I Thought I Lost You

Chapter 5

"Look papa!" Akari exclaims looking over at Haru.

"What is it?" Haru looks over at her with a small smile.

"Watch me!" She giggles and gets into position to swim back.

She pushes off on Sousuke's signal and swims back. Haru remembered when Makoto would swim back. She was going to grow up swimming like him and Haru knew it. She swam smoothly just like him. He was proud of her. Makoto taught them both a lot, being a swim couch was what he wanted to do when he retired being a fireman. He started to get the idea when he helped couch Sasabe in his third year of high school. He taught them well.

"Did I do good papa!?" Akari asked from the other side.

"Just like your daddy," Haru smiles.

"Would daddy be proud!?" Her eyes sparkle in joy.

"Of course," Haru nods.

"You will be such a great swimmer like him," a voice came from behind Haru.

"Yay! I want to make him proud!" Akari splashes around.

Couch Sasabe laughs and couches down next to Haru, "Mako is a pretty good swimmer as well, he swim like you."

"I suppose your right," Haru sighs and looks over at Mako.

"You should let them join the swim club," Couch Sasabe says laying a hand on his shoulder.

"I would but I can't pay it, now that Makoto is gone I don't want to waste to much money," Haru says shaking his head.

"No need to pay, it's fine," he smiles at Haru and stands up. "Boy am I getting old."

Haru chuckles, "Everyone gets old, but I'll let them come if they really want to."

"I'm sure they will, they seem to really love swimming," Couch Sasabe crosses his arms and looks at Mako and Akari.

"They do, huh?" Haru watches his kids swim.

"Before you go you can sign the papers," Goro says before going into the storage room.

Haru just watched his kids swim for a while before he started swimming himself. He didn't want to go to fast, he also felt tired. After a while of swimming Haru just let himself float in the water.

Not long after Haruka was signing the forms for Mako and Akari to enter the club.

"Why are you letting them enter for free?" Haru asked.

"Because Makoto helped me a lot, he also helped me when he came to teach Mako and Akari, it's the only way I can repay him," Goro says smiling and getting up.

"I see, thank you," Haru puts the pen down and slides the papers to him.

Goro picks them up and picks up two bags, "For the kids, their swimsuits are in there."

Haru takes them and gets up, "Thank you."

"Its no problem really," he smiles and goes around patting Haru's shoulder.

Akari runs over and hugs Haru's leg, "I saw daddy!"

"Akari..." Haru whispers and sighs. "H-How?"

"He was shining and said he was proud of me for swimming great!" She exclaims in excitement and jumps.

"Don't be ridiculous," Haru says.

"Haru, let her be," Rin says holding Mako.

Sousuke picks up Akari, "Yeah, let her have her imagination."

"But it was real!" She exclaims.

"Your papa let you guys join the swim club," Couch Sasabe says.

"That's awesome!" They both exclaim and Haru hands them their bags.

"I'll be in a swim club just like daddy and swim what he swims!" Akari smiles and holds the back tightly. "He will be very proud!"

"Me too! But I'm swimming papa's style," Mako says chuckling.

They said their goodbyes and Rin and Sousuke take them home. The kids and Haru said their byes to the two and went inside. Haru cooked dinner and when they finished Haru took Mako a bath then Akari. He got them ready for bed and they fell asleep.

Haru went to his room and lays in bed. He lays his hands on his stomach and looks up at the ceiling thinking what Akari had said. He clenched his fist and was about to punch his stomach but gets a pillow and hides his face in it. It had Makoto's sent and Haru curled up into a ball and cried himself to sleep.

--Month Later--

Akari kept saying she saw Makoto and it made Haru sad. Haru looked kinda pale since he couldn't eat or smell anything without something wanting to come out. The kids were in their swim club for a month and they seemed happy. Aperantly the girl keeps bullying Akari but she ignore her. Sadly she also went to the same swim club and were in the same group. Her friend Riku was also in the same swim club and swim group.

The two had become really close friends. It kinda made Haru jealous but he tried to ignore it. Haru couldn't get rid of the kid so he decided to just have it. He wasn't proud but he wasn't upset. He had a small bump already but really hardly noticeable. He would talk to the baby at times when he was alone. But only about Makoto.

Haru talked about when they were kids. About when they were in elemantry school, middle school, high school, and collage. He even said embarrassing stories about Makoto. Every time Haru told the kids an embarrassing about him, Makoto would whine and tell him to stop. Haru even talked about their love for each other. He talked about the day Makoto confessed and how he did. The way he proposed to Haru. Finally the way he reacted when Haru told him he was pregnant for the first time.

Though these memories made Haru sad. He felt happy talking about them with their new child. At first he didn't want the kid, but now he was happy they didn't allow him to get rid of the kid. He had to raise them and teach them how to be kind like their father. Haru was not good at taking Makoto's place, but he had to try and raise the kids. For Makoto.