Irreplaceable

Part 23 : Best day of the year

She felt warm lips on her cheek and she woke up to the darkness and her husband caressing her side.
- "Happy birthday, Perona." He whispered and littered her with soft kisses.
She tried wrapping her arms around him, but he chuckled and got out of her grasp.
-"Just a moment," he smiled and left the bed before coming back and softly putting Zoro on top off her chest. "I think he wants to congratulate you too."
- "My precious little prince? Thank you Zoro." She started to unbutton her shirt.
- "As usual leave everything to me. And I mean everything. No nappies or stupid things like that. Just the best he can offer for you. Today I'll bake you a cake and Moria said he would be over. You know for the-"
- "I know." She smiled. "For the best day of the year."

-----

Perona sighed.

Even if she had promised in her mind to start fully living, somehow she wasn't really feeling like starting it just yet. Making arrangements for the anniversary party was making her feel gloomy. She wasn't really feeling it even if everyone she had invited were encouraging of it.

Hancock and her family was invited too. Dragon had offered to barbecue there and Shanks had promised Mihawk he would film the thing. Shanks had a lot of memories of Mihawks son even if the two of them weren't that close. Perona felt bad she had not known earlier, she would have invited him at the wedding and the funeral, had she known, though Mihawk did say that Shanks didn't feel bad about it, but she would apologize anyway the next time she'd see him.

A year was closing in of her husbands death, but there was one thing even closer:
Her own birthday.

Any other year she would have advertised it and kept noise, but not this time. She didn't want to have it at all. It just meant she was ageing while he was frozen in time. She was older than him already and now...

She felt sick just thinking about her birthday. Last year they had excitedly just spend the whole day together and celebrated as usual. She hadn't even gotten a present from him, since they had decided to save money, just in case there was going to be a rainy day. Now most of what they had saved had gone into the funeral and bills. Her balance right now would be near zero had not Mihawk stepped into the picture.

She owned him so much.

Not money, that he had made sure for her to understand, but still she felt indebted to him. He had helped her financially, provided food and shelter, been there as emotional support. Yet through it all he didn't ask for anything back. Even to be supported back, he didn't ask for, but he definitely needed it. She wanted to somehow pay him back, but it felt impossible. Even though they had celebrated his and Zoros birthdays, she wasn't giving him the same opportunity. She felt bad about that too, but no amount of feeling bad would make her want to celebrate so she kept silent.

To avoid it, she tried keeping herself busy and the birthday might just fly past. No problem at all. Maybe Mihawk might ask later if they missed it, but she hoped he wouldn't notice. Right now today was just another day of hanging around the house with Zoro, tending to his needs, doing the chores, getting a little bit of time for herself, which she honestly didn't need as she would have just thought about her past birthdays and the happiness she had had. Why had she been so big on them in the past? Big parties, lots of advertising, OH WHY!? Just the memories were making it so hard this year.

- "Mommy." Zoro snapped her out of her thoughts.
- "So what's the best you can offer for me today?" She kneeled beside him as he was on his potty waiting for her to whipe.
-"Poopie." He said as he lifted his bottom a bit to let her do her job.
- "It smells like one, doesn't it? Smells like eww."
- "Eww."

His playful mimicking made her smile as she pulled some new diapers on him and then went to clean the potty as he look from the side sucking his thumb a little. She picked him up and put him on a stool by the sink. He held his hands out while she washed them for him.