"Why can't Uncle Mason come?" Kairi whined as she crossed her arms, contemplating the merits of just jumping out of the rowboat and swimming home.
"Because this is a trip for you and mommy," Izumi replied. Despite being in her seventh month, Izumi kept working out as her doctor deemed fit. Today she had decided to take a picnic to Yock Island in the middle of the lake behind their house. She wanted to spend time alone with her daughter before she gave birth or was unable to take a trip like this later in her pregnancy. She promised not to overwork herself and rowed at a leisurely pace.
Kairi pouted, leaning over the boat careful to dip her hand in the water as they traversed. "Should you be doing that? I could take over," she muttered, barely audible.
The smile that spread on Izumi's face was soft due to the care she could glean in her daughter's words. "Oh, honey, that's so sweet but I'm okay to row today. Maybe on our way back you can take one of the oars, but two at once might be too difficult for you right now. Thank you for the offer though," she replied, pausing in rowing for a moment to reach out and pat Kairi's head.
She shrunk a little under the attention but didn't fully shy away and Izumi would accept that as a small win. Soon they arrived at Yock Island and unloaded the boat. As much as Kairi would love to sit on the sand for their picnic, Izumi insisted on going a little further inland to get some shade while they ate. Kairi insisted on dragging the heavier item up the short path though, pushing her mother's hands away after they lifted it out of the canoe. She would at least do this for her mother even if she didn't want a younger sibling.
"I packed your favorite, Kairi," Izumi stated, opening the picnic basket lids. Kairi scrambles to her knees and peers into the basket, but is careful pulling out their meal. There's strawberries and a small container of raspberries, homemade sour cream and onion flavored chips she knows her dad made this morning, the tie dye cookies she begged Mason to bake with her yesterday. Finally for their main course there was some kind of pasta salad Kairi knew she would dislike and a couple sandwiches. Peeking under the wrapping of one she saw it was a lightly grilled bread with melty cheese and ham.
"Oooh, thanks!" Kairi said, wiggling side to side on her knees.
Glancing at which one she found, Izumi added, "There's also a peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich if you're extra hungry today."
Kairi grinned ear to ear at her mother then plopped back down on her bottom and started to eat her sandwich. Izumi chuckled to herself, resting a hand on her stomach as she dug into her own sandwich. Lunch passed by quietly, Kairi making a noise of excitement when she moved on to another favorite of hers, glad to not be forced to eat the cold pasta salad. When her mother gasped lightly, the nearly six your old looked over worried.
"What?" she asked, voice higher pitch than normal.
"Your baby sibling is moving around right now, kicking," Izumi said, a serene look on her face as she rubbed her tummy more. "Want to feel?"
"No."
Izumi looked over at Kairi who was looking away from her into the woods. She was stunned at how quickly the reply came and saddened not much had changed since they first announced the pregnancy to their daughter. She sighed. "Kairi, I know you're upset about this baby, but there's nothing you can do about it. You need to get used to the idea sooner or later. In just a couple months there will be another little Curtis in our lives and I know they're going to love their big sissy unconditionally. Aren't you excited about having a friend at home all the time to play with, to teach how to swim, make sandcastles and cookies with? Drive your father and I crazy with your antics?" Izumi asked, trying to keep her voice neutral and appeal to her daughter's sensibilities.
Kairi had crossed her arms partway through her mother's speech, resolutely avoiding eye contact. She kept quiet for a few moments after Izumi stopped talking, trying to word her reply. "I don't have to do anything I don't want to. You told me that," she said, standing up and walking toward the woods.
"Kairi, don't wander off," Izumi said, struggling to get to her feet. Yock Island wasn't too large, but she didn't want her five year old exploring on her own either. Once vertical, Izumi noticed that Kairi hadn't disappeared into the treeline yet and she wondered if she was waiting for her mother to follow. At least, despite her attitude, Kairi seemed unwilling to disobey and worry her parents. A quick glance over her shoulder and Kairi started walking through the trees with Izumi keeping a safe distance to allow her child the illusion of alone time to process.
At first during the trek, Kairi was pouting and staring at the ground, but soon she started looking around the island and began to lighten up and enjoy the exploration. Soon she forgot her spat with her mother and began pointing things out, asking what flower that was, or why that tree had moss but the other one didn't. Closer to the middle of the island, Kairi saw the largest tree she had ever seen and ran toward it.
"Mommy, look!" she exclaimed, walking around the trunk with a hand on its bark. "WOAH!"
Izumi hurried her steps as best she could to the backside of the tree and saw her daughter standing inside the tree looking up.
"Is it dead?" Kairi asked.
"I don't…think so…" Izumi said, inspecting the roots and the fact there were still leaves on this tree. "It seems healthy but to be hollowed out…and not by any traditional tree dwelling animal, so strange."
"Can I climb it?" Kairi's head shot to look her mother in the face, eyes sparkling.
Izumi bit her lip for a moment as she ducked in and looked up the tree. There were what appeared to be branches criss crossing inside the tree, perhaps even a comfortable wider spot to sit further up. The strangest thing was that some sunlight was filtering into the tree trunk, enough so that one could read a book.
"Pleaaaaaaaase, mommy?"
Sighing, Izumi relented, "Okay, but take your time and be careful. I'll stand here at the bottom in case you fall but you're more likely to get more bruises falling in here than outside."
"Yay!" Kairi clapped her hands a couple times and then bit her lip as she figured out how she would tackle climbing the tree trunk interior. Soon she was at it. Sometimes it was a bit of a stretch for her petite body but not too hard yet. "Woaaah, mommy, come up here it's so cool!"
"Uh…sweetie, I don't think I can fit between the branches today," Izumi said. Any other day, any other year she knows she could easily get up this tree but with her pregnant belly she knew it wasn't happening.
Kairi huffed a sad sound but didn't comment. She sat down on one of the supposedly ledges and peered out a hole in the tree. "There's a hole up here, that's how the sun came in. Like…owl sized hole or somethin'."
"That's very cool," Izumi replied, smiling. She wished she had a camera in this moment to memorialize the tree, the bizarre hollowed out trunk and her daughter having fun climbing it. Maybe she'll mention it to Mason who had accidentally revealed he was planning a baby shower for her next month.
"I wish daddy could see this," Kairi admitted in a sad voice. "But he definitely couldn't fit in here," she giggled.
"No, I don't think he could," Izumi laughed as well. "Alright, it's getting late, Kairi, I think we should pack up and head home."
"Okay," Kairi began to climb down the tree, only slipping a few times but catching herself. Izumi thanked her strong resolve at not reacting every time her daughter slipped. It wouldn't strengthen Kairi if her parents freaked out over every little mistake or injury. Izumi wanted her to be an independent, confident, brave little girl and she was doing an amazing job so far.
Izumi took the opportunity when Kairi was nearly on the ground once more to wrap her arms around her daughter and hug her. Kairi returned the hug but wiggled a little when she felt her mom's tummy and Izumi set her on the ground again. They headed back toward the beach they picnicked at, packed up the blanket and remaining water bottles and their trash. As they loaded up the canoe, Kairi brought up learning to row and Izumi agreed. After the shoved off the beach, Izumi took out one of the larger oars and set it on the bottom of the canoe, then pulled out a shorter one, perfect for children.
Kairi listened intently to her mother's instructions and sat dutifully still in the spot she would row from in the front of the boat. She did an admirable job keeping up with the pace she saw her mom keep earlier in the day. When she began to slow down about halfway back to their house, Kairi bit her lip instead of giving up and saying she was tired. She wanted to help out. Izumi noticed though and as subtly as she could, pulled out the second oar and began to row with both again.
Overall it was a good day, even if Kairi went to play in her room after they returned home, claiming to be tired but really wanting to get away from her pregnant mother.
The last good day of Izumi's remaining pregnancy.