Notes:
I hope you like this new fic, forgive the mistakes, English is not my original language.
03. 🌹 Cocoon
🌹Spring🌹
"The cocoon sooner or later will end up blooming, opening those buds to show their beautiful petals..."
Six weeks... that showed that echo she held in her hands.
Maki didn't know where she got so much courage to go to that clinic to have an ultrasound and see her "little soybean" for the first time, as she had begun to name her baby.
But neither did she know where she had gotten so much audacity to present herself to carry out that mission that they had entrusted to her at the last moment as a first grade sorceress.
"Where the hell do people see a baby on these ultrasounds? I only see a small bean..." Maki commented, looking against the light at that small photo that the doctor had given her from her ultrasound.
That comment gave the woman sitting in the two seats across the aisle from her a little humor.
This woman was carrying a baby in her scarf tied to her body and in the right seat, she was accompanied by a four-year-old boy, who looked very enthusiastically through the window of that train that would soon leave Tokyo station.
Maki only smiled embarrassedly at that woman, because she had "thought" (said) it out loud instead of staying in her head.
After that mini moment, the green-haired woman supported her elbows on the table in the middle of the four seats, while her face supported it in her left hand and that echo continued to hold it with her right hand.
"My baby" She thought once she saw that ultrasound again and a slight smile appeared on her lips.
Her cell phone began to vibrate, so she left that ultrasound on the table and when she took her cell phone out of her bag, she noticed that it was a message from her husband.
Yuta had sent him a message informing him that he was already in the city and that before arriving at the apartment, he would go to the academy to render his mission report.
To which, she replied that she hoped to see him tonight, since she had something very important to tell him, but for the moment she was busy on a mission.
Again, her eyes focused on that ultrasound and for a moment she doubted whether she should take a picture of that image and send it to Yuta to give him that surprise.
She was really very nervous about how she should tell him about that pregnancy... because she also didn't know exactly how he would take it or if he would change his mind.
Her mind began to drift into a vague recollection of the day before regarding this topic.
Flashback
Once they finished eating in that restaurant, both Zenin's wandered around the city.
Megumi didn't want to leave Maki alone, this because she saw her quite distracted... she barely uttered a word and she seemed too lost in her thoughts.
In truth, the green-haired girl was having a hard time deciding about her motherhood and even more so, she felt too strange at the word "Mother".
So Megumi decided to accompany her all that afternoon to make sure she got to her apartment safely.
The bright orange hues of sunset began to streak across the sky, and it would soon be completely dark.
At that moment, those two sorcerers were sitting on the benches of a park, where the missing buds of the various seasonal flowers would soon bloom to adorn all corners of that place.
For that hour of the afternoon, there were still many families, couples and groups of friends gathered and enjoying the spring nights, with that spectacle of lights in the trees that they offered in some corners of the city due to the various festivals, which invited admire the occasion while in company.
After spending a long time sitting in silence looking towards the children's play area and eating the cravings bought at a convenience store... Maki finally spoke.
"How should I tell him?" she asked before taking one more bite of her onigiri.
"Huh?" Megumi turned him head slightly to look at his familiar.
"I mean, how should I tell Yuta that I'm pregnant... How should I give him this news?" Maki asked finishing her onigiri and putting her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands.
"So you've already decided what you're going to do with your pregnancy?" Megumi asked without taking his eyes off her.
"Something like that..." the green-haired woman sighed, slightly moving her shoulders. "I think that before making any final decision, I suppose I should also talk about it with him, right?... After all, he is my husband and he is also the father of 'my little soybean'"
"Little soybean? That's a very strange way of calling a fetus..." Megumi commented raising an eyebrow.
"Any way at all! It's my baby and I decide what to name it, Megumi!" Maki pouted slightly. "Anyway, how do you think I should give him this news?" She ask again.
"Wow, that was quick..." Megumi commented, putting his fingertips together as he looked at everything that was happening around him, while trying to answer that question. "I suppose you could tell him just like you revealed it to me... just be direct"
Maki moved her lips from right to left in a pout, that was a sign of absolute rejection of that answer.
She click her tongue.—"I don't want to seem like a cold monster without feelings saying this news without a surprise!"— She raise her voice a little— Rather...I mean if this news should be given to accompanied by some gift or something like that... you know I'm not a detailed girl, much less romantic for those things..." She comment rolling her eyes and sighing.
"mmm, maybe you could surprise him as shown in all those videos that are going around" Megumi doubted what he was saying for a moment. —"Like, I don't know, give her the pregnancy test together with some baby shoes or buy her some baby clothes... the truth is, I'm not good at these things either, maybe Kugisaki has better ideas than me" he commented, still looking around.
Maki sighed heavily for that answer that didn't convince her at all.
"Oh like I said...just be direct, it's the best you can do" Megumi commented looking at her seriously.
Deep down her heart, Maki wanted to give her that news along with something else to have a special moment for both of them... especially because she "believed" that she had already made a final decision about her pregnancy.
If things had been different that morning, after having that ultrasound, Maki might have walked into the first baby store she came across and might have bought the first thing in sight... maybe some little shoes like Megumi had suggested.
But fate, the shortage of personnel in the academy, her pride as a sorceress and her stubbornness as a Zenin did not want it to be that way...
If things had been different that morning, Maki might have run home to find a small box to put that surprise in.
She would have put those little shoes, the pregnancy test and her first ultrasound all together and somewhat messy.
Perhaps she would have felt like a great fool preparing such a gift, but in the end she knew that she would be in the comfort of her home breaking this news to her husband.
But it wasn't like that, because at that precise moment she was inside that bullet train heading to a "dangerous mission" in the coastal city of Atami, while Yuta was far away from her...
"Sorry to keep you waiting! Maki san!" Akari Nitta commented, suddenly appearing next to her, since this green-haired woman was sitting in the seat in the aisle.—"I already have the details of our mission and other preparations" she was holding a tablet and a notebook in her hands.
Maki jumped in her seat due to the sudden appearance of that assistant, she felt her heart in her throat.
She reacted in such a way that she quickly hid that ultrasound by covering it with her hands and putting it away as quickly as possible in her bag.
Thus leaving her husband without answering, who wrote her one last message saying that he loved her, that he had missed her a lot and that he wanted to see her again...
"Is everything alright Maki san?" Nitta asked seeing the sorceress act that way.
Luckily, the assistant couldn't see what Maki was hiding in her bag.
"It is! It's just that you caught me off guard, Nitta... just that" Maki commented crossing her arms. "Well? What is our stupid job going to be in that city?" She asked trying to look serene.
Nitta, before sitting in the seat opposite Maki, cordially greeted that mother and greeted that four-year-old boy with a tender smile.
Those who looked curiously at that scene between those two since they attracted too much attention.
Maki pursed her lips and slightly closed her eyes, the movement of the bullet train leaving the platform gave her her first vertigo... the poor thing didn't feel entirely well, since she had already experienced her first nausea since morning... which seemed that they would not leave.
Even in that condition, Maki felt ready for her mission in the city of Atami.
"Uncle Yuta!" shouted a little boy about four years old.
That child with hair as white as snow and eyes as golden as the sun, clung to the leg of the aforementioned.
Yuta turned with a big smile when he saw that little boy very excited and with too much energy as always.
"Hello Takeru!" Yuta he said while stroking that child's head. "How are you? Where's your father?"
"I've been very good! Dad is on a mission! Right ni-chan?" that little boy turned back.
But that boy was not the only one who had arrived through one of those corridors that connected with the central patio of that still academy.
"Okkotsu-senpai? What brings you here?" Megumi asked, surprised to see that man there.
"How about Fushiguro-kun!" Yuta answered, scratching his neck "Well, I just got back to the city and I decided to come to the academy first to give my mission report before going home." A smile appeared on his face.
"Uncle Yuta!, are you going to stay a while to play with me?" Takeru asked taking the hand of that adult.
"I'll only stay for a short time, since I want to go home to see Maki" He look at that boy while stroking his hair.
Megumi raised her eyebrows at those words, she supposed that Maki still hadn't talked to him about "that seed".
"So you haven't seen or talked to Maki san?" asked Megumi curiously.
"I haven't seen her in two days and I feel worried about her, since she said she has something important to tell me... also, yesterday when I spoke to her, I heard her a little strange, she seemed melancholic and her voice sounded brittle, I'm worried that she's sick or that something bad has happened to her" Yuta commented now looking at Fushiguro.
Megumi began to suspect that something was wrong.
"And have you heard from her today?" Megumi asked a bit worried about his relative. "Because I haven't seen her all day..."
That other adult shook his head. "The only thing he told me is that maybe I would see her until evening, since she said she was busy with a mission... but she didn't give me any more details, and that worries me because it doesn't. she hasn't replied to my last message... I feel as if something bad is happening or like she's hiding something from me" — Yuta commented, looking at his wife's connection one last time.
"Mission?" This surprised Megumi more.
"Yes, a mission, do you know anything about it Fushiguro kun?" Yuta asked a bit worried without taking his eyes off him.
"I just found out that Maki went on a mission..." replied Megumi coldly.
"Aunt Maki and the blonde babysitter in a suit came in to talk to Mom about a mission on the beach or something like that, I Heard" Takeru began to say, putting his hands to his ears to pretend that he had heard something, then he hugged Yuta's leg .
"And... And... And while I was playing with Panda senpai, I saw Auntie Maki go boooooo!" The boy imitate the noise of vomiting and take his little hands to his tummy —"And I saw her touch her belly... I think she felt bad, but both of them have been gone for a while"said the little one moving his little hands from one side to the other. —"I think they would leave on the chuuu chuuu" Takeru imitate a train.
Yuta's eyes widened upon hearing that and his concern was reflected on his face, he felt that perhaps his wife was in poor health and accepting a mission in poor condition was dangerous.
But more worried was the heir to the ten shadows.
"Shit Maki senpai!" You do like to risk too much! Idiot! — Megumi thought very concerned, unconsciously putting a hand to her forehead.
That adult knew that it was a very bad decision on the part of his family member not to have talked to her husband about her pregnancy yet, but it was even more imprudent to have accepted a mission in that condition that could be very dangerous for her and even more so if she had not notified the academy of her pregnancy.
Maki and her baby could be at risk and they had to go quickly to stop her or, in her case, to save her.
"Why would Maki san accept a mission knowing that she is pregnant?" was the concern that tormented Megumi at that moment.
"Thanks for the information, Takeru" Yuta commented, carrying that child in his arms. "Although you know that it's not good to spy on adults and it's very rude to listen to other people's talks"
That boy just let out a mischievous giggle at those words.
"Fushiguro, is everything alright?" Yuta asked when he saw that man something tense, making fists with his hands.
Megumi looked at his senpai, he knew it wasn't up to him to break the news about Maki's pregnancy... but still he couldn't let something bad happen to her.
"I think it's best if we go for Maki san..." Megumi commented with a serious voice. "It's very reckless of her to go on a mission if she felt sick."
Yuta nodded. "You're right. Do you know where Utahime sensei is right now to ask her the details of her mission?"
"Mom is in the classrooms over there" Takeru pointed towards the other building.
Megumi and Yuta exchanged a yes with their heads and followed that boy's instruction.
"Well" Nitta began to speak in a low voice, trying to explain the mission to Maki in code.
"Technically our job in Atami is going to be to explore a piece of land that a construction company acquired near the beach, but it seems that said piece of land has had some problems with "the infrastructure" (A curse)"— the assistant quoted with her fingers before returning your view to the tablet and saw the photos and information collected by the windows.
"Basically, those "anomalies" in the infrastructure (Curse) have been classified as category one, but apparently, the main problem with said Infrastructure (Curse) is that it seems to be very sensitive to material changes (presence of sorcerers with energy cursed) so they need someone who knows about other alternate materials (someone without cursed energy) to give us their opinion (end that curse) and that's where you come in... Maki san"— finish explaining Nitta.
But Maki hadn't paid attention to him at all.
That sorceress was looking very entertainingly at that mother and her baby, who were still in those seats on the other side of the aisle.
That woman affectionately hugged her daughter, while her son was still entertained in that window, admiring the landscape and playing with a cart.
Maki was struck by how that woman caressed her baby's black hair, how she treated her with too much affection and how a cute smile always appeared on her lips when she looked back at her children.
That gave the green-haired girl an inexplicable feeling, something she had never experienced in her life.
It was a combination of joy with uncertainty and even a little longing that he had stored in the depths of his heart.
"Was my mother ever like that to Mai and Me?" she wondered too wistfully.
And unconsciously her hand rested on her belly, where her baby was germinating.
—Will this baby come to brighten up our days like this? What will Yuta think of all this? Will I be a good mother?" Those questions began to bombard her mind as she continued to watch that scene.
Maki was so lost in her thoughts that Nitta's voice snapped her out of her trance.
"Maki-san! Are you listening to me?" said that assistant crashing her hands on the table.
That made Maki jump slightly on her seat again... it seemed that her pregnancy was beginning to make her more sensitive, she even seemed to be more frightened by any noise.
"Yes Nitta, yes I listened to you, you said something about checking the infrastructure (removing the curse)" Maki answered in an annoyed tone, staring at the assistant as she put her elbow on the table and again her face went towards her right hand.
But her amber gaze again went at will towards that mother.
The assistant noticed Maki's distracted look, so she also looked to her right and stared at that family.
That mother only gave them a nice smile and a small movement of the head, since she felt the look of those two.
Instead, Nitta returned the greeting waving her hand from side to side "I hope you are enjoying the trip"
"Thank you very much and ladies too" the woman commented with a smile, while her son moved his hand excitedly, before returning to play on the table.
Maki only waved her hand slightly, but she couldn't stop looking at that baby...
"What will my baby look like?" Will she come out with my straight hair or will she inherit Yuta's messy hair? Which of the two will look like the most?- There were some questions that went through her mind when she saw that this girl looked a lot like her mother.
"Okay" Nitta checked her wristwatch
"We'll get to Atami in an hour and ten minutes, don't you mind if I have lunch while we get there? Right Maki-san?" —She look at that sorceress.—"The truth is that I haven't even had breakfast yet because of all that this mission implies" Nitta comment, taking a plastic bag where she brought some sweet bean cakes (Dorayakis) and two obentos that she had bought at the Tokyo station —"Do you like it?"
"Thank you and yes, I will accept it!" said the green-haired girl, taking that box — "this mission has also made me a little nervous, perhaps because of those same nerves I'm still so hungry despite having already eaten too much" Maki lied, looking at all the empty wrappers of cravings and junk food on the other side of the table.
"You're welcome" Nitta said happily, "some food before we reach our destination will do us good... Thanks for the food!" She thanked and then began to eat.
As Maki brought that first mouthful of rice to her mouth, her attention was once again focused on that baby.
She admired how that little girl was resting her head on her mother's chest, allowing direct contact while her mother protected her in her arms.
The poor swallowed, since she couldn't imagine herself carrying a baby the way that woman was doing.
Maki felt too many conflicting emotions in that moment... longing, fear, happiness, sadness, courage...
Again, it seemed that doubt had taken possession of her.
She did not know how she should feel before that being that was germinating inside her and the mere idea that baby was so small and fragile made her doubt whether she would be ready for such a great responsibility... the pit of her stomach began to ache and The urge to vomit did not wait, until he swallowed saliva to get rid of that sensation that took her breath away as he left her half-eaten obento on the table.
Was she already regretting her decision to become a mother? Would she really be good at her mothering thing? What if being a mother really wasn't her thing? What would happen to her all her future missions?
That girl unconsciously put her right hand to her belly and her left hand to her forehead as she felt her head start to spin and she even felt her legs tremble even while sitting down... those could be considered her first visible symptoms in front of others.
"Maki are you alright? You look a little pale!" Nitta commented, seeing how that girl's solemn face changed to a pale one in an instant — "Is there something wrong with the food?"
"Eh? Oh yeah I'm fine! It's just that my stomach hurts a little, maybe it's because of everything I've eaten since yesterday... maybe it's just some heartburn or it could be the stupid heat of the season that made me feel suffocated" Maki comment this with a slight nervous laughter.
Nitta looked at her carefully, even noticed her eyes more tired than normal.
"Oh I understand! Do you want me to cancel the mission and return to Tokyo?" asked the assistant worried.
Maki shook her head. "Don't worry, I'm fine! Like I said, maybe it's just the heat of the season or maybe it's heartburn from all I've eaten, but I'm fine! I don't want you to cancel the mission, I want to finish it as soon as possible and return home before nightfall" Maki commented shrugging her shoulders to hide the other symptoms and the discomfort she felt.
"Okay, but if you feel bad again, I'll cancel the mission immediately and take you to Ieiri san, okay?" Nitta commented seriously.
"It won't be necessary, as I said, I'll be fine... it's just a temporary discomfort" Maki commented with a smile.
Suddenly, a peculiar noise caught the attention of both women and that was that the baby next to them seemed restless.
Her mother quickly took care of her, while her son passed him a blanket that he took out of his diaper bag and covered himself to breastfeed.
"My little girl, Hungry already?" She said that woman breastfeeding her baby and starting to hum a lullaby to calm her down, while Maki continued admiring that scene.
Was she really ready to feel a baby grow inside her? Was she prepared to deal with all the damn symptoms? Would she be patient in nursing her baby? Would she know how to take care of her baby?
Her mind would not stop tormenting her with more and more questions.
She was paralyzed again... her fears reappeared and the bad memories about her mother and the Zenin clan attacked her again, making her face look contorted, as if she was fighting with herself internally.
"Maki, are you sure you're okay?" Nitta asked again when she saw that the green-haired woman was silent and her sight seemed lost.
"I am...it's just..." Maki started to wrinkle her nose. "What the hell is that smell?" What are you eating?" she asked a little disgusted "IT STINKS!"
"Eh? This sucks? If it's just a sweet bean cake that I bought before getting on the train, do they really smell that bad?" Nitta sniff that "I don't smell anything, and it doesn't taste bad either" Nitta commented pointing to the wrapper she was holding.
Maki brought her right hand to her mouth and her left to her stomach.
"Maki, are you really alright?" You look very pale..." Nitta asked, confused by the attitude of that sorceress.
"I am!... it's just that I think that cake stinks" she got up from her seat already very disgusted "I'll be right back, I'll go to the bathroom... I think something hurt my stomach" she began to walk somewhat annoyed down the hall .
Nitta looked puzzled at that girl, but not only she noticed those symptoms.
The woman who was carrying the baby noticed all that... she understood everything that girl was going through.
Once inside that cubicle, Maki began to vomit... she had already experienced her first nausea since the morning and that was too stressful a feeling for her.
She could swear that she even vomited everything her had for breakfast.
She rinsed her mouth and leaned against the bathroom door as she burst into tears putting her hands on her belly...
She felt helpless not being able to tell Nitta about her pregnancy for fear of not being able to fulfill even her last mission before becoming a mother.
Was she really willing to give up her profession as a sorcerer just to become a mom?
That question was starting to hurt... having tried too hard to stop all that now, it was frustrating.
But perhaps the worst was about to begin.
The trip from Odawara station to Atami station was quite long, but on such a road you could already admire the sea from the windows of the bullet train.
They were 45 minutes from their destination
Maki was already feeling better and Nitta was making sure she had everything she needed for her arrival.
"OK! It seems that all our measuring tools (cursed tools) arrived at our destination on time... I also just ordered you some medicine for the stomach " the assistant commented, typing her cell phone.
"Thank you Nitta and as I said, once we get to Atami, I want to go directly to that place and finish the job as fast as possible, mostly because I want to go back to Tokyo soon... I have something very important to discuss with Yuta and more than today he finally returns to the city after finishing a long misión" Maki commented with her arms crossed.
"Understood! Someone will wait for us with a car once we get to the station" Nitta replied with a big smile. "You and Yuta make a cute young married couple... so let's finish the mission soon so you can return to your love" she answered mischievously.
"Thank you" Maki answered very embarrassed, her face almost as red as a tomato.
Again a moment of silence seized the two of them.
Maki bit her lower lip and tried to control the movement of her foot, since she felt desperate inside that wagon, which luckily was not full.
Only the two of them went, the mother with her two children and about two foreigners to the front seats.
The green-haired girl had the need to ask that assistant something.
Perhaps she could solve a doubt that was going through her head about what the new and reformed laws of witchcraft said about whether a sorcerer got pregnant...
"Hey Nitta... I have a question" Maki began to speak with some nervousness.
"Yes?" Nitta asked, she is staring at her with a very serene face.
"Actually, what happens if a sorceress..." When Maki was going to ask her about that doubt.
Something happened that any child experiences on long trips... and that is the immense urge to go to the bathroom.
"Mommy mommy! I want to go to the bathroom!" Said that boy pulling his mother's sleeve.
"Takeshi! Can't you wait a little longer? We're almost going to get to the station. Do you really have to go to the bathroom?" asked that woman.
"Yes!" He began to dance on the seat and his hands went to his crotch.
That mother sighed in frustration, since she not only had to carry and help that child, but also had to take care of her daughter and calm her down again in case she starts to cry.
"And it makes you want to urinate even more when your father isn't here "again she sigh in frustration —"You know I don't like taking your little sister to dirty places like public bathrooms, especially when your father isn't here to help me!"
"But Mommy, I can't take it anymore!" the child begged.
"Okay..." That woman got up carefully and approached Maki and Nitta, who seemed like trustworthy women.
"Sorry for interrupting you girls, but do you think you could take care of my little girl for a moment, while I accompany my son to the bathroom, please?" She look at both of them desperately—"My husband couldn't accompany us and the truth is, I don't like to got my baby to the public toilets" commented this one with her baby in her arms "Do you think you could take care of her for a few minutes? We won't be long! Please!" begged that woman.
"Quick Mommy!" Pss! Pss!" said the little boy, jumping in despair.
"No problem, we'll take care of your little girl here" Nitta commented with a smile.
"Thank you girls!" She carefully deposited her baby in Maki's arms, since for some reason, that woman gave her more confidence "Come on Takeshi!" That mother hurried to accompany her son to the bathroom, which luckily that cubicle was outside that wagon.
Maki got very nervous with that baby, since she remembered what happened with the baby from the supermarket.
"Please don't cry... don't cry... don't cry" Maki's mind begged once that baby was in her arms.
At first that little girl remained calm, she even opened her eyes, which were the same color as hers... a beautiful ambar.
Maki sigh of relief... but that didn't last long because that baby started crying the minute she was in her lap.
A slight growl came out of Maki's mouth "Damn! She is the second baby that cries when I carry it!" She commented, she is a bit annoyed while she tried to lull that baby in her arms with soft movements that were not working at all.
"The second?" Nitta asked curiously.
"Shit!" Maki thought before biting her tongue.
"If the second..." she began to speak nervously "let's say that when i were shopping at the supermarket, am helped a woman carry her baby while she was taking something out of the refrigerator, and her baby began to cry when am took it between my arms and she said that babies cry when another woman carries them because..." Maki didn't finish saying that and bit her tongue again.
Nitta looked at her confused, while Maki continued carrying that baby, who was very restless in her arms.
—When they feel that another baby one is on the way... Surprise I'm pregnant! — Maki thought to herself
"Because they are very pampered by their mother" Maki lied "Sometimes I think babies don't like me or they fear me because of my appearance..." She commented in a breath.
"I don't think I'll be a good mother... What if I scare my own son?" Maki thought as she saw that girl crying too much in her arms.
"I don't think it's because of that" the assistant commented, giving her a slight smile.
"Let's go! Pass me that girl!" Nitta carefully took that baby and in a soft cooing with a melodious voice, that baby began to stop crying in the arms of that assistant.
Maki looked at that scene with a bit of suspicion... perhaps Nitta would be a good mother, since it seemed that the children in general loved her and she had a sweet character... on the other hand, it seemed to Maki that the babies hated her and some children seemed to be afraid of her.
"Would my own baby reject me? Perhaps and if... more than it seems that the Zenin blood rejects its peers." Maki thought, placing her hand on her belly and thinking of her mother and how little attached she was to her.
That girl calmed down in Nitta's arms.
"Nitta san, it seems that you would be a good mother... it seems that the children love you"Maki commented with a slight smile, watching how that assistant achieved what she couldn't.
"Hehe thank you!, I like dealing with children but because of this dangerous job that we have, I wouldn't dare to bring any of them into the world..." Her voice sounded serious — "besides, I love my job as assistant and I I wouldn't trade it for maternity"—the assistant looked sincerely at Maki— "And the truth is, I don't want my children to be exposed to this dangerous world full of curses... I had enough raising a brother and taking care of them and guiding all of you" commented Nitta taking that baby's hand and gesturing for her to smile.
Maki felt those words like a bucket of cold water falling on her in the worst way.
Again, the doubt tormented her... Would she really be willing to give up being a sorceress for her baby? Could she protect her baby from her curses?Perhaps she would soon find out herself.
It didn't take long for that woman to return with her son.
"Seriously, thank you very much for taking care of my little girl, didn't it cause you trouble?" Right?" That woman commented while Nitta returned her daughter to her.
"On the contrary, she's a very well-behaved baby" the assistant commented.
"Thank you very much, I don't know what I would have done without your help" the woman replied with a smile as she sat back down in her aisle seat with her baby in her arms.
"Mommy, I want a chocolate!" Takeshi commented when he saw that the lady from the candy cart was already in the other vagon.
"Takeshi..." When that mother was about to start scolding her son, Nitta got up from her seat.
"If you like, I can accompany him. I was thinking of buying some sweets before getting off at the next station. Would you like something, Maki san?" Nitta asked kindly.
"Yes, thank you, bring me a bottle of water and some gummies if they sell them, please" Maki commented with her arms crossed.
That mother sighed and looked at her son, who made puppy eyes as he put his hands together. "Can I go with the miss, yes Mommy?"
"Okay, you can go!" that mother looked at Nitta with a compassionate smile as she handed him some money that she took out of her pocket—"Seriously, thank you very much for your help... now that my husband couldn't come with me, it seems that everything happens with these children."
"Don't worry, if we can help with anything, we'll try to help" Nitta said with a smile. "Your name is Takeshi, right?" She extended her hand to that boy, who held him with a smile.
"Come, let's buy some sweets... you know, you remind me of a boss's son" Nitta commented with a smile as they got out of that vagon.
Maki and that woman remained silent...
The green-haired girl looked at that mother again and finally decided to break the ice.
"You have beautiful children..." Maki kindly comment.
"Hehehe Thank you! although I must confess that sometimes it's very difficult to go out with both of you now that you're little, but I'm glad that you two will travel in this wagon... seriously, thank you very much for the help you have given me" answered that woman with a sincere smile.
"You're welcome" Maki just smiled at that comment and put her hand on her belly again. "We're here to help others..." She kindly answered.
"If it's not too discretion..." that woman began to speak, drawing the attention of Maki, who turned her face to look at her.
" You are going to be a mother right? I'm saying this because of the ultrasound from a while ago and because of all her discomforts that she's been presenting" asked that woman while she was staring at her.
Maki for some strange reason felt confident with that woman with tired eyes and black hair.
"Yes, that's right... I just found out I'm pregnant... apparently I'm six weeks " Maki commented with a sigh.
"And I guess your assistant doesn't know, right?" Asked that woman looking at Nitta and her son in the distance through that wagon door.
Maki knew that that woman had seen the ultrasound, besides that she had witnessed all her behavior during the trip and more than the sorceress had not been discreet since she got on the train.
"She don't know... neither does my husband, who just returned to Tokyo today, but an urgent job came up for me outside the city and maybe I'll see him until evening... but if you'll allow me to confess, I still don't know how to feel about it because..." Maki had a moment of sincerity as she stared at that woman. "Because I'm still not completely convinced whether or not to have this baby..." she caressed her belly again.
That woman looked at her attentively and in silence.
Maki chuckled nervously when she saw that the woman didn't say a word.
"I don't know why I'm telling you... don't take it the wrong, I barely met your and..."—she held back some tears— "I'm sorry, really, it's been two days full of uncertainty and a thousand thoughts, I'm tormented by the unplanned arrival of this baby and I don't have anyone to tell about how I feel... maybe I'm afraid of being a bad mother..." her voice broke and she began to cry.
That woman looked empathetically at that new mother.
"You don't have to apologize, you said it yourself, I'm a stranger and I won't judge you for what you're telling me... perhaps fate put us both in the same wagon to help each other and above all , I must tell you that you are not alone in this..." That woman sat in front of Maki and lightly touched her hand, making her turn to look at her.
"Thousands of women feel like you with the unexpected arrival of a baby into their lives... even if your baby had been planned, perhaps you would still feel the same fear as now because no one is born knowing how to be a mother..." the voice of that woman sounded so serene.
Maki wiped away her tears and listened attentively to that woman.
"I understand your fear... the first baby is never easy and less when there are more things to consider as a woman, such as your job, your health, your partner... but at the end of the day, you will always have the final decision about your body and only you know the reason for your decisions... only you will know if what you do is right or wrong... first think about yourself and what you really want, don't worry too much, everything has a solution" commented that mother looking at her baby, who began to move a little.
"Thank you... you're the first woman I've told you about this..." Maki pronounced in a low voice as she began to calm down.
"You don't have to be thankful... we all need to be listened to sometime in our lives, even by a stranger" the woman replied with a smile.
That woman began to hum a lullaby to her daughter to calm her down, while Maki silently admired that scene.
It seemed that that melody had also calmed her down and so, being calmer, she was encouraged to ask a few things.
"Are they that fragile and delicate?"— Maki asked once her tears were dry.
"You mean them?" Asked that woman pointing at her baby while Maki nodded her head.
"They are like you can't imagine! They are too fragile and if they are very delicate, you must give them too much care and you must treat them with a lot of love and patience... besides that your whole life changes with their arrival, you must give them all your time and attention... sometimes it seems that you lose your whole life and your identity with their arrival, but when you really decided to have them because you really wanted to be a MOTHER, they manage to make your life happier and become your engine" commented that woman before such a question.
Maki continued to stare at them "And do they grow up that fast? I'm afraid that in the blink of an eye my little soybean won't be so small anymore..." She point to her belly.
That woman smiled a little at such a comment... she noticed the uncertainty in that first-time mother.
"As you can't imagine... Most babies are like small cocoons that bloom inside their mother's womb, they grow so fast that when you least expect it, in the blink of an eye they are born and become small flowers with the petals are wide open and some of them only grow and begin to run and jump everywhere, just like my Takeshi " commented that woman with a smile and passing the tip of her fine nose into her baby's nose, which reacted positively.
Maki kept looking at that woman, she really had so many doubts, too many fears and so little time to talk to a stranger about motherhood.
"I still remember when I was pregnant with this little girl... I remember how I felt her kicks and her movements in my belly, I even feel that she made herself noticed very soon, since after three months my belly already felt bulging and then in a blink of an eye, see her here, in my arms after nine months of waiting for her"—she looked at Maki as she continued talking and caressing her daughter's hair. —"Although yes, the only thing I hated in my entire pregnancy was the nausea and all the hot flashes that you get"
"Don't mention it to me... I'm already starting to hate them and they're just appearing..." Maki commented, smiling a little.
"Some symptoms will go away with time, others may decrease... each body is different" commented that woman with a slight smile.
"Thank you... I think she needed to be heard by another mother." Maki smiled a little and then sighed in relief... it felt like one less burden on her shoulders.
"No problem, that's what we're here for... when fate brings new mothers together with mothers who already have several children, we can give each other advice whenever we need it" replied that woman.
Maki had another moment of sincerity "I must confess that... perhaps my main fear is that I don't want to be the same as my mother... perhaps that is one of my main reasons why I am afraid of motherhood" she commented doing circles on her belly.
"What happened to her? Was she so mean to you that your main fear stems from she?" That woman asked.
"She died a few years ago"—Obviously Maki wasn't going to say that she actually murdered her —"Let's say that in her last years of life... we fought a lot and apparently she never felt proud of having given birth to me and my sister… I guess she lost herself along the way by following the stupid laws and traditions of my old blood family" she replied with a sigh.
"I see..."—that woman looked at Maki with a serene look. —"Not all women are born to be mothers... but that doesn't mean that you're going to be the same as her, you'll always have the option to be better and not to repeat the same thing" She answered with some tenderness.
Maki smiled a little at those words that were similar to what Megumi had told her the day before.
"I think you're right, I guess I could be the mother I always wanted... especially now that I'm "free" from my past... maybe now I can raise my little soybean in a better way That my stupid clan did it" Maki continued caressing her belly.
That woman gave a cute little laugh. "Something tells me you'll be a good mother."
"What makes you believe that?" Maki asked raising an eyebrow.
"You gave your baby a cute nickname and you worry about being the mother that you always wish for yourself... something tells me that your "little soybean" will have a great mom" that woman commented with a big smile.
Maki was flattered by those words and she was even right, it seemed that she had already begun to accept the idea of being a mother because she was fond of that seed.
"Thank you very much for your words... and I think my little soybean will be a beautiful cocoon before the end of spring" Maki commented, looking at how Nitta and that boy came back down the aisle from the other vagon.
"And one more question if it's not too much trouble"— Now she seemed in a hurry "How did you break the news to your children's father? Shall I prepare a present for you?" Maki asked, looking quickly over her shoulder.
That woman only laughed slightly "I just told her directly and without so much beating around the bush" she winked at her.
Maki clicked her tongue...she hated that Megumi was right or always had some point in her favor with the topics.
That question was answered at the exact moment before Nitta and Takeshi returned with their sweets.
Now Maki felt calmer, while on the loudspeaker they announced that they were about to arrive at Atami station.
But now she had to face the real challenge... both as a woman and as a sorceress.
🌺To be continue...
Notes
I hope you liked this long and perhaps penultimate chapter of the spring season❤️
About Maki's talk with this unknown woman... at first I thought she would have this conversation with Utahime, but I have other plans for this character within this plot, so better a mother who has nothing to do with sorcerers to open up to her eyes at Maki about what it's like to be a mother.
Anyway, I wanted to give this talk to Maki about "her fear of being a mother" and "beginning to question whether to continue being a sorceress" with this woman, since with Megumi I wanted to give it a more personal touch but directed towards the theme of the clan Zenin... Anyway, Megumi will continue to appear very often in this story.
Little by little, more characters will be integrated into this drama, including Kugisaki.
About the name "Takeru"
Takeru in this fic and in the "El bebé de Utahime Sensei" fic, is the name I have chosen for the first son of Gojo and Utahime
Will there be a Gojo x Utahime ship here? Maybe, but very little, I'm still really thinking about it or maybe it shows a different facet between those two... but in general, this fic will be 100% YutaMaki
As a note, Atami City is about an hour and fifty minutes from Tokyo Station. At first I was going to put the mission in the city of Kyoto, but I have other plans for that city where the twins were born.
Anyway, I hope you continue to like this fic ❤️, which I hope to update soon.
We keep reading ❤️