Chapter Eleven: Help Me Understand:

In the morning, Tsuzuki looked at his sleeping wife. He had a new mystery to figure out about her.

-Last Night-

Tsuzuki turned to Anna on the couch. “Babe?”

She didn’t stir. “Yes.”

“Why did you say no?”

Her fists trembled in her lap. “Do you know what they do to their test subjects?”

“Well… yeah.”

Anna whipped around her face drained of color. “She’s only a baby! Even she doesn’t deserve that kind of torture.”

-Present Day-

Tsuzuki sighed. Anna. He reached down brushed aside her bangs from her forehead. I can’t understand you. On one hand, she couldn’t let Kirika-chan suffer. But still…

The shinigami picked up his phone. He stared off into the distance as the other line rang.

“Hello?” a man asked. Tsuzuki sat up straight.

“Tatsumi?”

“Tsuzuki? Why are you calling me this early?”

The shinigami pressed his lips together. He walked to his bathroom and sat in the corner.

“I have a question,” Tsuzuki whispered.

“What?” Tatsumi asked.

His former partner took in a deep breath. “How do I get Anna to connect with the baby?”

“What?”

“Well… She seems kind of… aloof.”

“How do you mean?”

“She doesn’t connect with Kirika-chan. Like a mother would, you know?”

“Well, the baby isn’t yours.”

“I know. But she’s just so precious.”

“Tsuzuki-san!”

“But’s she grown on me and…” Tsuzuki drew his knees to his chest. “I really want to adopt her.” He began to frown. “But, I need Anna on board. I don’t know what to do.”

“Why?”

“This baby needs a loving family.”

“She has one.”

“But…” Tsuzuki knew this would happen. After all, Tatsumi warned him about getting attached to the baby. Still, Tsuzuki couldn’t resist. Kirika-chan felt like his own. The shinigami clutched his phone.

“I can’t agree with you this time,” he said.

“But what about Anna and Daiyu? One clearly isn’t interested and the other one wants to take the baby back,” his former partner said. The older shinigami gritted his teeth.

“I know. I’ll think of something.”

“But how?”

“I will think of something!” Tsuzuki hung up, gritting his teeth. What was he thinking calling Tatsumi in the first place? Maybe he just wanted to be pushed to do the opposite. Tsuzuki shook his head. He cursed himself, looking at his phone.

“Babe?” he heard someone ask. The shinigami leapt back, dropping his phone. Anna stood in the bathroom doorway with a curious look on her face. Tsuzuki blinked.

“Oh,” he said. “I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

Anna shook her head. “No. Who were you on the phone with?”

Her husband rose to his feet, clutching his phone. “Baby, we need to talk.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter?”

The shinigami took a deep breath. “I need you to do something for me.”

“What?” Anna asked. Tsuzuki quickly bowed his head.

“Please spend the day with Kirika-chan!” he pleaded.