My Soul Will Find Yours 108 Tou-Tan And Mi-Tan

I squatted down so the little boy and I were eye level. "Mama? Me?" I asked while pointing at myself.

"Hai! You're my mama!" he smiled, his face reminded me of someone I can't seem to remember.

I pinched his cheek and said, "Eh? But I'm not your mama."

The boy inhaled deeply in annoyance, making his already very round cheeks puff up. "But you're my mama! You're Mi-tan[1] and Tou-tan's mama!"

"Mi-tan and Tou-tan?" I asked confusedly. "Who are they?"

"I'm Tou-tan and my sister is Mi-tan! We're your babies!" he looked really hurt and about to cry. "Mama, how can you forget about us?"

When I saw a single tear fall from his eye, an unknown pain gripped my heart. "I…"

"You and papa said you love us more than anything in this world!" another tear fell and was followed by another, then another.

"It's just that—" I wanted to say I don't know him but couldn't bring myself to do so.

"Waa!" He was definitely bawling now. "You've forgotten all about us, you don't love us anymore," he hiccupped.

"But Tou-tan," I couldn't resist it anymore so I hugged the crying child before me.

"Mama is a meanie! She doesn't love us anymore," he hugged me back but continued to cry in my arms. His little shoulders shook, my words must have really hurt him.

"Shh, m-mama… M-mama is sorry," I comforted him awkwardly.

"You said you're not my mama!" he wailed.

"I'm your mama," I rubbed his back. "I am Tou-tan's mama."

"And Mi-tan's, too?" he slightly pulled away to see if I was serious.

"Yes, I'm also Mi-tan's mama."

"You remember now?" as if by miracle, his tears stopped and were replaced by a very adorable smile.

"Yes, my little rice ball," I didn't want to lie but if it was the only way to stop his heartbreaking cry then so be it.

"Little rice ball?" he repeated, his eyes shone with wonder. "Tou-tan is a little rice ball?"

"Hai! A very cute little rice ball."

"Is Mi-tan also a very cute little rice ball?" he asked curiously.

"Of course, you're both my very cute little rice b.a.l.l.s!"

He suddenly giggled and jumped towards me. "Mama, I love you!"

Apparently, this little boy's happiness was contagious because I felt myself br.i.m.m.i.n.g with a different kind of joy. "I love you, too."

He squirmed out of our hug and started pulling me again. "Mama, let's go. It's almost time!"

I grabbed his hand that was tugging at my sleeve and carried him in my arms instead. "Alright, where exactly do you want to bring me?"

"To papa!" he said. "He's hurrying to return to your side ever since he heard the news!"

"Papa? News?"

"Mmm!" he nodded his head vigorously. "He is on his way to see you, he's very angry and very scared. He's worried about Mi-tan and Tou-tan but he's more worried about mama."

"Mi-tan is hurt?" I looked around to find the little girl he keeps mentioning but we were surrounded by nothingness. "Where is your sister?"

"Mi-tan said she'll stay in mama's tummy and leave it all to me; don't worry, she'll be fine. We'll both be fine, we believe in mama."

"I'm so confused…" I didn't mean for him to hear these words but it appears that he's got sharp ears.

"Mama, everything will be cleared up if you return to papa so let's go!" he pointed at a dim light. "That's where papa is, he's waiting for you there!"

"Alright," I answered helplessly before walking towards the light. The closer I got to it, the brighter it became.

"Hurry, mama! Hurry!" Tou-tan said impatiently.

"Yes, yes… I'm hurrying!" I was jogging towards it now. When we reached the light, I realized that it was a simple lamppost. "There's no one there."

Tou-tan wriggled in my arms until I set him down. As soon as his shoes touched the ground, he cupped my face before speaking seriously, "Mama, if you step into the light you will be reunited with papa. Please don't forget about me and Mi-tan again, we don't want to disappear in this world."

"O-okay," I replied, not knowing what else to say.

"Promise us, mama! We're only strong if you're strong," he said mysteriously. "But if you give up and choose not to fight for us, then we will cease to exist."

"I promise," I heard myself say.

"Yay!" he squealed and hugged me again. "We love you, mama! We can't wait to be with you and papa for good!"

I was going to react and say something but the little boy all of a sudden pushed me, causing me to lose balance and fall on my b.u.m into the light.

~~~

"Touya!" I gasped, my arm outstretched as if trying to grab someone or something.

"Hina?" a familiar voice called me. "You're awake! Thank heavens you're awake!"

"Kaname…" seeing that it was him, I tried to get up but I was instantly gripped with an overwhelming pain. "Argh! It hurts…"

"Lady Hinata, don't make any sudden moves," it was the estate's head physician. He pushed me back to a half-lying half-sitting position gently. Two of his female a.s.sistants were wiping the sweat on my forehead and rubbing my back respectively.

Aside from them and Kaname, Ryuko-san and the 'witch twins' were in the room. A quick scan told me that I was in my quarters in the ooku.

"Did I have a miscarriage?" I asked frantically and checked my lower half, my legs were clean and my b.u.mp was still there but I was feeling an intense pulling down pressure on my pelvic area.

A very pale looking Kaname grabbed my hand and looked at the doctor, "Just what is happening? Explain it to me!"

"The third wife is having preterm labor, my lord. The stress she was subjected to earlier had triggered the contractions she is currently having," he replied. "She is in her sixth month of pregnancy, the babies have developed enough to be able to resist being miscarried."

"But what about the blood?" Kaname asked, unconvinced. "Are you playing me for a fool?"

"My lord, I would never dare," the physician said with a quick nervous bow. He then took a cup from Nanami and told me to drink a concoction that almost made me throw up. "Please finish it, my lady. It will stop the bleeding."

Upon hearing that I was still bleeding, I did my best to finish the medicine with some difficulty.

"You can do it, my love. Just a little more," Kaname was murmuring words of encouragement to me the whole time. "What are the chances of my children surviving if she goes on to having them?" he asked after making sure that my cup was empty. Although he tried to mask it, the fear he felt was still reflected in his question.

"My lord, the chances are very low," the old man replied. "If she were in her seventh month, I would have found a way to ensure their survival but their lungs are not ripe enough to breathe the air outside Lady Hinata's womb."

"Ahh!" I gasped, I felt like I was having menstrual cramps that were ten times worse!

"Do something!" Kaname yelled. His eyes were alight with fear, anger, and anxiety. "Don't just stand there like an idiot!"

Seeing how agitated he was, the physician and his two a.s.sistants sprung into action. His reactions appeared to be much more effective than my obvious agony. My maids just looked on with helpless expressions on their faces.

"Lady Hinata, I need you to calm down and take several deep breaths," the physician said.

I took several mouthfuls of air and tried to normalize my breathing. "I can't have them yet, anata. I made a promise," I squeezed his hand with all my strength as another painful cramp engulfed me.

Kaname winced but didn't complain, he wiped my brow with his free hand and just let me do my thing. "Is there any other way to stop this? She's in pain, d.a.m.n it!" he lashed out at the old man.

"My lord, I—"

"I can't have my babies yet, it's not yet time," I pleaded at the doctor. I was drenched in sweat and weakening but I felt like if I continued to fight, I'd overcome this. "Please… Save my babies…"

"I did not bring you here to make her beg you, Hinoha.r.s.ensei!" there was blatant warning in Kaname's voice. "Treat her now and save my children or I will annihilate your entire clan!"

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I took inspiration from a friend who almost went to preterm labor while writing this and the previous chapter. She said she was in so much pain that she forgot the basics of child development and thought that she was having a miscarriage during her last trimester.