A conversation at a crossroad.

[saitoh_hajime]

“There are moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a crossroad, afraid, confused, without a road-map. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days. Of course when faced with the unknown, most of us prefer to turn around and go back.” –Lucas Scott


To read what happens next, go to Staring the Day, Saitoh Family Stile, followed by Release to the Wild. 

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[tokio_takagi]

Tokio sensed a gentle brushing motion close to her face. Immediately, her eyes popped open in alert only to be met by the gaze of the Major who was kneeling beside the bed. His eyes were such a stunning shade of amber, seeming to literally glow in the dimly lit room. She relaxed as soon as it registered in her mind who was paying her such an early morning visit. She assumed it had to be morning by now.

She closed her eyes again, relishing and leaning into the lingering touch of his calloused fingers on her cheek, her lips curving into a soft smile. The Major was dear to her heart, more precious (if one could say that about the wolf) to her than he could ever imagine. A small sigh of contentment escaped her.

He signaled to her that he was going to take Tsutomu away from her. (No Hajime, please not yet, her gray eyes pleaded to her former husband.) She'd just found the boy (their son) and he'd just remembered who she had been to him (his mother). But dutifully she moved over a bit so the Major could uncover the boy from the opposite side of the bed and extract him from her presence. The feeling of loss was acute. What else could she do? She had no right to protest. She was not recognized as Tsutomu's mother in this era.

The careful way Hajime lifted and carried their son did not escape her. He was such a good man, such a good father, in spite of his two year long lapse into an alcohol laden period of grief. Her eyes followed him as he left the room with Tsutomu in his arms.

“Meet me in the kitchen." It was said in less than a whisper but he knew that she could hear him. She always did.

Oh yes. Please don't remind me.
He had asked her to trust him and she would.

Yawning and stretching as she sat on the edge of the bed, Tokio knew that the time had come to have that discussion with her former husband. He alluded to it last night when they were in the living room. There was no avoiding it now and she dreaded it. He warned her, so it worried her. Nothing he'd said to her then, or now was inaccurate or overstated.

She was thankful that he chose to give her one last night of peaceful sleep before dropping some information that would most likely have her tossing and turning, unable to sleep for days.

She might as well be comfortable for this talk he was going to have with her, so she decided to slip on the well-worn pair of jeans that Captain Wantanabe had the consideration and foresight to include in the clothing she'd brought over from the attorney's residence. A soft blue, mock turtle neck sweater completed her outfit. It was still February and although the Major's house was reasonably warm, wearing that particular sweater gave her a sense of security, the soft material feeling akin to a cocoon. She didn't bother to change her footwear. Somehow, wearing his wool socks, even though too big for her feet, made her feel closer to him and reminded her of his promises to help her and to keep her safe. They still needed to figure out who had put the hit on her, or she wouldn't be around long enough to spend time with his (their) boys, assuming he would let her help him.

She brushed her hair, putting it into a pony tail, before clicking the door open and heading down the hallway to the kitchen. The smell of fresh coffee laced the air.

He was already seated at the table where the four of them shared last night's evening meal as any family would. Had that only been last night? Time was not being kind to her these days, jumping from the present to the past seamlessly.

Should she sit across from him and face him? Should she sit next to him so she could stare straight ahead and not look at him? No. He deserved her full attention. But she needed to be beside hiim. She could turn to face him, if needed, even if she sat beside him.

She didn't know how much more time she had to spend with the Major and the boys. Captain Watanabe was a very efficient person. Tokio was sure that her home's security system would be upgraded quickly, allowing her to return to her own home very soon. But did she want to? What woman in her right mind would willingly want to abandon her children and husband even though that relationship was forged two hundred years ago and was no longer recognized at this time and place.