What calm before a storm?

Let's GO!

Two days later, Hiro had started showing signs of recovery. She had regained enough strength to do the ordinary things that she could before such as being a busy mother again.

There were moments of deja-vu and flashbacks but she did her best to ignore them. However, her brother's request to have another child with her was much more of a stubborn thought to suppress as it would have Hiro questioning the relationship between her and her brother. Was it ok to jump straight into an intimate relationship with her brother when things back then and even till now were unstable?
But those were the least of her worries. Tadashi had informed Hiro that their aunt Cass was paying them a visit in the next few days, with some visiting relatives tagging along, and she was beginning to stress. That stress was coming from waves being emitted from her brother, who seemed under even more pressure of it.

Tadashi, in the meantime, had been thinking of ways to hide their situation, conjuring up possible excuses to bypass the strong possibility of unwanted questions. Eventually, it hit him and the solution was sitting in front of him all along. Hide the twins!

Tadashi just had to ask Fred to babysit the twins for a day whilst he and Hiro would just have to say hi.

It was good timing to when he had received a text message from his aunt saying that she would be in the area the following day.

As for Hiro, she was all for her brothers' obvious idea as well but she was also feeling very anxious about it, especially since she had left things in a mess 5 years ago. How would her aunt Cass even react? That was enough of a thought to keep her awake for half the night. However, when she had awoken, it was already 11 am and she bolted out of bed in a fluster as she had to drop her kids off. Yet, they were nowhere to be found but she soon would breathe a sigh of relief when she checked her phone. Trudging into the bathroom, she eyed her reflection and she looked worse for wear. A shower helped refreshed her but she would have to rely on concealer for the dark circles below her eyes. By 2 pm, Hiro was in the midst of eating when she was catapulted back to reality with a jolt of her phone ringing.

"Tadashi...you almost gave me a heart attack!" Hiro would call her brother by his name if she was in a bad mood and she was.

"I'm sorry."

Hiro sighed out.

"Sorry...I had trouble sleeping last night.
Thanks for dropping the kids off though. So I take it you're calling because Aunt Cass is here?" She asked in a tired tone.

"I can tell Aunt Cass to meet with you later if you're not feeling well, Hiro-chan."

Hiro could feel the butterflies take flight in her stomach at her brother's confirmation.
"No...it's ok. I'll come out and meet up with you. Whereabouts are you at the moment?"

"I'll text you the location. Are you sure ?"

"Yeah...thanks. I'll be there shortly. See you later..."

Hiro let out a long sigh after the call had ended. Feeling anxious, Hiro was trying to tell herself to get it over and done with as she cleaned up the plate in front of her and headed upstairs to get ready.

Tadashi had met up with his aunt and distant relatives close to noon, after his morning class.

He started his morning off with noting his sister to be in deep slumber, as she wasn't up at the usual time when he popped over to check on his family. He decided to take the kids and drop them off but not before leaving her a note informing her that he had taken their kids.

Later on in the day, he had met up with his aunt at a close by a cafe to the college grounds. His aunt had tackled him with a hug before introducing him to the relatives he had no connection with. Apparently, they his aunts' cousin's and she was close to them but he and his sister grew up unaware that she was keeping in touch with them. Perhaps it was because he and Hiro were always off somewhere tinkering with some device or making an idea come to reality. Anyhow, they didn't really mingle with their aunt's life too much.

Tadashi merely greeted the two relatives, a husband and his wife and both appeared to be similar in age to his aunt, merrily.

Predictable, after introductions, his aunt questioned about Hiro's whereabouts.

"Hiro is still at home. I'll let her know now where to meet us."

Hiro strode nervously from her car to her aunt and brother's whereabouts. Catching sight of them immediately, her heart began to race.

Her brother spotted her and began waving but her feet felt heavy and she stood there in her tracks whilst averting eye contact.
Moments later her brother was in front of her with a slight frown.

"Hey, are you ok, Hiro-chan? You look a bit pale.." Tadashi asked with some concern.

Hiro darted her eyes over to where her aunt was and then back. Her brother picked up on it immediately.

"It'll be ok. There's nothing to fear...Aunt Cass has been wanting to see you again." Tadashi said with a reassuring smile. He then took her hand and lead the rest of the way.

Hiro was finding it hard to make eye contact with those sitting at the table let alone her aunt as she got closer. Hiro was internally bracing her self for a moment of awkwardness and disappointment from her aunt but that all flew out the window when she was, too, tackled by a hug from her Aunt.

"Oh my god, it's been so long, Hiro-chan! I missed you sooo much! And you've grown up...you're gorgeous!" Hiro's aunt smothered her with hugs and kisses as she began sobbing. This made Hiro flustered. She tried to comfort her aunt by reciprocating and responding to her aunt's words and actions but at the same time, look towards her brother with panic.

Tadashi could see a scene happening from his aunt's' overwhelming affection upon his little sister and decidedly stepped in to pull the two apart. This allowed his sister to breathe and change his aunt's focus elsewhere. Catchup between him, Hiro and his aunt could come later as there were guests to entertain.

"So what's the plan for today, aunt Cass?"

The family outing was pretty much a bit of sightseeing but mostly catching-up on aunt Cass's part with her relatives. The outing had finished off with a nice dinner at a restaurant near a wharf but both Hamada siblings felt a little awkward as they were quiet for most of the time. Hiro especially though, as much as her aunt's gesture just to drive all the way out to a place that wasn't as big as Sanfransokyo was nice, she had questioned as to why her aunt would go to such lengths just to see her and her brother when obviously the distant relatives had priority. Surely there had to be more.

"So how are Kai and Elda?" Hiro was suddenly startled with the question from her aunt.

"T-they're fine." She replied. Hiro had hoped that her kids would not be involved as she didn't want to go sharing the fact she was a parent for the question, she most feared would be asked, was who was the father. And now that her aunt had asked that, it was predictable that she would now be questioned as a parent.

At least she could use it as an excuse to leave the gathering. But as soon as Hiro had left, with her condolences, she felt somewhat miserable.

Tadashi, on the other hand, had hoped that his aunt would not bring up any questions or facts related to that unless in private. This was something he had discreetly asked his aunt prior but he hadn't anticipated that she would actually ask and she was slightly tipsy.

It was also late, so Tadashi accompanied his aunt and distant relatives to their accommodation. Afterward, he headed over to Hiro's place to check up on his sister as he had a feeling she would be somewhat upset. Sure enough, Hiro was upset, curled up on the couch and facing towards the cushion part of the piece of furniture.

The kids had already been tucked into bed so the house was quiet. Tadashi sat down next to his sister and let out a short sigh.

"I told Aunt Cass not to say anything about it..."

"..."

"...well at least the relatives didn't try to pry..."

Hiro sat up and looked at Tadashi with a tired expression.

"Maybe I shouldn't have gone.." Hiro then stated and stood walked towards the staircase.

"Hey, it wasn't so bad now, was it? Besides, she was tipsy. Besides she hasn't seen you in so long..

You will still come to breakfast with us tomorrow though...right?" Tadashi tried to reason.

"... maybe..." was the monotoned reply.

"I'm going to bed now...good night Tadashi-nii san." And with that, Hiro had left her brother in the living room as she made her way to her bedroom.

...To be continued

I'm still alive... OTL

And I have nothing to say :/