Vindicta - a TEMPER sequel (Excerpts)

Chapter 2

"Tadaima," Lana called from the genkan of their home. "Isao, take off your shoes," she said in Italian. "Now put them on the rack. Yes, like this. Well done."

She put down the three bags dandling on her shoulders and removed her light coat, before unclasping his dark green bicycle helmet and hanging it next to Nana's yellow one. Their sturdy two-child-seat electrical 'mommy bicycle' had been a lifesaver over the past four years, but still, it was a miracle she managed to keep her balance with everything she put on it. It had been a while since her sleek white sports bicycle had left the garage.

"Mamma! Nii chan!" Lana had barely enough time to look up before a human-shaped, deep purple projectile collided with her and stole her breath. With a hearty laugh, she swept her daughter off her feet and made her swirl.

The sixteen-months old girl had started walking on her own only four weeks before; she was already running all around the place, not caring much for ridiculous things like walls or sharp edges. To her parents' everlasting pride and stress.

"Woops! Nana chan, love! Here you are! How come you aren't in bed yet?" Her big smack landed on a round cheek; she pushed back Nana's long and wild light brown hair to see hazelnut eyes glistening with joy. While Isao clearly favored his paternal side, her Italian and Canadian genes had gained the upper hand with Nana.

"She was waiting for you. I told her you'd be home earlier than usual," Yuki explained with a smile. "Okaerinasai," she added, welcoming Lana and Isao back.

"Yes, that's true! Let's get you to bed right away and read a story while onii chan eats dinner and takes his bath. Then I'll read another one for the two of you. What do you think?"

"Yeah!" Isao squealed with joy.

Lana smiled at her son but a small pang tugged at her heart. On the three days per week he went to daycare, they weren't home early enough for him to get a story, and he would eat there. It wasn't a perfect solution, but with his outgoing personality and energy, he had so much fun playing with other children all day long they all agreed it was for the best. And Yuki had already enough on her plate with toddler Nana.

"What a perfect way to start our holidays, don't you think, children?" Yuki said after landing a soft kiss on the top of their son's head. "Father arrived thirty minutes ago, and is eating dinner with goshujin sama. I've set aside your plate and will take care of Isao."

"Thank you so much, I'm starving. Let's finish packing afterward?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. Goshujin sama helped me this afternoon and we called the delivery company. Everything will be waiting for us at the airport. There's only the carry-on bags left."

"That's wonderful! But I'm so sorry for the trouble and extra work."

"Tsk, don't mention it."

Lana couldn't help it and placed a short, yet hard kiss of gratitude on her beautiful lips, making their children giggle. Yuki threw her an amused glance filled with promises, each more wanton than the other.

"Let's go, darling!" Lana told her daughter. "I wonder what happened to Babar after we left him in the jungle. Do you think the crocodiles found him? I hope not!"

Nana's pearls of laughter lifted Lana's heart. They headed down the hall while Yuki led Isao to the bathroom. Before going to the children's room, Lana stopped on the threshold of a large tatami room next to the kitchen.

"Goshujin sama, otoh sama, good evening," she told the two men sitting cross legged around a long table dressed with a good dozen of half-empty plates. "There's a little girl here who would like to say goodnight before she finds out what happened to her favorite elephant."