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Ei felt the bed a little colder than usual, that is not very normal, usually she can feel the heat coming from her husband's body next to her, she slightly open her eyes but there was no trace of Aether, only his pillow that she was currently hugging.
“This is weird, I remember that we slept in each other's arms, and if he gets up before me, he usually wakes me up too” Thought the archon of eternity.
Ei decided to get out of bed, she checked in the dressing room and there was no one there, she checked in the bathroom and she didn't find Aether there either, she left the room, ready to check the rest of the house, Ei first checked her daughter's room, where neither she nor her father was there, then the kitchen where there was no trace of either, When she was about to go check out the Tenshukaku courtyard, she ran into Kujou Sara.
“Ah! Sara! Perfect timing”
“Your Majesty! What can I do for you?”
“Have you seen Aether and Makoto?”
“Yes your Majesty! They left this morning together for the Grand Narukami Shrine!... they also left this for you!” Sara said as she handed Ei a small note.
“A note? What are these two thinking? Anyway, thanks Sara, you can leave now”
“Yes your Majesty! have a nice day your Majesty!” Sara said as she proceeded to continue with her work.’
When Sara got out of Ei's sight, she opened the note she had given her.
Dear Mommy/Honey: You're probably worried that you didn't find us, but don't worry, we're fine! we're at the Grand Narukami Shrine, why don't you change and join us? We have prepared a surprise for you!
With love: Makoto and Aether
“A surprise? What could these two be up to?” Ei began to think about whether she might have forgotten something... “Mmm it's not an important date, it's not our anniversary or Makoto's birthday...it's not an important date in Inazuma either… Miko probably included them again in one of her pranks? Anyways, They are already waiting for me, so I should get ready and go there right away, I don't like leaving Makoto waiting”
Then Ei went to her room, changed to her normal outfit, fixed her hair, she considered changing her hair style, but thought it was too much trouble and wasted time, plus it was usually Aether took care of her hair in the morning (not that she didn't like it) and she wasn't confident enough to comb her hair outside of her normal style. After making sure he looked okay, Ei left for the Shrine.
* Meanwhile at the Shrine*
"A little more to the right... now a little higher and perfect!" Aether is on top of a chair, trying to put up a sign while Yae gave him directions.
“Aunty Mikooo, I'm hungry” said Makoto, slowly pulling her dress.
“Be patient Makoto, your mother must be about to arrive by now” Miko lifted the little girl into her arms, seeing the little pout the girl was making, she had no choice but to spoil her.
“Okay okay little one, I'm going to give you a dango, but only one, for the rest you'll have to wait for your mother, understood?”
“Yay! thank you aunty Miko!”
Miko proceeded to take the little girl to the small table in the center of the courtyard, it contained dangos, dango milk, and many desserts and sweet things, all prepared with Ei's taste in mind.
“Miko...we already talked about this...I don't like her to eat before lunch” word Aether while watching his daughter eat the dango that the guuji had given her.
“Oh shush… she never makes the same face at you as she makes to me, you should see it, its adorable”
“Yes. She. does! It's the same face her mother makes when she wants to eat something!”
“You'll never understand... and someone has to pamper the little girl, and who better than the beautiful, intelligent, and amazing Yae Miko!”
“Miko….”
“But I could stop if I had a daughter of my own…” Yae muttered.
“Sorry, i couldn't hear you, what did you say?”
“Nothing important little one… look! Maki is giving us the signal; Ei must be about to arrive”
“Right! Come Makoto! let's hide!”
*Meanwhile with Ei*
“This is strange... there is no one here at the entrance either... but in the note they said that they would be waiting for me here… maybe they are in the patio next to the sakura tree?”
EI walked to the backyard of the shrine, on the way she could feel that the atmosphere was a bit strange, there was no one at shrine, but she could feel some eyes on her. when she arrived she found a table full of desserts, sweets, dango and all her favorite food, something that could only have been imagined in her dreams.
“What is this”
“SURPRISE!”
“Wha…! Aether! Makoto! What is this?”
“Happy birthday mommy!” Makoto yelled as she ran into her mother's arms.
Ei grabbed her daughter and lifted her into her arms “My birthday?”
“Yes Ei, today is your birthday… Has it been so long that you have forgotten when your birthday is?” Yae said as she came out of her hiding place.
“Miko! This was your idea?”
“I would love to say yes, but the truth is that it was all planned by your daughter”
“Makoto...did you plan all of this?”
“Yes! Papa and Aunty Miko helped me with the food, but the idea was mine!”
“Thank you, Makoto,…i love you” Ei said as she gave her daughter a big kiss on the cheek.
“I love you too Mommy!... Are you happy?” Makoto asked with a worried face.
“Yes of course, why wouldn't I be happy?” Ei asked confused.
“So why are you crying?”
“I'm… crying?” Ei put her hand to her face and she could feel the tears running down her cheeks.
“Ei! Are you okay?” Aether ran over to Ei, took Makoto in his arms and brought his face close to his wife's to make sure she was okay.
“Yes… I’m just… SO HAPPY! THANK YOU SO MUCH TO BOTH OF YOU!” Ei jumped in to the arms of her husband to hug him and her daughter. It had been so long since the last time she had celebrated her birthday. Aether had insisted many times to celebrate it, but Ei had never been enthusiastic about the idea, it brought back many painful memories of the past. But now? after seeing the enthusiastic face of her daughter and her husband, and even a little in Yae's? She believed that it was time to turn the page, to create new memories, with her husband, her daughter and her familiar.
“My my… what a beautiful family moment, but what do you say if we start eating the food that me and Aether worked so hard to cook?”
“Ah! The food! Come on mum! Lets go!”
“Yes yes Makoto, I’m going!”
*A few hours later*
Ei and Aether were sitting on the stairs under the sakura tree, she with her head resting on his shoulder.
“Aether… thank you so much, you can't imagine how much fun I had today. I know that in the past I told you that I don't like to celebrate my birthday... but what do you think if we start doing it?”
“Of course, Ei, I would love to celebrate it in the coming years and create new memories as a family”
“Thank you so much Aether, I love you”
“I love you too, Ei”
The pair looked out into the courtyard where Makoto was playing with a little pink fox, chasing her around the Shrine's courtyard, as the sun settled behind them, none of the four present can know what will happen in the future, but they know that if the four face it together, nothing can stop them.