Held.

A discussion could solve everything. That was my belief. Of course, getting to that point was an effort in itself. But after a good talk, everything could reach its satisfying conclusion.

It was time to put that to test.

We were all seated on the couch. Saeko was next to me and her parents were sitting in front of us. It reminded me of the time we got lost by ourselves during the summer festival.

These two took care of me a lot when Mom was busy working.

"What is the meaning of this, Ichi-kun? Why did you bring her here?" Saeko's father asked.

The 'her' in question remained silent.

"Well, as you can see, Saeko is pretty late in her pregnancy. And her work is much closer to here than her older place. Not to mention her older place is also not the safe-"

"That's why we asked her to give the child up." Her mother snapped.

Saeko never told me the reason why she kept the child? My mind would retreat to thinking that she wanted someone to remind her of Yuuji. But it was probably because she wanted to prove that she could handle the responsibility.

Saeko was too hard-headed to give a challenge up. In my honest opinion, that competitiveness should have been placed in a place that didn't involve two futures. But it was too late for that.

I wasn't on her side of the argument, I was just on her side.

"Giving the child up is a little." I stepped in.

"That way of thinking is old, Ichi-kun. You seem like the sincere type who knows how much responsibility raising a kid is. Not to mention raising a kid without a fathe-" Her mom stopped as she realised that she was describing my situation.

Ouch.

The air was uncomfortable. This discussion was just us getting battered and it would continue to be so until our side put up an argument. Too bad, our side was hiding.

I elbowed her arm but stopped as soon as I saw the little sparkles of tears in her eyes.

She wasn't hiding, she had too much to say. To the point, she could blow up.

"I get what you're saying, auntie." I started.

"Don't you, Ichi?"

"I mean how could someone who gave up on college for love, got herself knocked up, and still couldn't gather up the courage to talk to her parents after the fact ever raise a child. It's stupid. I mean think about it, trying to live alone when you had a family who cared for you. She shouldn't even have thought of keeping it. Just-"

"I thought I could keep it!" Saeko finally shouted. "It wasn't rational, I know I was being stubborn. But I really thought that even on my own I could keep it."

"There you go..." I whispered.

"That was just some fantasy." Her mother taunted.

"I kn- I know. But by the time I realised that it was already too late. I fell in love with the child in here more than I did the father. I didn't- no I couldn't give up anymore. Even if it meant that I struggled, I just wanted the kid to make it out happy!"

That shut her parents up.

"I was wrong! But how could you ask a mother to give her child up? Would you have done that Mom? If Dad was-wasn't..."

"I.."

"I don't want to cry anymore. I just want to see this work. Even if it means that I have to upset you and stay here. I wouldn't mind bowing down for this kid." Was she angry? I don't think so. Her emotions were just boiling over. "Hate me if you want to! Just let my k-"

I was just a spectator watching her life unfold.

This was a decent first seat view.

The next second I knew her mother got up and walked towards us. Her feet were heavy.

Uh-oh! I've seen these sorta scenes in the drama my ex showed me plenty of times.

"Auntie no matter how angry you are you shouldn't hit a pregnant wo-" I put my hand between the two put she pushed it aside.

To my surprise and relief, what happened next wasn't a slap like I had seen in those dramas but a headbang. Wait? Isn't that pretty bad too?

"I- We wouldn't hate you." She whispered. "How dare you even think that!"

"But!"

"We wouldn't give you up for the world! Do you know how hard it was to conceive you?"

And so on and so forth. It was a daytime drama menopausal women would watch. But I mean, her situation was rather dramatic. Made me question why people didn't live simple lives in the first place.

The both of them cried. Her father watched the whole thing faking his manliness. His eyes were red from holding the tears in.

To be precise neither side made up that day.

The parents still believed the kid wasn't ideal for her future and Saeko still believed that the kid meant almost everything to her.

They just compromised to show Saeko the best happiness she could achieve in that situation.

I left her family alone and went back to my own.

It was just a Sunday now, and needless to say, my family was closer than three days ago. Close enough to have a drink together without a hint of awkwardness.

I didn't want to give Akito-san shit for just existing in the family.

He took care of my mother when and how I couldn't.

The day passed and it was Monday. I spent the noon watching TV and it was 4 by the time my self-awareness came about. I would have just continued to watch a rerun of whatever was on had it not been for the alarm I set.

The alarm that read- Saeko's shift.

"I'll be out for a bit!" I put on a coat grabbed my keys and headed through the door.

Just as planned, there was a round woman walking right in front of the door. The store was a 10-minute walk away which would have been fine but not only was it freezing outside but the path was slippery at places.

"Wait up!" I called Saeko. "Let me get the car out."

"You serious?" She looked back.

"Yep."

"Well, if you insist." There would have been an aspect of exchanging favours had we been mere acquaintances, but over the years we had known each other we had lost track of any and all favours.

This was just like that time I broke my leg. I was on the passenger seat of her bike for 2 months.

I didn't see it as anything different. She was vulnerable, I would help her out.

She got in the car and I drove her to the convenience store.

The route took a minute longer than it would take me on foot. I parked the car in the lot.

"Aren't you just going to drop me off?"

"Nope."

"Then are you going to come in?"

"I might."

"Why?"

"I have nothing better to do. My shift starts at 9."

I wasn't lying. And being here meant that I had another means to avoid Akito-san. I was actively trying to incorporate him into my daily life but it was a bit much to include an alien into your daily life.

Soon this time would become our habit.

I would wake up at 11, eat, lethargically waste my day up till 4. Then I would take her to work, buy groceries, go home, eat dinner, work and sleep by 5.

On weekends we would head out to different indoor places around town, and she would always come back either complaining or crying.

By the end of a month's worth of stay in my town, I could see Saeko's shoulders become lighter.

And then one day-

"Do you want to go to the OB/GYN with me?"