I cleaned the house slowly, opening every window to let the stale air escape. Dust clung to my hands and clothes, but I didn't stop until every corner felt livable. With the help of the old granny from the neighborhood, I connected the electricity, then checked the taps one by one. Water finally flowed, clear and cold.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and smiled widely.
"All done."
Akira and Yuke stood beside me, watching closely. The moment I lifted my arms, they copied me with their tiny arms raised high.
"Yeah! All done!"
I laughed, the sound lighter than my heart had felt in days.
The neighborhood granny soon returned with tea and snacks. We sat together, the boys munching happily. She looked at me for a long moment, her eyes soft.
"It has been so long, Astra," she said. "I last saw you when you were just a small kid, always running around your grandma. Now you're back. She may not be here, but we are."
I smiled gently.
"Aww, granny… you're just like my grandma. Sometimes I still feel she's around because of you."
She nodded, then asked carefully, "But what brought you here in such a rush? You came late last night. Is everything okay with your husband?"
My fingers tightened around the tea cup.
"Uh… yes, granny. Everything is fine. My babies wanted to see their great-grandma's house, so I rushed here."
She smiled again, then looked at the kids.
"Oh, they're so cute. Is the blue-eyed one the elder?"
"Oh, you mean Yuke," I said.
"So his name is Yuke," she murmured, watching him fondly.
"No, granny," I corrected gently. "He's the younger one. My elder son is Akira."
She gasped in surprise.
"Oh lord, really? He looks so tiny and chubby, like a three-year-old, while the other looks four or five. Is he not healthy?"
I sighed softly but kept smiling.
"He's very healthy, granny. I don't know why, but he's just not growing."
"Hm," she hummed. "Some kids grow slower than others. Don't worry." Then she opened her arms. "Akira, come here to grandma."
Akira tiptoed toward her, shy and careful.
"Oh my," she chuckled, cupping his cheeks. "Even cuter up close. Here, grandma has candies for you."
His eyes sparkled. He took the candies, but only one fit in his tiny hand; the rest slipped down. She laughed warmly and gave candies to Yuke as well.
The next day, I took Akira and Yuke for a walk to the nearby convenience store. Akira held onto my pant leg tightly because he couldn't reach my hand, while Yuke held my hand properly. We walked past green fields and vegetable patches, farmers waving at us as they worked.
The store was quiet, almost empty. I picked up basic items—toothbrushes, soap, utensils—placing them carefully in the cart.
Yuke pulled out a chip bag from the lower shelf, his eyes shining.
"Mama, I want this!"
I smiled.
"Okay, let's put that in the cart."
Akira stood beside me, silent as always. I patted his head.
"What do you want, Akira?"
His eyes lit up. He ran to the lowest shelf, grabbed a chocolate box, and brought it to me proudly. I smiled softly.
"You want the whole box, baby?"
He thought for a moment, then placed the box on the floor, taking one bar in each hand.
"This."
My heart clenched.
"Aww, baby… you don't have to give up things like that. Just say it like Yuke does." I patted Yuke's head. "You want the full box, right?"
He nodded shyly.
I kissed his head and put the whole box in the cart.
While I was checking items at the counter, Akira wandered off. He spotted a kitten and followed it, soon returning while holding the kitten's face gently. Yuke poked its belly curiously.
"Mama."
I looked down, and so did the cashier.
"What—ah, Akira, put it down."
He placed the kitten down immediately. It ran out of the store.
Akira flinched as it disappeared.
"Mama… he was eating the chocolate too."
I giggled.
"Is that so?"
He nodded excitedly.
"I caught it, but she was heavy."
I patted his head.
"Good boy, Akira."
Yuke patted him twice as well.
"Good brother."
Then we went back home.
---
I was in the kitchen, apron on, preparing lunch while Akira and Yuke were busy eating the snacks they had brought from the store. Suddenly, I heard crying coming from the TV room and rushed over.
"What happened?" I asked, spotting Akira with tears streaming down his cheeks.
Yuke clung to my legs, worried, trying to calm his brother.
I bent down, hugging Akira gently.
"Oh, what's wrong, Akira?"
Then I realized the source of his tears—a loud scream from a television show. I quickly switched the TV off.
Yuke looked up at me, eyes wide, as if he were about to cry too.
"Mom, why is brother crying?"
I sighed, trying to calm them both.
"Don't worry, baby. It's just that your brother is scared of loud voices."
I thought to myself, while stroking Akira's back gently,
It's all that jerk's fault, screaming in the house all the time…
"Oh, baby, don't cry. You're Mama's strong baby. It's okay. No one is scolding you. No one is screaming. Everything is fine now. Stop crying and give Mama a big smile."
Akira's cries grew louder.
"Okay, okay… you don't want to smile? Fine," I said, tapping his back gently.
Yuke patted my leg.
"I'll watch TV until he calms down, Mama, okay?"
I nodded. Yuke returned to the TV, and I went back to cooking, carrying Akira in one arm.
He looked curiously at the frying pan as the eggs sizzled.
"Eggie!?" he asked, eyes wide.
I smiled.
"Yes, Akira, you want eggie?"
He nodded.
I wiped his tear-streaked cheeks.
"Good. Then I'll make your eggies, and we'll eat, okay?"
Akira leaned into my chest like a little baby, resting comfortably as I cooked.
After lunch, both of them fell asleep in the room—Akira on one side, Yuke on the other. Granny quietly placed the soup she had made on the kitchen counter and smiled, leaving them to rest.
A few hours later, I woke up. The kids were still asleep. I yawned, stretched, and looked at them sleeping peacefully. A small smile formed on my face.
"It's time to clean the dishes, Astra…" I murmured to myself.
I picked up the trays from the table, gathered the snack wrappers, the chip bag, and the chocolate box, and started cleaning. I noticed the soup Granny had left in the kitchen.
"Must be Granny… I'll thank her later," I thought.
Akira stirred behind me, rubbing his eyes. He saw Yuke still asleep and quietly hugged him, snuggling back to sleep.