3

Naoki walked home slowly from the butcher shop, the small parcel of meat tucked carefully inside his bag.

The street had grown livelier since the morning. Housewives carried grocery baskets, a bicycle rattled past with a child balanced on the back seat, and the smell of grilled fish drifted faintly from somewhere down the block.

Hana watched everything with wide, silent curiosity from the baby carrier against Naoki’s chest.

“You’re taking it all in,” he murmured.

Her eyes followed a passing dog with intense concentration.

Naoki chuckled. “Very serious business.”

When they reached the house, he slid the door open quietly and stepped inside. The cool calm of the interior greeted them immediately.

Naoki moved through the routine without thinking. Shoes placed neatly on the rack. Bag set on the kitchen counter. Hana lifted carefully from the carrier and placed into the play seat beside the table.

The kitchen already smelled faintly of rice and miso from earlier.

Naoki washed his hands slowly at the sink, scrubbing carefully between each finger before drying them on a clean towel. Old habits from his restaurant days had never quite left him.

People were often surprised when they learned that part about him.

During high school and most of university, Naoki had worked in small restaurants after classes. First washing dishes, then preparing vegetables, eventually helping the cooks during busy dinner shifts.

It had been exhausting work, but it had also taught him that kitchens could be a quiet kind of discipline. You respected ingredients. You respected timing. You respected the people who would eventually eat the food.

Naoki tied a simple apron around his waist.

“Let’s cook something nice,” he told Hana.

The rice cooker clicked open with a soft puff of steam.

Naoki moved through the preparation gracefully.

The knife slid through vegetables with soft, precise strokes. Carrots were sliced into thin half-moons. Onions diced into neat squares. The meat he had brought from the butcher shop was trimmed and cut into evenly sized portions.

Nothing wasted. Nothing rushed. All made with love.

Hana watched him from her seat with quiet fascination. Occasionally she kicked her legs when the pan made a loud sizzling sound.

“That’s the exciting part,” Naoki told her.

The food came together quickly. Rice, simmered vegetables, and a small portion of seasoned meat cooked carefully in the pan.

Naoki plated a small bowl for himself and sat at the table beside Hana.

He took one bite then nodded. “Acceptable.”

Hana reached for the bowl with sudden enthusiasm.

“Alright, alright.” Naoki laughed softly.

At six months old, Hana had only recently begun tasting small amounts of soft foods. Aiko had been very particular about how the transition from milk to solids should happen.

“Small portions. Nothing too thick.” She had said firmly.

Naoki had memorized every instruction. He mashed a small portion of rice and vegetable into a soft paste and placed a tiny spoonful near Hana’s lips.

She stared at it for a long while before she opened her mouth.

“Good girl.”

She swallowed with visible effort before reaching for the spoon again. They continued like that for several minutes. Naoki eating his meal. Hana testing tiny tastes of hers.

When they finished, Naoki wiped Hana’s face carefully with a warm cloth before reaching into the cabinet above the counter. Inside sat a small row of neatly arranged containers. Aiko had insisted on some supplements for Hana.

“Babies need proper nutrients. Especially if we’re introducing food early.” She said.

Naoki measured the drops exactly the way she had shown him.

“Doctor Aiko’s orders,” he said gently as he added them.

Hana seemed unimpressed with the taste. Her face grimaced so hard and cutely, much to Naoki’s delight.

After finishing their drinks, Naoki began cleaning immediately.

Plates washed. Counter wiped. Floor swept again. By the time he finished, the kitchen looked exactly the way it had that morning.

“Order restored!”

Naoki lifted Hana and began layering her small jacket and blanket.

“Another trip.”

Her eyes had begun to droop with sleep.

“That’s the life Hana. Eat and fall asleep. Live it up while you can.” Naoki teased.

The butcher shop freezer could get very cold, and Naoki didn’t want her uncomfortable while he was gone. Still, Takeshi had always been reliable with her. The old butcher seemed strangely comfortable holding babies, despite looking rough and mean.

The bell above the butcher shop door rang again when Naoki stepped inside. The cool air of the shop wrapped around them immediately.

Takeshi stood behind the counter cutting thick slices of meat. He looked up briefly.

“You’re back.”

Naoki adjusted Hana’s blanket.

“Hospital run.”

Takeshi stepped forward and took the baby without hesitation. His large hands cradled her surprisingly gently.

“She ate already. Some spoonfuls of rice and vegetables.”

Takeshi nodded. Naoki placed a small container on the counter.

“And lunch for you.”

The butcher opened the lid. Steam rose slowly from the food.

He nodded once for thanks. “Go. Hana will be fine.”

Naoki grabbed his bag and stepped back into the sunlight. Without Hana, he walked faster this time.

The hospital sat about fifteen minutes away on foot, but Naoki shortened the distance easily with long, steady strides.

By the time he reached the entrance, the lobby had grown busy with midday activity.

Doctors moved through the corridors with quick, purposeful steps. Nurses gathered around the reception desk discussing charts and schedules.

Naoki knew the route well by now.

He took the elevator to Aiko’s floor and walked toward the nurse’s station where all medical team gathered.

He heard her laugh before he saw her. The light and carefree sound stopped him for a moment.

Aiko rarely laughed like that at home lately..

He turned the corner.

Aiko stood beside the desk, leaning slightly against the counter. Beside her stood a tall doctor in a white coat. He said something quietly that made Aiko laugh again.

Naoki felt a warm rush of relief. It was good to see her happy. He stepped forward.

“Aiko.”

She turned immediately. “Naoki?”

Surprise brightened her face. “What are you doing here?”

Naoki lifted the bag. “Lunch.”

Aiko stared at him for a moment before breaking into a grin. “You actually brought food.”

“Of course.”

She stepped forward and kissed him quickly. The reaction from the nearby nurses was immediate.

“Oh come on,” one of them groaned.

Another waved her pen dramatically. “Some of us are trying to work here, Aiko.”

A third nurse laughed. “You shouldn’t show off your husband like that.”

“Some of us are single.” A medical student said.

Aiko rolled her eyes.

“He’s just bringing food.”

“Exactly. That’s the problem.” One more staff joined.

The doctor beside her smiled politely but said nothing. Naoki scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. Aiko accepted the bag and peeked inside.

“You didn’t have to do all this.”

“I wanted to.”

A nurse leaned across the desk. “You’re famous around here, you know.”

Naoki gulped. “For what?”

“For being the perfect husband.”

“Of course it’s the physio who has the perfect husband,” another nurse joked.

“Cause she can straighten them?”

Laughter rippled through the group. 

Aiko shook her head. “Don’t listen to them.” But she was smiling.

Naoki looked around the busy station. Charts stacked neatly. Phones ringing. Nurses moving quickly between rooms.

“I should go,” he whispered to Aiko. “You’re working.”

Aiko squeezed his hand once. “Thank you.”

Naoki nodded and stepped back. As he walked toward the elevator, he glanced behind him once. Aiko had already opened the container of food. The doctor leaned slightly closer to look. The nurses continued teasing her while she laughed again. Naoki stepped into the elevator with a small smile. 

Seeing her like that made the whole morning feel worthwhile.