“So, how long’s it been since Natsu’s arrival?” asked Haruka to Mirai in the hallway at school.

It was lunchtime, and the girls were walking to the meet up with the boys.

“About two months, I think.” Mirai took out her phone and showed Haruka her lock-screen picture of Natsu. Every day was a new picture of him. “He gets cuter and cuter.”

Ryosuke hopped in front of the girls with a peace sign. “I know, right? Tell me straight out. No need to hide.”

Mirai pushed the screen to his face.

“Oh, him?”

“Thought we meant you?” She shoved him to the side.

The three of them walked to where Shintaro and Juri were waiting, and Juri was scarfing down everything in sight with haste. Soon, Ryosuke joined him in the same manner.

Mirai frowned. “Juri, you’re gonna choke. No one’s stealin’ your food.”

Juri flashed a shy smile. “I missed breakfast ‘cause I didn’t wanna be late.”

“You were late by an hour,” stated Shintaro, trying to make a point.

“Blame this girl.” Juri took out his phone and showed them a picture of a girl he had secretly taken. “She left without looking at me.”

Haruka took the phone from Juri’s hand and inspected the picture. “You took this from behind a tree. Of course, she wouldn’t see you.”

“Oh, right.”

“Sometimes, you prove yourself to be dumber than Ryosuke.”

“Whuh wah dat?” muffled Ryosuke with a stuffed mouth, and the friends scowled with disgust.

Mirai wiped the corners of his mouth. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, and slow down too.”

Ryosuke sneered at her and continued to eat.

“Hey,” began Shintaro. “You guys got plans for winter break yet?”

“Can we not talk about winter break right now, sweetie?” said an unamused Haruka, and the boys eyed Mirai to help ask the question they were afraid to ask because of Haruka’s sudden change of mood.

Mirai received the hint. “Something wrong, Haruka?”

“My dad and the ugly witch are going on a trip to celebrate their three-hundred-day anniversary,” answered Haruka, tightening the grip on her chopsticks.

“Where to?” asked Juri.

“Paris.”

“You going?” asked Mirai, and Haruka shook her head.

“You’re gonna be alone?” asked Shintaro, and Haruka nodded. “Come to my place. We can celebrate Christmas together.”

“I’d love to.” Haruka hugged and pecked him on the cheek.

Juri cheered at the side. “Whoo! Natsu’s gonna have a playmate next year!”

Everyone playfully shoved him.

Mirai then realized that it would be the first holiday she’d be spending with her new family and smiled. She had to make this count.

*

“Hello,” said Mirai as she peeked inside the daycare center with Ryosuke behind her. She entered, walked to the front desk, and said, “We’re here for Natsu.”

“I believe he’s in room one,” said the front desk lady. “Would you like for me to get him for you?”

“No, thanks. I can go.” Mirai turned to Ryosuke, handed him her stuff, and scurried to a room behind the reception desk.

The front desk lady smiled. “Every time she picks him up, she’s so happy. Not every parent I see picks up their child with a smile like hers.” She smiled at Ryosuke. “You have a doting wife.”

He managed to not cringe and only smiled back as Mirai returned with Natsu. “Got everything?” her asked Mirai, and she nodded. He opened the door for her, and they walked home.

She looked at the baby. “Today, we’re gonna exercise some more, Natsu.”

“Don’t they hurt him?”

“It helps him be more mobile and prepares him for when he’s gonna crawl. I did that to my kids to help them crawl faster.” She stopped in her tracks, remembering her kids. The kids she had abandoned.

“Hey, want a Christmas tree?” he asked, changing the subject. “It’s not too late for one.”

“It doesn’t matter, really. All I want is to spend it with my family.”

The friends looked at each other. At times like this was when they asked themselves if they were portraying their roles correctly or if it was how they felt.

“Let’s get a medium-sized one,” she said.

“Yeah, that’ll do,” he agreed.

“It’ll be our first Christmas together,” the friends said in sync and laughed.

They got to their house, and he immediately went to the thermostat to turn on the heater while she went upstairs with Natsu to give the boy warmer clothes.

She fixed her window’s blinds and saw her neighbor’s Christmas lights on its overhang. She hummed to herself, “What should I get Ryosuke this year?”

*

Juri wailed during lunch break, “It’s winter break in three hours!”

“I can’t wait,” added a bashful Haruka, which was a first. “This year’s Christmas will be special.”

Juri, Ryosuke, and Mirai covered their mouths as they eyed their dating friends.

Haruka blushed, also another first. “Not that, guys!”

Shintaro stepped in to clarify his friends’ dirty thoughts. “It’s our first time spending Christmas together.”

Mirai shook her head. “It can’t be your first Christmas! You guys have been dating since middle school!”

Haruka sighed and rolled her eyes. “With just the two of us. In the past, we didn’t get to do much together because he had his family parties and I had mine.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

“What about you guys?”

Juri answered first. “My grandparents are visiting this year, so we’re doing family portraits and lots of partying.”

“Aww, that sounds nice.” Haruka turned to Ryosuke and Mirai. “And you guys?”

“He got us a tree,” answered Mirai, pointing to Ryosuke. “We’re also gonna celebrate Natsu’s six-month birthday.”

“Six-month birthday?” the friends asked at the same time.

Ryosuke nodded. “She wants to make it a very special day ‘cause the brat’s gonna be exactly six months old.”

“On Christmas?”

Ryosuke and Mirai nodded.

Haruka exhaled. “Can’t believe you guys have kept him this long.”

“No news on his mom yet?” asked Shintaro.

“Kota-san’s visiting us over winter break,” said Mirai, “so, hopefully, something then.”

Juri scooted closer to the group. “You know how he said he had connections and it was those connections that got him his lead? Well, what were the connections, and why would he have any connection to the parents?”

“Didn’t you say he never saw the mom who dropped off the baby?” added Shintaro to Ryosuke.

Everyone was quiet.

No one knew what to say.

Or the answers.

The bell rang, and the group gathered themselves to their class.

*

“Now, this is the color red.” Ryosuke showed Natsu a sparkly red-colored ball ornament as they sat by the Christmas tree, decorating it and educating the little boy, while Mirai prepared dinner in the kitchen. “Green!” Ryosuke clapped. “You guessed it right, brat. “Hey, Mi-chan, our brat knows his colors.” He looked proudly at his son. “You’re gonna be a prodigy.”

She put a lid on a pot, turned off the stove, washed her hands, and ran to the boys in the living room. She sat beside her friend and pinched her son’s chubby cheek. “Of course, he’s a prodigy. A handsome one too.”

He lightheartedly shoved her away. “Hey, pedo-mom. The police-dad will arrest you.”

“I can admire my son as much as I want to.” She stuck out her tongue at him.

He pinched her nose and ran away, and she chased after him. He got behind a couch, and she was on the other side. She jumped over the couch, an attempt to get him within reach. He caught her, and they fell back with her on top of him. They stayed still. Neither moved. They gazed into each other’s eyes yet wanted to look away because they felt a weird, mushy kind of sensation, but they found it hard to pull their eyes away until Natsu’s murmurs broke the tension they had.

She got off him. “I’ll set the table now.” She went to the kitchen. She couldn’t look at him.

She was too embarrassed.

And red.

*

“What did he say?” asked Mirai, walking to the living room with two mugs of hot chocolate. She joined Ryosuke at the couch, who had a blanket over his legs, and handed his mug to him. She peeked a look at the sleeping Natsu in his bouncer before shifting her eyes to the TV.

“He might come back during winter break,” answered Ryosuke, “but he’s not sure when.”

Kota had texted them and because Mirai was making them their drinks, Ryosuke was the message carrier.

She took a sip at the tip of her mug, crossed her legs, pulled the blanket from him, and cuddled close to him. “Think he’s got news?”

He shrugged. “I hope so.” He saw her mug. “I thought you don’t like sweets.”

“This is for that Christmas feel.”

“Well, that’s a huge pour. You make yourself a big lunch too. You shouldn’t be wasting food.”

“That’s ‘cause you’ll finish what I can’t.”

“Then put more in mine.”

“No, what if I’m still hungry?”

“You think I’ll let you starve?”

She gave him a doubtful look.

“Yeah, I would.”

They laughed.

He looked around. “Where’s my present?”

She perked up. “What do you mean, ‘where’?”

“I wanna open it now, not tomorrow.”

“No.” She put her mug down. “I’m giving it to you on Christmas day, not Christmas Eve.” She heard the wind howl from the window beside her, so she picked up Natsu. “We’re going to bed. Night, Ryosuke.”

He frowned. “I don’t wanna be by myself.” He quickly blew his mug to cool it down, gulped a few, and scurried after his friend up the stairs. Walking behind her as she held a sleeping Natsu, he quietly uttered, “Natsu, your mom’s being mean. She won’t give me my present.”

She laughed and entered her room and placed Natsu gently on the bed. She turned around, saw Ryosuke eying around her room, and knew he was searching for his present. She covered his eyes and pushed him out of her room. “Good night, Ryosuke. You’ll get it tomorrow.” She closed the door on him. She felt bad, but it was something she had to do. She glued her back to the door. Quietly, she said, “When’s the good time to go back downstairs?”

*

Mirai woke up in the middle of the night, shocked. She looked at her phone and realized she didn’t set the alarm. Thankfully, she had woken up to the time she had planned for. She put a blanket over Natsu, got off the bed, grabbed Ryosuke’s gift under her bed, the flashlight feature on her phone, and mustered her courage to walk alone down the stairs to place the gift under the tree.

She successfully made it downstairs, but something in front of her made her freeze.

There was a dim light coming from the tree, and around the light was a figure of some sort.

She paused.

The worse came to mind.

She hesitated between running up the stairs to fetch her friend or fend off the burglar now. She chose the latter. She locked on her target, ran to it, and hopped on its back. They dropped to the ground, and her phone and her gift for Ryosuke slipped away, but she kept her hold on the stranger.

“M-Mirai?” The voice sounded familiar, and the person tapped at her hands to let go.

She let loose. “Ryosuke?” She sprung for her phone and flashed the light on the figure and panted as if she had run a mile.

It was Ryosuke.

“You gave me a heart attack!”

“And you almost strangled me to death!” He massaged his throat.

“That’s what you get.” She went to him. “What are you doing down here?”

He didn’t respond. He wasn’t looking at her. He was looking past her.

“Ryosuke?”

“That’s mine, isn’t it?” he asked, pointing to a wrapped gift that was a bit away from her.

She turned around, saw the gift, and gasped, realizing that she had dropped the gift when she had attacked him.

Before she could retrieve it, however, he got to it first. He ran from her and hid at the corner. He read the tag, “To Daddy. From Natsu.” He laughed as she covered her face with embarrassment. “You wrote the same too!”

She uncovered her face. “The same? You have a gift for me?”

It was his turn to freeze.

She looked around and saw a package under the tree. She smirked and grabbed it and returned the same favor by reading the tag. “For Mommy. From your favorite brat.” She smiled and walked to her friend. “So, our son came downstairs to give us our presents?”

He played along. ‘Well, what do you know? He secretly can walk.”

They hugged and thanked each other.

“Let’s open it?” he suggested, almost begging.

“Fine.” She gave in since there was no point to wait for morning.

They sat on the floor, and she watched him open his first as she waited with anticipation and worry.

He removed the white stuffing papers, and the present revealed itself to be a baseball bat with a signature from his favorite player, Ichiro Suzuki. “You actually got it? How did you get his signature?”

“It’s not really from him. I carved his number on the bat as a good luck charm for you. Baseball season’s coming up, right?”

He nodded.

“Hopefully, you’ll get to use it.”

“Are you kidding me?” He stood up and posed in a batting position as he pretended to bat a ball. “Not only am I going to use it, I’m gonna show it off!” He made a swing, ran a lap in the room, and then dropped down to hug her. “Thanks, Mi-chan. Thanks a lot.” He glanced at his gift on her lap. “Check mine.”

It was her turn to open, and she was curious about what he’d get her. To her surprise, it was a Polaroid camera and three pairs of differently patterned and beige loose socks.

He blushed and looked away. “We-we’re out longer ‘cause we pick up the brat, so those’ll keep you warm.”

“Thanks. I’ll wear them to school.”

“Wear it without telling me, jeez.”

“Why? You’re gonna have dirty thoughts if you see me in ‘em?”

“Who’d like a girl like you—flat chest and scrawny.”

She scoffed. “They’re not flat. They’re—” She slammed her hands on her chest and then silently admitted defeat as she lowered her voice and said, “…flat.”

He laughed and patted her head. “What matters is not the size of those lumps but the size of your heart. Good night, Mirai.”

She watched him walk up the stairs and smiled to herself. “Good night, Ryosuke.”

*

“He can sit in his bouncer now?” asked a surprised Kota, who had just arrived and was sitting on the couch in the virtual couple’s living room, and the teens sat opposite him on a different couch.

“Wanna hold him?” Mirai asked the older brother.

He immediately stiffened. “I don’t think I can since he’s not like before.”

“You and Ryosuke sure are alike with kids.”

Ryosuke was displeased and pouted at her. “Hey, I can hold him now.”

“Only if I’m within arm’s reach.”

“Well, the brat could hurt me if you aren’t looking.”

She tried to keep her laughter in and looked at Kota. “So, any news to give us?”

Ryosuke nodded and added, “Yeah, you should have something by now, right?”

Kota looked down. “Sorry. I’ve got nothing.”

The trio stayed quiet.

“That’s okay,” said Mirai. “We knew it’d be a tough hunt.”

Kota broke into a soft smile. “If you don’t mind, can I spend the holiday with him?”

“Sure. Let me get his stuff.”

“Thanks.”

She left them to gather her son’s stuff and then came back with a bag. She had packed five sets of outfits, included an unopened diaper set, some toiletries, three bottles, and the formula.

Kota took the bag from her. “We’ll be going now then.”

“Now?” asked Ryosuke. “But you just got here.”

Everyone walked to the door.

“I have to set a few things up at my place,” said Kota. “I’ll bring him back Sunday evening.”

The teens nodded and watched him drive off from the door.

“Darn it!” exclaimed Mirai. “I didn’t give him his gift!”

Ryosuke raised a brow at his friend. “You got my brother a gift?”

“Well, it’s more like a ‘thank you’ for everything.”

He scrutinized her. “You. You like him, don’t you?” He backed away. “Eww! If you marry him, you’ll be my sister-in-law!”

She hit his shoulder and closed the door. “I don’t like him.” She went to sit down on the couch and the tv. “Besides, I’m never marrying.”

*

“Hey, let’s go buy mochi,” Ryosuke said as he popped his head into Mirai’s room where she was folding her clothes on the bed. “I want to get some before there’s none.”

She stopped folding. “Sure, let’s do that.”

He jumped in excitement.

She walked to her closet. “Let me get dressed, and I’ll see you downstairs.”

“Okay.” He was already ready and knew she wouldn’t reject the idea because mochi was a must-have for New Year. When he secured and closed all the opened windows of the house, he sat on the couch and waited. ‘Dress up’? He chuckled to himself at the thought of his non-girly friend dressing up nicely. To him, she had a good figure, but it wasn’t an appealing one to him.

“I’m ready.” She stomped down the stairs.

He stopped his thinking and stood up. “Let’s go—” He stopped talking when he saw her choice of clothes and was taken aback by her unusual clothing style. He wanted to laugh but couldn’t find the energy to do so. He wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words. His eyes were on her outfit, looking up and down, and his mouth was wide open.

She scowled. “Sorry to disappoint you, but this is what I like to wear.” She had on a dark blue cap, a manila-colored scarf, and a light pink sweater that was bigger than her. Dangling across her upper half body was a light brown cross-body purse the size of a small pouch. As for her bottom half, she wore sweatpants with brown Ugg boots. “I prefer comfortable clothes.”

“Do-do you wear like this when you go out?”

“You’re the very first to see me like