Chapter 67: Coming and Never Leaving
Although Yuta had made some decisions, he wasn't sure how to proceed. He decided to talk to Sasha about family matters, hoping that Sasha would temporarily not tell Hina about her parents' passing.
Sasha agreed, acknowledging that such matters shouldn't be disclosed to a child.
After their conversation, a silence fell between them. Just as Sasha was about to speak, the sound of the door opening interrupted them, followed by the cheerful laughter of the Takanashi sisters, which broke the quiet atmosphere of the room.
"Onii-chan! We're back~"
"Miu, don't be so loud."
"Uncle~ we bought ice pops for you~"
Sora was holding Hina's hand as she and her two sisters walked into the living room, where they saw two people standing.
One was the familiar Yuta, and the other...
Seeing the foreign woman who had the same hair color as Miu, Sora suddenly became nervous and cautiously addressed her, "Sis Sasha..."
The Takanashi sisters each had different mothers. Sora's mother was the first wife, a lovely woman who had passed away. Afterward, young Sora lived with their father and Sasha.
However, Sasha soon left. After the divorce, Sora lived with young Miu.
Miu was mostly cared for by Hina's mother when she was little. After getting married, she smoothly adapted to the new environment and had few memories of her own mother.
At this moment, Miu looked at the woman who resembled her somewhat, puzzled about who she was.
Sasha quickly ran over, crouched down, and hugged Miu.
"Miu! My darling Miu!"
Miu was at a loss, unsure of what to do. "Uh, excuse me, who are you?"
Seeing that Miu didn't recognize Sasha, Yuta realized that Sasha hadn't returned for many years, but it was clear that Sora remembered her.
"Miu, I'm your mother!" Sasha distanced herself slightly to look closely at Miu, recognizing her daughter.
Upon hearing this, Miu promptly pushed Sasha away and hurried behind Yuta.
To Miu, who grew up thinking this way, her mother was the woman who abandoned her and her father and left the country. Therefore, her mother was not one she deemed a good person.
Sasha felt quite forlorn watching Miu's reaction, realizing that her daughter was afraid of her.
As Sasha was about to speak again, Sora also chimed in, "Long time no see, Sister Sasha."
Sasha stood up, wiped away her tears, and smiled at Sora. "Oh, Sora...Don't refer to me as an outsider like that. Call me Mom, like you used to."
After saying that, Sasha blinked, her demeanor quite charming.
Sora, a polite and well-mannered child, didn't have any particular aversion to Sasha but still didn't call her Mom, simply standing there silently.
Seeing this, Yuta felt a bit relieved, realizing that Sasha hadn't gained favor with the children.
Neither Miu nor Sora seemed to be on her side.
As for Hina...
Sasha also noticed Hina, a charming little girl who stood out wherever she went.
"What an adorable little girl! You're Hina, right?" Sasha approached Hina, clearly fond of her.
Sora said to Hina, "Hina, this is Sister Sasha. Be good and say hello."
Hina looked towards her uncle and noticed that his gaze was directed at the wall, not paying attention to what was happening. Not fully understanding the situation, but sensing that her uncle seemed unhappy, she cautiously said, "My name is Hina, and I'm three years old."
Even without a smile, Hina was incredibly adorable in her timid and shy demeanor, which Sasha found utterly endearing.
"Wow, so cute!" Sasha exclaimed as she scooped Hina up, placing her on her lap and affectionately snuggling her face.
Hina didn't enjoy being treated that way, but Sasha, acting almost like a child herself, sat on the sofa, holding Hina as if she were a cute doll, showering her with affection.
Sasha's attention had now shifted entirely to Hina. In a way, she resembled an overly energetic child who couldn't sit still.
While her appearance was similar to Miu's, the impression she gave was completely different.
"Don't treat Hina like that!" Miu said unhappily, feeling that Sasha's presence disrupted the joyful atmosphere they once had.
Sasha, hearing Miu's words, looked visibly saddened and slowly set Hina down on the sofa.
Observing Miu's defensive stance, Sasha said sorrowfully, "I'm sorry, Miu. I understand this might be confusing for you. You likely don't remember much about me. I shouldn't just suddenly claim to be your mother now. But I am the one who gave birth to you, and you do need your mother's care right now."
Sasha also gently addressed Sora and Hina, "And Sora, Hina, I'm truly thankful to Hina's mother for taking care of Miu when I was gone. So let me take care of Hina and be a mother to all three of you!"
"No! Hina has a mommy!" Hina said as she ran to hide behind Yuta, not wanting to call this woman her mother.
Sora also couldn't accept Sasha as their mother because it would mean leaving with her and going abroad, which was unthinkable for Sora.
Moreover, Sora didn't want to be away from Yuta!
"Sister Sasha, we are living happily now with Onii-chan taking care of us. There's no need to worry," Sora hoped Sasha would leave soon. Despite feeling a bit guilty, they didn't want Sasha to separate their family again.
Sasha looked at Yuta with confusion, "Onii-chan? Isn't he your uncle?"
He is their uncle, but calling him brother wasn't really an issue, was it?
That's what Sora thought, but in her anxiety, she couldn't come up with a good excuse.
Miu calmly explained, "Onii-chan isn't related to us by blood, but we've come to see him as family, so we won't be separated! A family should always stay together!"
"I'm sorry, Miu. I left because I had no choice back then. I'm truly sorry..." Sasha reflected with regret about abandoning Miu upon hearing her words.
Despite her sadness, Sasha had returned with the resolve to make up for it. She firmly stated, "You're right, Miu. From now on, Mom will always be with you! I'll stay and take care of you all!"
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