Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Life the Saitoh Fujita Way ❯ What Will It Be This Time? ( Chapter 30 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: anreg

30 Romances Theme: Think pink

"There are matters over which we have no control."

What Will It Be This Time?

“So what's it going to be this time, Kio?” I ask her. She only rolls her eyes, as I give her one of my sly smirks. “You know my kendo team needs another member.”

This is my second time. I know that my husband would love to have another son, but I think that a daughter is certainly in order. I suspect that he knows how I feel, that is why he is taking the opportunity to tease me about it. I smile when I think about his sense of humor. He is not known for it, but he does have one. It may be wry, but it does exist.

As much as I love him, he can be aggravating at times. He knows as well as I, that I have no control over the gender of this child, yet he tries to needle me about it. “I think that Tsutomu will be fine on his own. You barely have time to give him instruction, much less add another student to your dojo,” I shoot back.

Sighing, I think of how hard he works. I know he would like to spend more time at home with us, but his job is so consuming that he often just can't. It is not fair of me to bring up something that he has little control over, and the activities of the criminal element in this town keep him very busy, busier than both of us would like.

“Hajime, you know as well as I do that you will have another kendo student regardless of whether it is a girl or boy,” I tell him with a twinkle in my eye.

I do not respond to her statement. I do not have to. She knows it is true. My wife is a wonderful mother. I had no doubt that she would be. She is an educated woman who fully devotes herself to her responsibilities. She knows as well as I, that the children are the future of our country.

Even a daughter should know how to defend herself. The naganata and bow were the weapons of choice, when my wife was a young daughter of a samurai family. They are not practical now. A good wooden bokken is quite sufficient. I hate the thought of having to train a daughter of mine in how to use a pistol. They are such a barbaric weapon, and cause too much collateral damage.

My husband's silence only confirms what I said. Girl or boy, the child will know how to hold and use a bokken. If a have a girl, she will also be well versed in the home arts, things like cooking, cleaning, running a household and raising children. She will not miss out on academics, either. Girls as well as boys need to be well educated in languages, history, mathematics and classic literature. That is why it takes so long to educate a child properly.

Dressing a little boy in hakama and gi is certainly not as much fun as choosing the fabric for a little girl's kimono and obi. But I fear for girls in our society. It is often their place to merely be property. That is why marriage to just the right man is so important. Hajime and I would choose wisely for her, but not force her to be with someone who she did not feel she could grow close to. We will take as much care in choosing someone for Tsutomu, as well.

Moving to sit near her, I slide one hand around her shoulders, while my other hand drifts gently down her swelling mid-section. I softly kiss the top of her head. This birth may not be easy, either, but I will be there for her as I was before.

Leaning into him, I reach up and grasp the hand that drifts down my belly. Holding it in mine is a great comfort to me, as is the man to whom it belongs.