❝she's 45❞

"hey mama, sato and I will be home tomorrow okay? we're sorry, but duty calls and there's just this very difficult curse right now", ryō stated.

"yeah yeah, take your time. stay safe and don't be too rash. love you", marri replied.

"we love you too! bye", ryō said as marri hung up the phone, sighing as megumi placed a cup of tea in front of his wife.

"the twins are boggled down by work?"

"yep", the woman shortly replied.

"well we can still celebrate your birthday...just us two", megumi smiled, taking out a wrapped present from his pocket as marri shook her head.

"you never fail to remember to get me a present, huh? no matter how old I get?"

"how old we get", megumi corrected. "and you don't seem like you've aged a bit, for a forty-five year old woman".

"ugh, don't remind me", marri whined, making megumi chuckle as he handed the gift to the woman.

marri ripped apart the wrapping paper as she opened the box, chuckling as she covered her eyes.

"oh my goodness...did you seriously get me a curse hair clip?"

megumi smiled, taking the clip out as he helped clip it into marri's hair.

"I thought you liked curses".

"when I was like four", marri laughed, appreciating the gift nevertheless.

"my wife's never too old to obsess over curses. after all, they have toned down quite a lot after your rise in fame, along with you and sukuna's binding vow", megumi stated, kissing the top of marri's forehead as the white-haired woman sighed.

"yet work never seems to end. I have a mission overseas next week, and god knows I wish to retire already", marri complained.

megumi lifted up his pointer finger, signaling for the woman to wait for him.

marri curiously waited as she watched megumi disappear into their bedroom.

the two had switched to a smaller — one-story house — once their sons had moved out, as they appreciated not having to clean as much and it was quite cozy.

megumi swiftly exited out the room in a black button up and matching pants, smiling as he bowed before marri, extending his hand out for her to take.

the man also pressed a button on a remote, which started playing a slow song, making marri chuckle.

"may I have this dance, ms. gojō?"

"yes you may, mr. fishiguro", marri teased, making megumi crack an even wider smile as his hand wrapped around marri's waist, meanwhile his other hand held tightly onto herd.

the two walked around their petite abode, through the kitchen and into their living room; from their bedroom to their dining room.

marri's mellifluous laughter rang throughout their comfortable house as megumi's eyes shined with absolute adoration.

he loves her so much.

marri suddenly stopped, making megumi confused as the woman turned her head towards the front door.

"my darling, I think we have company", marri stated, as she went to go open the door, making the people outside flinch as their surprise was completely ruined.

"ugh, mama!! how do you always know?!", ryō whined, physically sagging as him and sato each carried presents, meanwhile sukuna held the cake, with jōgo, hanami, inu, mahito, and the death painting brothers behind the twins.

"mother's intuition", marri winked, inviting the guests in as megumi already had his special tea set prepared.

indeed, throughout the years, megumi had started collecting tea sets as a hobby, finding each and every single one unique and beautiful in their way.

"well can you stop it? you just ruined your own surprise", ryō grumbled, to which marri just shrugged.

"get better at surprising your mother then", marri snapped, to which sukuna and mahito chuckled, as they never got sick of the woman's roasts.

"if there's anything you two should inherit, it's your mother's sass, not technique", mahito joked, taking a seat beside jōgo and hanami as he sipped the jasmine tea.

"we tried, but no matter what, we can never out-sass her highness", sato replied, to which marri just rolled her eyes, as she will forever be referred to as a princess.

"shouldn't she be her majesty, since she upgraded after giving birth to you two?", jōgo asked, making the twins snort.

"no, we're her highness's peasants, butlers, if you will", ryō answered, making the curses chuckle.

"oh stop it", marri sighed, taking a seat at the center, as sukuna easily lit the candles with a snap of his fingers.

sato then turned off the lights as the curses, megumi, and the others started singing — actually quite well, considering they've done this for many, many years.

"happy birthday to you~"

"MAKE A WISH!", ryō hastily chimed in before marri blew out the candles.

marri closed her eyes as she clapped her hands together, blowing out the candles once she finished making her wish.

sato then proceeded to turn on the lights as everyone clapped, waiting for a piece of cake as marri had cut it equally.

"say, mama, what'd you wish for?", ryō asked, nudging the woman as she slapped his hand away.

"don't make me drop the cake, and if I told you, it wouldn't come true", marri replied, to which ryō huffed as he crossed his arms.

"has your wishes ever came true?"

"hm?"

"like you know...when you were younger. did your wishes come true?", sato asked.

"I bet mama wished for more curses. mr. s'kuna and them probably bored her with how often they saw each other", ryō insulted, to which sukuna had clicked his tongue as he pointed his finger at the white-haired male.

"watch yourself, gojō. you're on thin fucking ice!"

"I actually didn't. I enjoyed spending my time with them", marri defended, to which mahito had fake sniffled.

"ugh, marri-chan, you were always my favorite human!"

"and sadly...my wishes didn't come true, because I birthed two brats".

sato and ryō loudly gasped, putting their hands against their chest.

"THE AUDACITY!", they shouted at the same time.