Movie Night

Carefully Yuki placed the forks next to the plates. Afterwards she backed away to admire her work with a satisfied smile.

A delicate looking plate with six sorts of different cheese accompanied by fruit bread, walnuts and grapes was in front of her. Next to it stood a bowl of duck salad and in the kitchen waited a tablet with lemon tarts.

Her smile grew a little.

She had done a good job.

“Well, I am done over here.” She loudly announced and turned around. “And you?”

Zenji’s gaze remained attached to his laptop. He was eagerly typing something with such a huge amount of speed that one could easily think he was trying to win a championship for fast typing or something. “I am nearly done, my dear. Just give me a few more minutes.” He assured her.

She let out a little groan but nodded and let herself fall on the couch afterwards. To make use of her time she reached for the remote and started to browse Netflix in search for a movie they could watch.

She had just decided for one as she finally heard the sound of a laptop being closed. And within a second Zenji was standing in front of the little table looking over her work with anticipation.

“Well this certainly looks good.” He praised while adjusting his glasses. “Thanks.” Yuki replied and grinned at him. “One of the cheese was made by me by the way. Oh and there are also lemon tarts in the kitchen.”

Zenji hummed in response and sat down next to her. “I can’t wait to try. Uhm, but before we eat, what movie did you pick?”

She pointed to the TV, which was already showcasing a picture of the movie along with it’s title and it’s description. “Terminator.”

Zenji blinked in surprise and he repeated. “…Terminator?” Yuki only tilted her head. “Hm? You have a problem with that?” “No, not at all.” Zenji quickly stated. “I am just surprised. I thought you’d like to watch something more romantic with this kind of atmosphere.” He was probably referring to the candles that were the only source of light in the room, making it dim but cozy. “But Terminator is totally fine by me.”

A cheeky grin spread on Yuki’s face. “Oh well, if you’d rather watch Dirty Dancing…” “I said, Terminator is fine by me.”

Yuki couldn’t help but to laugh about that fast interjection of his. “Alright, alright then. To be perfectly honest I am really in the mood for action right now.”

Zenji had his eyes on the plate again and said. “Then everything is perfect isn’t it?”

She nodded. “Yep.” And reached for the remote once again to turn on the film. But before she could push any of the buttons, a shrill scream suddenly filled the entire house, utterly destroying the peaceful atmosphere.

Immediately Yuki and Zenji exchanged a look with widened eyes. One second later both were on their feet and sprinting up the stairs to get to the source of the screaming.

The source sat in a little children’s bed, surrounded by tons of stuffed animals that were all a gift from Yuki. Right next to an oversized cat plush was a shivering little girl at the age of four. Her head was resting on her knees around which she had wrapped her arms. She only looked up as her parents entered the room and simultaneously called out her name: “Chieko!”

Tears were running down Chieko’s cheek and she heavily sniveled as she answered her parents call. “…M…Mommy? …D…Daddy?”

Her father was immediately beside her, while Yuki turned on the lights of the room. “What happened?” Zenji asked worriedly.

New tears build up in Chieko’s eyes and she cried out. “I had a bad dream! A monster was chasing me! It looked hideous!” She buried her face into Zenji’s shirt. He put his arms around her and pulled her close. His left hand began to rub her back in an attempt to calm the little girl down.

Yuki sat down next to him. She leaned forward to rest her head on his shoulder and to have a better look on Chieko. “Oh, Dearie.”

As Chieko looked up at her and their eyes locked, Yuki tried to give an encouraging smile. “It’s over now. We’re both here and nothing can happen to you.”

“But…But…” Chieko stammered. “As soon as I will go back to sleep, it will be back again.” Her voice shifted into an even more high-pitched tone than her usual voice already was as she bawled. “And I don’t want to be Monster Food!”

“You’re not going to be Monster Food.” Yuki assured, while Zenji added. “Chieko, sweetheart, it was just a dream.”

All they got as response were the muffled cries of Chieko, who had hid her face in Zenji’s shirt again.

Yuki backed away from Zenji’s shoulder so that she could look at her husband.

“We can’t leave her like that.” She silently said.

“I know, I know.” He replied in the same silent voice.

And so Yuki sighed. “Alright Sweetie, this is a huge exception but you can stay awake a little longer today than usual. Surely the monster will get bored then and disappear by itself.”

Chieko looked at her again and unsurely mumbled. “…Really?” Her mother grinned. “For sure.”

In the end they hadn’t watched Terminator but Disney’s Aristocats instead.

First Chieko still wore that miserable expression and unsurely looked out in search for the monster.

But the adorable Shenanigans of the animated kittens, the safety of sitting right in-between her parents as well as Yuki’s delicious snacks managed to bring a smile back on her face.

At the very latest as “Everybody wants to be a cat” came up her cheerfulness had completely returned and she was happily clapping along the song.

The ‘monster’ was not on her mind anymore.

And so she had no trouble to fall asleep as her parents finally brought her to bed. She had not been able to keep her eyes open anymore at the last showdown of the movie and they had promised her that they would watch the ending tomorrow.

Softly Zenji closed the door behind him as Chieko had left off to slumberland.

Yuki had waited for him in the hallway and greeted him with a wide smile.

“Well, in the end we did watch a more romantic movie didn’t we?”

Zenji chuckled. “I guess, you’re right. Thomas O’ Malley’s and Duchess’ romance was truly really intriguing, especially since it’s the sixtieth time that I saw it.”

Yuki laughed, before casting a loving gaze to the door of the children’s room. “Well, but at least our little girl is happy again.”

She then linked arms with her husband and they moved downstairs.