Prelude to the Second Weltkrieg - Part 6: Japan

Part 2

Their home was a new one in a new neighbourhood on the growing northern end of Nagasaki. Kazuhrio's father-in-law had insisted on their living there after the wedding, and since he also offered to pay for it, Kazuhiro was in no position to disagree. The first thing Kazuhiro saw when he began racing down the last hill and into the neighbourhood, was his father-in-law's car parked on the street in front of his home.

The second thing he saw was another car he recognized. The doctor's car.

His breath – belaboured as it already was from the punishing ride home – nearly stopped entirely. Then he saw all the other bikes piled nearby, recognizing some of them as Masaki's siblings' and his own brother's. Was it good news? Bad? Would they have called everyone to the home if the baby was in trouble? Or was it to celebrate?

Kazuhiro didn't let himself have enough time to worry. He flew past the tangle of bicycles and deposited his own right outside the door. He barely had time to take off his boots as he barged through the foyer, rushing as quick as he could to the living room.

And there they were. Right on the tatami. His wife and daughter, both fast asleep, leaning against the wall and against each other, breathing peacefully.

Kazuhiro almost exploded into pure joy just as the room around him exploded in noise.

"Kaz!"

"The new father!"

"Son in law!"

The voices and noises and excitement around him were just background though, and he barely recognized any of the faces that suddenly appeared in front of him, congratulating him and offering him a drink or food. All he could see was Masaki and the tiny, wrinkled face of their baby in her arms. He made his way to her, numb to the rest of the world, until he stood over top of the two of them, looking back and forth between the two faces he loved more than anything else in the world.

A voice – could it be his father in law's? He'd never known the old man to care much for Kazuhiro's privacy – called out then: "Let's give the new family some room!" And the noise gradually faded away as dozens of feet shuffled and stamped and shouted their way out of the living space and into the other parts of the home.

Then it was just Masaki, Kazuhiro, and the baby...

"What's her name?" Kazuhiro asked.

"I thought we might decide that together," Masaki replied.

"Of course of course," Kazuhiro collapsed down onto the tatami mat next to them, still splitting his glances frantically between the two. He had no idea what to say or do, so Masaki did it for him. She took his hand and brought it to the baby's face. The tiny, fragile little girl wriggled as his sweaty finger brushed her cheek, then leaned against it and fell asleep once again.

"We talked about Hitomi for a girl," Kazuhiro offered.

"Maybe..." Masaki's voice declined the name outright.

"Noriko?"

Masaki simply scrunched her face.

"Kaoru?"

Masaki shook her head.

"What about—"

Before Kazuhiro could finish the thought Masaki reached out and squeezed his hand.

"I'd like to get to know her a bit first, if that's ok." She smiled.

Kazuhiro nodded. "Of course."

The two of them sat together and stared at the little child, silently enjoying this new life in their world.

"How was your day?" Masaki suddenly asked him. The same question she asked most days.

"February 3, 1937? The best day of my life."