Little Secrets

Chapter Twenty

Kotoko sat silently, her eyes didn't dare move from Hiro sleeping body in her arms.

Her ears numb from the shouting coming from Mrs. Irie as she repeatedly threw object after object at Naoki who sat still. His hands covering his face.

"Kotoko I think we should leave." Joey whispered in her ear. She nodded softly while holding Hiro close to her and with the help of Joey she stands up. 

"Kotoko!" Yuuki ran after them as Joey was placing Hiro shoes on his sleeping feet.

"Kotoko I'm-" Kotoko turned to him with a emotionless gaze. He stopped mid sentence unable to say anything.

"Kotoko..." Joey pulled Kotoko outside towards their car. Lucky all the Reports were gone.

After placing Hiro into his seat Kotoko placed her face into her hands while letting out a sigh of exhaustion.

She began to whimper, she could no longer hold in her emotions. She sat in the back weeping as Joey drove silently home.

Unable to no longer take the pain of the love she holds for Naoki.

~

Later that day while Hiro played around in their living room. Kotoko sat at her easel, watching her son intently.

Studying his face, his expression, his speech, the way his eyes gleam with joy while playing with his baby doll that he wanted so badly.

As she stared at him, her hands began to move, each time Hiro would grin with a certain child joy behind his eyes she would work faster and slight dig her pencil into the paper.

As she added a bit of color she suddenly realized what she had drawn.

A family.

A young boy, ocean eyes and a smile if gold. His arms around his parents. The father held his arms around the boys waist against the mother.

The father held the same smile like his son's, eyes of chocolate bliss.

The mother however, though she held a  fooling smile. Her eyes were nonexistent. No one could see the pain she obviously felt.

"Momma?"

Kotoko escaped the trance she was in and turned to her little boy.

Hiro stood next to his Mother with his eyes filled with intrigue as he gazed over his Mother's painting.

"Why is she so sad?" Kotoko turned back to the picture.

"She is suffocating." She answered.

Uneasiness filled Hiro's stomach, Kotoko noticed and embraced her son.

"It's alright darling, it's only a painting." She planted a kiss onto Hiro's cheek.

~

THE NEXT DAY AT THE OIZUMI COMPANY

"Sahoko!" Naoki asks as he grabbed hold of her arm as she was making her way into her grandfather's office.

"Oh darling you are finally here." Sahoko beamed gleefully.

"Sahoko is it true?" Immediately Sahoko knew what he meant.

"Yes! Isn't this wonderful? We are starting a family!" Naoki stood silently, his eyes wondered towards her hand that laid gently over her thin stomach.

He let go of her arm.

"Now we can be one big happy family you, me, Hiro and this baby. Or babies twins do run in my family. Oh wouldn't that be wonderful,"

Naoki drowned out Sahoko ramble, the image of a happy family with his son and Kotoko began to crumble.

"Sahoko I have something to do. I'll speak with you later." he stated plainly as he walked away not sparing a glance at Sahoko.

A bitter smirk creeped onto Sahoko's lips "If you think you can steal my love Kotoko Aihara, you are sadly mistaken."

~

Kotoko stared blankly as the main building manager rambled on and on about how to build Kotoko's new store.

"Aihara? Aihara?"

Joey kicked Kotoko's leg which brought her back into reality.

"Huh? Ah! Yes, its all fine." Kotoko answered while staring at the blue prints in front of her.

"You alright Aihara? You seem distracted."

Kotoko gave the constructions Managers a convincing smile and replied "Yes, I am fine. Just tired that's all."

"How about we conclude this here, everything looks perfect." Joey said while packing up.

Everyone followed cue and left Kotoko and Joey alone as Eiko showed them out.

"You are such a convincing liar Ms. Kotoko." Kotoko let out a dry chuckle.

"That was no lie. I didn't sleep. How could someone sleep through this." Kotoko coldly laughed.

As she stood up, Joey wrapped his arms around her.

Kotoko leaned into his comfortable arms. Not since Kotoko gave birth to Hiro had she felt Joey hug her so tightly.

Joey placed his head on her shoulder while pulling her closer.

"Remember you never have to be strong for me." He reminded as he covered her eyes from the world.

Kotoko felt tears fall once again.

"B-but-"

"It's so unfair!" She cried.

"I am the one who has been hurting all this time!"

"Why do I have to sit in the shadows again!? Where is my happily ever after!" She whirled around and shoved her face into Joey's dark blue button up.

Joey stood silently as Kotoko cried in his arms.

He slowly closed his eyes as he laid his chin onto her head.

'I'm sorry Kotoko.' He thought.