko narrowed her eyes and shifted her gaze over to her hyperactive sister. "...It's a girl."
Inuyumi beamed. "Ha! That's perfect! Oh, let's name it! Whaddya wanna name it?! I think something long and pretty, like Tsukasa or Nagisaki or-"
"I like Rin."
"...Rin. Rin?! That's not long and pretty at all, Shoko! What the hell are you thinking naming it something dumb like Rin?! Honestly, it really does take all kinds-"
"It doesn't matter to you because it's not your baby."
Inuyumi froze, not only was this the first time she called the little life a baby instead of a parasite, but also the first time she said it was hers. What happened at the Doctor's today? Sesshoko hated the idea of having this kid from the beginning, and yet... it was almost as if she was coming to terms with the fact that she was going to be a mother.
"Did... did something happen today? At the ultrasound?" Inuyumi asked, trying not to sound annoying.
Sesshoko shifted uncomfortably as she turned several shades of scarlet. "I... I heard the heartbeat. It... was a very... interesting sound."
Inuyumi inwardly smiled. Her father had told her at the beginning of his plan to melt his daughter's frozen heart with this baby. Inuyumi had to admit, she really didn't think it would work, but it just might...
That is, as long as there's not any other drama she has to work through.