**Italic paragraphs lifted from the short fic of Naoki’s Miracle

Naoki’s Miracles

CHAPTER 2 – THE CIRCLED DAY

" Irie-kun. You are back!" Kotoko jumped out to greet Naoki at the doorway.

" Stop jumping about like a little girl, you are now different." Naoki frowned.

" Oops! I forgot!" Kotoko then remembered that she was already two-months pregnant. As usual, Naoki would just ignore her and proceeded into the living room.                                                                                

" Irie-kun, wait up! I've got something to ask you." Kotoko seemed to forget about Naoki’s warning and dashed into the living room. Naoki gave her another hard stare that said, "Again?" before taking a seat on the sofa.      

" Opps! Forgot again!" Kotoko stopped and started walking in baby steps. Naoki wanted so much to laugh at her comical behaviour but he didn't. Slowly, he picked up a stack of newspaper from the glass top and spread it open. After taking her 'baby steps' walking style very seriously, Kotoko finally reached the sofa area.     

" Phew! I didn't know that it was that tiring to walk slowly." Kotoko grumbled.

" What did you want to ask me?" Naoki asked without even looking at Kotoko. Kotoko was getting used to it. Even though they had been married for almost five years, conversation between them hadn't been too much, partly due to Naoki's hectic duties in the hospital (he was one of the two best neurologists in the hospital) and perhaps both Naoki and Kotoko didn't share the common topic at all…    

“ Nani? Are you sure?” Machiko was practically screaming into the speaker.

“ Arigatou! Arigatou!” After putting down the receiver, Machiko glance through the calendar.

“Oh! Today is a circled day!” Machiko rushed into the kitchen and opened up the refrigerator.

Empty. It had been empty almost everyday since that fatal day.

“ Oh my god!” Without any hesitation, Machiko grabbed her purse from the cabinet and dashed out of the house without bothering to change; her eyes were red and watery. Those were not tears of sorrow, but tears of joy.

-Beep-…-Beep-…-Beep-…

There was finally a sign of movement. Her left hand moved. However, her eyes still remained closed.

“Kotoko…” Naoki whispered gently into her ear.

-Beep-…-Beep-…-Beep-…

The heartbeats were getting faster after Naoki had whispered her name.

“What food should I prepare for the party?” Machiko was already in the supermarket, with Papa, Sai and Yuki beside her.

“ What party?” The trios were confused by Machiko’s sudden appearance at their working and schooling place during the mid-afternoon.

“ Didn’t you all notice that today is a circled day?” Machiko frowned.

“Circled day?” Both Papa and Sai tried hard to recall the date because almost all the numbers in their home calendars were circled with red markers, with tiny words scribbled beside each number. Only Kotoko and Machiko were able to read the numbers from the calendar while the rest of them had given up in checking dates from the calendars in their house.

“But everyday is a circled day…” Yuki mumbled softly.

“You guys are all the same! Always failed to remember dates!” Machiko glared at Yuki but soon she was distracted by one piece of big and yummy-looking salmon that lay on the rack of the freezer.

“ Tonight, we shall have a feast of Sashimi!” Machiko announced before picking the salmon up from the rack. Happily, she started pushing her cart to the other section of the supermarket, leaving the three confused people behind.

“What happen to Machiko?” Sai asked.

“Kotoko had regain consciousness?” Yuki presumed.

“ Hmmm…circled day…” Papa was still trying hard to figure out the day.

-Beep-…-Beep-…-Beep-…

The heartbeats were getting faster and faster, almost getting to the rhythm of the normal heartbeats.

“I know you can do it. Try harder!” Kotoko’s left hand and Naoki’s right hand had interlocked, with Naoki doing most of the gripping. Her left hand used to be colder than ice, but now, it was filled with Naoki’s warmth.

" Oh, do you know what day tomorrow would be?" Kotoko asked excitedly.

" Haiz~ it's another one of her 'what day…' question again." Naoki thought.

" What?" Naoki asked because he knew he would never guess it anyway.

" Not even trying to guess eh?" Kotoko was disappointed with Naoki's reaction.

" Nope. Tell me now or don't tell me at all." Naoki replied.

" Okay, okay!" Kotoko gave in, as usual.

" Tomorrow would be the 10th anniversary of our second kiss. Remember?" Kotoko asked.

" What?" Naoki muttered out.

" Mama is going to hold a party for us and we are going to invite everyone here for dinner!" Kotoko continued.

-Beep-…-Beep-…-Beep-…

“Hey, do you remember that today is a circled day?” Naoki exclaimed.

The interlocked fingers were getting firmer and this time Naoki was not doing all the gripping.

-Beep-…-Beep-…-Beep-…

“Just in case you have slept too much, allowed me to remind you.” Naoki slowly leaned back close to Kotoko’s ear.

“ For your information, today would be the 10^th anniversary of our third kiss. Remember?” Naoki asked after placing a soft and gentle kiss on one of Kotoko’s cold cheeks.

-Beep-…-Beep-…-Beep-…

For the first time in all those mournful months, Naoki actually had a smile hanging on his face.

“ Did I ever tell you that your eyes are beautiful?”

To be continued…