A Little Twist

Seventy-Three

Risa sees the time ticking and still no sign from Shu. Where are you? You never take this long to get home. I know you even teleport straight from the car to see Daiki. Anxious, she walks around to calm herself.

'I can hear you pace, Risa.' Kanato pops up in her room and scares her in the process.

'Please, don't just teleport.' She holds a hand on her heart. 'Have you seen Shu?'

He shakes no. 'Maybe he just left.'

'He wouldn't do that.' She turns at him.

'Are you sure? Perhaps he got cold feet and decided to disappear. Why else would he leave?' He shrugs holding Teddy. 'He figured out that if something happened to you, he would be a single father. He's not ready for that.'

She doesn't want to listen anymore. I refuse to believe it. You can't, Shu, please. I thought you loved Daiki. Was I wrong? 'No, you're wrong.' She starts getting doubts. Was it all but an illusion?

'Are you forgetting that it was a game of our father? Get a family, and we can leave this place,' continues Kanato. He listens but hears nothing. 'Laito, Ayato, Shu, and I raped you, and you're not offended by it anymore? Only to find out later that Shu gave you the morning-after pill every time. He took you away for some time and sometime later, you came back and most likely pregnant from Shu.'

She hears a noise coming from Daiki. 'Kanato, please, you'll wake up Daiki.'

'I don't care. You seem to have forgotten a lot. It was our father's condition. I'm not proud of it, but I would do it again if it means I can get away from that guy. If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't have Daiki. In fact, you might have not ended up here in the first place. Shu must have realized he's not ready and left. Just stop pacing back and forth, there is nothing you can do to make him change his mind. He left so just accept it!'

No, impossible! We talked about the letter, check, and plane ticket I received. It can't be. She hears her son and takes him out of the crib. 'Why did you yell like that? Was it your intention to wake Daiki up?'

'Wake up, Risa. He figured out he made a mistake and left. Why else would he be gone?' Kanato knows he said enough and disappears into his room.

✽✽✽

He figured out that if something happened to you, he would be a single father. He's not ready for that. Wake up, Risa. He figured out he made a mistake and left. Why else would he be gone? Risa remembers the words Kanato uttered. 'It can't be.' She sobs and looks at the sky. Where she has seen the sunrise and now the sunset. Even Daiki couldn't make a single sound or she picked him up. 'Why leave now? It doesn't make sense.' I thought you always came straight home to see your son. To spend time together. Am I really not picking up the signs? Did he have enough? Is it not what he expected? Riddled, she sits in the window sill to look outside. Where clouds are gathered and have a dark color. She folds her fingers together and sees the first raindrop on the window. Just like how I feel. How could I be so wrong? He's a vampire and I'm human. Even my son is human because he has a heartbeat. Maybe I need to leave with Daiki? This is Shu's house after all. How could this possibly work out? I guess the check and plane ticket is quite useful for us two. Her eyes go to the baby in the crib. Why and how could I be fooled so easily? If it was just an act, he should have told me. I can leave with my son. Heck, he could help me get out, and he would never see us again. But then... what do I tell Daiki when he's old enough? Sorry, your father wasn't ready. I don't think I can do this alone. Shu, what are you doing to me!

'Risa?' Reiji hears her cry and doesn't hesitate to teleport inside her room.

She lifts her head while fully aware the tears are running down her face. 'Is it too much for him, Reiji? Did he leave because of me and Daiki? Am I not enough?'