My Boy. | iwaoi fanfic 🍋💗

Chapter I: Two Births

The year was 1994 when Ligaya Iwaizumi went into labor for the 5th time in her life. With sweat tickling down every crease possible and her hospital gown sticking to her peachy skin, Ligaya scolded herself for not having planned this properly. One would assume that a mother of four was capable of aiming at a winter month regarding her due date. Especially when said mother lived in Japan. But of course not. So godforsaken June 10th it was, amidst a heatwave.

This had to be the universe punishing her for ... whatever demon must have ridden her 9 months ago.
After a stale dinner and an even staler dessert, she had tried to save the night with a few -more than a few- gulps of sake. What should have been a happy, heart warming reunion with her husband, had turned into unsubstantial chit chat about his latest business trip to god knows where and god knows with who.
Ligaya's state of mind? Her sentiments towards his constant absence? Her being left alone with the children?
No, those weren't the questions her husband imposed, because they didn't concern the ever so important matter of money.
Why had she even been surprised that night? Obviously the flame that had once burned oh so brightly between them had long been extinguished due to the change of circumstances. They both had begun prioritizing differently, eventually drifting apart like birds in the morning breeze. One bird wanted to go to heights unknown while the other one cared solely for the nest they had built.
To be clear, her husband had always supported Ligaya and the kids financially, no doubt. It was everything else that was lacking.
But that night, Ligaya, frustrated for trying, for being the only one fighting, had pulled out the sake and her husband had gladly joined in. His talking had become slurred as the bottle had passed between them.

We all know that intoxication may make you feel some type of way, distort reality, even if the reality is your husband with whom you have fallen out of love. So that night, Ligaya had loved him one last time. Albeit under the veil of sake.

„You got this, Li", Taka said as her warm brown eyes met Ligaya's, „you've done this four times already. Stay strong."
Ligaya could not help but smile. Her best friend since high school, Taka Oikawa, did not give out speech of encouragement easily. This meant something. This meant more than anything her husband could have said, if he were here.
The first two births he halfheartedly had attended, if Ligaya's memory did not fail her. After the third child it had always been Taka at her side, holding her hand. Being there for her while checking on Li's kids in the playroom of the hospital.
Even now, Taka was here with her, despite Taka's own swollen belly, ready to spring in maybe less than a month.

In all honesty, Taka being pregnant at the same time had given Li some sort of consolidation after the regretful night. Because that night Ligaya had not only loved her husband for the last time, she had also seen her husband for the last time.

Long before dawn of the 20th of July, Taka had called Li to look after her daughter Toshiko, since she was going into labor. Roughly a month later than Li, as prospected.
Taka's husband was a good man. He accompanied Taka in the hospital and met her every need. Taka, an angel incarnated in Li's eyes, deserved nothing less of a loving spouse. Ligaya never once envied her best friend. How could she.

Shortly after her marriage Taka had asked Li if it were okay to live in the same neighborhood. Without thinking twice Li had agreed. Therefore it came to be that the Oikawa family did not only set up their nest in the same area, but on the same street. Only a polished road between her and her best friend. A dream come true! Li would not want it any other way.

That afternoon when Ligaya prepared a cold chocolate drink for Toshiko and the other four kids -Hajime had looked at the brown drink longingly, but was on breast milk obviously- Ligaya waited for the call. She waited and waited. Taka would let her know as soon as the baby was born. Then it was Li's mission to bring Toshiko plus her own herd of children to meet the baby. The call came late that night and Taka must have been in labor for a straining amount of hours.