Orihime looked up at the ceiling as she laid on the couch. She lifted her left hand to reveal a small diamond ring. She gazed at the ring for a moment, then put her hand back down. She looked across the room to the pictures in a line on the wall. The first was her wedding picture with all her guests. She returned to gazing up at the ceiling and remembered that day. They had decided to get married right away. Orihime didn't really keep in touch with any family and Ichigo didn't want to explain everything to his old friends, so he decided to just invite his dad and sisters as well as Urahara, Yoruichi, Renji, Rukia, and Kon. Orihime just invited Tatsuki. It was perfect. Orihime wore a simple dress with a pink ribbon while Ichigo wore the suit he had gotten a while back. They had already signed the marriage license before the ceremony, so it was more of a gathering for everyone. The ceremony was short and there was a small area set up for food and dancing outside her house. She remembers how bright the sun was that day. As she had her first dance as Mrs. Kurosaki, she could remember being nearly blinded by the sun, only to have Ichigo shield her eyes every time they turned toward the sun. Such a small act meant so much to her. A month after the wedding, Orihime changed the name of her shop to Kurosaki Bakery and Gifts. The rise in business that came soon after had allowed them to add more onto the shop and to their house. They added two more rooms and made a one a master bedroom at the end of the hallway. All the repairs were completed by the next winter. They were excited to spend the winter relaxing as the entire year had been quite tiring. That was 8 years ago.
Orihime looked over again at the next picture of a little orange haired boy that almost didn't come into the world. She had gone into labor during a blizzard and Ichigo panicked driving to the hospital. He finally stopped the car and tried to call for an ambulance, but the phone didn't have a signal, so he took all his strength and continued driving at a low speed until they arrived at the hospital. Orihime was so panicked at the drive over that her blood pressure was very high and she was starting to hyperventilate. Ichigo ran in and grabbed a wheelchair, almost falling on the ice. He wheeled her in and yelled for anyone that his wife was in labor. A nurse ran over and noticed how red Orihime was. She called for a doctor right away and wheeled her quickly to a room. Orihime was going into shock and the doctor found that the baby had the umbilical cord wrapped around it's neck. The doctor worked quickly with Orihime on oxygen to try and calm her down. After a grueling 15 minutes, there came a cry that melted Orihime's heart. He had to be rushed to another room, so Orihime stayed in constant worry for almost an hour before the doctor appeared saying that the baby was going to be ok. Ichigo had been trying to calm her down the entire time, but she just wouldn't until she heard he was ok. She was not going to lose anyone to that darkness.
Orihime tensed up at the thought of that night, but continued to look at the pictures. The final two were of two twin girls and the last was all five of them together at the ocean. The twins' birth was uneventful and they both came out healthy. She could remember her son looking at them with such curiosity, and when she introduced them to him, his smile lit up the entire room. Orihime looked around and could hear everyone outside. She enjoyed the moments of peace while everyone was out, but wanted to desperately see them again. She got up and brushed off her light colored skirt. She had eaten another red bean paste bun from her shop and it just flaked off so easily that the crumbs were a given. She walked out into the backyard and could see ichigo playing ball with the kids. The son was throwing it back while the girls were trying to desperately catch the ball. She walked out and everyone stopped and greeted her. The girls ran over and hugged at her skirt while she walked over to the picnic table to sit. She hugged them tight, but said that they need to go play while she sits and watches. The girls ran back and Orihime sat back and relaxed. The sun was starting to get in her eyes. The sun in Hokkaido was always so bright. She could hear her son yell that the ball had gone way over Ichigo's head and Ichigo laughed and began running for the ball. Then, it all hit her. Orihime's eyes widened as her dream played out in front of her. It looked exactly like it. The fear set in and she sprang up from the table and began running after them. The whole thing played out in slow motion to her. It seemed that she would not reach them in time. As the sun blocked her vision, she screamed out "No!" as the final moments of the dream played out in front of her. Then, she could see again and saw that the kids had stopped and Ichigo was nowhere in sight. Orihime dropped to her knees and began to scream and cry. The kids ran over and hugged her asking her if she was ok. She fell onto her hands and finally onto her side. Then she blacked out. When she came to, she could hear her kids still calling out to her. Her heart then skipped a beat as a very familiar voice called out her name. She opened her eyes and there he was, looking down on her. She shot up and hugged him, still bawling into his shoulder. He held her gently and asked if she was ok. She simply nodded.
"Where were you just a moment ago?" She said softly.
"I went behind the garage to get the ball. When I came back, you were on the ground. Are you sure you're ok?"
She nodded again and got up with his help. The kids were holding onto her and she looked into Ichigo's eyes. "I am better than ok. Winter's Lonely Visitor has given me the best life I could ask for."
The End
Note: A big thank you to everyone who read this. I am sad to be done with the story, but I hope everyone enjoyed it.
Update: Thank you for all the reviews, favs, and follows. I was really not expecting this story to get so much feedback. A big hug to all of you.