Mamoru watched as Usagi threw her hands up in exasperation and grumbled under her breath.

  “Chibiusa…”

  He put the bags down and laughed. Usagi turned toward him with a glimmer of annoyance in her eyes. He marveled at how beautiful she was, even when she was angry.

  “What’s so funny?”

  He shook his head.

  “You two. I’m glad you are getting on so well.”

  Usagi turned her attention back to the plates of food she and Chibiusa had prepared. One at a time, she carried them to the kitchen table.

  “You call this ‘getting on well’? The girl is a menace.”

  Mamoru came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Sometimes she had no idea how amazing she was.

  “You’re doing a great job with her.”

  Usagi turned to face him.

  “No, I’m not. She’s obviously not that close with her mother. She prefers her father. Even in the future, it looks like I’m not good at this.”

  Mamoru looked into her eyes.

  “I don’t believe that for a second.”

  She squirmed under his gaze. He could tell this was still a sore subject for her. She wasn’t ready to discuss motherhood. He changed the subject.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “How did things go with the others at Crown?”

  Usagi sighed. She gathered glasses and poured water into each.

  “Our powers did not return when we touched the Lunar Blade. If I’m being honest, I was afraid that they would.”

  Mamoru joined her in the kitchen and gathered forks and napkins.

  “How so?”

  She placed the glasses on the table.

  “What if I reawaken my powers and she reawakens, too? You heard what Chibiusa claims happened in the future. You might be…” Usagi hesitated. “Can you imagine how Princess Serenity would react to the news?”

  Mamoru stopped Usagi from dashing around the kitchen. They locked eyes and he could see the tears forming in hers.

  “If I am already dead in the future, then it’s a done deal. You still have to reawaken your powers. Without them, the world will almost certainly end in destruction.”

  Chibiusa sauntered back into the kitchen.

  “Oh, God, you’re not gonna kiss, are you?”

  Mamoru watched as Usagi’s eyes turned up toward the heavens. He could almost hear her silently ask for a higher power to give her strength.

  “Just sit down and eat your curry rice, Chibiusa.”

  The three of them sat down together at the table. Chibiusa eyed the food with suspicion. Usagi seemed skeptical herself.

  Mamoru grinned. The thing he admired most about Usagi was that she refused to give up. As long as she kept cooking, he would keep trying her food.

  He gathered a generous helping of curry rice onto his fork and placed it in his mouth. Chibiusa and Usagi leaned forward and eyed him with curiosity.

  His eyes widened. This…this was a surprise.

  “It’s good.”

  Chibiusa frowned.

  “What? That’s impossible.”

  She shoveled some food into her mouth as well.

  “No way! It’s good!” She tried another bite. “I’ve tried my mother’s cooking all of my life. It never tasted good!”

  Chibiusa ate like she had been on the brink of starvation. Usagi grinned.

  “Well, did you ever help her out in the kitchen?”

  Chibiusa stopped shoveling food into her mouth for a moment and looked at her future mother in surprise. A bit of curry and rice hung from the corner of her mouth.

  “Now that you mention it…no…”

  Mamoru looked from Usagi to Chibiusa and smiled. One day, in the future, he may already be dead, but here and now, his heart was full.

  Then there was a knock on the door. Everything was about to change.