The house was in a state of war.
Not a bad war.
A cleaning war.
— SORA, DON'T STEP THERE!! I JUST MOPPED THAT!! — Harumi shouted, running past with a plate in her hands.
— I DIDN'T STEP THERE!!! IT WAS TAK—
— It was definitely you, Takeru replied flatly while drying Mei's hair with a towel.
Mei sat quietly in her chair, swinging her legs.
Smiling.
Very smiling.
Takeru noticed.
— You're excited, huh?
— ...Yeah.
She squeezed her little hands together.
— Do you think she'll like me? Do you think she remembers me? Do you think she'll li—
Takeru stopped.
Bent down slightly.
— Hey.
She looked at him.
— I'm here with you, okay?
Mei nodded.
Small.
Confident.
But nervous.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen—
— DID I BUY TOO MUCH DESSERT?! DID I BUY TOO LITTLE DESSERT?! SORA, DO YOU THINK THIS IS TOO MUCH DESSERT?!
— I'm only here for the food, Sora answered honestly while eating Mei's yogurt.
Knock knock.
The door opened.
— Good morning, Harumi-chan, Grandma Sakura said with a smile.
She walked in carrying an enormous dish.
— I made nikujaga. For today.
— GRANDMA SAKURAAAAA!!! YOU SAVED MY LIFE!!!
Harumi nearly cried as she hugged her.
— If she doesn't like my cooking, at least she'll like yours!!!
— Everything will be fine, Sakura said calmly.
But Harumi was already running around again.
— OH MY GOD DOES THE HOUSE STILL EXIST?? IS EVERYTHING CLEAN?? DO I STILL EXIST??
After a while...
Everything was ready.
The food.
The table.
The house.
The hearts.
DING DONG.
Absolute silence.
Even Sora froze upstairs on the second floor.
Harumi took a deep breath.
— ...She's here.
She walked to the door.
Opened it.
Mizuki was standing there.
A simple sweater.
A modest skirt.
Flat shoes.
No hospital clothes.
No defeated appearance.
Just...
A woman.
Far too young to have gone through so much.
— ...Hi, said Mizuki.
— Hi! Harumi answered, nearly hugging her before stopping herself. — Come in, come in!
Mizuki stepped inside slowly.
Looking around the house.
The smell of food.
Faint noise upstairs.
Life.
Harumi turned and shouted:
— TAKERU! YOUR MOM IS HERE!!
Mizuki flinched involuntarily.
"...I'm their mother."
She swallowed hard.
Harumi noticed.
She stepped closer and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
— Relax, okay? They're excited to see you. Just be yourself. It's okay.
Mizuki blinked.
"...It's okay?"
"Has anyone... ever said that to me before?"
Footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Small ones.
Mei appeared.
She hadn't heard Harumi call.
She was just passing by.
Then stopped.
And looked.
Mizuki hadn't noticed yet.
Harumi smiled naturally.
— Oh, Mei, you were there?
Mizuki turned.
And saw her.
The little red-haired girl.
Neatly brushed hair.
Cute clothes.
Big eyes.
Standing there looking at her.
The world went silent.
"...She's beautiful."
"This... is my daughter?"
— ...You're here?
Mei spoke softly.
Harumi chimed in with a gentle grin:
— Didn't hear me yelling? Anyway, this is Mizuki.
Mei grew shy.
Mizuki did too.
The two of them simply stared at each other.
Slightly red-faced.
Neither knowing what to say.
Mizuki's eyes shimmered.
As if she were looking at something impossible.
Footsteps echoed from the stairs.
Takeru came downstairs.
Along with the intruder known as Sora.
Taller.
Stronger.
Almost a young man now.
He stopped in front of her.
— ...Hi. Welcome.
Mizuki felt her chest tighten.
"...He's grown."
"They're okay."
"They really are okay."
The old instinct returned.
Be cold first.
Don't let yourself be vulnerable.
She opened her mouth.
— Wow. I didn't know I had another child.
Silence.
Sora froze.
Harumi:
— AH, NO NO, THAT'S SORA—
— I know he's not my son, Mizuki replied calmly. — I know my own children.
Mei blinked.
Takeru stayed quiet.
Mizuki turned and started walking.
— Let's get this over with. I'm hungry.
She headed inside first.
Slightly red.
Hiding a tiny smile.
Everyone sat down.
Awkward atmosphere.
For exactly...
Seven seconds.
— Mizuki, is everything okay at the hospital? Do you need help? I can visit, bring things, talk, annoy people—
— I've noticed.
Mei joined the conversation.
— Do you like tea?
— I do.
— Harumi makes it all the time.
— I can imagine.
Sora:
— This nikujaga is incredible.
— FOCUS, SORA, Takeru whispered.
Mizuki took a bite.
One spoonful.
Two.
Three.
— ...This is good.
Another bite.
— ...This is really good.
Another bite.
Harumi watched in fascination.
"OH MY GOD SHE EATS SO MUCH, THAT'S ADORABLE!!"
Mizuki happily continued eating.
Calm.
Relaxed.
Without even realizing how much she was relaxing.
After a while...
The children went upstairs.
Distant laughter.
Running footsteps.
Life.
At the table...
Only Harumi and Mizuki remained.
Mizuki signed the documents.
A weak hand.
Slow handwriting.
Like someone who hadn't written in years.
Harumi watched quietly.
Then...
She gently took Mizuki's hand.
Friendly.
Light.
Mizuki startled.
— ...?
Harumi smiled.
Softly.
Kindly.
— Thank you for coming today.
That was really brave.
Mizuki frowned.
"Brave?"
"...Was that what I was feeling?"
"Fear?"
Harumi continued softly.
— I don't know your past.
— I don't know why you made the choices you did.
— And... at first, I judged you.
Pause.
— But today...
— I respect you.
— And I'm sure you had your reasons.
Mizuki's eyes began to glisten.
— You'll always be welcome here.
Harumi let out a small laugh.
— I'd be incredibly lucky if they were my biological children...
— But just having them in my life...
— That's already everything.
Upstairs—
— SORAAA STOP RUNNING!!!
Harumi smiled.
— All that yelling...
— That's happiness to me.
She laughed quietly.
A little shy.
Then took a deep breath.
— So thank you, Mizuki.
— I'll take very good care of them.
Silence.
A tear rolled down Mizuki's cheek.
She wiped it away quickly.
— ...I didn't know if I had made the right decision.
Her voice was quiet.
— But today I can see...
— If I had stayed...
— They might never have had you.
Another tear fell.
— So I don't regret what I did.
— Don't thank me.
— Just take care of them.
Pause.
— I don't plan on showing up again...
Her voice faltered slightly.
— But...
— Seeing them like this...
— That's enough.
Harumi started crying.
Red eyes.
Stuffed nose.
The whole package.
Mizuki let out a sigh.
— Stop being stupid.
— Stop crying.
A tear slipped down her own face.
Harumi pointed immediately.
— YOU'RE CRYING TOO—
— I'm not.
— YOU ARE—
— Shut up.
The two of them started laughing.
While crying.
Laughing.
Crying.
Both at once.
Upstairs, footsteps ran across the hallway.
Life kept moving.
When it was finally time to leave, everyone said goodbye, and Harumi walked Mizuki to the door.
— Byeee! Take care of yourself!! Love you!!
Mizuki was already slipping her bag over her shoulder when she turned toward Harumi.
— Stop saying "I love you" to people you've barely known for five minutes.
Harumi immediately puffed out her cheeks in protest.
— ...LOVE YOUUU!! SEE YOU LATER!!!
— Idiot...
Mizuki muttered under her breath as she waved without turning around.
The two of them said goodbye.
One had arrived.
One stayed behind.
And between them...
A family that finally existed.