Chapter Five: One-Year Anniversary

By her seventh month of pregnancy, Luina’s stomach had gotten big enough to lift even her maternity clothes. She no longer insisted on doing her part in the chores, which was difficult on her considering how active she’d been all her life, but it was impossible for her to properly lean over.

Having nothing to do, Luina spent the majority of each day in the safety of the bed. So too, however, did Anima and the girls, as keeping her company was one of their highest priorities.

They’d gotten a new table and sofa for the bedroom so the girls could draw and play while also spending time with their mommy, but with the weather getting warmer every day, both Anima and Luina were starting to feel bad for them.

Even the doctor, who was visiting Luina every other week, had suggested that she take a light walk outside every once in a while. Per that advice, short family walks around the garden had become a daily activity, and they even visited the town once a week.

Anima and the girls were currently taking their daily walk in their garden, planning their exciting weekly outing to Garaat, which was coming up tomorrow.

“I kinda wanna go to a café,” Myuke proposed, pushing the baby stroller as exercise for when the baby was born.

The day prior had been Bram’s day to push the stroller, which she’d managed without any issues, and the next day would be Marie’s chance to try to rise to the challenge. They’d been practicing ever since they’d bought the stroller, and while Myuke and Bram had gotten a good handle of it, Marie was clearly struggling with the task. She could barely reach the handle, and couldn’t see inside the stroller at all when the sun cover was down.

Anima was worried about her, but he was even more worried about what would happen if the baby was in the stroller while she was trying to push it. Even so, despite the difficulties, Marie was actively looking forward to walking with the baby, and he didn’t want to spoil her enthusiasm. She would likely be fine if they were on a well-kept road and he paid extra attention to them.

“You look super comfortable with the stroller, m’kay?”

“It’s easy. I can’t wait to walk with the baby.”

“Me too!” Marie exclaimed from right next to Anima’s ear. He had expected her to ask if she could ride in the stroller, but that didn’t happen. Her favorite spot was still Anima’s back, and piggyback rides had become her most common method of transport when they went out on walks. “I can rattle!”

“I’m sure the baby’ll stop crying right away if they see you rattling.”

Marie really liked the rattle they’d bought, and had recently started to practice calming the baby down with the help of her sisters. A real baby definitely wouldn’t be as easy to calm down as Myuke and Bram, but everyone was convinced that her enthusiasm would be enough to make it work.

The five of them enjoyed the gentle rays of the sun as they strolled across the lush green lawn. Toward the end of their daily walk, as they passed by the well, Luina suddenly stopped and longingly looked its way. Anima followed her gaze, but didn’t see anything worthy of note. All that was there was the lawn, the small wooden fence, and the nearby forest.

“Why did you stop? Are you hurt?”

Hearing that, the girls were struck with a tinge of worry as well. She turned back towards her family and shook her head, looking at them with a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, I’m perfectly fine.”

“Then how come you spaced out?” Myuke asked, utterly lost.

“I was just remembering what happened last year.”

A sudden breeze blew through the garden and fluttered Luina’s hair, the sight of which completely spellbound Anima. Her gentle eyes and adorable smile took his breath away, filling him with a sense of warmth, admiration, and awe as butterflies took flight in his stomach. In that moment, he realized what she was referring to.

“It’s already been a year since we met, huh…?”

“Yes. In just two days, we’ll have met exactly one year ago, making it our first anniversary.”

Anima was enamored by Luina’s soft yet excited words.

“It’s been a whole year…”

Their first year together felt to Anima like it had flown by. Every day since their marriage had been filled with joy and happiness, and there had never been a boring second with his family by his side. Days felt like they lasted twenty-four minutes rather than twenty-four hours.

“Oh wow, has it really been that long? I remember coming home and all of a sudden Mommy was married. That was a shocker. …Wait, Daddy, did you really forget your one-year anniversary?”

Myuke was in disbelief, and Anima had no defense. He did forget about it until Luina brought it up.

“I’m sorry…”

“Oh, no, it’s okay. I only remembered it as we were walking past this spot,” Luina confessed, which prompted an exasperated sigh from Myuke.

“Jeez, you two really were made for each other. Like, for real, how can you both forget about your very first anniversary?! We’ll have to have a big celebration—at least as big as the one we had for your birthdays!”

“I cebebate too!”

“I’ll help too, m’kay? We’ll make your anniversary even better than your wedding ceremony was!”

“We didn’t have a ceremony.”

Bram couldn’t believe her ears.

“Why not?! You two’re so lovey-dovey around each other that it makes me blush, m’kay?! I figured you woulda had a super cute ceremony! Unless you weren’t that close back then?”

“No, that’s not it. We were head over heels for each other from the moment we saw each other. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, head over heels indeed.”

It had taken them a few days after getting married to share their first kiss, but they had undoubtedly loved each other from the very first moment.

“Then it makes no sense, m’kay?! Are marriage ceremonies not a thing here?!”

“No, they are,” Myuke explained. “Most couples have them. Rich people usually have huge parties with dozens if not hundreds of guests, while poorer people have small ceremonies with their families.”

When they’d gotten married, Luina had had no money or family besides Myuke and Marie. She’d never brought up the idea of a ceremony, either. As for Anima, he’d had a completely different reason.

“I was just so happy about our marriage that the idea of a ceremony never so much as crossed my mind.”

“Honestly, Daddy, that doesn’t surprise me at all. I am surprised that Mommy didn’t bring it up, though.”

“I didn’t bring it up for the very same reason. Listening to Mom talk about her wedding made me want to have one as well, but marrying and being together with Anima was fulfilling enough for me.”

Hearing Luina’s reasoning thrilled Anima, and the fact that he hadn’t been the reason they didn’t have a ceremony was the icing on the cake.

“I’m glad neither of you thinks it’s a big deal, but you missed an amazing chance, Daddy, m’kay?”

“What chance?”

“You can only ever see Mommy wear her wedding dress once in your life, m’kay? It’s supposed to be the most beautiful moment in a person’s life. ’Sides, a girl’s cutest when she says you-know-what while wearing that dress.”

“Luina, we’re having a ceremony.”

Anima didn’t need to hear more, and Luina’s sweet giggle suggested that she was on board with the idea as well.

“That sounds lovely.”

The thought of having a real wedding ceremony was getting Anima visibly excited. He wanted to hold it in two days’ time, so they would need to plan the event quickly. It was a daunting task, but he was up to it.

“We can’t just jump right into this, though. We don’t nearly have enough time to plan a ceremony for your anniversary. I mean, maybe if we do it in a super-tight circle with just us it’s possible, but don’t forget that Mommy’s pregnant. We can’t let her get worked up and do a lot of work.”

Myuke’s warning pulled Anima back to reality. She was completely right; he didn’t want to force Luina to overexert herself, and he also didn’t want to rush the preparations. Luina was probably just as excited for the ceremony as he was, which meant that they had to make sure the once-in-a-lifetime event was absolutely perfect.

“It seems like we’ll have to wait to have our wedding ceremony,” Luina said.

“I think that’s for the best. Even if we do hold off on it, we still have our anniversary coming up. I like the idea of dressing up for the occasion.”

Luina must’ve thought the same thing as she immediately nodded to his proposal.

◆◆◆

The next day was the day of the family’s weekly outing to Garaat. After having breakfast, they all put on their outside clothes and left the house. It was a warm day, with the occasional gentle breeze making the weather perfect for a walk through the town.

“Hold on tight! You don’t want to fall off!” Anima warned Marie, riding on his back, as a gust of wind fluttered her hair. She tightly wrapped her arms around his neck--so much so that someone with less physical prowess than him would likely have suffocated.

“I like wind! It’s nice ’n cool!”

She clearly wasn’t scared of being blown off. On the contrary, she was enjoying being on Anima’s back.

“There’s something in my eyes, m’kay?”

Bram’s complaint was accompanied by rapid blinking. The wind had probably blown some dirt into her eyes. Even though they were walking on a paved road, the dust and dirt particles that had accumulated in the gaps between the stones were easily kicked up by the wind, turning them into tiny weapons of mass frustration. On top of that, Bram was an easy target, as she had much larger eyes than the others, who had yet to suffer at the hands of the wind.

“Hide behind me,” Anima offered.

“It’d look super weird if we all walked in a straight line behind you.”

“Exactly. It’d make it really hard to talk, too. Let’s just hurry to the store, m’kay?”

“That’s a good idea. Myuke, where can we buy a wedding dress?”

He trusted Myuke’s knowledge of the town, but even she looked unsure.

“I’d guess at the tailor on the main road? It’s the biggest one in town, so that’s gonna be our best shot, but I’m not exactly sure.”

“So there’s no wedding clothes specialist?” Anima asked.

“There might be one in Barjyo or in the capital, but not here. There’s not enough weddings around here that we need one.”

As long as there was at least one wedding in Garaat ever, there should’ve been a merchant selling wedding clothes. They simply had to find them, and the biggest tailor in town was definitely a good starting point.

“I bought a wedding dress in Barjyo, so I can take you to that store, m’kay? I’ll use the Jade Dragon stone, then you hop on my back and we can be there in just a couple hours!”

“Nope, you’d freak out the entire town. Plus, what if we do get one and it doesn’t even fit? We can’t exactly carry Mommy with us.”

“I thought I was onto something, m’kay?”

“Thank you, Bram. I appreciate the thought.”

Luina’s thanks and head-petting made Bram giggle, but not even that could solve their wedding dress problem.

“I don’t think there’s more than a couple dresses around here, m’kay? What if none of them fit you?”

“That’s a good question,” Myuke replied. “Her height’s pretty average, but her chest sure isn’t.”

“Right? It’s gotten even bigger recently, too, m’kay?”

“I like Mommy’s chest! It’s soff ’n cuddly!”

“It is pretty great, m’kay?”

“I love it as well, but her bust size limits our options. I’m sure none of you want her to be uncomfortable in her wedding dress. We’re going to have to find one that’s loose and easily adjustable.”

“Can we not talk about my chest in the middle of the street, please?!”

Luina was staring at the ground, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

“Let’s head over to the tailor.”

On Anima’s suggestion, they followed the main street over to the shop that was packed full of both clothes and people. Such a large store was sure to have a dress for Luina—or so it should have.

“Not even one…”

“Not a single wedding dress…”

They’d explored the entirety of the shop, but weren’t able to find the snow-white dress they were looking for. Imitating Anima’s disappointed head-hang, Marie slumped onto his back.

“If this place didn’t have one, I kinda doubt anywhere else will,” Myuke said defeatedly.

Visiting every single tailor in town was an option, but Anima didn’t want to drag Luina around all day. It wouldn’t be good for her health. “Still, we should probably check at least one more shop, and I think I know which one. If we take the long way there, we’ll even pass by two others.”

Anima could have rushed off to Barjyo to pick up a dress for Luina, but getting back before the next morning would have proven difficult. If something were to happen along the way, he could miss his anniversary, which was obviously off the table for him. Moreover, he couldn’t in good conscience leave Luina and the kids alone for a whole day. Not only would they miss him, but he also had to be with them in case any issues arose. As such, they were going to have to make do with whatever Garaat had to offer.

“We know there are none at our usual tailor,” Anima noted, “so I agree, we should check somewhere else.”

“The closest one’s about five minutes from here. It’s tiny and old, but it might be worth a shot. Whaddaya think?”

“I don’t mind. How about you, Luina?”

Luina was spacing out, completely silent. She only pulled herself together after Anima called her name a few times.

“Sorry, what were you saying?”

“We were thinking about looking at another store, but… are you okay?”

“Oh, I was thinking about the wedding dress. Would you come with me? There’s a place I’d like to visit.”

“Of course. Just as long as it’s not in Barjyo or the capital.”

“No, we’re not going that far. There’s a place around here that I really want to check, though there’s a good chance they won’t have it anymore.”

“Why not? Have you seen people buying wedding dresses there?”

“What place are you talking about?” Myuke chimed in to ask.

Luina struggled to talk as all eyes gathered on her. It was almost like she felt wrong even suggesting her idea.

“…A second-hand store,” she finally managed to say. When she did, Anima immediately realized just what she was hoping to find.

“Do you want to look for your Mom’s wedding dress?”

She cast her eyes downward and slowly opened her mouth.

“Do you remember how I told you we had to sell most of our possessions to survive? Unfortunately, one of those things was Mom’s wedding dress…”

A wedding dress was more like a memento than anything else. It was meant to be worn only once, then kept as a treasure. Luina had had a great relationship with her mother before she passed, so selling something of such importance out of necessity had to have been incredibly difficult for her. There was no doubt she blamed herself for having to get rid of it.

“It’s not your fault; you only did it because you had to. If you hadn’t sold it, the children wouldn’t have had a place to live. I’m sure your mother would be proud of you for raising the girls with everything you had and teaching them to always be kind.”

Anima tried to console her while Marie reached out and pet her head.

“It’s ’kay, Mommy!”

“Cheer up! I’m super grateful for everything you did for us.”

“You’re the best mommy ever, m’kay?”

Luina started to tear up in response to her family’s kind words.

“All right, let’s go to the second-hand store!” Anima proposed in a cheerful tone.

It was a tiny store on one of the back streets. Upon entering, the family was hit with the thick smell of the old clothes hung up in rows all around the store and against the walls, creating a network of artificial aisles. As they browsed, they found that around a fifth of their inventory didn’t even seem to be able to fulfill its duty of covering body parts and providing warmth. At best, those pieces could be repurposed as rags.

“Does this store buy literally anything?” Myuke asked in a hushed voice so she didn’t accidentally insult the owner.

“They take most things, and apparently they don’t pay for clothes that are in terrible condition.”

“So it’s basically a big garbage can, huh? And look, they’re even trying to make a profit off the unusable clothes.”

“Are we gonna try to find the wedding dress in all this? It’s gonna take a while, m’kay?”

“It’ll be fun! It’s like a treasure hunt!” Myuke cheerfully exclaimed to hype everyone up. It seemed to have worked, as Marie quickly hopped off Anima’s back and started her treasure hunt.

“This iiit?”

She quickly found something interesting, and proudly presented a shirt with animal patterns sewn into it. She’d either missed a prompt or had no idea what a wedding dress looked like.

“It’s a very cute shirt, but it’s not a wedding dress.”

“Marie, listen to me, m’kay? Do you remember the clothes I wore at the farm?”

“Uh-huh! It was white, ’n big, ’n super cute!”

“I’m glad you liked it, m’kay? We’re looking for something just like it. My wedding dress is back at home, but it’s too small for Mommy, m’kay?”

Marie, finally understanding the objective, reluctantly put the shirt back on the rack. She stepped back, took one final look at it, waved goodbye, and slowly turned back around.

“It’s okay, Marie. We’ll buy you a brand-new one,” Anima told her.

That was all it took for Marie to cheer up, as she joyfully began looking for a wedding dress. With her leading the charge, the others got to work as well. Though it was effectively a labyrinth of clothes, the store was small enough that they didn’t have to worry about someone getting lost—but Anima decided to stay with Marie just in case.

“Ah!” Luina gasped, leading Anima, Myuke, and Bram to rush over to her. In doing so, they found that she was clutching a white article of clothing. It looked more like Anima’s robe than a wedding dress, but it filled Luina with joy nonetheless, her wide smile freshening up the store full of old clothes. “This was Dad’s robe!”