Unmangled.

After the doctor's appointment time started to go by again. Our time together changed ever so slightly. In the final month of her pregnancy, she was at home all day. And I was there with her usually.

Saeko would adamantly call me up whenever the baby would kick. She wanted to share any joy of her's she could. Of course, I didn't feel any happier from seeing the kid kick her belly, but I was at least happy about the fact she didn't cry all that much anymore.

The baby's existence started to take an active role in my life. I would cater Saeko's body that would cater the baby's. It felt weird. The baby wasn't a piece of flesh anymore.

Just in case a day came the baby decided to come out I spent all the time with her excluding the nights.

She wasn't due for about 10 days.

Her morning sickness got worse. So I woke up rather early every day and helped her through that.

I would sleep at her place in the afternoon and then go back to work on my own at night. Things were hectic. And would be for a bit.

It had almost been two whole months since I came to the town and my company was starting to get the new recruits in. It was about time I headed back. I would have had Saeko not been pregnant.

But luckily, I had a say in when I wanted to go back. So I decided on a week after Saeko would give birth.

Right now we were seated below a warm table. Her on some cushions, me on a mat.

We were eating whatever her parents left us before heading out to an event.

"So... about the confession."

!!!

"Where did that come from?!"

"I don't know. I had nothing better to talk about."

"You ignored me for two whole weeks and then bring this up now? Because you were bored?" That's insincere if that word ever meant something.

"I blame pregnancy mood swings. Plus your feelings were also pretty unjustified. Who would like a pregnant woman on the brink of a mental breakdown?"

I mean... If she wasn't my childhood friend I don't think I would consider a girl in her position a potential love interest. I was selfish.

Anyhow, the way she phrased that pissed me off. This piece of garbage. Why do I even like her?

"Whatever, So what about it, the confession?"

Saeko wondered for a second.

"I don't think I can go out with you." Rejected already? "Yet." Disambiguous and ingenuine. Well, at least I have a chance, I think?

"Are you still not over him?"

"I just wanted to be 100% sincere with you."

"The irony." I muttered under my breath. "I guess that works. I'm still not sure if what I feel towards you is fancy, love or just plain protectiveness."

Feelings get jumbled when you know someone for this long. Maybe what I felt towards her was a combination of all of that. I just knew that it felt good and bad at the same time. Like all my previous renditions of love did.

"I should get some lunch over from Mom." I said while getting up.

Apparently, Mom knew about Saeko's pregnancy and still didn't tell me about anything. It wasn't like she was the neighbourhood aunt who would look down on a young pregnant girl. I mean her first marriage failed, so she couldn't really call her out. But she thought that it would be better for me to find out on my own.

One thing I noticed was that Mom was rather good at keeping secrets.

As I entered my house the silence hit me.

There was always some sound or the other in the house over. Compared to that this felt sterile.

It was too quiet.

Anxious, I headed inside and subconsciously straight to Mom's room.

I lost my breath.

The sight frightened me. I was about to shout. If I had something in my hand I would've dropped it.

But the man stroking her head put his finger on his lips to tell me to quiet down.

"What happened?" I mouthed aggressively.

He ran his hand across Mom's hair before walking up to me. Mom was on a bi-pap with an oxygen cylinder next to her.

Akito-san put his hand on my shoulder while taking me outside.

"What happened?" I whispered while looking back in the room.

"Her blood oxygen dropped."

"HOW?!" We were far enough to let me be a little vocal.

"You know how her heart is a little weak, right? She just got a little excited." He explained calmly.

His words and slight pats brought me back down.

"Aren't there medicines she takes to stop these? D-does this happen often?"

"She was fine for this month... But yeah this isn't that unusual or that bad. Happens now and then." Akito-san seemed used to the situation.

It frightened me when I thought about what might have happened if I left her alone to head for university.

I sighed or panted. One of those two.

"That scared me."

"It would anyone." He headed into the kitchen. "You're here for Lunch right?"

"Yeah... bu-" I wasn't in the right mind to think about lunch anymore.

"You should leave your mother to me. I can take care of her just fine. I have been- for a while. Ideally, it's not just your Mom I want to entertain. I want you to be a part of my life. I want your family to be part of my life too." He finally started to look desperate. Almost as if he was calling for us.

"Is it that easy? To care for someone not related to you?" I asked.

"Why do you think you aren't related to me?" He handed a box to me. "You are still young. Forcing yourself to grow up will only hurt you. Don't only take responsibilities, become someone's responsibility too."

It was his construed way of saying that I wasn't alone.

"Now g-"

"On another thought, I'll just have this here. I'll call Saeko over."

After that, I brought the ball of a woman to our place. Set up the same environment and had the same lunch.

Mom eventually woke up just dandy and never mentioned anything about the state she was in.

I held back on expressing my concern but in the process became a lot clingier. Physically leaning on her and psychologically stopping myself from pitying or crying for her.

For that moment alone, we were a happy family.

14 days passed. Saeko was 4 days overdue.