Korra watched the children playing in the Temple courtyard. Some were already older, others still learning to walk, and in the midst of it all, boys and girls of various ages were coexisting there in that place, at that moment. Seated under the shade of a tree, with a broad view of that calm panorama, she wasn't the only one watching them run, jump and interact many adults were also keeping an eye on them, probably their parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins… It was beautiful and undeniable how much the Temple had grown, and finally, the Air Nomads were back, in full force, after so long. Aang would be proud.
It was impossible to look at the scene and not feel touched in some way. The truth was, for some time now, Korra had been feeling a desire to be a mother, and witnessing moments like that only furthered this new, recently emerged wish. Some of her friends had already been blessed with becoming parents; it was from then on that she began paying attention to that aspect of life and, at some point, started wanting to share it.
Years ago, if asked, she would have said she never intended to have children because it was true, in the past she never felt enchanted by the idea and could only imagine it as ill-advised, especially since as the Avatar, Korra feared for the safety of everyone around her, let alone a defenseless child. That, added to the fact that she lived in constant danger a reality that could cause her early death (however unintended) and the last thing she wanted was to leave a child orphaned and exposed to the world.
This, in fact, was enough to cause heated fights between her and Asami at one point. The fact was that the owner of Future Industries always insisted on being a mother, that it was a wish she had and that doing it with Korra would be more than perfect, but the other's reluctance never allowed it to happen. On more than one occasion, things had gotten ugly at the Sato Mansion because of this topic. Korra's fears were well known, but Asami also wanted to start her family, have her heirs, pass on her legacy, and finally have something important that had been denied to her so many times after all, she was the last of her line after successive tragedies.
In heated fights, words are rarely measured, and both sides ended up saying very harsh things that hurt each other. It took a lot of calm and humility to overcome all the problems stemming from those heightened moments, but fortunately, over the years, they had reached an understanding on the topic. The agreement between them, however tacit, was quite defined: the rule was that they wouldn't have children, since both needed to be in agreement for it to happen, and one party was vehemently against it and wouldn't budge. At least not until now.
She couldn't pinpoint the circumstance that gave her the epiphany of seeing the idea of motherhood with new eyes, but finally, Korra felt what Asami had told her many times on various occasions about the subject. She just didn't know if her wife would still be willing for such an adventure after so many hurdles, especially when she had firmly refused anything like it years before.
She needed to be prepared for a "no," but she would try her luck. Maybe Asami still had that desire buried within her and would be happy about her wife's change of perspective. She hoped that was the case, but now she had another issue to think about: what approach to use. Well, at least she had a few more hours to think about it and then talk to her beloved. Meanwhile, she would keep herself entertained watching the children play in the courtyard ahead while enjoying the cool, gentle shade of the leafy tree.
Asami stood in front of the huge window in her room, on the second floor of the Sato Mansion. She held a book she had just taken from the shelf beside her, which she would start reading soon, but she held back to observe the landscape. She couldn't remember seeing her garden so beautiful in a long time. The tall trees flowering in spring, the colorful, well-pruned bushes, the flowers in beautifully adorned pots, the fountain spouting beautifully clear water, the whole environment so well cared for… The property had gained a new tone, a livelier, more vibrant and cheerful configuration exactly the way her mother liked it.
She smiled remembering her. It was true they hadn't spent much time together, as Asami's mother died when her daughter was still very young, but she still had an immense affection for her and kept everything she remembered about her mother with unconditional love in her heart. If she were still alive, she would certainly be proud of how the mansion was being cared for at that moment.
Then, Asami heard the bedroom door open. She didn't even bother to turn and see who it was, because the characteristic sound of footsteps on the floor already gave away who it was; as if that weren't enough, the faint reflection in the lit window showed the obvious: Korra.
The Avatar noticed her wife seemingly distracted, so she changed her posture to something more stealthy, in order to surprise her a fact that amused Asami when she realized her beloved's real intentions at that moment. She waited for her to approach to try and surprise her, reversing their positions, but as soon as Korra noticed she had been spotted in the reflection, she stopped instantly, frustrated.
– Hey! That's not fair! You can see me!
– On the contrary. Seeing you is the best thing there is for me. – She was still watching her through the window and saw the other's face blush a little.
– A cheap pickup line right at the start of the conversation, Asami?
– You're scoffing, but I'm sure you liked it.
– Yes, you're right. – She conceded. – It's amazing how we don't need to try as hard anymore after a while to please the ones we like, isn't it? – She approached her and hugged her from behind.
– Yes. I think you're the only one who would fall for my pickup lines lately, because they've gotten very lazy. You spoiled me, because any compliment I give you is so well received that my creativity has gotten rusty. I promise to try harder from now on.
– Well, I'm very happy to know that your flirting skills are such that they only work on me now. It makes me less worried.
– About what? You had nothing to worry about before. – She replied in good humor.
– Yeah, you're right. – She tried to rest her chin on Asami's shoulder, but their height difference didn't allow it. – Love, can you lower yourself a bit? Just so I can do a little thing real quick.
She complied by bending her knees, allowing Korra's intention to be realized. As soon as she lowered herself, she felt her wife's chin on her right shoulder.
– There, now it's better. – Tonraq's daughter commented, eliciting a long laugh from the heiress of Future Industries. – So? How was the day of the most beautiful woman in the world?
– Well, that's an interesting point to know, really. Just let me redirect the question to the right person. – She looked directly at the Avatar through the glass reflection. – How was your day?
– Are you calling me beautiful for real or is it just a hallucination?
– I am, the most beautiful on the planet. I used your cue for that… Yeah, my flirting really is lazy. – She admitted with some regret.
– I think it's charming. And it's still very effective, for sure. – She smiled. – But back to your question, my day was calm: I spent the whole morning at City Hall helping organize the Republic City founding celebration events, even though we haven't decided on all the agenda items, at least most are underway; after that, I went with Tenzin to the Temple and helped him sort some things out there; I had lunch with him and his family; after that, I lazed around for a long time in the Air Nomads' social courtyard, watching their interactions under the shade of a gigantic tree.
– Oh, at least that last part seemed more peaceful, a well-deserved rest after a full day.
– More than peaceful, love. It was very enlightening. In fact… – She lifted her head from her beloved's shoulder, which made Asami turn and face her wife for the first time in the conversation. – …I thought a lot, and I have something to say, but first…
She handed Asami a gift box adorned with bright colors and a beautiful ribbon bow tying the lid to the body of the object. Not quite understanding the reason for the surprise, the industrialist just took the box while murmuring a thank you, completely impressed by the gesture.
Upon opening it, Asami found something quite unusual. She had no idea what the gift was about, but not even in her wildest guesses would she have guessed it would be that. More than surprising, it was confusing; inside the box were newspaper clippings about some new kind of assisted reproduction treatment, others about topics related to child adoption, information about orphanages, public and judicial encouragement of adoption, the number of orphaned boys and girls available and eager to belong to a family, scientific advances in terms of fertilization, and various other clippings on related themes.
– Korra, what is this? – She alternated between the pieces of paper she was reading, still confused by it all.
– Well, remember when we used to argue about motherhood? I kind of admit you were right. Back then I might not have agreed with you, but today I understand your point and admit it makes sense.
– So you're saying that…
– I changed my mind about having children and agree with the idea, if you still want to go through with it. I know it seems sudden, but believe me when I say it's not; I've been thinking about this for a while and only now managed to formulate something decent to express. I researched the possibilities thoroughly – everything I found is in this box. And those sad, pointless fights we had a long time ago about this, please forget them, I was wrong.
– Love… I don't even know what to say…
– I know your dream was to start a family, after all you lost yours very early… I always thought I was enough, but I understand you want to expand the size of our family core. Before, I didn't agree with it, but today I have a different opinion, especially after spending time with those children. I know about the costs and the responsibility, but unlike before, now I'm willing to take on everything that comes with having a son or daughter.
– Korra, thank you so much! – She hugged her wife. – I don't even know what to say… I know we had disagreements because of this, strong and heated fights even… I had given up on anything like it precisely because I know it doesn't just involve me, and if you weren't on board, I couldn't go through with it. I confess I had already given up on the idea and resigned myself to our current situation. But not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine the situation could be reversed and that we could think about being mothers. Thank you so much!
– I'm the one who should thank you, love. Thank you for the patience and understanding all this time. Now, the question remains: are you still interested in having children with me?
– Of course! You don't even have to ask! – She looked into her eyes to finish. – But how do you prefer to do it? Here we have several suggestions, I just don't know which one you intend to choose.
– Asami, honestly, I don't mind. I just listed the possibilities so we could see that there are many forms, ways, and diverse options for us to achieve this goal. However this child comes to us, they will be welcome and equally loved by a pair of very doting mothers, right?
– You make me completely lovestruck like this. – She smiled, genuinely happy with the answer obtained. That beautiful smile Korra liked so much and had fallen head over heels for.
– I'm happy to hear that and to see you happy. I live for that. – She sighed. – I'm sure you'll be an excellent mother, my love.
– Just like you. We'll be great, even if it's all very new and we're complete novices on the subject, we'll handle it easily, you can bet on it; especially because we're together, and whenever that happens, things work out.
Having said that, Korra simply closed the distance between them with a passionate kiss.
Even with all the optimism about the imminence of motherhood, they were still scared by the novelty, but nothing could surpass the joy of the moment. Imagining little children running all over that luxurious, giant mansion was invigorating. Soon they could count on that accomplished fact, even though the details weren't completely settled yet. But that's a problem for later in that situation, all they wanted and needed was the already established certainty that children were on the way.
The rest works itself out with time.