They were both looking forward to and fearing the day the triplets learning to walk. The idea the girls now had a new way to escape them was terrifying. But also watching the girls grow and learn to walk around, a beautiful symbol of growing up, was a wonderful thought. 

They knew walking was coming soon. The girls would stand up in their cribs frequently and attempt to pull themselves to their feet. Saya was probably the closest. It made sense, because she always loved when Sana would take her hands and have her take little steps with her help. Saki was more of a fan of Tzuyu throwing her around like a rag doll. And Sae, the calmest of her siblings, loved to relax in Mina’s lap with a stuffed animal and a pacifier. Saya and Saki had inherited Sana’s energy, whereas Sae had inherited Mina and Tzuyu’s calmness. 

Saki had her moments of calm however. She did like moments where she was laying on Mina’s stomach, her head on her chest. The girls knew Mina meant calm and quiet, Sana meant comfort and kisses, and Tzuyu meant playtime and naps. Tzuyu was surprisingly playful with the girls. She used her height to pick the girls up high and spin them around. Saki absolutely loved playtime with Tzuyu, Saki always had made it clear Tzuyu was her favorite. It made Sana and Mina slightly annoyed at first, but now they found it adorable. Tzuyu always put Saki on her shoulders and Saki loved being up that high. Sae had nearly cried the first time Tzuyu tried to give her the same treatment and Saya was too squirmy to be up that high, she would find a way to fall off and from that height she could get seriously hurt. With Saya, there was rarely a calm moment. Tzuyu and Sana could never draw quiet moments out of Saya, nor could Saki. It was a talent only Mina and Sae held. When left with Sae, Saya would take on some of her sister’s calmness and be still and quiet until she was moved away. It was like a magical power Sae had inherited from Mina. 

“Mama!” Sana turned when she heard Saki screeching, instantly breaking out in a smile when she noticed Tzuyu holding their youngest above her head and giving her a raspberry to the tummy.

“Hey Tzuyu-ya, welcome home.” Sana walked over to Tzuyu and kissed her cheek, leaving Sae with her sister. “Saki-chan you were with mommy a second ago, how did you get to Mama so fast?”

“Maybe she will be an athlete one day.” Tzuyu smiled, putting Saki on her hip and returning Sana’s cheek kiss. 

“If any of them are going to be an athlete it’s Saya. That girl always manages to escape us when she feels like it.” Sana giggled. “Saki-chan we were working on walking weren’t we?” Sana ruffled Saki’s short hair and turned back to check in on Sae and Saya. Sae was laying on her tummy with her toy whereas Saya was sitting up with a stuffed rabbit Nayeon had gifted her. “I got Saya to stand of a few seconds. Saki too.”

“You will be walking in no time huh Saki?” Tzuyu gently tapped Saki’s forehead. “Let’s get you to your sisters so you can work on walking a bit more.” They had to start putting baby gates up in more rooms, with how much of an escape artist Saya was turning out to be they had to keep her away from any room where she could hurt herself by accident, which was most rooms. Though the whole house had been baby proofed since before the girls were even born, Saya could still hurt herself if she climbed on something or fell. Sana had left the baby gate to the living room opened because she was with all of them, which was how Saki had made it to Tzuyu, but Tzuyu shut it behind her and Sana. 

“How was work?” Sana asked as Tzuyu put Saki down next to her sisters, Saya’s energy returning at the presence of her more energetic sister, who was riled up from Tzuyu’s playfulness. 

“It was good, we’re almost done with the Moon deal so I will be able to spend more time here.” Tzuyu explained, helping Saki to her feet. 

“Come here Saki.” Sana sat down in front of Sae and held her arms out for Saki. “That’s good, I’m proud of you for closing that deal. I know it was a big one.”

“It was just a lot of money and paperwork. The CEO was nice enough.” Tzuyu shrugged, watching Saki as she tried to take a few steps, only to give up and crawl into Sana’s arms. Saya crawled over too, curious as to what was going on. Tzuyu reached over and helped Saya to her feet too, but similar to Saki, Saya quickly gave up and crawled to Sana. “Sae, your turn.” Sae looked up at the mention of her name and giggled as Tzuyu lifted her to a standing position, dropping her pacifier in the process. Sae’s favorite pacifier landed a few inches away from her, just far enough for Sae to need to take a few steps to get it back. Sae looked at Sana when she called her name and then back at her pacifier, expecting Sana to pick it up for her and give it back. Her eyes welled up with tears when she saw Sana was too busy holding Saki and Saya down on her lap to grab the pacifier and as Tzuyu was about to move to grab it before Sae melted down she surprised them all, taking a couple short steps and sitting down next to her pacifier, popping it back into with a smile. 

“Did she just?” Sana asked in disbelief. 

“I think she did.” Tzuyu smiled. “Never mess with Sae’s pacifier huh?”

“Seriously.” Sana giggled. “Wonder if we can get her to do it again.”

“We can try.” Tzuyu smiled, wishing Sae’s favorite mom Mina was here to witness her first steps. Like Saki with Tzuyu, Sae absolutely adored Mina. Mina had the most time demanding job and while it was a bit depressing Mina had to miss a lot she got her dream. Sana and Tzuyu couldn’t ask for anything more for their wife. They always sent her videos if a first occurred while she was away, usually having to catch the second time the girls do it but it’s still meaningful for Mina. 

“Sae-chan.” Sae looked up at Sana’s voice. “I’m proud of you baby girl.” Sae just stared back at Sana with her pacifier like she had no clue what she just did. 

xx

“Mommy!” Sana awoke to someone calling her name through the baby monitor. “Mommy!” Sana groaned and opened her eyes, grabbing the baby monitor and seeing Saki standing in her crib, using the rails to hold herself help. Sana groaned and rolled out bed, grabbing Saki from her crib.

“Playtime?” Sana asked Saki. 

“Yes!” Saki giggled. At almost a full year old Saki was used to calling all of them and using the words yes and and mine. Saya and Sae weren’t far being there themselves, but when it came to speaking Saki had always been a bit ahead of her older sisters. Saki only knew to say yes to anything that sounded like a question and to say mine when Saya tried to take her toy, but it was a start.

Saya and Saki were still napping. Sana had put them in the same crib to help calm Saya from their morning playtime, and didn’t have the heart to move her when she was so comfortable. Saki however was reed up for afternoon playtime, knowing it meant Tzuyu and Mina were going to come home and she was going to get dinner. Sana decided to take Saki into the living room and keep an eye on Saya and Sae through the baby monitor. But since Saya was with Sae even if they woke up Sana knew the chances of Saya trying to do something reckless were lowered just simply by Sae’s calmness. 

Sana put Saki on the ground, surrounding her with the toys that still littered the ground after there earlier playtime. Saki instantly went for her favorite toy, a stuffed purple dinosaur that Saki absolutely adored pushing around and cuddling. Sana smiled and placed a kiss on Saki’s head before getting up to make herself some tea. She closed the baby gate behind herself and went to brew some of the nice green tea they had gotten when they visited Japan last. 

Sana couldn’t wait to take the girls to Japan. She wanted to take them to a festival and dress them up in tiny Yukatas, she wanted to take them to a shrine, she wanted to take them to play in the Okinawa waters, and she just wanted to show them where she grew up. The playgrounds in Osaka she always frequented, that she knew were still around having visited them recently, the restaurants she adored going to with her mom and dad, all the places she played in as a child. She wanted to take them to watch the Osaka sunset and to visit her grandmother. She wanted to take them to Tokyo and show them the Tokyo tower, ta