The Hand That Rocks

Aurora swallowed heavily and nodded. "Unless it's a Christmas miracle...yea," she tried to force a smile and little humor into it. "I've only been with you," she continued with a shift back to seriousness while looking directly at him. "And...I knew about it soon after and I just want you to know that there's no obligation to you. I wanted this...I thought about it a lot and decided I wanted to have this baby girl." Her eyes drifted down and a big smile formed across her face as her hand stroked her midsection.

"I only have so much time, you know? And right now...I think is as good of a time as any." Aurora got distracted by the thought of the future. Of raising her own baby girl in this futuristic and busy place. Some people left cities to raise their family but Aurora had quite a lot in the area to make her stay. She'd have an aunt and uncle to help raise her, and as expensive as it was it meant she could grow up in one of the greatest cities in the world.

She snapped out of her little daydream and looked back up at Mamouru. "And I thought you had the right to know it was yours...even if we're not together and our lives separate. I know you have a life and this wasn't your choice, so I don't want you to feel obligated to this child...though...you know...I wouldn't mind having you around for her." The woman smiled warmly at Mamouru. She knew of a lot of the ill reputation around Mamouru at least in the womanizer sense. But she also knew, at least when he wanted to be, he could be a great man.

Mamouru's body began to tremble as Aurora explained herself. He searched her eyes even as his face drained of color. He couldn't even begin to pick out which emotion he felt he needed to express.

His eyes focused on Aurora's belly. "A g-girl?" He stuttered.

Mamouru shook his head. "Why didn't you tell me sooner!?" He blurted out. "I... I don't know what kind of man you think I am but..."

Mamouru lowered his head, pushing his knuckles into the table as he continued to tremble.

"Aurora-chan." He said very seriously. "We have to get married."

Aurora leaned back in her chair, taken aback by Mamouru's sudden outburst. "M-Married?" she asked quietly. He seemed genuine, if not a little overwhelmed by the suddenness of it all. She stared at him for a second, her thoughts racing about his statement. "Married?" she repeated, looking down. She hadn't expected him to say that. Looking back, she probably should've suspected it was more than likely.

"Look, let's just take this easy." Marriage wasn't final as giving birth. It wasn't as binding as having a child was. Yet at that moment it felt more serious. Probably because she had already accepted the latter. But most likely because people always tried to marry someone that was perfect for them, while a child could turn out to be whatever but was unconditionally loved. "We don't have to get married. I'm content raising this girl alone...I wouldn't really be alone."

Several thoughts crossed her mind about the severity of Mamouru's request. She wondered how traditional his life and upbringing had been. Single mothers weren't necessarily encouraged in the US, but they weren't scolded or seen as a disgrace. At least not where she was from. Japan, though, was very different. "Do...do you want to get married?"

"I'm serious." Mamouru said, still shaking but looking firmly at Aurora. "If she's really my child, then she needs to be raised in an appropriate environment. She needs to have a father and a mother who are together. I must take responsibility as a man." He said, lowering his head and clenching his fist.

"Besides." He said. "You don't understand. Even if I didn't want this child and didn't want to marry you, the moment my mother finds out I've gotten you pregnant, once she's done killing me, she will be all over you. She'll demand to be part of her granddaughter's life."

Mamouru blushed and turned his head. "If... I really didn't think we could make it work, then I would bite my tongue. We've already dated once though." He said. "And ... if you didn't think you could make it work, then you probably wouldn't have told me." He said seriously.

Aurora watched Mamouru's sternness with reluctance. He seemed convinced it had to be. He was careful with his words, not once sounding like he wasn't committed to it. He even sounded like he thought it could work between them, like they were compatible with each other. "I...I don't know..." she trailed off while looking outside. Part of her was extremely nervous about it, even moreso than she was about having the child.

But that wasn't even Mamouru's fault. It had to do with her own parents. She remembered as a child her parents yelling all the time. Then the yelling stopped. It wasn't until Talia was late in high school that the two finally divorced. It was hard on them all, but at least they were old enough to take it. She worried about Mamouru and her raising a kid together if they weren't dedicated to her. She didn't want to repeat what her parents had done.

"I don't know..." she muttered nervously, visibly biting her lip. "I...I don't know..." she repeated once more.

Mamouru furrowed his brow at Aurora's words. Obviously he could understand her hesitation but at the same time, she had just dropped a bomb on him and expected everything to be perfectly fine.

"It is what is best for the child, Aurora-chan." He said again. "We will have to make it what is best for us." Mamouru swung his chair around and set next to her. He put an arm around her shoulder and leaned close. "I remember that night, Aurora-chan." He said softly in his ear. "Your passion for me never died. It wasn't our waning love that drove us apart, it was something else. And now... we have something even more powerful to bring us together."

Mamouru reached out with his other hand and touched Aurora's belly, shivering as he did but feeling the warmth.

Aurora looked closely into Mamouru's eyes as he sat close to her. It had been awhile since they'd been so close. She knew Mamouru was right. She wanted to do what was best for her soon to be baby girl. And having both parents there for her was what was best. She wondered just how sincere he was about it all, but she couldn't deny what he said. She involuntarily smiled and put her hand on top of Mamouru's. She leaned her shoulder into him slowly, gripping his hand tightly with both of hers. "Okay."