Haruka tried desperately to get the twins to talk to her. So far Neko was simply hugging her cat and sucking her thumb, while Mi-chan was spellbound by the outside world that was racing past her as Haruka sped to the hospital.
"So, how was your guys' day?" she asked. This usually got a positive response from Tenshi who would blather on about her day forever. Just as she expected, Mi-chan looked up, with an excited answer. Haruka had to concentrate to keep up with the 2� year old's babble.
"We gotta use finger paints today and I made pictuwa of my new bwother 'cuz it be so exciting to have one. I awways wanted a bwother and today I get one. Oh, and we gotta have cookies with wunch. And naptime was short 'cuz we had a 'quake dwill and there was a awarm so we gotta duck 'n covaw and go outside instead of nap."
"It scarwy," Neko quietly volunteered.
"Nuh-uh. Den we gotta watch Sakuwa (Cardcaptor Sakura)."
Neko looked up and smiled. "I wike Sakuwa. She cool. But Yukito's my favorwite. He the onwy nice boy," she was slightly less timid, though still speaking pretty quietly.
"Yeah, but Wi (Li) has a sword. That neat. I want one."
Haruka smiled. Perhaps she had a future fencer in the car.
"Hawuka-sama, you Uwanus, ne?"
Haruka nodded, wondering where Mi-chan was going with this question.
"You have a sword, ne? Yeah, and go 'Space Sword Bwaster.'" She demonstrated with an imaginary sword on Neko, who squealed and hugged her cat more tightly.
Haruka grimaced. Well, at least they were more active than before�.
"Ne, Michiru-chan? Perhaps when you're older, I'll teach you to fence," she offered.
"Yay!"
Neko looked relieved that Mi-chan was no longer trying to "kill her." Haruka winked at her in the mirror. "You can learn too, Neko-chan."
But Neko just shook her head. Oh, well, Haruka had tried. Neko seemed determined to remain shy.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ryo was about to run back into the delivery room, when he spotted Haruka enter with his daughters.
"Papa!" they yelled together and ran over to hug him.
"Hey, girls. Arigatou, Haruka-sama, for picking them up."
"No problem. Where's everyone else?"
"Oh, they're in the waiting room at the end of the hall." As Haruka started in that direction, he stopped her. "Ano, Haruka-sama? I was wondering if you could do me just one more tiny favor?"
