Mom POV

“Kids-! It’s time for breakfast!” I yelled from the kitchen 

“Okay~!” I heard Haru, my daughter’s voice from upstairs

Each step echoed through the hallway as I continue preparing their breakfast, it’s a daily chore I’ve enjoyed for years. 

“Morning Mom~” her voice entered our dining room.

I glanced at her profile, she had these pajamas on her, a bit disheveled but overall still decent looking. She has a good posture while sleeping, so it’s no wonder it's easy for her to rise early up in the morning. She’s a good kid.

“Morning, take a seat dear, it’ll be done in a moment”  

“Okay… hmm, where’s onii-chan?”

“...uhm, maybe he’s still asleep, do- don’t worry about it. He’ll wake up soon, anyway” …I don’t know why, but I feel worried. Not for his absence, but for what’s to come after that. 

“C’mon Mom, you know how onii-chan has always been, he’ll never be awake if we don’t wake him up soon”, there it is 

“R- right”, I can’t deny that

“I’m going to his room to wake him up, I’ll be back!” then she storms off from the room and runs upstairs

“B- Be careful!”, I don’t want to see her slip on the stairs. 

Seeing my daughter enthusiastically care for his brother, it’s a good thing, right? But, usually all kids, I mean siblings, in particular, they’re not supposed to be that close, or are they?

I had been with those kids for all their life, I can see that they’ve always been so close. Smiling, laughing, having fun together, always together. 

Of course, as a mother, I cherish that, who wouldn’t want to see their kids having a very very good relationship… I can see they love each other as much as I love them both, but I’m starting to wonder if maybe their love is too much for a normal family relationship. 

Last week, they both had an outing and said they were going to check out some clothes at a nearby department store. They bought one for me too, and it’s actually an item of clothing I’ve been meaning to buy for a while, I can’t ask for more caring and loving kids than what I have right now. 

In a way, I feel blessed. 

But I had more questions as the day progresses. Such an outing is not the first. Occasionally, they went out together for various other reasons too, at times it’s just an ordinary lunch at a restaurant, but then they watch a movie together, shop for daily necessities together, attend festivals together,…even have Valentine’s dinner together, they said the atmosphere was kinda different and they just want to check it out… that’s… that’s not normal, right? 

Usually at their age now, they should’ve had a boyfriend or girlfriend by now and spent their time with those significant other instead… no, I think I’m a little too judgemental here. Maybe they just appreciate their family first before others, and surely there will come a time when they had to leave home and make a family of their own. 

Yeah, this is just me being weird. 

Of course, they’re close, but I believe all siblings should be like that. I mean, I don’t have any siblings of my own to be sure of that, but that doesn’t matter.

I don’t need to know how siblings should behave, all I need to believe is that we’re a close-knit family. 

They spent their love on this family and I pour all my love into them just as much. I tend to them like how they would care for each other and you can see it in our daily lives… I gave them presents since their childhood and they bought each other gifts for their birthday… or how I embrace them at times and they hug each other whenever they don’t meet for a period of time… I- Isn’t that the most precious thing you’ve ever seen? 

…they’re being close like this… it’s not a bad thing to happen, right?

…hugging. But still... why?

They… don’t need to care for each other that much, it’s too much. I’m not sure why, but I can’t understand my own son and daughter

It may just be me, maybe I’m just getting a little too tired as I’m getting older. But… I can’t shake this feeling like something’s amiss, maybe it’s in my nature as a mother to worry about things too much, but I hope nothing is really happening behind my back. 

No- enough overthinking. 

I don’t want to think about anything weird, yeah- this is just my feeling. 

I went back and forth with this wild imagination, but ultimately it is just a waste of time, I had to focus on preparing their breakfast, they have a long day ahead, and they need the energy!

“Yosh~!”

Took me a few whiles in my mind but I went back to cooking for good and preparing them just the way they like it. And~ it’s done.

...it’s done? 

…why aren’t they here yet? She went to wake him up over 15 minutes ago… should I go upstairs and check them myself? No-no, I trusted my daughter to wake her brother up. I just have to call them again

“Haru~! Kaito~! Breakfast’s ready!”

“O- Okay!” again, Haru’s the one to answer my calling again. “We’re c-coming”, …there’s a jolt there at the end of her sentences.

Maybe I’m just worried, maybe this is just me. No, I can’t risk it. I need to check them. Now.

I left the table and make my way to leave the dining room, but just as I reach the door, he entered the room.

“Wh- what’s wrong, Mom?” Kaito, my son, looked at me with a worried face. “You look pale”

“A- ah no, I thought I heard something, I- I thought one of you slipped on the stairs” 

“Haha, I’m not a kid anymore, Mom. You’ve always been the one to overthink things”

…what did I imagine there, sigh… I’m really just tired. But first of all, I need to adjust my face, I don’t want to make him worried about me. 

“Yeah, sorry to doubt you. Why don’t you take a sit first? I made your favorite”

“Wow~ What’s the occasion?” he looks happy

“I just feel like it, enjoy~” 

He took a seat and began to convey his gratitude, itadakimasu. He looks really precious.

…wait 

“Where’s Haru?”

“Oh, she probably went to pee, she’ll be here so-” but just as he was about to finish his sentences

“Hey! Have some decency, you could've said it better, ‘She has to pluck a flower’ or something”, she barged in from the hallway just to immediately made a complaint to her brother

“‘Pluck a flower’? Don’t you mean ‘Pluck a rose’?”

“It’s the same thing!” 

“No, they don’t”

“Yes, they are!”

“Enough~ enough kids, just take a seat and eat while it’s warm. You can continue your bickering later” I just smiled when they were not looking. 

Yeah, this is the way it is. Having fun with each other, this sure is a bright morning, like always. 

…hmm, I stare at Haru’s clothes for a while longer… and I noticed it, her pajama shirt, the buttons miss a step, like haphazardly tied together after being taken off… maybe she took them off in the toilet… but why do you need to… unless…

No-no, I’m just being forgetful 

Nothing’s happening here… right?