Chapter Text
When Two Became Four
Chapter 1
Any Day Now
It was a warm and beautiful early July morning at the Usaba family mansion. Miyo smiled happily as she got dressed so that she could go downstairs for breakfast. She put on a light blue cotton kimono with a sunflower print all over. Her obi was yellow with sunflowers all over. She styled her hair into a braid with a light blue ribbon woven into it. When Miyo was finished getting dressed, she lovingly cradled her baby bump. She said, “Good morning, my precious little flowers. Mama loves you so much. Let’s get some breakfast, my precious little angels.” Miyo smiled softly as she felt their daughters' movements and kicks. She left her bedroom and walked downstairs, where everyone was waiting for her. Kaya, Hazuki, Fuyu, Hana, Tadakiyo, Yurie, Arata, and Yoshirou were in the sitting room drinking their tea. When Miyo walked into the sitting room, everyone was happy to see her.
Yoshirou smiled and said, “Good morning, my child. How did you sleep?” Miyo smiled and said, “Good morning, everyone. Grandfather, I slept well today.” Tadakiyo guided Miyo to a couch. He said, “Miyo, why don’t you sit down and have tea with us. Breakfast is almost ready.” Fuyu gave Miyo two pillows so that Miyo could be comfortable. Miyo put one pillow behind her back, and she put the other pillow under her feet. Hazuki poured Miyo a cup of tea, and she handed it to Miyo. She thanked Hazuki for the tea. While everyone was drinking their tea, they had a lively conversation until breakfast was ready.
Everyone got up and went to the dining room to eat breakfast together. After breakfast, Miyo went on a walk around the property with her cousin and grandfather. Dr Unan had recommended Miyo to go on three walks a day. Because Dr Unan said that it was healthy exercise for Miyo. As Miyo, Yoshirou, and Arata walked around the grounds of the mansion, they talked and laughed. When they got to the cherry blossom tree, they sat down so that Miyo could rest. Miyo sighed as she looked at the tree. She cradled her baby bump and said, “I miss my mother. I wish that she were here with me.” Yoshirou squeezed Miyo’s hands reassuringly. He said, “I know that you miss your mother terribly. I miss her too, but your mother is always with you, even though you can't see her. Your mother is so proud of you, Miyo.”
After sitting underneath the cherry blossom tree for a while, they decided to continue their walk. After thirty minutes had gone by, they finished their walk. When they got back to the house, a servant poured them some tea. After they finished drinking their tea with everyone else, Miyo went upstairs to take a nap. As Miyo changed into her cherry blossom yukata, she rubbed her back. Miyo sighed softly because her back and her feet were hurting. Miyo affectionately cradled her baby bump. She said, “Sweet dreams, my precious little flowers. Mama loves her precious little flowers.” Half an hour later, Miyo fell asleep while cradling her baby bump.
She had a dream about their daughters. She was playing with them underneath the cherry blossom tree. While she was sleeping, Kiyoka called the house to check on Miyo and their unborn daughters. Yurie answered the phone, and she told him that Miyo and the babies were doing well and that she was taking a nap before lunch. At noon, Miyo woke up from her nap. She got dressed in another cotton kimono with white daisies all over. Miyo styled her hair into a simple bun with a daisy in her hair. Miyo came downstairs to eat lunch. She asked, “Hello everyone, is lunch ready yet?” Kaya hugged Miyo and guided Miyo to the couch. She said, “Hi, big sister, how was your nap? Yes, lunch is almost finished.” Miyo cradled her baby bump as she sat down on the couch. She said, “I enjoyed my nap. I am so glad that lunch is almost finished; the babies and I are hungry.”
Miyo poured herself a cup of chamomile tea as she waited for lunch to be finished. Miyo and the rest of the ladies gossiped until lunch was ready. When lunch was ready, everyone went into the dining room to eat. After they finished eating their lunch, Miyo, Hazuki, Fuyu, Kaya, Yurie, and Hana went on an afternoon walk. As they walked through the grounds, they looked at the flowers. When they got to the cherry blossom tree, they sat down underneath the tree to rest for a while. Miyo cradled her baby bump as she sighed softly. Hazuki smiled and said, “I can't believe that the twins are going to be here soon.” Miyo smiled and said, “I know Kiyoka, and I are so thrilled. My precious little flowers could come any day now.” Fuyu smiled, and she squeezed Miyo’s hands. She asked, “Miyo, how are you feeling?” Miyo sighed softly as she played with the cherry blossom petals. She replied, “I'm feeling excited and nervous. I want to be the best mother for my daughters.” Miyo and the rest of the ladies were silent as they felt the warm summer breeze hit their faces.
Miyo interrupted the peaceful silence with a question. She asked, “What was your biggest regret that you had as a mother?” Hazuki, Fuyu, Yurie, and the rest of the ladies were quiet for a few minutes. Fuyu spoke first, and a look of sadness crossed her eyes. She said, “My biggest regret was being so harsh and cold with my children. I almost pushed away both of my children because of my hardened heart. That was my biggest regret as a mother. I want to apologize to my children.” Miyo comforted her by squeezing Fuyu’s hands, and Hazuki had tears in her eyes. Hazuki tearfully asked, “Mother, do you really mean that?” Fuyu replied, “I do mean it, I'm so sorry, Hazuki, for hurting you. I hope that you can forgive me.” Hazuki hugged her mother. She said, “I forgive you, mother, I'm not angry at you anymore.” The two women hug each other again. Hazuki sighed softly and said, “My biggest regret that I had as a mother was the fact that I couldn't keep my family together. I get sad sometimes because I feel like I am missing parts of my son's life. Sometimes I wonder what would've happened to my life if I hadn't gotten divorced.” Yurie and Hana both shared their regrets; they wished that they could have spent more time with their children. Miyo nervously bit her lip while cradling her baby bump. She said, “I'm so excited because I can't wait to meet my daughters’ but I am scared. I want to be the best mother to my twins. What if I hurt or disappoint my daughters?” Hazuki and Fuyu squeezed Miyo’s hands. Hazuki said, “Miyo, you are going to be an amazing mother. I know that pregnancy can be overwhelming, especially when you're pregnant for the first time.”
Hana replied, “Miss Miyo, you don't need to be a perfect mother, just do the best that you can. You won't hurt or disappoint your daughters because you love them very much. Miss Miyo, you are not alone because we all are going to be here for you, Lord Kudo, and your daughters. All of the ladies nodded in agreement as they hugged Miyo. Miyo said, “Thank you so much for your support. Kiyoka and I are so grateful for everything.” Miyo happily said that she had big news to share. All of the women looked at Miyo with excitement in their eyes.
She said, “Dr Unan said that I could deliver the twins without any pain. Isn't that great?” Hazuki, Fuyu, Hana, and Yurie looked at Miyo with incredulous looks on their faces. They started to laugh at Miyo. Miyo looked at them with a confused look on her face. She asked, “What's so funny? Dr Unan said that it was safe and possible to deliver the twins without any pain. You can have a pain-free delivery, right?” Hazuki wiped the tears from her eyes. She said, “Well, I wouldn't say that childbirth is pain-free.” Miyo looked around with a panicked expression on her face. Fuyu said, “Well, it only hurts a little bit, but it is worth it when you hold the twins in your arms.” Miyo sighed softly because she realized that she wasn't going to have a painless birthing experience. She huffed and said, “I knew it. Please tell me the truth. Does giving birth hurt?” Hazuki, Fuyu, Hana, and Yurie said, “It was the worst pain of our lives. We were so happy when we finally gave birth.” Hazuki replied, “Little sister, don’t listen to any doctor who says that they can make childbirth pain-free. They are lying to you.” All of the ladies laughed, and they continued on their walk.
When they finished their walk, they walked back to the mansion. When they got inside the mansion, a servant bowed to Miyo. They said, “My lady, you have a phone call for you.” Miyo thanked the servant, and she followed the servant out of the room. When they got to the phone, the servant pulled over a chair for Miyo to sit in. Once Miyo sat down in the chair, she picked up the phone. It was Kiyoka; he called the house again to check on Miyo and their unborn baby daughters. Miyo told him that she and their daughters were doing well. After they talked for five minutes, Kiyoka said that he had to go to a meeting. Before they hung up, Miyo asked him for some vanilla macarons. After Kiyoka agreed to buy Miyo’s vanilla macarons, they told each other that they loved each other. After they said their goodbyes, they hung up the phone. Miyo walked back into the sitting room, where everyone was drinking tea and eating pastries. Miyo poured herself some chamomile tea, and she grabbed a pastry. After Miyo finished drinking her tea and eating her pastry, she decided to finish embroidering a couple of the twins' blankets. As she worked on the blankets, Miyo hummed a lullaby to her precious little girls. Miyo smiled as she felt her daughter's movements and kicks. Hazuki asked, “Hey Miyo, what was that song that you were humming?” Miyo stopped humming, and she looked over at Hazuki. She said, “That was a lullaby that my mother used to sing and hum to me when I was a baby.” Hazuki smiled and said, “That is amazing, the lullaby sounds so pretty.” Miyo smiled as she continued to hum the lullaby while working on the blankets.
An hour later, Miyo finished sewing a flower border on two more of the twins' blankets. Miyo yawned as she tried to get up from the couch, but she realized that she couldn't get up from the sofa. Miyo pouted as she cradled her baby bump. Arata laughed at Miyo as he walked over to her. He said, “Don't pout, my dear cousin, I will help you.” Arata gently grabbed her hands, and he helped Miyo get up from the couch. Miyo blushed because she was embarrassed. She thanked Arata for helping her up from the sofa. She grabbed the twins' blankets that she had just finished embroidering. Miyo was tired, so she decided to take a nap before dinner. Before Miyo went to her bedroom to take a nap, she went to the twins’ nursery. Miyo straightened up a stuffed bunny on the dresser. As Miyo looked around the nursery, a smile came to her lips. Miyo wanted to make sure that everything was perfect for the twins. Miyo put the blankets for the twins in the dresser. Miyo sat down in the rocking chair. Miyo wondered why she was so particular about her and their daughters' surroundings. She wanted freshly picked flowers for their bedroom. She also wanted freshly picked flowers in the twins' nursery. Miyo also made sure that the twins' nursery was clean and perfectly decorated. Miyo lost track of how many times she wanted the servants to change the twins' nursery. Whenever Miyo asked the servants to change the layout of the twins' nursery, the servants never got angry with her. The servants just allowed Miyo to do what she wanted for the twins' nursery. Miyo decided to ask Hazuki when she woke up from her nap. After Miyo took one last look around the twins' nursery, she left the nursery to take a nap.
An hour and a half later, Miyo woke up from her nap. Miyo got up and got dressed in the same kimono she wore before her nap. Miyo walked downstairs to the sitting room, where everyone was waiting for dinner to be cooked. She sat down on the couch while she was cradling her baby bump. Kaya asked, “What does it feel like when the twins kick you?” Miyo giggled softly as she tried to get comfortable on the couch. She said, “It feels like I ate a bunch of fluttering butterflies.” Hazuki came downstairs with a small book in her hands. She said, “Miyo, I have something for you.” Hazuki gave Miyo the small book. Miyo looked at the book with a confused look on her face. She asked, “Big sister, what's this?” Hazuki smiled and said, “It’s a book of baby names for boys and girls. It's to help you pick names for the twins.” Miyo smiled, and she hugged Hazuki. She said, “Thank you so much for the book, big sister. I was struggling to come up with names for the girls. Let’s find names for my precious little flowers.” Miyo, Hazuki, Kaya, and Fuyu looked through the book for the perfect names for the twins. They were looking at each name until Miyo found two names that she loved. She happily exclaimed, “I found the names that I want to name the twins. How about Sakura and Hina?” The ladies squealed excitedly.
Hazuki happily replied, “Sakura and Hina are perfect names for my nieces. We are all so excited.” Miyo was happy that she had finally picked two names for her daughters. She hoped that Kiyoka would love the names that she picked. The ladies giggled as they drank their tea. Half an hour later, Kiyoka and Koji were home from work. Kaya helped Miyo get up from the couch, and they went to greet their husbands. Miyo and Kaya greeted their husbands with a bow. Kiyoka smiled as he took off his shoes. He wrapped his arms around Miyo’s waist, and he kissed her lips. He said, “Hello, my darling, how was your day? I missed you so much, my love.” Miyo smiled as she snuggled deeper into Kiyoka’s chest. She said, “Welcome home, honey. I had a great day today. How was your day today, my Kiyoka? The babies and I missed you, too.” Kiyoka kissed the top of Miyo’s head as he ran his fingers through her hair. He said, “I'm glad that you had a great day. I had a great day today, my love.” Kiyoka and Miyo pulled apart. Kiyoka kissed Miyo’s baby bump. He said, “Hello, my precious little angels. Papa missed you so very much, my little darlings.” Kiyoka smiled as he felt their daughters move and kick inside her belly. Kiyoka lovingly kissed her baby bump again before handing his briefcase and his empty bento box to Yurie. Kaya gave Koji a hug and a kiss. A servant took Koji's empty bento box. After Miyo and Kaya greeted their husbands, they went into the sitting room to wait for dinner. Kiyoka and Koji greeted everyone, and they sat down on the couch.
Miyo and Kaya poured their husbands some tea in their teacups. Everyone drank their tea while they were having different conversations. When Kiyoka was finished drinking his tea, Miyo cuddled up next to him. Kiyoka smiled as he wrapped his arms around Miyo’s waist. Kiyoka kissed the top of Miyo’s head as he ran his fingers through her hair. Kaya cuddled up next to Koji and he kissed her forehead. Half an hour later, dinner was ready. Kiyoka helped Miyo get up from the couch, and they, along with everyone else, went into the dining room. While everyone was eating their dinner, Miyo put down her chopsticks and looked over at Hazuki. She asked, “Big sister, I have a question for you? I noticed that for the past month, I have been obsessed with making sure that the twins' nursery is perfect. Is that normal?” Hazuki smiled as she put down her chopsticks. She said, “Yes, it's normal. It's called nesting.” Miyo and Kiyoka looked over at Hazuki with confused looks on both of their faces. Miyo asked, “What's nesting?” Hazuki smiled and said, “Nesting is when you have an overwhelming urge to clean, decorate, and prepare your home for a new baby. This is good because that means that the twins will be born soon.” Miyo and Kiyoka both looked relieved. Miyo cradled her baby bump. She said, “That's good to know. I'm so relieved.” Miyo picked up her chopsticks, and she continued to eat her dinner.
After dinner, Kaya, Koji, Hazuki, Fuyu, and Tadakiyo went into the sitting room to drink after dinner tea. Meanwhile, Miyo and Kiyoka decided to go on a walk. Kiyoka tenderly kissed Miyo’s hand as they walked around the grounds. They talked about their days. When they were close to the cherry blossom tree, Miyo felt two strong kicks to her ribs. Miyo bent over and winced in pain. Kiyoka looked over at Miyo with a worried expression on his face. He guided her over to the bench. He asked, “Are you alright, my darling?” Miyo took a shaky breath as she cradled her baby bump. She said, “I'm alright, honey, the twins kicked me in my ribs.” Kiyoka tenderly kissed Miyo’s baby bump. He softly said, “Don't kick your mama's ribs, my precious little angels. You're hurting your mama.” Miyo and Kiyoka chuckled softly as they felt their daughters kick away from Miyo’s ribs. Kiyoka kissed Miyo’s baby bump again. He said, “I'm glad that our daughters are listening to me and that they're behaving themselves.” Miyo and Kiyoka sat down on the bench for a while. Miyo started to think about her impending journey into motherhood. She never thought that she would have her own little family with Kiyoka. Miyo couldn’t believe that she was nine months pregnant. She felt a mixture of excitement and nerves. She wondered what their daughters would look like. Would they both have Kiyoka’s hair and eyes? Or would they both look like her? Or would their daughters look like both of them? Miyo wasn't sure, but it didn't matter what their daughters would look like because she and Kiyoka would love their daughters no matter what.
Five minutes later, Kiyoka and Miyo got up, and they continued on their walk. Half an hour later, they finished their walk, so they walked back to the mansion. When they got inside the mansion, they went to the sitting room to drink some tea. Yurie came into the sitting room with Kiyoka and Miyo’s tea. They thanked Yurie for the tea, and she bowed, and she left the room. Ten minutes later, Miyo and Kiyoka finished drinking their tea. Kiyoka and Miyo spent time with their friends and family until they were tired. After Miyo and Kiyoka told everybody goodnight, they went to their bedroom. After Miyo and Kiyoka changed into their yukatas, they climbed into bed. Kiyoka laid his head on Miyo’s baby bump. Miyo smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair. They were quiet for a moment until Miyo spoke. She caressed Kiyoka’s cheek and said, “Honey, remember when we were struggling to come up with names for our daughters. I figured out what we were going to name our daughters. Do you want to know what names I picked for our daughters?” Kiyoka smiled and said, “I'm glad that you picked out our daughters' names. I couldn't pick out a name for our daughters. Yes, I would love to know our daughters' names.” She smiled and said, “Our daughters' names are Sakura and Hina Kudo. Do you like our daughters' names?” He said, “Hmm, Sakura and Hina Kudo.” Miyo looked at Kiyoka with a nervous look on her face. Miyo thought to herself as she played with Kiyoka’s hair. What if Kiyoka didn't like their daughters' names? Miyo didn’t really like the other names for their daughters. Kiyoka kissed Miyo’s other hand and said, “I love our daughters' names. I'm so ecstatic right now.” Miyo breathed out a sigh of relief. Miyo was happy that he liked their daughters’ names. Kiyoka repeatedly kissed Miyo’s baby bump while Miyo giggled softly. He said, “Sakura and Hina, your mama and I picked out your names, my precious little angels. We love you so very much.” Kiyoka kissed Miyo's baby bump one last time before he sat up. He kissed Miyo on her lips, and he stroked her cheek. Miyo snuggled up next to Kiyoka, and she felt Kiyoka wrap his arms around Miyo’s waist, and he held her close to him.
Miyo snuggled deeper into Kiyoka’s chest as Kiyoka ran his fingers through Miyo’s hair. Kiyoka and Miyo sighed softly as they cuddled in bed. Miyo bit her lip nervously as she thought about giving birth to their twin daughters. She looked up at Kiyoka and said, “Honey, I'm scared because once I give birth to our daughters, everything is going to change. What if I am a terrible mother?” Kiyoka tenderly wiped away a tear from her eye, and he kissed her lips. He said, “I'm scared too, but our lives are going to change for the better. I love you and our daughters so very much. Miyo, you're going to be an amazing mother because I see how much you love and care for our daughters.” Kiyoka kissed Miyo's lips again, and he continued, “Darling, I am going to be by your side no matter what happens. I love you, my darling.” Miyo hugged Kiyoka tightly as she breathed a sigh of relief. She said, “Thank you, honey, I feel so much better. I love you too, my Kiyoka.” Miyo yawned as she sleepily rubbed her eyes. Kiyoka chuckled softly as he put a strand of Miyo’s hair behind her ear. He said, “It’s getting late, my darling. We should go get some rest.” Miyo nodded her head yes in agreement. Kiyoka tenderly kissed Miyo’s baby bump. He said, “Goodnight, Sakura and Hina, your mama and I love you so very much. Sweet dreams, my precious little angels.” Miyo kissed her baby bump and said, “Sweet dreams, Sakura and Hina, your papa and I can't wait to meet you. I love you, my precious little flowers.” Miyo and Kiyoka smiled as they felt their daughters move and kick inside her belly. Kiyoka kissed Miyo’s lips. He whispered, “Goodnight, my love, I love you so very much. Rest well, my darling.” Miyo kissed Kiyoka on his lips. She said, “Goodnight, honey. I love you too. Have sweet dreams, my Kiyoka.” They kissed again, and they lay back down on their bed. Kiyoka wrapped his arms around Miyo’s waist, and he held her close to him. Once Miyo and Kiyoka were comfortably wrapped up in each other's arms, they drifted off to sleep, dreaming about their daughters.