THE DAFFODILS
1739 Words
Months passed, and the relationship between the three residents of Sou estate has improved. Kayomi had given up on the idea of discontinuing school eventually after a long intimate talk between the three of them. Reina was particularly active because, as both a teacher and a parent, she understands the value of education.
It is not merely for the sake of bragging. It is a prelude to what's to come in life. Mitsuei and Reina, of course, want their daughter to be fully equipped for the future.
Reina pushed her to succeed academically. A person who works hard will always be rewarded in the end. Who knows, maybe Hanneau will grow into something much more in the future.
With things going smoothly as it was before, Reina couldn’t wish for anything more. Kayomi became more vocal about her feelings. Her family also visits oftentimes, bonding with her husband and Kayomi. She can tell that her father and older brother are gradually mellowing to Mitsuei. Furthermore, Hanneau has gained more visitors in the past few weeks. After all, the cold winter is fast approaching.
Indeed, an ideal environment for someone pregnant.
However, if there is one thing she cannot get used to, it’s Mitsuei.
“Ow, ow, ow…”
Reina whimpers from the slight uneasiness she feels as she attempts to stand after sitting on the floor for a while.
“Easy. I told you to call or wait for me if you need something,” Mitsuei complains, rushing to her side.
Mitsuei takes her hand while his other hand steadily holds her back. He provided her support, taking her weight so Reina can move without straining herself much.
“I believe you should be at the lodge by now,” Reina mumbles in confusion.
She hasn't looked at the clock since she awoke this morning, but it is far too early for him to be off work, given how high the sun is.
“Hmm, we should buy a proper chair. You have been struggling to carry the weight of two people at once,” Mitsuei replies, clearly ignoring Reina’s prior statement.
“I don’t think it is necessary. I can do just fine without it.”
“No. I think we should. I’ll get a set of chairs and a dining table for the kitchen. You will get sore sitting on the floor for a long time.”
Reina signs in resignation. “Alright. If you insist.”
If she learned one thing throughout their cohabitation, it is his stubbornness. Mitsuei does whatever is valid for him. She became more aware of such a trait in the past few weeks. For some reason, Mitsuie has been too fixated on her pregnancy that he barely leaves her side.
“Where to?”
“Oh, I was about to go to the garden for some fresh air. I feel suffocated staying long inside the house.”
“Then perhaps we should open all the doors in the hallway.”
Reina groans in disbelief. She should not have mentioned the last part to him. The words that have been coming out of his mouth these days seem out of character.
Although they converse just fine before this, he was only civil to her. Like strangers on their first meeting. Formal and reserved.
But now, he has been all over her.
It's not that she doesn't appreciate the care, but it just serves to heighten her awareness. Furthermore, this might jeopardize his tasks and responsibilities to Kayomi and Hanneau, who have staff that relies on his leadership.
“Isn’t Hanneau busy at the moment?” Reina asks once more after arriving on the path walk to the garden.
“Kiyoko and the others can handle the crowd. Anyway, only a few visitors will stay the night. Most of them are just here to bathe in the hot spring.”
“Oh, I see,” Reina replies, hiding her flustered face. Mitsuei hasn’t let go of her hand yet even when she can walk fine. “Any particular reason you returned home early?”
Mitsuei pulls her under the shedding cherry blossom trees, hiding her from the bright sun. A very thoughtful gesture came from a person she once considered intimidating.
She looks away from their still clasped hands. She wants to divert her attention or else she will get nervous. And when she is nervous, her palms get sweaty while her face cannot even tell a lie.
Looking around, she notices the flower pots she had received from her mother.
She has been taking care of it religiously for months but not once it bloomed. But now that winter is coming, little bulbs begin to sprout. She can tell that it will bloom soon enough.
Helen once told her that it is a flower called daffodils. They bloom at their finest during the late winter season. Its flowers can even last for months depending on the condition of its surroundings.
That aside, what stuck on her mind is the meaning behind it.
‘Flowers can also send a message to someone. Each flower symbolizes something, like a form of communication. And this flower I gave you is called a daffodil. It represents new beginnings and rebirth. Take proper care of it.’
Reina feels herself blush after recalling what her mother said. She can’t avoid thinking that the meaning of the flower fits her current situation well. A symbol of their extraordinary family.
“Akari made some umeboshi, and she wants you to have some. She heard you looking for some a few days ago,” Mitsuei responds, finally breaking the short silence.
“Really? Can I get some now?” Reina exclaims in excitement, her eyes shining like a child in a candy store.
She's been insisting on eating sour and salty meals for weeks. It was a significant change for her, as she had previously disliked such flavors. She used to favor sugary foods.
“You can. But after we eat lunch. And I’ll say this again, do not devour them all at once. Imagine all the salt content on that. It may harm you and the baby,” Mitsuei warns.
“That was one time,” Reina whines in protest.
Mitsuei smirks, enjoying the sight of a childish Reina. Her lips pout adorably while her eyes try not to meet his.
A week ago, Reina almost finished the entire bag of salty rice crackers that Haru brought from Haran. If he didn’t catch her on time, she might have eaten the whole thing. Only a few were left when he confiscated the bag from her.
“That aside, I have some materials coming today. I’m not much needed in the inn anyway, so I might as well work on this project.”
Reina's brow furrowed in bewilderment. A person yells at the front door before she has an opportunity to ask. Mitsuei finally lets go of her hand, smiling as he walks away.
Left in a state of awe, Reina dwells on the image of his smiling face. For some reason, her heart starts to beat faster than normal. Her face also feels hot while beads of sweat begin to form on her face.
Even the hand he held for a few minutes was still warm. She can still feel his skin against hers.
‘No. This isn’t right.’
Reina shakes her head, hoping the feeling will disappear. Mitsuei has done more than enough for her and the baby. She would feel terrible for wishing the impossible. And she is in no position to desire for more.
Mitsuei is just being kind and considerate thus, explaining his recent behavior. Nothing more, nothing less.
Assuming things would only destroy their current relationship. And perhaps, hurt her the most.
“Please, come inside.”
Reina jumps back when she hears Mitsuei approaching with numerous footsteps in addition to his own.
The conversation she listened to sounded gibberish partly because they were talking casually. And partly because she was brooding over something she was not supposed to feel.
“Just place them there.”
Mitsuei instructs the two other men to follow behind him. He points at the open space by the garden, just a few inches away from her.
As usual, the natives ignored her, not even acknowledging when she greeted them.
They are carrying a couple of sturdy woods and other carpentry materials. This piqued her interest. What would Mitsuei be doing with these materials?
As soon as the men left, Reina walked up to Mitsuei who was busy examining the wood.
“Is this for the lodge?” Reina inquires.
"This is for the baby. I read somewhere that folks in the west, in particular, utilize cribs for their babies. They're simple to use and safe."
‘Has he been reading books about babies?’ Reina mutters to herself.
That is surprisingly nice of him. He sure is taking his role seriously. But she never noticed such a book anywhere in the house. Even in his office in Hanneau.
‘Oh! Perhaps it’s that book!’
She remembers that odd-looking book in his library. It was that time when she got scolded for trying to clean and reach the seemingly out-of-place book on the top shelf.
The image of him reading such a topic is unimaginable. She never even once considered turning into books. Nor did she think such books exists. Perhaps, she can check on it sometimes to at least prepare her for what’s to happen next.
Reina smiles at the excited look on Mitsuei’s face. Perhaps, it is the first time he had shown her this expression. He shines like a boy with a new toy to play with.
Mitsuei then went on to tell her about the advantages of using the crib, particularly when taking restroom breaks. Or napping.
He also tells her about other things like how the entire furniture will be constructed. He even went out of his way to obtain the best wood possible to assure stability and quality.
He is so excited that he never stopped rambling. Not until Kiyoko came into the house to bring their lunch.
“Let’s talk more about it during lunch,” Reina grins when she notices the frown on his face.
He appears annoyed after being interrupted. Like his energy suddenly plummeted.
Mitsuei smiles back at her, his face beaming again. “Alright. Please look forward to it.”
- Writer
