3 WEEKS AFTER THE KAMAKURA EARTHQUAKE
1 WEEK AFTER KARLIE'S HOSPITAL VISIT
3 DAYS AFTER RUI'S BREAKDOWN
***
The orange and white koi swam across our pond. From where I sat on the engawa, I watched the gentle ripples with every move our serene water friends made. It was such a stark contrast to what our life was like at the moment. Aki-chan and Benji also stared at the fish beside me.
“Karlie?” Taylor called out from the living room. “Tadaima.”
I stayed where I was, still staring at the koi. “Okaeri,” I mumbled.
“There you are,” Taylor said. There was a pause, until she asked, “Baby, what’s wrong?”
“Hm?” I finally peeled my eyes off the water and turned to her. “What do you mean?”
Taylor sat down beside me, cupping my cheek. “I left you here hours ago.”
“Hm.” I tried to look away, but she made me face her.
“Karlie.” She kissed my lips. “What’s wrong?”
“Is he okay?” I looked back into her eyes.
Taylor’s eyes roamed over my face. “Did you take your tablets?”
Just like that, the pain came back. And I flinched at the electric feeling running along my arm. With my eyes closed, I shook my head. This day was supposed to be about making sure they were safe. But I had to sit home for a stupid injury. Doctor's orders after my follow-up the other day proved my arm was strictly off-limits. Full rest. Zero typing. Complete banishment from the office.
“I swear to god, Karlie,” Taylor whispered. “I left them on the table for a reason.”
“Those pills are dumb. They knock me out.” I shrugged, only to make it worse for myself. “Ugh! For fuck’s sake, I hate this!”
It was quiet for a while. Taylor watched me with her blue eyes. Their shade reflected something I had not seen in so long. Then she silently went back into the kitchen to retrieve my medication. I had not been taking them after I noticed they left me sluggish and groggy throughout the day. When Taylor got back, she had all of them ready with a glass of water.
“Either you take them, or you stay this way longer,” she said. “I prefer to have my wife back.”
With the lump in my throat, I stared at the tablets. “I just wanna do my fucking job. They’re waging this war against us, and I can’t even do shit.”
“Karlie.” Taylor closed her eyes. “Will you please be gentle with your words? Rui’s coming home soon.”
“I don’t want them,” I said, my eyes darting back to the koi swimming in the pond.
Taylor framed my face with her hands to keep me focused on her. “It’s not about what you want, Karlie. It’s about what you need.”
“I can’t just stay in bed all day for two months.” I shook my head. “What I need is to save us from this mess.”
“You have a fully functional team doing that with me right now.” Taylor let me go and sat back. “Is it really that difficult to trust us with this while you heal?”
“What am I here for then?” I looked away again. “Useless.”
For the last time, Taylor slid the glass of water closer to me. “You’re here for your son who misses the version of you that got excited over surprise bentos. If you have nothing left to care about, Karlie, at least think of him.”
My heart ached at her words, but before I could tell her I cared about her most of all, she was gone. And once again, I was alone with my thoughts on the engawa. Helpless and numb from the pain. The koi glided towards me. Slowly and peacefully. Swimming against the water currents to overcome the impossible. I had always loved them because of that. The irony was almost too ridiculous. Because what hurt more to think about was that we got them for our home to represent a happy marriage.
With a loud sigh, I grabbed the tablets and chugged them down with water. After closing my eyes for a bit, I held the glass and walked into the kitchen. It now smelled of instant ramen for me and freshly brewed coffee for Taylor. She stood behind the counter, staring at the cup. A slight smile formed on my lips before I sat at the dining table to rest my head. Feeling my body turning heavy, I would probably fall asleep after eating, but at least I did what she wanted.
Taylor took her time, but once she placed my cup ramen on the table, I sat up. She tried for a smile before looking away. "Finish that and go to bed."
Without another word, I grabbed the chopsticks with my good hand. They still slipped from my grip, making me grumble 'fuck's sake' yet again. Taylor breathed out slowly beside me, gently taking the wooden pair and the steaming cup of noodles. After making sure it was cool enough, she fed me some. We sat in silence. The only sound was her sipping coffee, me slurping noodles, and her occasionally blowing on it so it did not burn me. Once in a while, Taylor would meet my eyes and wipe my face with a napkin. But she remained quiet, not wanting to trigger another round of my breakdowns.
When I finished eating, she asked, "Was that enough?"
I nodded, rubbing one eye with my hand. "They kick in fast."
Taylor helped me up and walked me to our bedroom. Settling under the covers earned another sigh from me. Still, my wife propped her elbow on the pillow and stayed by my side, watching me. I forced my eyes open to look at her, but she leaned over to kiss them closed. Then I felt her lips on my cheeks until she left another soft peck on my lips. Her whispered 'I love you' was the last thing I heard before I completely drifted off.
Muffled conversations were what registered next. I squinted in the dark and checked the time on my phone. Turned out I slept through the night. It was way past midnight. But Taylor and Rui were not here. And why were there voices outside? Thankfully, the meds still numbed the pain. So much that I tripped on my own two feet heading to the door.
“Fuck’s sake,” I muttered under my breath and slid the bedroom door open. “Tay?”
Taylor was on the living room floor, talking to family over FaceTime with a hot cup of hojicha. “Is that Karlie?” Andrea asked. Along with my mother.
“Where’s Rui?” I asked.
"Yeah, sorry. Hold on," Taylor said to them before she walked to the bedroom doorway. “Why are you up?”
Shaking my head, I squeezed my eyes shut. “Is he okay?”
“He’s in his bedroom. I didn’t wanna wake you,” Taylor said, brushing my cheek with her knuckles. “You want him there?”
I nodded, glancing at her phone on the table. “Tell them I said hi.”
“Okay, c’mon.” She led me back inside the bedroom, slowly guiding me to the mattress. “I’ll be back.”
“Tay.” I caught her arm, making her look over her shoulder. “I love you.”
Taylor finally smiled at me again. “You want me here too?” She kissed my jaw. Then playfully smothered my face with kisses. "Hm?"
I let out a soft laugh. “Always.”
"Okay." She pressed a kiss to my temple. "I'll get Rui and wrap up with them."
The wait was hazy, and I was drifting again, but I wanted to see Rui. Maybe even enjoy another moment with Taylor before I got knocked out. Once the door slid, I opened my eyes.
Taylor put Rui down beside me, and he snuggled closer. “Mama, I miss you,” he said, his voice laced with sleep.
“Rui-chan,” I whispered and pulled him close. “I miss you, honey. Mama's here.”
His little hand reached behind for Taylor, and she kissed his cheek. "Chotto matte, sweetheart," she said softly, asking him to wait a bit. "I'll be here soon."
Rui's baby powder scent, his warmth, and steady breathing soothed me. But I could tell he needed Taylor to fall asleep again. I stroked his back gently as we both waited for her, fighting the drowsiness until my wife reappeared from the living room to join us. When Taylor took her place beside him, Rui instinctively rolled over to drape his little arm over her waist.
"Okay, sweetheart, I'm here," Taylor whispered and reached for me. "Get some rest."
I saw her looking at me through the dimness of our bedroom. Her hand on my cheek gave me permission to finally yield to what my body had been begging for since the earthquake. Uninterrupted rest. Deep sleep. Total surrender of whatever worry, pain, and anything beyond my control at the moment. It was strange. Allowing myself to stop when Taylor and our whole family were in danger. But just as my wife said... I had to trust them. To trust her. To trust myself enough to let go. I had to. Or else.
The following morning proved to be better than the last. Not only was Rui ready to go. Our team agreed his walk to the carpool spot was their early morning stroll starting today. And Taylor could not be happier that they said yes to this with a simple ping.
"You seem better," Cara said from the genkan, holding Rui's hand. "Still terrible enough."
I rolled my eyes while Taylor chuckled beside me. "I don't need to thank you, Cara."
"You're welcome," Este said with a smile. She held Rui's other hand.
Taylor wrapped her arm around my waist. "This is an adorable portrait, don't you think, baby?"
"Don't you think, Rui?" I passed the baton to our little one, who was quietly waiting for them to go.
"Un," he mumbled, looking up at Cara and Este. "Kawaii."
All of us laughed, and the door slid open to reveal an impatient Derek. "School culture! The prince can't be late."
Of everyone, Rui reacted the most. "Uncle D's posh brain! Hayaku!" He tugged on their hands, asking them to hurry.
There was another beat of laughter that Jack, Brandon, and Austin also shared outside. "Sayonara!" They waved goodbye.
"Onegai," I said, nodding at my team. "Rui-chan, matta ne? See you later."
"Bye-bye!" Rui shrieked, his voice echoing over our Kamakura compound.
Taylor shook her head and whispered, "I swear to god."
I hope he's safe enough.
I exhaled slowly and headed for the couch. But Taylor interlocked our fingers, leading me to the kitchen instead. "I'm also worried, but he's in good hands," she said.
"Hm. Are you coming home for lunch?" I asked, taking my place at the dining table, waiting for another cup of coffee Taylor was preparing for us.
She took her time with the Siphon coffeemaker. "I mean. Do you want me to?"
"What kind of question is that?" I mumbled, staring at the view this time. When she didn't respond, I looked at her. Then I cleared my throat. "Well, of course I do. Baby."
"Well, then, I'll be here." Taylor smiled before pouring coffee into our cups. "Baby."
I chuckled and shook my head. "You're in a better mood today."
"Because my wife isn't grumbling about her pills." She placed my cup on the table before sitting on the floor beside me. "And she's about to give me morning kisses."
Without making her wait, I left a soft kiss on her forehead first. Her cheek. And finally, her lips. Taylor still did things to my heart. And I still loved how she craved my affection every morning. Her hands framed my face when the kiss deepened. Signaling my good arm to pull her closer by the waist. Taylor tried pulling away slowly, but I wanted to enjoy the moment more, making her smile through the kiss. Gently, she trailed light kisses on my cheek down to my neck. Then she laughed softly, knowing things could not go further than this.
"Hm." I relaxed my grip around her. "I know."
Taylor kissed my jaw. "When you're all better."
"Sounds like bad news to me," I said and sipped my coffee.
Pulling away, she chuckled. "I don't think you can wait that long."
"Me? No, I'm fine." Diverting my attention to the view, I grinned. "It's you we're worried about here."
Taylor touched my thigh before leaning closer to whisper in my ear. "I can't help it, baby. I always want you."
My heart skipped. Then I swallowed and moved away. "Yeah, no. You're leaving for work soon. Adjourned."
She laughed and playfully pushed my head. "Take your tablets and rest."
"Ugh." I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. "Don't leave yet."
"Hm." Taylor got to her feet with her coffee, walking away to prepare my pills. "You're fine, right? I don't think you want me that much."
"Fuck's sake." This time, I laughed. "You're lucky I love you."
To which she replied with a playful roll of her eyes. "I love you too. Adjourned."
Before leaving for work, Taylor made sure I was tucked in and dozing off by the time she headed out. The following hours were a blur of weird dreams. Rui worries. Work withdrawals. Wondering how safe Taiyaki Tech was. Missing my wife. Dizzy in betweens. It went on loop. My meds mostly left me unconscious, but in some moments I would feel myself tossing in bed. Dazed. Waiting for the second I could get up again. Wishing Taylor was back to hold me.
The next time I gained consciousness, she finally was. To my surprise, Taylor had been curled up beside me. Her face pressed to my neck, arm across my waist. Then I panicked when I felt tears.
"Tay?" I whispered, forcing myself awake.
"Sorry, baby." Taylor sniffled and kissed my neck. "You were sleeping so soundly."
I kissed the top of her head and tried to look at her. "What’s wrong, baby?"
"Oh my god." Taylor’s lips trembled before tears streamed down her cheeks again. "I promised not to cry about this."
With my brain fog and sleep-induced body, I could only knit my brows together and hold her. "I’m having trouble processing."
"I think…" Taylor breathed in and out slowly. "I think we need to keep Rui here for a while."
My body tensed, and I instantly felt the electric shock coming back. "Talk to me, Tay. What’s going on?"
Taylor shook her head and buried her face deeper in the crook of my neck. "Each day I sit down with Tree, it only seems to get worse." She sobbed quietly, and I felt my chest ache for my wife. "I got a call from the school this morning. He's not coping well."
"What, they can’t handle it now?" I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. "I thought they said things were fine? He looked happier when he left."
"Not after the photos they hit us with today." She remained quiet for so long I thought she had fallen asleep. Until she added, "Toni warned us, but I never thought her father would stoop this low."
"What did they do?" My anger flared up instantly that it numbed the nerve pain better than the pills.
Taylor sighed. "Rui and I have fabricated family portraits circulating online. With his quote-unquote father."
"What do you mean?" I froze. "They're resorting to AI-generated crap?"
"I don't care what the world thinks." She pulled me close. "But Rui doesn't deserve to suffer the fallout. He just wants to enjoy school, and now he can't even do that."
"Fuck's sake." I squeezed my eyes shut. "Am I tripping? Or is this real?"
Taylor let out another sigh. "I'm not sure how much more I can take when he's caught in the crossfire."
"They’re spinning this story of a man fathering my child with you?" I clenched my jaw. "We locked them out of the truth when we secured our data. But he has Rui to back us into a corner."
"And he's winning," she mumbled through her tears. "The internet believes whatever's fed to it."
Her tone changed, and it killed me how much she was taking on. Letting out a slow breath, I tried to calm myself. "I guess it's enough that we know the truth, baby." I kissed her forehead. "If Rui needs to stay home for his sanity, that's our only priority."
"I just want him to have a normal life," she whispered. "Is that too much to ask?"
With our reality setting in, I stroked her back and held her close. It seemed too much to ask at the moment. Especially when this was only the beginning. No matter how powerful and genius we appeared to the world, everyone knew this was the fastest way to bring us to our knees. Our only weakness was Rui. But they forgot that by pushing us to withdraw him from school, they actually gave us the peace of mind to plan our next move carefully. Because he would be within arm's reach. Under our care. Safe from the world. Taylor wouldn't spend her day crying. I wouldn't spiral, worrying about him. Maybe this was the universe opening a window for every closed door.
"Did my wife want anything for lunch?" I asked after a while, wiping her tears away with my thumb.
Taylor laughed softly. "I should be the one in the kitchen right now."
"Hm." I got up with her help and looked at our family portrait on the wall. "Is AK bringing him home soon?"
"They'll be here in time for lunch." She tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "Unless Rui asks for fast-food and Austin caves."
I shook my head. "That's probably what's happening."
Taylor kissed my temple, seeing I was still staring at our photograph. "Promise me you won't fall down the rabbit hole of this alternate family universe they're curating to ruin us."
"I'm not going anywhere near that," I said with a defeated laugh. "God, the world is cruel. But we're safe here."
"I know, baby." Taylor helped me up and draped her arm around my waist on our way to the kitchen. Then she kissed my cheek. "I always knew you'd keep me safe."
We ended up with Rui's frozen picks Taylor always had handy for times like this: pan-fried Japanese dumplings - gyoza, Japanese croquettes - koroke, and ground meat patty - menchi katsu. Everything came together with a side of hot rice and miso soup. Five years ago, this would have been an impossible portrait in my head. Well, taking away the fact that we were under attack and life was far from normal at the moment. I never thought I would even have Taylor back in my life, not to mention have our permanent home in Japan and share our precious Rui on top of that.
Austin and Rui arrived from school after we finished our meal. And apparently, our security was tighter with the family's and Tree's request. They could not even say yes to a little child's demands. Austin carried him into the kitchen, looking very apologetic that he disappointed his nephew. Taylor was already taking him in her arms the moment they walked in, and Rui already looked exhausted from his day.
"Thanks, Austin," Taylor whispered and hugged her brother. "Stay for lunch."
Austin sat down across from me and wiped his face with both hands. "Not even Rui gets special treatment from security."
"Maybe that's better for everyone," I said, sighing at our situation.
"Rui wants Makku," Rui finally said, craving his usual McDonald's orders.
Taylor kissed his forehead. "I know, sweetheart. Maybe next time, hm?" She walked to my spot and let him sit on my lap. "I'll make you something else today."
"Hm." Rui shifted to hug me. "Gyudon suki, Mama."
"Okay, sweetheart." Taylor laughed softly and went on to prepare their meals. "I'll be back."
Austin and I chuckled at his favorite beef bowl request. "Ii ne, Rui-chan? You and Uncle AK get a special treat from your mom. Kyou tanoshikatta?" I asked if he had fun at school, even if I already knew the answer.
Rui's little hands touched my back when he hugged me tighter. "Kanashii," he said in his soft voice.
Listening to Rui say he was sad without hesitation made Taylor tense behind the stove. Austin and I shared that look, and I could only close my eyes in response. This was our worst nightmare. Any of us could take media hits, backlash, or whatever it was out there in the world, and we would be fine. But seeing our four-year-old who sometimes appeared to still be a toddler grapple with this much overwhelming confusion broke my heart. And if it already broke mine, it did more to my wife's.
I stroked Rui's hair. "Daijoubu da yo. You won't have to go to school anymore. Ouchi jikan suki da ne?" I whispered, reminding him he loved his family time, anyway.
"Mama, issho ni benkyou?" He asked if we could study together.
"Of course, honey." I nodded and looked at Taylor. "I have oceans of time to spend with you."
My wife's smile finally returned. "Are you ready for your grumpy Mama?"
Austin laughed from his seat. "Sounds like a fun time, Rui. Good luck being stuck with her all day."
"Oh, shut up," I replied and rolled my eyes. "We'll be okay, ne, Rui-chan?"
"Hm." Rui shifted again, this time to look at Taylor. "Mama, issho ni benkyou?" He asked to study with her instead.
The three of us laughed, with Rui earning a wink from my wife. "I love you, sweetheart. But your mom's math brain is more than enough for your classes."
"See?" I grinned, tickling Rui at the dip under his ribcage. "Don't you wanna spend time with me? Hm? I thought you missed me?"
His giggles echoed around the kitchen, and the sound brought another burst of laughter out of us. Rui easily escaped my grip since my other arm was no good. And he went running to Taylor, climbing onto his kitchen step stool to collect his gyudon. Just like that, he was back to the bright and loud little human we knew too well.
"Mama, hayaku!" He clung to Taylor's arm, asking her to hurry. "I'm hungry!"
"Oh my god, here we go," Taylor whispered, but she was holding back a smile. "It's almost ready, sweetheart." She glanced at him. "Since you're here, could you please help me with the rice?"
"Un!" Rui reached for the rice paddle while Taylor slid his bowl closer to him. "Rui loves more rice," he mumbled, now focused on scooping rice from the pot and carefully filling his bowl.
Taylor watched him with a sweet smile on her face before doing the same for Austin's bowl. "Only get what you can finish, honey."
"Rice daisuki!" He looked at his bowl before looking at her. "Hm? Okay, Mama?"
Taylor laughed softly and tousled his hair. "I think that's enough." She placed the cooked beef on the counter to finish preparing his bowl. "Motto?" She asked if he wanted more.
Rui nodded as he watched her. "Onegai, Mama," he replied.
His politeness always earned him a kiss on the forehead from Taylor, and I could not help but admire them from where I sat at the dining table. Austin's chuckling brought me back, and I immediately turned to find him grinning.
"Nineteen years later, Klossanova's still whipped," Austin said.
"I know." I shook my head and took a sip of water.
Taylor placed their beef bowls on the table. "That makes two of us."
"Nani Klossanova?" Rui ran to sit on my lap. Then he picked up his chopsticks.
"Itadakimasu!" both of them chanted.
Realizing nobody answered his question, Rui asked again, "Nani Klossanova, Uncle Austin?"
Austin chuckled, focusing on his food before he said, "Himitsu. It's a secret."
"One day, you'll find out," Taylor added, gently pinching his cheek.
I kissed the top of Rui's head. "One day, you'll cringe. But I will never apologize for it," I said, making the other two laugh.
Lunch went by quickly after that. Austin and Taylor went back to the headquarters. While Rui and I stayed behind in the quiet afternoon. Promising Taylor I would take my tablets after she came back, I found myself observing Rui's routines and how he actually handled school-related activities. Kindergartens leaned heavily on practical life skills over academic lessons. And seeing how Rui independently changed into his house clothes and organized his things blew my mind.
Dressed in his comfy gray sweatpants and hoodie, he had his drawstring bag open on the floor. His little hands grabbed whatever Taylor asked him to take out upon coming home each day. And I realized I was rarely home to watch him do these things. In complete silence, he pulled out more drawstring bags that held different items. There was a cup bag with his plastic cup for drinking tea or water throughout the day. His sliding plastic case with a spoon, fork, and chopsticks. A cloth lunch mat. Followed immediately by a small container holding a once-warm towel for wiping his hands and face before and after meals. Then a daily hand towel for everything else. Rui sat back and counted the items in Japanese before assembling them in his spot at the dining table.
Curious, I finally broke the silence. "Nande soko, Rui-chan?" I asked why he placed them on the table.
"Hm?" He looked at me. "Mama's rules. Rui's things everywhere, dame da yo," explaining Taylor would be upset if he left them scattered around.
I laughed softly and nodded. "Ato wa? What happens after that?"
"Hm." Rui retrieved his bag and ran to put it away in the living room. When he came back, he had a metal tin of crayons and a thin Shinkansen coloring book we picked out from Daiso. Rui found a spot on the engawa, lying flat on his tummy. Then he flipped the pages until he found a half-finished one. Without minding me sitting beside him, he gripped a green crayon and began intricately filling the lines of the bullet train. The pastels were each labeled with his name in Taylor's neat handwriting.
After finishing one part, Rui looked up at me. Then he picked out a pink crayon. "Mama, issho ni?" He offered to do the activity together.
I grinned and took the crayon from him. "Of course, honey. Arigatou."
Rui and I finished the page with an unspoken understanding that we loved working in silence. Under the cool autumn afternoon. With the koi swimming near us. And Kamakura's ocean breeze blowing around the compound. I learned more about his personality throughout one coloring activity than several pages of notes from school could ever discuss. Leaning back to study our work made me chuckle. Rui's take on the colorful side of the page made mine look stale and rigid. But blended, they held different stories at the same time.
A wide smile formed on his face. "Wow! Mama sugoi!" He looked at me with pride, amazed at our creation.
"Sou da ne?" I agreed and kissed the top of his head. "You did amazing. Just like your mom."
As we went through his afternoon routine, I realized every hour spent with Rui was another hour of uncovering simple details I never would have noticed before. The way he instinctively kept things neat, cleaning up after making a mess. How he whispered to Benji and Aki-chan whenever they followed him around. Even the way he requested our vanilla candles be lit for the familiar scent he came home to every day. Staying home to rest and heal sounded better now that he was here. Around an hour before we expected Taylor to come back, Rui wanted snacks. One more thing I was not sure about.
"Rui-chan, nani ga suki?" I asked what he wanted while I stared at our cupboards. "Which one do you want?"
"Hm?" He ran to stand beside me, hugging my leg. "Only senbei, Mama!" He pointed at the pack of rice crackers. Taylor had a portion of the shelf fully stocked with Rui's healthier version of sweet and salty rice crackers.
"Ii ne." I smiled and pulled out a bag for us to share. "Ato wa? What else? You want milk with this?"
"Hojicha suki!" Rui ran to the fridge, pulling out his afternoon drink. "Kore! This one!" He showed me the bottle of roasted green tea and grabbed one for me.
I laughed softly, watching him sprint back to the engawa. He sat cross-legged with our drinks beside him, waiting for me to hand the senbei. Now I understood he was only allowed his favorite rice crackers before dinner. Taylor would not offer him potato chips. Good thing he was honest enough, or I would have opened a big bag of Calbee. When I sat down across from him, I placed our snack bag in the middle before opening our drinks.
Rui beamed after gulping his hojicha. "Itadakimasu!"
"Itadakimasu." Grinning, I brushed his hair from his forehead. "Ureshii?" I asked if he was happy now.
He nodded, shoving more rice crackers in his mouth. When he looked at me with his big blue eyes and puffed-out cheeks, I couldn't help but laugh. Somehow, this innocent moment with him reassured me that there was a glimmer of hope for our family. Because this was ours, no one else's. Unknown to the public eye. A beautiful reality people did not know about. Rui deserved his normal childhood back. But right now, he deserved this peace. To understand that whenever the world got too harsh on him, Taylor and I would be here to shield him from it all.
Rui and I went through the whole bag and finished our drinks when Taylor returned from work. We sat closer to the edge of the engawa, watching the koi swimming across the water. Rui comfortably sat on my lap, leaning against me as he relaxed into my embrace.
"Tadaima," Taylor said from the living room, making Rui jump up instantly. "Karlie?"
When I looked over my shoulder, he was already running to her. "Okaeri, Mama! Dakko!"
Taylor took him in her arms and kissed his cheek. Then she gently wiped the crumbs off his face. "Someone enjoyed his afternoon snack." She kissed his cheek again. "Why do you smell like you're drowning in senbei? Hm?"
"Mama!" He giggled and snuggled into her neck. "Oishikatta!" He was so happy to announce that the rice crackers were delicious.
"I see you didn't tell your mom we rarely finish the entire bag," Taylor said and laughed softly.
"Okaeri." I walked to them and pressed a kiss to Taylor's forehead. "You'll be glad to know I didn't give him Calbee."
Taylor laughed and cupped my cheek. "Thank you for staying with him. You need to be in bed soon."
"Mama, kusuri?" Rui asked if I needed to take my tablets now, his face hidden in the crook of Taylor's neck.
"That's right, sweetheart," Taylor said, grabbing my hand and leading us to the kitchen. "But your mom needs to eat first."
Before I took my place at the dining table, I kissed Taylor on the lips. "You're so wonderful with him, Tay. I don't think I thank you enough."
Taylor met my eyes, surprised by my sudden sentiment. "Are you tripping?"
I laughed and shook my head. "I'm just saying, baby. I love you."
"I guess you are," Taylor said with a soft laugh. Then she pinched my chin and kissed my lips. "You're just as wonderful, baby. I love you."