𝐈𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢

Thunderclouds hang over the minka house. Mai wakes up with a sharp pain in her stomach and sits up quickly. She looks at the fusuma door to see they had left it open , wind blows in letting sprays of water in. She gets up from the bed and goes over to the door about to close but stops to see it storming outside side.

Thunder crashes loudly and Mai feels the pain once again but this time worse.

She tries to walk back towards the futon, stumbling she grabs onto the blanket, "Nao."

The storm is getting worse.

Nao turns his head to the side reaching out. He sits up quickly when he notices Mai isn't next to him. He goes over and picks her up, carrying her to the futon.

"I'll get the midwife." He kisses her forehead and leaves the room.

__________________________________

Nao stands outside the room with the clan leader of the Tsugikuni clan and his wife Akeno.

Nao and Tsugikuni-sama had promised that if Nao and his wife had a daughter she would marry the Tsugikuni family successor.

“Inari-sama,” Nao went into the room before the midwife could continue. When he entered he heard a soft and quiet cry coming from the bundle of blankets his wife held. She held her hand out motioning him to come closer.

Nao slowly walked over and looked down at the bundle to see his baby girl. His eyes widened slightly to see platinum white tuffs of hair.

“Heaven sent,” Mai said quietly, smiling and looking down at their daughter. “What should we name her?” She looked at her husband.

After three years of miscarriages they finally had their child. He kneeled down next to his wife and daughter with tears building in his eyes.

“Omikami.”