413 Baby talk

Jos hummed happily as she balanced Shiori on one hip. "What all should we get?" She tugged a stuffed animal down from the shelf and held it out for Shiori. "Do you like it?"

"Mah." The baby grunted as she took the toy with interest.

Jos giggled. "That's a yes for sure, right?"

Arei ran his hand across the back of his neck as he read over the list Shelly made them write. "I'm not sure if we're actually going to need half the things she put on here."

Jos leaned against him. "Let me see." She stroked Shiori's head as she leaned the child against Arei's chest. "Well, I suppose the Embassy would have a crib or something for the guests… but we'll need one once we get home, right? Hecate did say the council will eventually agree…" Jos reached out for the paper with her free hand. "Here, let me see. Hum…" She read over it a few times before answering. "Well… we have to have clothes and diapers for her, food… that's a given… Shell said she should be able to eat baby food and regular milk."

"Well, that's good, because I'm not sure we'll be able to find fox milk easily." Arei answered with sarcasm as he idly patted Shiori's head. "I say we get a stroller and leave the rest of the big stuff for once we get home." He shook his head. "Dad will have to redo the nursery… I'm sure he'll love that."

Jos couldn't hide the giddiness from her voice. "Wouldn't it be great if it were big enough for her and the boys to stay in?! I'm sure she and Cam will become the best of friends!"

Arei paused for a moment. He reached out and lifted Shiori into his arms. He studied the markings of her tiny face as she chewed on the stuffed rabbit Jos had handed her. "I can't help but wonder… Do you think the prince Hecate mentioned is one of Shelly's boys… or one of Russ's future children?"

Jos shrugged as she rested her head against Arei's thick arm and stared at Shiori as well. "It couldn't be… Russ's children wouldn't be half-bloods, and Shelly's children would never be considered princes."

Arei blew out an uneasy breath. "I suppose you're right. I doubt Hecate would have mentioned it to us if there was any way for us to stop the encounter anyway. We'll just have to deal with it as we go."

Jos smiled lovingly up at him. "You seem to be accepting this more now."

He nodded as he tucked Shiori into the bend of one arm and wrapped the other arm around Jos. "I have, because it is something that will make you happy… and because I'm sure it will make me happy as well. I like the thought of 'our child' regardless of how the title is achieved… maybe more so this way since it will not cause you harm in the process." He bent and gave her a light kiss before moving his attention back to the shelf of baby things. He plucked a fluffy white blanket from the shelf. "What about this one? It matches her ears."

"And these…" Jos muttered as she lifted a pair of footie pajamas.

Arei arched a brow at the increasingly wet ear of the stuffed rabbit. "Should we grab her some teething toys too?"

"Definitely, and possibly another rabbit for when this poor little guy needs a break." Jos giggled again as she tossed several other outfits into the cart. Jos's eyes continued moving back to Arei and Shiori as they made their way through the store.

"What?"

Jos couldn't hide her smile. "You seem like such a natural… with small children, that is…"

Arei glanced down at the child lounging against his large arm. "Well, I have had some recent experience with Cam… when he can be wrestled away from dad…"

Jos laughed. "I'm actually surprised he didn't come with us."

Arei chuckled as he rolled his eyes. "He's probably already decorating a nursery at his palace and planning baby sleepovers for all his 'new grandchildren'." He blew out a wistful sigh. "I never could have imagined he would be this way… He was nothing like this when we were younger…"

Jos shrugged. "People change all the time."

"True…" Arei grabbed a jug of milk, careful not to disturb Shiori who seemed to be dozing off now. "I think that's the last of it. The rest you can order and have sent to the house once we know when we'll be released to return."

Jos nodded. "Do you think the council will wait three days before interviewing us, or do you think it will take three days for them to decide?"

Arei shrugged. "Hard to tell… All we can do is wait and see."

As the cab pulled up in front of the Embassy, Ry rushed out to meet them. "What were you two thinking?! Have you gone mad?! Peg said you've already submitted adoption papers!"

Arei arched a brow as he pushed past Ry to get to the trunk of the car. "We have. Here make yourself useful if you're going to be here nagging anyway." He handed Ry several bags as Jos worked a carrier out of the back seat, Shiori fast asleep inside it.

Ry's mouth dropped open. "You're serious about this…"

Arei glared at him as he straightened with his own arms loaded down with bags. "No Ry, we just decided to take a random child on a shopping spree in the middle of the night. What do you think?" He didn't waste time as he followed Jos through the Embassy doors.

"What about the others? Are you going to try adopting them as well?"

Arei frowned. "Shiori is our only concern… whether she picked Jos or Jos picked her… she will soon be our daughter and your niece. Now if you're done with the questions for the moment, why don't you see if you can have a crib, or something sent up to our room?"

Ry's mouth dropped further. "You've named her already?!"

Arei shrugged. "Well, Jos named her… But it's a pretty name, is it not?" Arei held up his hand before Ry could say anything else. "If you've already talked to Peg then you already know what Hecate said. Leave it for now, Ry."

Ry grunted reluctantly as he nodded in concession. "Fine… Is there anything else you need sent up while I'm at it?"

***

Ry shook his head as he stared down at the child sitting on his lap. "Why is she chewing on a dog toy?"

Jos giggled from the modest in-suite kitchen. "It's not a dog toy, it's a baby teething toy." She twisted the cap of the sippy-cup on tightly as she walked over to Ry and handed him the cup.

Ry arched his brow as he took the cup. "Just for the record, I probably have the least experience with children. Why am I the one feeding her?"

"If you don't want to, then get your sorry ass down here and help me with this crib." Arei grumbled from the spot he'd been sitting on the floor for well over an hour now. "They didn't have anything already assembled downstairs?"

Ry shrugged. "There was some kind of pin cage thing… but I figured considering how we found her, she probably would have freaked out in it."

"Mah!" Shiori called out as she tossed the teething toy to the side and reached out for the cup. "Mah! Mah!"

Jos giggled again at Ry's confusion as he stared down at the child in his lap. "She's hungry."

"Huh? Oh…" He finally remembered the cup Jos had handed him. "Do I hold it for her… or…"

A warm smile crested Jos's lips as she leaned over and took the cup and held it out to Shiori. She waited as the child's tiny hands clasped both handles before releasing it. "Judging by her size, I'd say she's plenty old enough to hold her own cups." Jos tilted her head pressing a thoughtful finger to the center of her chin. "She should be able to sit up and crawl… maybe ever stand and walk on her own as well as speak more words than she does."

"Maybe no one has taught her… or maybe she doesn't speak English. Peg said that she's most likely from Japan or Korea."

"Hum… I suppose you could be right." Jos got up and searched the living room for her cell phone. She was already typing something into it as she settled back down beside Ry.

"What are you doing?" Arei asked from the floor.

"I'm using a translation app. I figure the best way to figure out what language she speaks would be to say simple things from each until she recognizes one."

Arei nodded as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Sounds reasonable… maybe after you're done you can pull up a video on how to put this damn thing together."

Jos narrowed her eyes. "You realize you'll have to start watching your language as she begins to learn more English. I don't want our child's first words to be obscenities."

Ry busted out in laughter. "Well, you better find a new family quick! Cause that's all she's going to hear round this one!" His laughing eyes turned to Arei. "Didn't Shelly said Cam has already picked up a few?"

Arei frowned as he wiped his hand over his face. "Yeah…"

"Kon'nichiwa​, Shiori." When the child didn't seem to react, Jos moved her attention back to her phone. "Welp, not Japanese then… Let's try Korean next. Annyeonghaseyo."

Shiori tilted her small head and lowered the cup. "Annyeong!" Her lips curved into a toothy smile causing her eyes to squint.

Jos chuckled. "So, she's from Korea…" Jos turned her attention back to the phone for a few minutes, then lifted a hand to her chest and said. "Annyeong, naneun dangsinui sae ummaibnida."

Shiori tilted her head, her smile vanishing. "Eomma?" She shook her tiny head. "Eomma sarajyeossda."

Arei pushed up from the floor. "What did she say?"

Jos furrowed her brows. "I'm not sure."

"She said, 'mom gone'…" Ry replied quietly as his sad gaze locked on the child. "Eommaneun eodiro gasseulkka?"

Shiori grew sad as she lifted her teary eyes to meet his. "Pa s…"

"Far shore." Ry repeated. "Her mom is either dead or has returned to the shadow lands of the Yokai. It would be easier for a human to walk directly into Hades' office in the underworld than for a non-Yokai to find their way into the Far Shore."

Arei pushed himself up from the floor and brushed off his clothes. "Well, it seems like her communication skills are better than we'd expected. Could that mean she's older than we guessed?" He settled down on the edge of the coffee table in front of Jos and Ry. "Tell her Jos and I will take care of her now. We will be her new parents."

Ry lowered his soft gaze to the child. He gently brushed away her tears. "Urineun dangsinui saeroun gajogi doel geosipnida. Urineun jigeumbuteo dangsineul dolboll geosipnida." He moved his gaze slowly toward Jos and Arei. "Family." He took her tiny hand and pressed it to his cheek. "Samchon… Uncle." He nodded to Jos, who immediately took Shiori's hand. "Eomma… mommy." He nodded to Arei, who hesitated momentarily as he leaned forward and let the child touch his face as well. "Appa… Dad…"

Shiori stared back at them each one at a time in confusion. "Appa… Eomma… Sam-samchon…"

They all nodded in unison, causing Shiori's hesitation to fade. The small child seemed to brighten as she smiled back at them. "Gajok."

Tears threatened to overflow from Ry's eyes as he nodded. "Yes, gajok… family…"

Jos couldn't fight the happy tears that flooded her eyes as she held her arms out for the little girl. "Yes, Shiori! Yes, family! Gajok…"

Shiori happily crawled into Jos's arms and giggled in excitement as Jos squeezed her to her chest. Arei couldn't help but pull them both into his arms. His breath caught as a tiny hand cupped his cheek. "Appa…" She whispered before letting her hand move to Jos. "Eomma."

Ry suddenly pushed up from the sofa and made his way over to the door. "I'll let you guys get settled in. I'll see if I can't find something already put together downstairs for her to sleep in." He didn't turn back to face the room, instead, he simply lifted his hand in a half-hearted wave. He brushed away the tears streaming down his cheeks as he closed the door behind him. He rested his head against the closed door, his eyes squeezed tightly. "Please gods, let them get to keep her… please…"