Gogo was the first one to wake up. She felt nauseous and queasy, sick to her stomach. Quickly she reached for her phone-which she had forgotten to charge-and looked at the lock screen for the time. The screen itself was barren of notifications, the background of a picture Gogo loved. It was of herself and Hiro as they stood in the direct middle of the Golden Gate. The sun was dipping low in the sky, the sky blending from red to orange to yellow then finally to purple. But the pair hadn't simply stood for a photo-though they did get one….actually several-they were kissing. Their love displayed without care.
Then she felt her throat clench, holding back what her stomach sought to expel. And she saw the time. 5:38 in the morning. Right on schedule, unfortunately. And with a lurch and threat to spew the lunch from the night prior, she darted out of the bed and to the bathroom. Within moments, as she knelt down, hands clutching porcelain, the threat became reality. She stayed there, hunched over for over half an hour, throwing up then dry heaving, until finally, she felt decent. Well, decent enough for a new, soon-to-be mother who had red puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks from perching in front of swan white porcelain. And who had done this for almost two weeks now. Suffice to say, she was not a fan of this near daily ritual.
As she made her way back to the bed, she slowly crawled in, careful not to wake Hiro. The bed creaked softly, a quiet whine of age as the mattress dipped beneath her. Normally, she would have snuck out by this time, being careful not to get spotted by Aunt Cass. Though as she and Hiro had agreed, there would be no more running. No more sneaking behind Cass's back. It was time to be truthful. And time to be honest.
"Gogo?" muttered Hiro. His voice was quiet and weary, a sound of someone still half asleep.
Wordless in reply, Gogo's arms snaked around his torso, gently pulling him close. His body went stiff before relaxing. Near silent breaths, rhythmic and synchronous, indicated he'd fallen into slumber. It wasn't long before she did as well. She didn't dream. Her mind didn't race. It was simply a tranquility and bliss that lasted, to her, but a second.
She awoke to the smell of breakfast; sausage, bacon, pancakes and syrup. Her stomach turned. Seeking a return to the peaceful bliss her mind had conjured, drawing her away from the fears that dwelled in the trenches of her thoughts, she reached for Hiro. But all that was there was the cooling of a spot once filled. Sitting up and rubbing her cloudy eyes, she spotted her boyfriend sitting at his desk. Attentive solely on the light of the screen before him, colors shifting as he scrolled on the page. With a smirk, she rose silently from the bed. Taking cautious steps, she sauntered behind Hiro, who was still unaware of her presence. And she pounced.
Her arms launched around him, pulling him into a hug from behind. He startled with a jolt.
"Gogo!" He cried, face pale and drained in fright.
"Whatcha doing over here?" She questioned. And her eyes drifted to the screen.
He was looking into stay at home jobs. And in another tab was looking into apartments and homes within the city. Two bedroom apartments and homes. It shocked her. And she froze.
"Well, uh…" He began only to feel her stiffen. Looking up, he trailed her eyes to the screen and the tabs laid open. "Are you alright?"
" Hiro, I…" her voice trailed off. She was already a woman of few words, but now she was speechless. And she wasn't even sure why.
Suddenly, a voice from below called out, shattering Gogo out of her stupor. "Hiro, breakfast!"
"Aunt Cass," Hiro muttered.
Gogo let go of him, bringing a hand up to wipe her eyes. She was becoming far more emotional. Her stoicism and hardened exterior fading. And she didn't know why. But now wasn't the time to find out. Now was the time to finally tell Cass the truth.
"Are you alright?" Hiro asked, worried. About her.
"Yeah," Gogo responded, distant for a moment, "C'mon, time to talk to Cass."
She spun him in his chair, turning to face one another. And when she moved to lead the way, Hiro grabbed her wrist. He truly cared.
"Gogo, wait." He pleaded. But she felt frozen in place regardless. "Listen, I…I thought you…I wanted to do something nice for you. I-if you don't want me to, I'll-"
"No!" She blurted, stopping him. "I love that you are doing it."
"Then what's wrong?"
"I…." She struggled to find the words. "I've never had love like this before. Never gotten to feel it. And these damn hormones are ruining things! But I love that you love me like you do. I don't want to trade it. I want more of it. Yet, I feel like I'm overwhelmed with emotions right now."
"Oh. Should I stop?"
"Absolutely not! Just….come with me so we can finally tell the truth to Cass."
Hiro nodded. Then stood before pulling Gogo into a loving embrace. It lasted for several seconds. And as he pulled away, he stretched to kiss her. Something which she happily accepted.
As lips parted, they stared into each other's eyes and inhaled slowly. In for five. Hold. Out for five. Step. In for five. Step. Out for five. Hold. In, step. Out, step. Step. Step. Step. Ste-
"Hiro! There you are! I was wondering when you'd-Gogo, hi. When'd you show up? I didn't hear you come in." Aunt Cass wiped her hands on her donned apron, momentarily stunned by the surprise appearance of the messy haired woman.
Gogo, slightly uncomfortable, flicked her hand in the air with a partial, nonchalant wave.
"Um," she began.
"Oh, do you know who the father is?" Cass questioned excitedly.
Hiro chuckled nervously, "It's funny you should ask that, Aunt Cass. Gogo was just telling me about it."
Gogo's eyes narrowed at the boy, sharp and dangerous. Daggers.
"Ms. Hamada, you might wanna sit for this."
"Ooh, I love these kinds of stories." Cass excitedly hummed as she lowered into a chair. "So, who is he? Is he a fellow student? A coworker? Oh! Is he a prof-"
"It's Hiro."
The air chilled. The bubbly, joviality from Aunt Cass gone in an instant. And as she, dumbfounded and shaken, looked between her nephew and Gogo, silently questioning if she had heard correctly. Then Hiro nodded his head. Cass's eyes closed as she took a deep breath and stood from her seat. Nobody spoke. Cass stepped away, walking to her room. And in the seconds that passed, silence deafening, Gogo and Hiro shared a terrified glance.
When Cass returned, she held in her hands a small box no larger than a textbook. And she approached the couple.
"I had originally planned to give this to your brother. I hoped to give it as a gift if he got married. But then-" Cass stopped herself, voice cracking. With a cough, she started again, "After everything happened, I was going to give it to you when you were older. It seems like you need it now, though."
She held out the box to Hiro, who cautiously took it.
"You're not mad?" He asked, looking up to her.
"Oh, I'm furious. But, you are smart enough to take responsibility for your actions. And smart enough to know what to do. I can only hope that you make the right choices." She turned towards Gogo, "While I don't appreciate or condone the fact that you sought advances on a minor, especially my nephew, I won't go to the authorities. A part of my nephew-my family-is inside of you. It is your right to do as you wish, but so help me if you do anything to hurt Hiro…"
Gogo began to feel small. It was as though the physics of the world were shifting and Cass was growing in size. But it drew further. The lights around her seemed to fade out into midnight dark. And the smells that once were pancakes and other breakfast commodities shifted to a charcoal and brimstone that singed the nostrils upon each inhalation.
She continued, "If you do anything to hurt my nephew in any way, I will not hesitate to do all in my power to take you down."
"Ms. Hamada, Hiro means more to me than I even knew at first. I love him. And I would never do anything to hurt him."
Gogo stood her ground, though felt herself shake slightly in the eerie and honestly quite terrifying visage of Aunt Cass. Then she felt Hiro's hand slip into hers. She didn't feel nearly as threatened. And the visage that once loomed over her shrunk.
Then Cass beamed a smile.
"Great!" She chirped, returning to her jovial attitude, "Who's hungry?"
Hiro glanced at Gogo and she returned the gaze. Both confused, both cautious. Eventually, they stepped over to the small dining table and lowered down, sitting side by side. Cass, having finished cooking breakfast just moments earlier, brought over the plates of food. As the main plates rested on the table, she didn't sit. Rather she returned to the kitchen. And she began to cook.
"What's in the box, Hiro?" Gogo asked.
"I dunno." Looking down at the gift, he slowly began to lift the lid. It slid off with ease and beneath it was a singular book: Parenthood: Through Life and Love Vol. 1. It wasn't new. And from the side, it was clear many notes had been written and posted inside.
"It's a book," pointed Gogo. She couldn't fully see the book from the angle she sat. Though she saw its importance as Hiro's face sombered. Rapidly, he opened the book and flipped through pages, reading a note here and there.
"I-it's a book. On parenting." His eyes turned up to Cass who walked out of the kitchen, holding another plate in her hand. She set the plate before Gogo, who saw she had fixed some chocolate toast.
And she crumbled the Noritos atop it. Just like last time.
"Aunt Cass, I thought…" Hiro stammered.
"Whoops! You caught me!" She chuckled, "But I wanted to keep it secret. So when I passed it on, you or Tadashi would know just what to do and what not to do."
"Ms. Hamada….thank you."
"Goodness, you're growing up so fast Hiro. And now I'm gonna be a great-aunt." Cass sniffled, smiling.
"Grandmother," Hiro said, "You'll be a grandma."
Gogo and Cass's hearts melted at the statement. Gogo did her best to keep from tearing up at the sentiment, taking bites of the food before her. Cass, on the other hand, began waving at her face as she began to cry. It meant a lot. To everyone.
Cass rose from her seat and hugged her nephew.
"T-thank you, Hiro," she said.
Slowly she made her way back to her seat. And sitting down, everyone began eating. But between bites, ecstatic mumbles could be overheard; "I'm gonna be a grandma!" "I'll need a book on what to do!" And many others slipped from Cass's lips. Gogo smiled.
Breakfast continued in this manner for a while longer as everyone ate their fill of the meal before them. Except for Gogo, as she continued to eat through several slices of Norito-covered Chocolate Toast that Cass happily made. Eventually, when all the food was gone and the stomachs of the patrons were satisfied, the dishes were collected. Mostly, it was Cass who began to pick up. Though Gogo helped out as she felt bad for everything she's put Cass through. And so, they carried the dishes to the sink and began to wash them one by one.