031

"You're back, y/n! I missed you!"

Reiko squealed excitedly as she immediately jumped into your arms, as soon as you walked through the door. You take a glance into the living room, where you spot Reiki and his mother sitting on the couch— piles of scribbled paper and crayons scattered all over the coffee table.

Reiki is quick to follow his sister, joining you at the doorway with a piece of paper held tightly in his little palms behind his back. He holds it out to you— it's a drawing of a flower bouquet, all uniquely colored and oddly placed without any rhyme or reason, but it makes your heart well all the same.

"I made this for you." He grumbles, a blush dusting his adorable chubby cheeks as he waits for you to accept it.

"Thank you, Reiki. It's beautiful, I love it!" You hold the drawing close to your chest, goofily giving it a warm hug to emphasize just how much it means to you.

Reiko is quick to retrieve her drawing, which is a picture of you dressed as a princess with a beautiful crown, and a stunning pink gown to match.

"Here, y/n! I made one for you too." She beams proudly. "Mine is better."

"Shut up, dummy." Reiki spits at his sister, who simply sticks her tongue out to tease the boy further.

You can't help but chuckle as you crouch down, pulling them both into a tight squeeze. "I love them both, thank you so much for thinking of me while I was out."

The sound of shuffling feet catch your attention, as Mei waddles her way out off of the couch. She smile at you, faintly, before disappearing up the stairs. You found it odd, but you didn't press the matter. Instead, you sent the kids to go play elsewhere so that you could clean up the living room. Mei had done most of the work for you, but you still needed to do your job.

Though, something didn't feel quite right about calling your presence here a 'job.' It certainly didn't feel that way anymore, especially since... well...

Your stomach twisted with guilt. You didn't regret what was happening with Suna, but you couldn't deny the fact that the situation made you uneasy. He's your client— you broke Mama Fu's number one rule: do not mix business with pleasure.

Should you call her? Tell her that you quit?

But then...

What would happen with you and Rin? You were only living here as the nanny, surely if you quit your job he would send you packing... right?

You both agreed to try... something— you weren't exactly sure what that was yet, but you were positive that it wouldn't constitute you living with him if you were no longer the nanny.

The 'nanny.'

For some reason, that word made you cringe. Maybe, you didn't want to be the nanny anymore; you wanted to be more than that. Surely Rin wanted that too, right? Perhaps it was bold of you to assume such a thing, but your heart couldn't waver the thought of being without him— without the twins.

All this overthinking was giving you a migraine. You stopped what you were doing to quickly grab some painkillers from the medicine cabinet in the kitchen. It didn't take you but a second to do so— but the sound of the front door opening and closing abruptly, startled you.

You peeked your head around the corner and called out to the twins, who both answered you right away from up the stairs. It clearly wasn't either of them. Next, you called Mei's name... but this time, there was no answer.

Making your way to the room that she was staying in— your room, you tapped on the door just loud enough to see if she would answer; it freaked open ever so slightly, revealing that Mei was no where in sight.

Instead, there was a small scrap of paper lying precisely in the center of the bed. You stalked forward to examine it, deciphering the neatly scribbled writing in dark black ink.

Thank you for loving them when they needed it most.

— Mei ♡

Your lips pursed tightly upon reading what you could only assume was a goodbye note. Brief as it was, you would practically feel the dismal aura bleeding through the page— it was selfish, you thought, to just leave without saying a proper goodbye? You just didn't understand how anyone could do such a thing to their own children.

Maybe what you didn't understand, was that as soon as you left, all the kids could do was talk about you.

How you always fix them their favorite meals; how you you read them a bedtime story and tuck them in every night, even if you're exhausted from cleaning up after them all day.

How you play along with their silly games, and then cuddle up with them to watch their favorite movies— never once complaining about watching the same one over and over again just because they wanted to.

You didn't understand how they would ask if you were coming back soon literally every five minutes like clock work, up until they heard the doorknob jiggle accompanied by the familiar sound of your heels clicking against the hard-wood flooring.

No, you couldn't possibly understand how their mother felt, watching her kids love someone else just as much— or maybe even more, than herself.

You certainly didn't understand how she felt, to realize that this was all her fault; and that maybe... just maybe,

her kids were happier without her.