One foot in front of the other
Jul. 30th, 2025 05:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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Lately, Yukimura had a dream.
In it, he told the boy to go to hell and spent the entire day at home. So he was present for all three meals, for Yukiko going to school and coming home, for all of Keita's creative solutions to the problems facing the average child, and then for the long evenings after dinner while everyone took their baths and Yukiko talked through her homework and Marui found a before bedtime snack that was different from every other snack that week, and Himawari very carefully pulled herself to her feet with the help of the low table in front of the television.
How often she did this during the day haunted the proud father. Bunta seemed happy to volunteer his talents as second parent, but Yukimura didn't remember permitting him the privilege of witnessing her first steps without him there to coach her, encourage her, and lavish her with all the praise necessary to confirm to Himawari that she was, in fact, on her way to being the best possible walker.
As it was, he watched he like a hawk. Privately, he was disappointed whenever she chose to crawl or sit back down, then had to go through the whole routine of reminding himself that babies progressed on their own time, not that of an impatient prodigy.
He thought he detected effort and determination, however. He liked to take Himawari to watch whenever the little Maruis decided to jump up and run around. He didn't want to foster sibling rivalry, but didn't everyone look around at their peers and surroundings and think, I want to be just as good or better?
There was no running or jumping this close to bedtime, however. Nor any climbing, nor dancing, nor anything else more exertive than sliding their slippers across the floor to catch a goodnight kiss from their father and maybe steal the leftovers from their bedtime snack while he wasn't looking. (But he was always looking.)
Himawari sat placidly for now at their feet, while everyone else sat around the living room. Yukimura sensed the usual bedtime procrastination was about to start, and wondered how it'd go this time.
Indeed, Yukiko was brushing her hair when she looked at her father, suddenly suspicious.
"What time does Hima usually go to bed?"
In it, he told the boy to go to hell and spent the entire day at home. So he was present for all three meals, for Yukiko going to school and coming home, for all of Keita's creative solutions to the problems facing the average child, and then for the long evenings after dinner while everyone took their baths and Yukiko talked through her homework and Marui found a before bedtime snack that was different from every other snack that week, and Himawari very carefully pulled herself to her feet with the help of the low table in front of the television.
How often she did this during the day haunted the proud father. Bunta seemed happy to volunteer his talents as second parent, but Yukimura didn't remember permitting him the privilege of witnessing her first steps without him there to coach her, encourage her, and lavish her with all the praise necessary to confirm to Himawari that she was, in fact, on her way to being the best possible walker.
As it was, he watched he like a hawk. Privately, he was disappointed whenever she chose to crawl or sit back down, then had to go through the whole routine of reminding himself that babies progressed on their own time, not that of an impatient prodigy.
He thought he detected effort and determination, however. He liked to take Himawari to watch whenever the little Maruis decided to jump up and run around. He didn't want to foster sibling rivalry, but didn't everyone look around at their peers and surroundings and think, I want to be just as good or better?
There was no running or jumping this close to bedtime, however. Nor any climbing, nor dancing, nor anything else more exertive than sliding their slippers across the floor to catch a goodnight kiss from their father and maybe steal the leftovers from their bedtime snack while he wasn't looking. (But he was always looking.)
Himawari sat placidly for now at their feet, while everyone else sat around the living room. Yukimura sensed the usual bedtime procrastination was about to start, and wondered how it'd go this time.
Indeed, Yukiko was brushing her hair when she looked at her father, suddenly suspicious.
"What time does Hima usually go to bed?"