Chapter 26: Meeting The Family “Who is that girl, and why is she having breakfast with your boyfriend?” Pilar demanded to know the moment Yume sat down at the table next to Elizaveta. She was turned around her chair, quite blatantly staring at Mikhail and Ekaterina, who were sitting alone at a table in the back of the cafeteria. Yume rolled her eyes. “Good morning to you, too, Pilar.” “Yeah, yeah, buenos dias, whatever. Now, tell us what’s going on. Did you two break up?” “No, that’s his sister, Ekaterina,” Yume said, glancing over at their table. She’d briefly thought about joining them, but thought it would be rude without being invited over first. “She’s visiting him for the next couple of weeks.” Pilar turned back around. “So you’ve met her? What’s she like?” She shrugged, pouring milk into her bowl of cereal. “She seems nice enough, I guess. We only talked for a couple of minutes last night, though. I don‘t really know her.” “Is she a skater, too?” Clarissa asked. “A ballerina. Misha told me she attends a school connected to the Bolshoi Ballet.” Elizaveta, who until then had seemed only vaguely interested in the topic of conversation, perked up at the mention of the Bolshoi and leaned to the side so she could get a better look at Ekaterina over Clarissa‘s shoulder. “Wow, talented siblings,” Clarissa said, impressed. “An Olympic gold medalist and a world- class dancer…” “She’s really training at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy?” Elizaveta asked in an awed voice. She practically had stars sparkling in her eyes. Pilar laughed. “Looks like our little Liza has a girl crush,” she teased, causing Elizaveta to blush. “I just think she must be a really wonderful dancer,” Elizaveta said. “Some of the most incredible ballerinas in the world have graduated from the school: Maya Plisetskaya, Natalia Bessmertnova, Anastasia Nabokina…” “Okay, we get the point. She‘s amazing.” “Yume, will you introduce me sometime? I’d love to meet her.” “Um, sure,” Yume said. “If I get the chance.” The chance came sooner than Yume expected. When they arrived at the rink for morning practice, Mikhail was already warming up on the ice, his sister watching him at the boards. “I thought Coach Wong didn’t allow spectators at rehearsals,” Pilar said upon seeing Ekaterina. “She nearly threw a fit when you invited Hiromasa to watch us.” “She must have gotten per--” “Oh, hi, Yume!” Ekaterina, spotting them, waved enthusiastically and walked over to join them at the bleachers, where they had sat down to change into their skates. “I’m so excited to see you and Misha finally skate together. Is it really true you can do the triple axel?” “Yes, but --” “How wonderful! I can’t wait to see it.” Sitting beside her on the bench, Yume felt Elizaveta tugging on her sweatshirt, reminding her of her promise. “Uh, Katia, I’d like you to meet some of my friends: Pilar, Clarissa, and Elizaveta,” Yume said, introducing them. The moment she mentioned Elizaveta’s name, the blonde jumped up from her seat and offered her hand to Ekaterina, causing Pilar and Clarissa to hide their giggles behind their hands. “They’re skaters in the show. Elizaveta is also a ballet dancer.” “It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Ekaterina said, graciously shaking Elizaveta’s hand. Elizaveta looked as if she was about to faint from excitement, but managed to remain upright. “Um, Yume mentioned that you study at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy.” “Yes, I do. The school is on break at the moment, though, so I decided to come visit Misha.” “That must be incredible! What is it like dancing there? Out of the corner of her eye, Yume saw Mikhail motioning for her to join him for their warm- up, so she excused herself from the group and stepped onto the ice. “She seems to be making friends,” he remarked, looking pleased. “Yeah, I guess,” Yume said as the two of them began stroking around the ice, hand-in-hand. “So have you talked to Sergei yet about taking her out tonight?” “Not yet. I haven’t had a chance.” She frowned. “You still plan to come to dinner, right? I already told Sora you would.” “Don’t worry. I’ll be there.” ***** Ekaterina was practically Mikhail’s shadow. Wherever he was, she was sure to be never too far behind. Yume thought she would finally get some alone time with him when it was time for them to go to the Cape Mary Skating Center for their Lovers’ Maneuver training, but when they met up after lunch, Ekaterina again tagged along. “So, what exactly is this Lovers’ Maneuver?” Ekaterina asked as the three of them walked to the rink. “Some kind of jump?” “We don’t know,” Mikhail admitted. “We haven’t been told yet.” “Then how can you train for it?” He shrugged his shoulders. “We just do whatever we’re told.” “It’s really not that interesting,” Yume said, hoping she might take a hint and find something else to do. She liked Ekaterina well enough, but did she really have to keep following Mikhail around like an excited puppy? “It’ll probably be boring to watch.” “Oh, I don’t mind! I’m very curious about this training you’ve been doing.” Yume let out a discreet sigh as Ekaterina turned her attention back to her brother. At least she wouldn’t be coming with them to dinner at Sora’s. Besides, it wasn’t as if she would be able to see Mikhail while they were training anyway. “I’ll see you two later,” Yume said when they finally arrived at the rink, leaving them to go meet with Merle in one of the practice rooms. As usual, Mikhail would be training separately on the ice with Sam. “Wait!” She glanced back over her shoulder. Much to her surprise, Ekaterina was jogging to catch up with her. “Mind if I watch your session, Yume?” she asked. “Um, I guess not,” Yume said, confused, “but wouldn’t you rather watch Misha?” “I’m more interested in you at the moment. We haven’t had much time to really talk, after all. I’d like to get to know you better. You seem different from the girls my brother has dated before.” “Like Tatiana Pekrovskaya?” Ekaterina pursed her lips into a thin line, and her ice blue eyes seemed to blaze with barely concealed hatred at the mention of Tatiana’s name. “That girl broke Misha’s heart,” she said. “He was completely devoted to her. He was even thinking of proposing to her at the Olympics, but then she –“ Yume stopped in her tracks, feeling as if she had just been punched in the gut. She knew that Mikhail and Tatiana’s relationship had been serious, but she never realized it was that serious. “He wanted to marry her?” “Oh, dear, I probably shouldn’t have mentioned that…” “N-No, it’s okay,” Yume said, waving her hands in front of herself as she resumed walking. “I was just a little shocked, that’s all. He must have really loved her…” “I suppose, although I’m glad they broke up. To be honest, I never really liked Tatiana, even before she cheated on Misha,” Ekaterina admitted. “She wasn’t good enough for him. My brother deserves to be with somebody special, someone who can be his true partner in every way. I won’t let him settle for less than the best.” Yume frowned. Was it just her imagination, or did that last part sound like a threat? There was nothing overly malicious in the tone of her voice, but Yume definitely got the feeling that Ekaterina was implying that she might not be a good enough partner for Mikhail either. Shaking her head, she pushed the thought away and opened the door to the practice room where Merle was waiting. Even if Ekaterina had doubts about her, the only person whose opinion really mattered was Mikhail’s. “Ah, Yume, let’s --” Turning around, Merle spotted Ekaterina entering the room with Yume. “Well, this is unusual. A friend of yours?” “This is Ekaterina, Mikhail’s sister,” Yume said. “Is it okay if she stays? She wants to watch me train.” “Well, I suppose it’s alright as long as she promises not to say anything about what we’re doing to her brother,” Merle said after a short pause. “Now that we’ve begun the second phase of training, it’s more important than ever that he be kept in the dark.” Yume’s training had progressed from doing sit-ups to something that seemed a bit more like the things Sora had to do before she could perform the Legendary and Angel’s Maneuvers, although she hadn’t lied when she told Ekaterina it would be boring to watch. Merle buckled her into the harness, then hoisted her until she was about ten feet off the ground. From there, Yume had to hold her body parallel to the floor for ten minutes without letting the harness sway -- a feat that was much more difficult than it looked. To make it even harder, Merle would occasionally raise or lower her without warning, still wanting Yume to keep her position. If she let a leg or an arm drop even a fraction of an inch, she would have to start over again. “Remember to keep pointing your toes,” Merle said at the midway point of her first attempt. “Maintain and hold a beautiful form, even when all your body wants to do is give up. You want it to look effortless, as if you’re floating on air.” Easier said than done, Yume thought. She slowly turned her head to the side, careful to keep the rest of her body perfectly aligned, and caught sight of Ekaterina, who was staring up at her, frowning. “Why is it so important that Misha not know what Yume is doing?” Ekaterina asked. “This training is so strange. Shouldn’t they be practicing together?” “It’s much too dangerous,” Merle said, pulling on the harness to raise Yume higher. Distracted by the conversation, however, Yume was unprepared for the sudden lift and broke her position. Merle shook her head and lowered Yume back to the ground, allowing her a short break. Ekaterina grabbed Yume’s water bottle and brought it over to her. “Thanks,” Yume said, taking a large swig. “Sorry, you’re probably bored out of your mind watching me just hanging from a harness. I told you it wasn’t very exciting.” “No, I can tell you’re trying your hardest, Yume. It isn’t easy to stay in the same position like that, especially in the air. But I still don’t understand. What did she mean by ‘dangerous’?” “A lot of skating maneuvers are dangerous. I had a bad fall just a few weeks ago that gave me a concussion.” Ekaterina‘s eyes widened. “Misha dropped you?” “Oh, no, not exactly. It was more my fault than his. I messed up on a landing and crashed into the boards.” “Well, I know that skating isn’t exactly the safest sport, especially pairs skating,” Ekaterina said, “but if this is a maneuver you and Misha are going to perform together, shouldn’t you be practicing it together? You don’t even know what kind of maneuver it is. Why are you doing this? Is it really worth taking such huge risk?” Yume didn’t get the chance to answer, for Merle called out that her break was over. “It’ll be fine, Katia,” she said, handing the water bottle back to Ekaterina. “In the end, I’m sure it’ll be worth it.” ***** Dinner at Sora’s was supposed to be a casual affair, but Yume still wanted to look nice. After going through her closet and modeling several outfits for Fool -- who, of course, was far more interested in what was under the clothes -- she decided on a white skirt, a floral-printed sleeveless blouse, and the gold Louboutin sandals she had worn the night of Clarissa’s birthday celebration. She had just finished brushing her hair when Mikhail arrived to pick her up. “Wow, you look amazing,” he said when she opened the door. “Thanks.” Flustered, she brushed her hair behind her ear. “So do you.” Mikhail had obviously taken care with his appearance as well, wanting to make a good impression. His blond hair was neatly combed back, and he wore a pair of black slacks with a buttoned-down shirt, tucked in. “I wasn’t sure if I should wear a tie or not,” he admitted, fiddling with the collar. “I can go back to my room and grab one if you think I need to.” “No, it’s just a family dinner, nothing fancy. Actually…” Yume reached up and unbuttoned the top of his shirt, surprised when he let out a soft gasp. It was only then that she realized how intimate a gesture it was and blushed, quickly moving her hands back to her side. “Uh, that’s better.” “Thanks,” he said softly, staring down at her. They stayed like that for several moments until Fool, who Yume had forgotten was still there, cleared his throat and asked, “Are you two lovebirds just going to stand there, making googly-eyes at each other all night?” “No, of course not,” she said, regaining her composure. “Are you ready to go, Misha?” “I’m ready if you are.” Yume exited her dorm, Fool remaining inside, waving good-bye to them. “You two kids have fun.” She turned back around. “You’re not coming with us?” She’d assumed he would tag along to see Sora. “No, not this time. Sometimes it’s nice to have an evening all to yourself.” Yume cocked an eyebrow, somehow not believing him. “Really?” “Y-Yes, really.” Beside her, Mikhail took her arm. “Come on, Yume. If he wants to stay, let him be.” “But aren’t you worried about your sister?” she asked, glancing over at him. If she knew Fool -- and she knew him pretty well by this point -- he wouldn’t hesitate to use the opportunity to spy on poor, unsuspecting Ekaterina. “Katia and Sergei already left for the movies. They won’t be back until late.” “Wait, you mean she --” Yume rolled her eyes and shut the door in Fool’s face. “Goodbye, Fool,” she called out, ignoring his pleas to take him with them. Mikhail frowned as they headed downstairs. “I’m sorry for forcing him to stay with you again. It’s just that Katia can’t see him, so I thought --” She shook her head, cutting him off. “It’s okay. I can deal with Fool,” she said. “So, Katia didn’t mind you setting her up with Sergei for the night?” “Well, she wasn’t exactly thrilled, but she’ll live. I told him to take her to the new Ryan Gosling movie. That’ll make her happy.” Smirking, he added, “And Sergei, too, I‘ll bet.” “You two are close, aren’t you?” she asked. “You and Katia?” Mikhail shrugged his shoulders. “After our father left, Mother was always working, so I was responsible for Katia when she wasn’t home.” He let out a chuckle. “I remember, she used to follow me around all the time when she was little, like a baby duck trailing after her mother. It annoyed me sometimes, but she was just a lonely little kid, looking for attention. We both were, I guess.” Yume thought back to the conversation they had on the beach the night of Clarissa’s birthday. “Is that why you became a skater?” “Yeah. I thought if I became a famous skater one day, my father would come back and we could be a happy family again.” After a brief pause, he added, “You know, I don’t think I ever admitted that to anybody before.” “Not even Tatiana?” she asked, surprised. Considering what she had learned earlier that day from Ekaterina, she would have expected him to at least have told the person he was planning to spend the rest of his life with. He shook his head. “No, it was my secret dream. I was afraid if I told somebody, it wouldn’t come true.” “Then why are you telling me now?” “Because it doesn’t matter.” His voice turned bitter, and he clenched his hand into a fist at his side. “I won the Olympic gold medal, yet my father didn’t even send a postcard to congratulate me. He’s completely forgotten about us. There’s no point in holding onto such a childish dream anymore.” “But --” “Besides, I have a new dream now,” he said, cutting off her protest. His hand relaxed and reached for hers, giving it a light squeeze. “What is it?” Smiling, he brought a finger to his lips and winked at her. “It’s a secret.” ***** They arrived at Sora and Ken’s house about ten minutes later. It was Ken who answered the door when Yume pushed the doorbell. “Hey, you’re right on time. Come in. Welcome,” he said, ushering them inside. “Sora and Hana are in the living room, so make yourselves at home. Sorry, but I need to check on something in the kitchen. Dinner should be ready in a couple of minutes.” Ken headed back to the kitchen, leaving Yume to show Mikhail to the living room. There, they found Sora sitting on the couch, rubbing her swollen belly. Hana was laying on the floor, watching a cartoon on TV, but ran over to greet them when they entered the room. “Aunt Yume, you’re here!” Hana shouted, giving her a big hug. Noticing Mikhail, she asked, “Is he your boyfriend?” Yume smiled. “Yes, this is Mikhail.” “And what is your name?” Mikhail asked, bending down so he was eye level with Hana. “Hana,” she answered shyly, twisting side to side. “It’s Japanese for ‘flower’.” “It’s nice to meet you, Hana. That’s a very pretty name.” “Thank you.” “I’m glad you two could make it,” Sora said from her position on the couch. “Sorry, I would stand up, but it’s getting hard to move around lately…” “That’s okay,” Yume said. They walked over to the couch. “I don’t think you two have officially met, have you? Sora, I’d like you to meet Mikhail Vladimirov.” Mikhail shook the hand Sora offered. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Robbins. I’ve heard a lot about you.” “Please, no need to be so formal, Mikhail. Call me Sora. It’s nice to meet you, too,” Sora said, just as Ken rejoined them. “Dinner is served,” he announced. After Ken helped Sora up from the couch, they all headed to the dining room. Even though Sora said the dinner wasn’t going to be anything fancy, it was clear that they had put some effort into making everything look nice. The tablecloth was freshly laundered and pressed, and a fresh bouquet of lilies sat in the middle, serving as a centerpiece. “Mmm, everything smells delicious!” Yume said, sitting down beside Mikhail. “I tried my best,” Ken said. “I hope you like steak and potatoes, Mikhail.” “Yes, sir, very much. Thank you,” Mikhail said, taking a healthy helping of mashed potatoes from the bowl Sora handed him. “I hope you didn’t go through too much trouble on my account, though.” “Not at all. Hana helped me, didn’t you?” Across the table, Hana, who still seemed a little shy around Mikhail, nodded and bowed her head. “Yes, she was a big help today,” Sora agreed. “Especially since -- Oh!” A mildly pained looked flashed across her face, and she placed a hand on her stomach, alarming Yume. “Sora?” “It’s fine,” Sora said, holding up a hand. “I’m just having a contraction. They started a few hours ago.” That didn’t reassure Yume in the least. “The baby’s coming?” she asked, standing up. “Shouldn’t you be at the hospital then?” She couldn’t believe how calm Sora seemed about the whole thing. Her sister chuckled, motioning for her to sit back down. “There’s no reason to panic, Yume. It’s probably just a case of Braxton-Hicks. I went through them when I was pregnant with Hana. We already called the doctor, and he said I didn‘t need to come in until the contractions were about five minutes apart or my water broke.” “If you say so…” Yume said. “I do. So, how is training going for the Lovers’ Maneuver? Do you think you‘ll be ready to perform it on opening day?” Yume let Mikhail answer, still watching Sora. She seemed perfectly fine, cheerfully chatting with Mikhail about their training, the Olympics, and his life back in Russia, but every once in a while, Yume caught Sora wincing in pain. Ken noticed it as well, and looked down at his wristwatch each time, keeping close track of how close the contractions were becoming. “You’re very quiet tonight, Yume, and you‘ve barely eaten a thing,” Sora commented near the end of dinner. “Are you not feeling well?” Yume waved her hands in front of herself. “N-No, I’m fine!” she said. To prove it, she took a large bite of her half-eaten steak. “Ken, this really is one of the best steaks I’ve ever eaten.” “I agree,” Mikhail said, setting down his silverware and wiping his mouth on a napkin. His plate was completely empty. “Thank you for such a wonderful dinner.” “Well, it’s not over yet,” Sora announced, struggling to stand up from her chair despite Ken‘s protests that he would serve the dessert. “Hana and I made a yummy chocolate pud-- OW!” Gripping the back of her chair, she hunched forward, no longer able to hide how much pain she was in. Ken immediately jumped up and again checked his watch. “That’s about five minutes since the last one, Sora,” he said. “I think it’s time to go to the hospital.” Sora nodded, moving to lean against her husband. “I think so, too,” she agreed through gritted teeth. Hana’s eyes went wide, terrified to see her mother in such agony. “Is Mama having the baby?” “It looks like it, sweetie.” Turning to Yume, Ken asked, “Will you go upstairs to our room and grab the suitcase? It should be right beside the door.” “Sure.” Yume ran upstairs as fast as she could, glad to be given something productive to do. The suitcase was exactly where Ken said it would be, already packed and ready to go. She grabbed it and headed back. Ken and Sora were already at the front door, apologizing to Mikhail. Hana stood nearby, wiping away a few tears on her sleeve. “I’m so sorry about all this, Mikhail,” Sora said. She was talking normally again, her contraction passed. “This isn’t exactly what we had in mind when we invited you to dinner.” “It’s fine, Mrs. Robbins.” “For the last time, I thought I told you to call me Sora,” she teased, causing Mikhail to lightly blush at his mistake, which he had been making all evening. “Oh, right, I forgot. Sorry...Sora.” Joining them, Yume handed the suitcase to Ken. “Is there anything else you need?” “Actually…would you mind staying here with Hana?” Sora asked, motioning for her to come over. “We’d take her with us, but it’s getting close to her bedtime. I don’t want her to spend the night at the hospital.” “Sure, no problem. I can stay all night if I need to.” “Thanks, we appreciate it.” “I’ll call when there’s news to report,” Ken said, bending down to talk to Hana. “Now, you be good for Aunt Yume, okay? Don’t give her any trouble.” “I-I won’t,” Hana promised. No longer crying, she put on a brave face. “I’ll be a good big sister.” Ken gave her a hug. “I know you will.” After they finished saying their goodbyes, Ken helped Sora into the car and drove off for the hospital, Yume and Hana watching it until it was out of sight. “Mama and the baby are going to be okay, right?” Hana asked in a soft voice as Yume led her back inside. “Of course,” she said cheerfully, hoping it wasn‘t a lie. “Now, how about some of that chocolate pudding you and Mama made?” ***** After dessert, Yume put Hana to bed, which was no easy task. Her worry had turned into excitement when Ken called shortly after eight to inform them that Sora had been checked into the hospital and everything was going smoothly so far. Hana even got the chance to talk to Sora for a couple of minutes and was glad to hear that her mother was no longer in pain thanks to the “magic medicine” the doctors gave her. In the end, to get Hana to go to sleep, Yume had to promise to wake her back up the second Ken called back with news that the baby had been born. Heading back downstairs, Yume was surprised to see the dining room table had already been cleared away. She went to the kitchen and found Mikhail at the sink, washing the dishes. “Is she sleeping?” he asked, looking up when she came in. “Yeah, finally… You’re doing the dishes?” He shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.” “But you’re a guest!” she protested. “You shouldn’t have to clean up.” “I wanted to.” After drying his hands with a towel, he walked over to her and looped his arms around Yume’s waist. “After all, the faster the dishes were done, the sooner I could have you to myself.” “O-Oh, really?” Her cheeks went flush. “And what exactly did you have in mind?” Instead of answering her, Mikhail turned Yume around to face him and kissed her softly on the lips. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night,” he admitted, caressing her cheek. “I have, too,” she said with a smile, remembering the previous night and longing to pick up where they had left off before Ekaterina’s unexpected arrival. He must have read her mind, for Mikhail kissed her yet again, more passionately than before. Yume melted into his embrace, her mind going blank. Her body was no longer under her control. She unconsciously led him back to the living room and pushed him down on the couch, straddling his lap. He seemed a bit surprised by her aggressiveness, but didn’t object to it, his hands moving to rest on her hips as they continued to kiss. “Misha…” she murmured when his lips left hers, traveling across her jaw line. Yume gasped as he flicked his tongue over a particularly sensitive area, just behind her earlobe. She heard him whisper a question to her in Russian, but though she couldn’t understand the words, there was no mistaking the desire behind them. She nodded, giving him permission, and he rolled her over onto her back, settling between her legs. The couch was not very comfortable, but Yume’s brain barely registered the pain, consumed only with thoughts of Mikhail. Her fingers struggled with the tiny buttons of his shirt as he ran his hand up one of her legs. When she finally got to the last one, she placed a palm against his bare chest, surprised to feel his heart beating just as fast as hers, perhaps even more so. She looked up at him, and he lightly caressed her cheek. “Yume,” he began, “I lo--” But before he could finish, a girlish voice began singing, “Aunt Yume and Mikhail, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then --” The two of them quickly broke apart, Yume yanking down her skirt and smoothing her hair into some semblance of order as she stood up from the couch. “Hana, why aren’t you in bed?” she demanded, hoping she didn’t sound as flustered as she felt. “I’m too excited to sleep,” the little girl said, bouncing on the balls of her feet from her spot behind the couch. “Did Mama have the baby yet?” “Your dad hasn’t called back yet. It’ll probably be a while.” “Like how long?” “Maybe not until morning,” Yume said, gently leading her back in the direction of the stairs, “so good big sisters should go to bed and get some sleep.” “Aw, do I hafta, Aunt Yume?” “Yes, now scoot. I’ll be up there in a few minutes to check on you.” Hana let out a loud sigh and began trudging up the staircase. “Fine…” Once her niece had disappeared from sight and Yume heard the door to her bedroom shut behind her, she turned back around to face Mikhail, who had managed to rebutton his shirt and tuck it back into his pants. “I’m so sorry about that, Misha. I thought she was asleep.” “It’s fine.” He stood back up. “I should probably be leaving, anyway.” “So soon?” She had been hoping that after she got Hana back to sleep, they could resume where they had left off. “You don’t have to…” “When your sister asked you to stay and baby-sit, I doubt she meant it to be a two-person job,” he pointed out. “Besides, Katia will be home soon, and I’d rather not leave her alone in the dorm with that perverted spirit on the loose.” “I suppose you’re right,” she said, reluctantly walking him to the door. Outside on the doorstep, Mikhail kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Thank your sister and brother-in-law for inviting me tonight. I enjoyed meeting them.” “I think they liked you, too.” “I hope so. So, see you tomorrow?” “I might be a little late, depending on how long I have to watch Hana, but I’ll try to be there as soon as I can.” After he left, Yume headed back upstairs to check on Hana. Her niece was sitting up in bed, playing with one of her baby dolls. “I hope the baby is a girl,” she announced, looking up when Yume entered the room. Sora and Ken had decided not to learn the sex of the baby beforehand, wanting it to be a surprise. “I want to play dress-up with her and have tea parties with all our stuffed animals.” “What are you going to do if it’s a boy?” Yume asked, taking a seat on the edge of the mattress. Giving it a moment of thought, Hana grinned. “I’ll still play dress-up with him and throw tea parties for our toys.” Yume giggled, taking the doll from her hands and setting it on top of the toy chest at the foot of the bed. “Well, it’ll be a couple of years before he or she is big enough for you to play with,” she reminded her as Hana obediently crawled underneath her covers, allowing Yume to tuck her back in. “A real baby isn’t like one of your dolls.” “Yeah, that’s what Mama says, too,” Hana said. “Hey, Aunt Yume, are you and Mikhail gonna get married and have a baby?” “W-What?” Her cheeks went flush. “We’ve only been dating for a few weeks. I think it’s a little too soon to be thinking about marriage and babies.” “But you love him, don‘t you?” “Love?” She thought back to what Mikhail was about to say before Hana’s interruption. Was that what she felt toward Mikhail? She certainly cared a lot about him, and she liked being with him, but… “Papa says people kiss to show their love. Since you kissed Mikhail, that means you love him, and people who love each other get married and have babies, right? Just like the song?” “It’s a little more complicated than that, Hana.” “How?” “You’ll understand when you’re older.” Hana’s bottom lip curled into a pout, and she crossed her arms over her chest. “I hate it when grown-ups say that. I’m not a little kid anymore; I’m a big girl!” Yume couldn’t resist laughing at her niece. “Yes, yes, I know, you’re a big girl,” she said, affectionately petting the top of Hana’s blonde head as she stood back up. “Just not quite big enough, I‘m afraid.” “Then when will I be big enough?” “Hmm, when you’re about this tall?” Yume held her hand up to around her shoulders, indicating roughly about five feet, give or take a few inches. Hana, who was just a few inches over three feet, glared at the hand. “That’s no fair! It will take me forever to grow that tall.” “Sorry, that’s the rule!” she said. “Now, go back to sleep. I’ll wake you the moment I hear any news.” “Promise?” “Promise.” DISCLAIMER: Kaleido Star doesn't belong to me. AUTHOR’S NOTES: I’m really sorry for the delay. Again, I had a horrible case of writer’s block, so it took a while to finish this chapter. I’m not going to make any promises about when the next chapter will be posted, but I’m aiming for the end of August.