CHAPTER 39: THE FIGHTS CONTINUE

Soft hair and skin.....

Small nose and tiny mouth...

Innocent stares.....

                Maki bit her lower lips as her eyes lingered on Natsuki’s feature as she held the baby within her arms. Being just ten months, the baby girl was eager to reach any kind of things that she saw within her view. This included pink napkin that was under the glass, on the table.

“Mmm-mmmaammm....”The cute sounds never stopped coming from as she waved her tiny fist toward the table.   

               Her body never stopped leaning toward the table, hoping her small hands could reach the pink napkin that she saw. However, Maki held her further from the table, just to make sure it was far from her reach since it was dangerous. Knowing that her aunt prohibited her action, the small eyes travelled from the pink stuff toward Maki’s brown eyes. Instantly, she moved her plump fist toward Maki and touched the woman’s face.

Stop....

Her heart whispered as the baby scent came to her nostrils as Natsuki kept touching her face and reaching her lips.

“Mmm-ma-ma....”Natsuki mumbled softly while pushing her legs on Maki’s laps, trying to move closer to her aunt. One of her fist right now already succeeded in clutching Maki’s cloth, whereas another one balled on . With the baby’s sudden action, Maki shut her eyes painfully as tears started to glaze in both of her eyes. Thing that she lost....forever... At that moment, a scrap of memory came over her.

“You like children that much?”Maki nearly jumped and gasped when a pair of arms s around her waist as a man voice whispered on her ears. Turning around, she found that Mukai Osamu was already hugged her with smile spread on his handsome face.

“You scared me!” Maki slapped the man’s arm lightly before she turned her gaze back toward the babies inside the nursery room. However, she earned deep chuckle and a tighter hug. Slowly, the man put his head on her shoulder and spoke once again.

“You do not answer my question yet Maki chan...”drawled Mukai lazily as his eyes fixed on the view in front of him. A few babies were sleeping soundly in the cots inside the nursery room. Maki sighed softly while nodding her head.

“You know yourself aren’t you...”Maki told him. This time, her finger moved on the glass that separated the room and her, as if she could touch the baby with her hands. Ironically, it could not. The man smiled widely, as he pulled her closer to him. Of course he knew, it just, he wanted the confirmation from her.

“How many children do you want, Maki chan?”asked Mukai making the owner of brown eyes turned her head.

“Why do you ask?”Mukai chuckled deeply.

“Just answer it,” Maki turned her gaze back to the babies inside the room as her face beamed happily.

“Five,”Mukai raised his eyebrows upon hearing it.

“Five children? That much?”Maki turned around and glared at the man before pinching hard on the man’s arms.

“Mou!!”This made Mukai laughed even harder noticing the woman’s small pout on . Pulling closer, he apologised the sulky woman with grin planted on his face. Somehow, it managed to diffuse her anger.

“Don’t you want to ask me how many children I want?”Mukai asked back while looking at the woman’s sulky face. Maki was silence at first before she looked at the man. There, she found the man had a really calm look as both of his eyes reflected his real feelings. Eager to know, she asked the question.

“How many?”The question came out making twinkle filled the man’s dark eyes immediately. Slowly, he bent forward and whispered.

“Well, as many as possible, till I’m tired of making love....”The naughty answer slipped from his mouth. In return, Maki widened her round brown eyes before cursed him.

“!!” With that, the laughter rumbled through out the hall filling up the silence hallway, warming up the atmosphere there.

                Inhaling a sharp breath, Maki opened her eyes instantly, as she was not able to face those hurtful memories anymore. Why must she remember those things again? Why? Despairs flooded inside her heart, flowing out of herself. Biting her lips, she tried to find the calmness that started to slip from her heart, holding strong to it. However, it was difficult. Extremely difficult.

                As Maki was too absorb with the thought, she did not realise that Natsuki was already reaching the pink napkin on the table. Excited being able to grasp the cloth, the baby girl pulled it. This made the glass on it fell down and smashed onto the white floor.

“PRANGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!”

                Startled by the sound of breaking glass, instantly, the loud cry broke from the baby’s mouth as insecurity filled within her instantly. This grabbed Maki back to the reality. Oh god! Looking around, she found that the pink napkin was within the tiny fist as she cried harder. Tears streamed down on her chubby cheeks and her tiny nose started to turn red. Instantly, Maki looked down on the floor and found out the pieces of breaking glass was at her feet. The white floor was flooded with red wine, stained the purity of it. Instantly, a memory flashed inside her mind at sudden sight.

The red roses......

The breaking glass......

The red wine....

The white carpet....

And.....

The broken tears....

                Maki blinked her eyed for a few times. At that moment, as if time was turned to five years ago, the view in front of her changed immediately. It changed to a view of a living room, in an apartment. Somehow, she remembered everything right now; Remembered the things that happened on that day....Unknowingly, her heart beat accelerated, her pulse rate fastened, and her breath started to become short and erratic.Even...she started to feel suffocated...

“Mari chan!” Yuya’s voice broke her thoughts. Within a second, her teary glazed eyes flew to the man who marched toward her. Worries reflected on his face making more emotion dwelled up inside her even more.

“Yuya kun...I...”The words lumped inside , as she could not say the words further. The loud cried of Natsuki made the emotions nearly break out of her heart, and she doesn’t think she could hold it any longer. Even, she felt as if she could not breathe, and all the nervous nearly wrecked herself. Physically.....emotionally...and psychologically.

“Oh god. Wh-what happen....” The man’s eyes wandered from crying Natsuki, to the mess on the floor . However, Maki replied with nervous gaze and her lips started to tremble. Even, her hands became shaky...making the woman nearly snapped. Tegoshi Yuya started to panic seeing her sister’s condition. Before he could say anything, Yamapi’s deep voice pulled his attention.

“You are being naughty again, Natsuki chan?”

                The  man was already strolling toward her side as smile spread on his lips. However, the cry became even louder from the baby within Maki’s arms. Natsuki was clutching her clothes tightly, as she pushed her head on her shoulder, wetting it with her tears.

“T-tomo....I....”Yamapi squatted down next to her before shushed her down. He mouthed the words don’t worry  as he patted on the woman’s hand. With the man slight touch, tranquillity started to seep inside her veins, spreading through her body. 

“What do you mean by her being naughty again?” Yuya asked the question to Yamapi.

“I will tell you later. By the way, can you take the broom and mop in the store. It was behind the kitchen.”Yuya shifted his gaze toward his sister upon hearing Yamapi’s request. Somehow, he felt hesitate to do it as worries were still gnawing inside him.

                On the other hand, Natsuki wept loudly as her small fists clutched tightly on Maki’s dress. Pulling her head, she was bawling while looking at Maki, before pushing her head to Maki’s shoulder, grasping tightly the woman’s clothes.

“Ma-ma-ma...”The words was audible and clear although it was laced with the baby’s soft cries. And it stabbed through her motherly heart. Unknowingly, her hand reached the baby’s back, on it softly despite she was struggling with her raw emotions.

“Did she scare you?”Yamapi spoke softly toward Maki as he brushed Natsuki’s head softly who was still crying over her shoulder. The owner of brown eyes was just nodded slightly as peace started wear on her face. Still, she never lifted her hand from Natsuki’s back, and kept on it.

                Seeing the sight made the pretty man who stood a feet part was just bit his lower lips before retreated himself from the scene. Now he knew why his presence does not need to be there. From far, Tegoshi Natsuhito and Nozomi looked at the same thing with the same feeling.

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“Great! After breaking the wine glass and made you panic, she could sleep soundly without any worries. Very nice….”Yamapi drawled lazily as he flopped on the bed while looking at Natsuki.

                 Maki lifted her eyes from Natsuki’s serene face toward her husband who just lied on the bed. Then, her eyes moved back toward the baby girl who slep