49. "If being clumsy was a currency, we all would be billionaires."
When you are a clumsy person and currently seven months into your pregnancy and have got three protective men in your family, life isn't exactly all rainbows.
As if her husband chiding her all day wasn't enough, now Tohru Sohma has got her two sons adding to that misery.
Especially when it's the end of the month family cleaning day (Tohru's favorite day of the month) when everyone thoroughly cleans every nook and corner of the house. Although... right now, Tohru is being excluded from her own invented day.
"Mom, what are you doing?" Hajime exclaims and snatches the duster out of Tohru's hand. He just finished wiping down all the windows in the house.
Tohru puts a hand on her hip and looks down at her eight-year-old son in annoyance. "Hajime-kun, I can do this much at least."
"I know, Mom. But we can handle this. It's just dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, and etcetera," Hajime says as if it's easy to complete the aforementioned tasks in a house with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, two hallways, one living room, and a big kitchen. "You don't have to do anything. Even Kazu is helping."
"Yes, I can even clean the bathrooms!" Kazuya jumps in from the open sliding glass doors of the engawa, and Tohru wants to bang her head on the wall for having another offender.
"No! I'll clean the bathrooms. You can take care of the dusting," Hajime protests.
"No, I don't want to dust! I'm too short to reach anything!" the four-year-old argues.
Most people's kids fight over toys. Why are Tohru's ones fighting over chores?
"Then do the sweeping!"
"No, I want to use the vacuum cleaner!"
"Dad said he will do the vacuuming. He will kill us if we damage this new vacuum cleaner!"
Last week, when Kazuya tried using the vacuum cleaner on his own, he screwed up, and his elder brother somehow managed to make it worse. After that, they neatly put it back in the stairs closet. Only to have Kyo find it in pieces when he was about to do the daily vacuuming, and he immediately knew whose handiwork it was. So much for thinking their parents will never figure out the culprit. It could have been a burglar for all they knew!
"We won't damage it this time! I properly saw Daddy use it last time!" Kazuya reasons.
"Still, you can't do it—"
"I know how to make it work. How about you guys let me do it then?" Tohru chimes in.
"No!" Both of her son's react explosively, and Tohru withers.
Kazuya runs to her and grabs her wrists before pulling her towards the couch with all of his strength. He forces her to sit on the couch and says, "Mommy, you should stay still. Baby sis needs her rest!"
Usually, Tohru's heart would melt at how caring Kazuya is already at his age, but right now, it's only annoyance that is piling.
"Exactly! You should rest, and we can take care of the cleaning," Hajime adds, taking over the dusting she had been doing.
"Kazu!" Kyo hollers, and all three of them turn to look at a fuming Kyo standing in the snow-covered front lawn with a shovel in his hand. "I told you to bring me a muffler from your mom, not idly chat with her. I'm freezing out here, you know."
Kazuya shoots his dad a sheepish look and turns to his mom. "Mommy, Daddy needs a muffler!"
"What's the point of telling her now? I am already here." Kyo puts the shovel on the engawa and climbs up to go stomping inside to grab wherever his muffler is.
Hajime shakes his head in disbelief and starts chastising, "Seriously, Kazu? You fought with me to help Dad shovel only to leave him hanging, and you expect me to let you clean the bathrooms? For all we know, you will leave soap all over, then Mom will slip."
"I will not—" Tohru tries to protest but gets interrupted by Kazuya.
"Oh, no! I didn't think about that! Then Daddy should clean the bathrooms. He scrubs so hard, the tiles shine—"
"No way in hell. You guys took the bathroom cleaning rights, so leave me out of it," Kyo grumbles as he comes into the living room while wrapping his green muffler around his neck. "And who wants to help me shovel for real?"
"Me!" Hajime and Kazuya respond simultaneously.
Kyo sighs, knowing another fight is about to break out between the brothers. He doesn't know a single soul except his sons who are so eager to shovel snow out of their gate.
However, in one way, it's nice to have the extra support. He has seen his neighbor complaining about what a bum his teenage son is. In that case, or like in every case, his sons are a million times better. They even help keep their mom in bay.
"Since you both love shoveling so much, why don't you guys do it, and I'll monitor?"
The two pairs of similar brown eyes lit up. Hajime leaves the duster on top of the cabinet and runs to his room to grab his winter gear while Kazuya dashes towards the lawn outside.
Kyo sighs fondly at his sons' excitement. "Geez, I really have to get another shovel, don't you think so, Tohru?"
His wife glares at him in response.
Kyo arches an eyebrow in confusion. "What's up with you? You look like you wanna throw the cushion at my face—" He's cut off by a cushion actually hitting his face. "What was that for?" he mumbles with a frown as the cushion drops on the floor from his face.
Tohru smiles in satisfaction and says, "Nothing. I just felt like it."
Kyo shakes his head and bends down to pick up the cushion. "Pregnancy hormones are weird," he mutters under his breath.
"Hey, Kyo-kun, since you guys won't let me help with shoveling, can I watch you guys?" she asks, upbeat.
"Nah. It's slippery outside." He puts the cushion back on the couch beside her.
Tohru controls her urge to bump his head with hers and says, "I can remain seated if you want."
He raises an amused eyebrow. "You that bored?"
"All thanks to my dear family," she says sarcastically.
"Aren't you sweet," he replies in the same tone as her and gives her a peck. "Okay, c'mon, I'll bring out the folding chair so you can sit. But let me hold your hand when you step out, alright?"
She nods with a real smile.
•••••
"Mommy, Daddy, why do we need to remove the snow?" Kazuya asks, sitting on Tohru's lap, already burned out from only five minutes of actual shoveling, not just playing with the snow.
"Because the car isn't gonna fly out of the garage, stupid," Hajime snarks.
"Hajime," Kyo calls out sternly. "Is it good to call someone stupid?"
"No... Sorry, Kazu," Hajime mumbles sincerely, looking down guiltily at the ceramic pavement he just cleared out.
"Kazu-kun, what should you say now?" Tohru prompts.
