Words Like Water

Chapter 2

Tezuka straightened in his seat when well-recalled landmarks became visible to him as Oishi turned his car onto the street he had grown up on. The house he spent most of his life in came into view and Tezuka found himself becoming impatient for the drive to end as a sense of nostalgia gripped him.

Tezuka Ayana waved cheerily from the gate, her beauty not the least bit marred by the passage of years and her smile as sweet and loving as he had always remembered. Tezuka had the car door open before Oishi had fully stopped and was already in his mother’s arms before he knew it. He could feel her surprise at this unusual show of  unrestrained emotion, but he didn’t care, he hadn’t seen her in nearly three years. 

He breathed deeply of her familiar, comforting scent as he worked to get his wild emotions under control.

“Hello, Shuichirou-kun,” Ayana greeted, smiling warmly at Oishi, who stood awkwardly by the car, and ran a gentle hand over Tezuka’s head, “Kunimitsu, while I missed you too, I’m afraid your crushing your poor mother.”

Tezuka released his mother and belatedly bowed, “Sorry, I got carried away.”

Ayana laughed and gave Tezuka an affectionate slap on the cheek, “Silly boy, you don’t visit in three years and I’m  the one getting suffocated, when it should be the other way around. Now, you help Shuichirou-kun carry in the luggage and I’ll get my little granddaughter.”

Tezuka nodded and walked back to the car, he watched as his mother unstrapped Hana and cuddled her in her arms. Her fingers gently mapped the soft rounded features and the perfect cupid bow lips. She looked up, her smile softened by tears, “She’s beautiful, ‘Mitsu-kun, like you when you were a baby, except not as big. You were huge, with a big head.”

“Mo-ther!” Tezuka protested in embarrassment and blushed as he watched Oishi cough to cover a laugh. Oishi carried two bags of luggage into the house while Tezuka followed with the last bag, the backpack, the diaper bag and the carrier. Oishi smiled and declined the offer of refreshment and he left the Tezuka’s with a wave and a promise to come by after Tezuka was settled.

“I’ll call you and let you know the plans once Eiji has made them.” He said to Tezuka as he was walked to the door.

Tezuka nodded and watched his friend as he got into his car and drove away. He stood there a moment taking in the recognizable sounds and smells of his neighborhood before turning away and heading back into the family room.

“Where’s father?” He asked as he came into the room and stood leaning against the wall.

“That man,” His mother huffed and Tezuka took that to mean that he was working, “can’t stay home to welcome his only son.”

Ayana sat on a cushion on the floor, Hana lay on a blanket before her still sleeping. He shook his head and said, “Sure, now you sleep like the dead, kiddo.”

Ayana laughed quietly, her fingers stroking over the mop of curly, auburn hair crowning her granddaughter’s head, “She’s got Amy’s hair.”

Tezuka nodded, “She’s got her mother’s eyes and temper, too.”

Ayana took her eye’s off Hana and tuned her head to study her son. She patted the cushion beside her and motioned for Tezuka to come join her, and scolded gently, “Don’t linger in the doorway like a thief, I raised you better.”

A corner of his mouth raised in amusement as he came over and folded himself onto the floor next to her. Ayana turned and cupped his face between her hands, “How are you doing, Kunimitsu? And don’t tell me okay, I want the truth.”

“I am okay, Mom. It’s hard but I’m managing to take it day-by-day.” Tezuka answered, his eyes never wavering from his mother’s.

His mother searched his face, her finger’s gently stroking the small scar on his forehead that was hidden beneath a lock of hair, “Is this from the accident?”

Tezuka nodded and was swallowed up in his mother’s arms, “I was frightened for you. Your father was scared, too. You’re all right, I can see you and believe that now. You are home with family, we’ll take care of you.”

##

Tezuka sighed as he juggled the squirming infant, her diaper and the phone. He barely kept the impatience out of his voice as he spoke to his mother-in-law, ~~“Yes, Ann-san, we made it here fine… I’m sorry I didn’t call you right away, but it was the middle of the night there… No, we had no problems with Chinese customs because we’re in Japan.”~~

Tezuka rolled his eyes at his daughter and smiled as she squealed happily. He finally got the diaper on and held her in place with a hand on her tummy, while he turned to dispose of the trash.

~~“Ann-san, I’m sorry but I have to end the call now…it’s the middle of the night here now and I have to try and get Hana to sleep...yes, I will and I’ll call you later. Good-bye.”~~ Tezuka hung up the phone and laid it besides him as he wrestled his daughter into her onesies. When he finally got the last snap fastened he picked her up and buried his nose in her neck, “You’re grandmother is going to give me an aneurysm.”

Hana cooed and promptly stuck his chin in her mouth. Tezuka grimaced and wiped the drool from his chin, “Kiddo, this penchant of yours to stick anything you can get your hands on into your mouth is very worrisome, especially for your father.”  

Hana just stared up at him, drooling happily and blew spit bubbles. Tezuka laughed and carried her from his room and to the kitchen, where he set about preparing her bottle. He turned from the microwave and was startled to see his father, “Sorry, Father, did I wake you?”

Tezuka Kuniharu shook his head, “No, I couldn’t sleep so I came down to fix some warm milk.”

“Here, let me make it for you.” Tezuka offered and gestured for his father to take a seat at the table. He poured milk into a mug and set it into the microwave. While the milk was heating for his father, Tezuka gave his daughter her bottle.

Kuniharu laughed quietly as Tezuka raised a brow in question, “Seems like Hana-chan and I are both needing a midnight feeding.”

“Yes, but I refuse to give you a bottle.” Tezuka said with a chuckle and made a move to get up when the microwave dinged.

Kuniharu waved his son down, “You have your hands full, Kunimitsu. I can get this.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Tezuka said as he watched his daughter take her bottle. Her little fingers wrapped around the plastic in a death grip. Her grey-green eyes slanted suspiciously in her grandfather’s direction. “Hey, piggy-chan, ojiisan is not going to steal your dinner.”

“How’s the shoulder?”  Kuniharu asked, concern in his eyes.

“It’s healing, but the doctor’s still believe that it’s best if I retire.”

“Is that what you want? I’m sure a specialist here can recommend something.”

“I think retiring is the best thing for me. I’m sure a specialist can give me another year or two on the pro circuit but it’s not the right choice for me, not since I have Hana to raise.” Tezuka smiled down at his daughter, “I know that you and mom, and even Amy’s parents, would be willing to watch her, I want to raise her myself. Without Amy around, I don’t want her to ever feel unwanted.”

Kuniharu laid his hand against Tezuka’s back, “Never have I been prouder to call you my son.”

They sat in the kitchen in companionable silence watching Hana as she finished her bottle, her eyes slowly closed and her head lolled to the side. Tezuka removed the bottle and positioned her over his shoulder, he gently rubbed circles over her back until she let out loud milky burp and sighed in satiated happiness.

Kuniharu laughed as he recalled, “We used to have to shake you like a set of maracas to get you to burp. You gave us a beautiful grandbaby, Kunimitsu.”  

TBC…