ONE afternoon, when their days off overlapped, Ren and Mia headed to the mall in front of the train station. They had decided it was time to start stocking up on baby products. They couldn’t match their days off for a long while now, so they jumped on the first chance they got to go shopping and get prepared for the coming of their baby, merrily chatting about nothing and everything on their way to the store.
“Ugh, I have no idea how many of these we actually need.”
“Yes. Babies grow up fast, they say. Ah, but I remember Sayoko saying that it’s best to have as much underwear on hand as possible.”
“Hm, that’s true, it’ll get dirty often. Let’s buy two sets of three, then.”
There were many kinds of underwear to choose from: short ones, long ones, romper somethings, onesies… Anyway, there were just too many of them, which prompted the endless questions beginning with whether they had to buy at least one of each kind or a few of just one kind. Looking over this and that with Ren, Mia put selected pieces of tiny clothing into their shopping basket.
“Socks… Look at how small they are! So cute!”
Baby clothing was all so tiny and adorable. Looking at those little socks made them realize anew just how small the baby’s feet that fit in them would be. Watching a starry-eyed Mia admire the fluffy socks, Ren chuckled, taking the tiny garments in his hands and feeling the softness of the material.
“Wanna buy a pair?”
“The sheer amount of options is making me dizzy! There’s so much we need to buy, but look at me, I keep on lingering in the clothing section.”
“Yeah, but we’re getting a crib and a baby seat handed down from one of my seniors at work, so let’s go wild and buy what we like. Within reasonable limits, of course,” Ren said, stretching his lips in a big, happy smile, and patted Mia on the head.
Becoming a husband had done nothing to change Ren’s scary face making him look like a villain, but his eyes were incredibly kind. Mia nodded and, after careful consideration, chose just one more cute animal onesie to put in the basket, and then they went to the checkout counter, adding several more baby necessities along the way.
✦ ✦ ✦
“YOU know, I’ve been thinking a lot lately,” Mia uttered softly, addressing Ren who was sitting next to her.
After they had finished shopping, the two of them had been unpacking their new goods at home. Taking another sip of her rooibos tea with a dash of maple syrup that Ren had made for her, Mia let out a sigh.
“Hm?” Ren, seated on the same sofa, turned to face her, his mug of coffee still attached to his lips.
“We are going to have a baby, right? But should I teach them magic, or should the sorcerers’ lineage end with me?” Mia doubted aloud, softly stroking her barely rounded belly.
The first time she had felt the baby move had been just at the end of her fourth month of pregnancy. She remembered feeling startled at the sudden sensation; it had felt as if something had bubbled up from within her. …She had felt such overwhelming joy bloom inside her at that, but gnawing doubt had accompanied the happiness, almost overshadowing it.
Magic had been passed down through blood in her family. Even if she wouldn’t teach her child magic, they might still end up casting a spell accidentally. However, originally, the very reason for the existence of Mia’s magic had been to activate the great magical art of darkness. That is what she had been told growing up.
Maybe, hiding this truth from her baby was what was best in the long run. Having special powers, the pride and the whole manner of thinking associated with magic, was something that Mia had learned through growing up as the future “Supreme Ruler of Evil”. However, the last vestiges of the Supreme Ruler of Evil had already vanished from within the young woman.
How should she bring up this kind of topic with her child? It’s not as if there is the ‘Magic Talk’ and no, not the one that deals with your body going through changes… What should she do when her child discovered magic for themselves? Mia couldn’t help but worry about these questions.
After giving her belly a gentle stroke, Ren asked her quietly,
“What about ‘Miangia’?”
“I have no intention of teaching such a spell to our child. I will not tell them that there once was a ‘Supreme Ruler of Evil’ or about the spell to take over the world. The ideals I have inherited from Father end with me. Those sins are mine to bear. I will keep on carrying them my whole life, and I intend to take them with me to my grave…apologizing to my ancestors all the while.”
Mia was still not done asking forgiveness for what she had failed to accomplish. After all, they had been working hard towards one ideal, and one ideal only since time immemorial, and it had been none other than Mia who had ruined their effort. It had been her foot that had squashed the will, the hopes, the fervent wish of all the sorcerers of the past. That alone was unforgivable, but to add insult to injury, she had chosen the dishonorable option to live on.
And to make matters even worse, despite the fact that the matter would be resolved once and for all if she perished without leaving anything behind, she was about to give birth to the next generation. Mia was both happy and sad at the same time about bringing this “next generation” into this world. It had unmistakably been this sprout of a life within her that had opened up a new path before her and all the people she loved. As if sensing Mia’s inner turmoil, Ren suddenly put an ear to her stomach.
“H-Hey!”
“Hm, is this the baby moving? I can’t really tell yet. I hope I’ll be able to feel it too.”
“Well, yes, right now it’s more of a light popping sensation. It doesn’t feel like kicking that people talk about so much.”
“Ah, okay,” Ren said and stroked her belly again, his ear still pressed to it.
Then he slowly raised his head back up, put an arm around Mia’s shoulders and pulled her to his side. “Whether you’re gonna teach our kid magic or not, I’ll leave that up to you. You’re gonna have to be the one to do any teaching in that regard after all. If you wanna know my opinion, I’d like you to teach her, though.”
“Really? …But—”
“It doesn’t have to be strict and nothing-but-magic like it was with you. Just teach her in bits and pieces whenever you have a spare minute and make each time a chance for mother and child to bond. Something that only the two of you will have together.” Ren smiled gently. “Of course you can always bring the old man along on any trips to the mountains or flights across Japan!”
Whenever I have a spare minute?! Mia’s eyes bulged.
“How about I teach you a lesson about the lofty and noble art of magic,” Mia began, but Ren placed his lips over hers in a bid to nip the brewing argument in the bud.
“Mmph?!”
✦ ✦ ✦
Ever since she had met Ren, they had kissed countless times—first it was unprovoked touching, then he claimed it was a sort of means to annoy her, and now, when their hearts were one, the kisses became a part of their daily routine, akin to a greeting. But no matter how many times he claimed her lips, it always felt wonderful. However, he would always kiss her at the most unexpected of times, so he never failed to catch her off guard.
Tearing away from her lips finally, Ren let a lazy grin overtake his face. “Look, I was pretty serious when I told you I want you to teach our kid magic. Of course, you don’t have to teach her offensive spells and stuff. Pour intent into your words and speak them—this, the very basis of your magic, and some of those cute spells you’re so good at. Conjuring up flowers, making any drink taste like hot chocolate, stuff like that. I’m sure you’ll instill all the necessary morals and ideals needed to not be a future Supreme Ruler of Evil.”
…Because Mia was earnest and kind. From garbage sorting to people’s morals, she was a righteous woman through and through, despising everything that was wrong and crooked with all her heart.
“Any child that you’re raising will turn out great,” Ren crooned.
Mia, her cheeks tingeing pink, inquired from him in a tiny voice, “…Why do you want me to do it so much? Teaching our child magic, I mean…”
“Well, it’s just that it’d be so great to have a magic-wielding daughter, don’t you think? I am secretly so proud, you know, that my wife’s actually a sorceress. When I think that my daughter will be one too, it just thrills the heck outta me!”
“What kind of nonsense are you thinking?!” Mia’s eyes narrowed in suspicion at the chuckling Ren.
Is this what he had been thinking about the whole time? Unease resurfaced on Mia’s face; she was unable to shake the discomfort that rose in her at the idea of “teaching magic”. The pride, the entire philosophy surrounding the arcane arts. It was too heavy of a topic to approach casually. The whole system of thinking her ancestors had built and she had trampled underfoot was difficult to push aside lightly.
Ren hugged the brooding Mia close to him and carded his hands through her hair soothingly. You don’t have to deal with it alone, I’m right here, said the man’s gaze as he looked his beloved wife in the eyes. Then, he raised his index finger, indicating he had an idea,
“If you’re uncomfortable with using the word ‘magic’, there’s a handy replacement for it. You can use it instead to teach our girl simple spells.”
“…And what would that handy word be?” Mia asked with raised eyebrows.
He pressed a kiss to her lips and whispered, “You can tell her it’s a good luck charm.”
The End