[FFML] [fanfic][Yotsuba&!] Yotsuba & Mommy

[Mythril Moth]

NOTES:

I recall saying I would not post this until it was "complete".

Complete can mean a number of things.

There's a lot more of this story than what I'm about to post. A good bit has 
been written, a great deal more has yet to be.

However, while proofreading, I decided that this much of the story is 
functionally "complete" enough to post.

So...I'm not technically done with this yet, but for the time being, we have 
a story that's decent enough as it stands.

So...............

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YOTSUBA & MOMMY

by Mythril Moth

based on Yotsuba&! by

Azuma Kiyohiko

Used without permission

Not for sale or profit

------------------------------------

Early fall brought a tranquil, muted quality to life in a small but thriving 
and lively town in Japan. The sedate pace of life suited Ayase Fuuka just 
fine.

Seventeen years old and in her final year of high school, Fuuka was the 
middle of three daughters, and widely regarded as the most mature and 
responsible member of her entire family. Such praise embarassed her, of 
course; she didn't consider herself to be anything more than simply a girl 
who took care of things that needed doing, trying to encourage others to do 
the same, and generally trying to keep a level head.

Not always an easy prospect, that, especially since the Koiwai family had 
moved in next door.

The previous summer had brought a certain element of zany chaos into Fuuka's 
daily life, largely in the form of a strange, energetic little girl named 
Yotsuba. Curious about everything, reckless and impulsive, and with a 
tendency to blurt out whatever was on her mind, Yotsuba was childhood 
distilled, a 180-proof vintage of the chaos of youth. Every new day and 
every new thing was an adventure where Koiwai Yotsuba was concerned--and 
apparently very little had existed on the island "to the left" where the 
little girl lived previously, because it seemed like everything under the 
sun was brand spanking new to the green-haired girl.

Along with the boundless ball of childish energy, other unique personalities 
had surfaced: Yotsuba's adopted father, a stringy-haired bachelor in his 
late twenties who worked from home and was such a disorganized slob he often 
neglected to wear pants around the house; the spiteful freeloader Yanda; and 
last but certainly not least, the ponderous and improbable tower of a man, 
"Jumbo", who was gentle and light-hearted in defiance of his imposing 210cm 
height.

As chaotic and strange as life had been since the Koiwai family and friends 
became part of the daily routine, Fuuka wouldn't change a minute of it 
(well, maybe SOME minutes of it...), as she had developed deep bonds of 
friendship with Yotsuba, her slacker father, and Jumbo.

Sunset on a blustery day found Fuuka patiently watching over Yotsuba as the 
child rode her bike up and down the sidewalk; it was the first time she had 
gotten on the bicycle since her father removed the training wheels. 
Occasionally she had to admonish Yotsuba not to pedal off too far, but apart 
from that, she was simply enjoying the sunset and the cool wind. It would be 
winter all too soon, freezing and wet; even Yotsuba would succumb to the 
bitter weather of the season, if only by being slightly less energetic.

The sun had now fully set, casting the neighborhood in dim twilight. 
"Yotsuba-chan!" Fuuka called. "It's time to go inside now."

Yotsuba obediently pedalled to a stop next to Fuuka, dismounting her bike 
and walking it through the gate. "Did you have fun?" Fuuka asked.

"Yeah!" Yotsuba cheered.

"I'm glad," Fuuka replied with a smile. "I'm sure your daddy has supper 
ready."

"YAY!" Yotsuba bounded through the door enthusiastically; Fuuka laughed and 
started to head for the gate to go home.

"Fuuka-chan," Koiwai's voice called from the door. She turned to see the 
stringy head poking out. "Would you mind joining us for dinner this 
evening?"

"Eh?" Fuuka blinked. "Ah...sure," she agreed, bowing. "Just a sec..." She 
pulled out her phone and dialled her own home number. "Mom? Koiwai-san wants 
me to stay and have dinner with them. Yes, I'm wasting minutes to tell you 
something I could've walked five steps to say to your face. Okay. I'll be 
home later, then." Putting away her phone, Fuuka headed into her neighbors' 
house.

Koiwai was not much of a cook, but he got by alright; spicy croquette and 
soba weren't terribly hard to make even for a slacker bachelor. During 
dinner, she listened to Yotsuba regale her father with tales of the day's 
adventures, and generally kept quiet, simply enjoying spending an evening 
with good friends she was thankful to have in her life.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize Koiwai had asked her 
something. "Ah...yes? Sorry..."

Koiwai rolled his eyes. "I asked how you think you're going to do on 
entrance exams," he repeated.

Fuuka pursed her lips in thought. "Probably okay, I hope," she said.

"What college are you going to shoot for?" Koiwai asked.

"I haven't really thought about it," the teen replied, faintly blushing; 
having said so was tantamount to admitting to having absolutely no plan for 
the future, given the harsh, competitive nature of the Japanese educational 
system.

"Hmm, I see," Koiwai said absently. "...Yotsuba, don't splash soup all 
over."

After dinner, Yotsuba had scampered off to the TV room to watch her favorite 
show, and Fuuka helped clean up the dishes. Once the cleaning was done, she 
bid her neighbors goodnight and headed for the door.

"Fuuka-chan," Koiwai said suddenly. "There's something important I want to 
talk to you about."

The teenager paused in stepping into her shoes, turning to face Koiwai. 
"Eh?"

Koiwai glanced in the direction of his daughter in another room, a toothpick 
wiggling and down in his mouth. "You know," he said, "raising Yotsuba isn't 
easy."

"I...I can imagine not," Fuuka said, blinking.

The stringy-haired man sighed. "I don't know how good a father I am to her, 
but I'm trying my best."

"You're...you're a good dad!" Fuuka exclaimed. "A great dad! Okay maybe 
you're a little irresponsible and kind of a slob, but--"

"Yeah, I know," Koiwai said. "But...I can't do everything. I'm barely 
managing as it is. And when she gets older..." He trailed off, pursing his 
lips, making the toothpick touch the tip of his nose. "There's stuff I can't 
help her with. I mean, stuff I don't know anything about, you know?"

"Y...yeah," Fuuka replied, reddening slightly.

"Yotsuba needs a mother," Koiwai said.

"I...think that's probably a good idea, yes," Fuuka replied, nodding and 
glancing in the same direction as Koiwai...

...except he was no longer facing that direction, and had taken the 
toothpick out of his mouth. "You've taken such good care of us, Fuuka-chan," 
he said suddenly. "I've never really thanked you for that."

"Ah...it's nothing, it's nothing!" Fuuka said, bowing and smiling 
sheepishly. "I mean, it's just, you know--"

"You're very mature and responsible. A lot more than I am."

Fuuka felt herself turning very red. "Th...thank you...umm..."

"I think you'd be the perfect mother for Yotsuba," Koiwai said.

Fuuka nearly fell over. "W-WHAT!?"

"I know it's sudden, but...I'd like you to be part of this family. To help 
me raise Yotsuba the right way."

The teenager felt all the color drain from her face. Her knees felt weak; 
her body felt heavy with shock. "You're not..." She swallowed. "Koiwai-san, 
are you--"

"Kotashi."

"--eh?"

"My name's Kotashi."

Fuuka blinked stupidly, then shook her head. "Kotashi-san...you're not..."

"Proposing to you? Yeah."

"...."

"You don't need to answer right now. I want you to take time to think about 
it." Koiwai paused. "I'm serious about this, Fuuka-chan. I'm not looking for 
a wife for me, I'm looking for a mother for her. And I think you're exactly 
the right fit."

"I..." Fuuka paused. "I don't know what to say..." Slowly, mechanically, she 
stepped backwards, nearly tripping over her own shoes as she slipped into 
them. "Umm..."

"Think it over. There's no rush."

"--o-okay." She bowed. "I...I'm off. I'll, um, see you later."

"G'nite, Fuuka-chan."

"Good night, Kotashi-san."

After closing the door behind her, Fuuka doubled over on the doorstep, 
gasping for breath; her heart hammered wildly in her chest. *What...what 
should I do?!*

* * * * * *

Mrs. Ayase was worried. Since returning home, Fuuka had hardly said a word, 
and instead simply sat down at the kitchen table, face buried in her hands, 
trembling.

"Fuuka-chan? What's wrong?"

Fuuka looked up at her mother's concerned face. "It's...it's nothing," she 
said unconvincingly.

"I see," Mrs. Ayase replied with a mild frown as she turned a page in her 
magazine, cheek resting against the palm of her other hand.

Fuuka hesitated. "It's just...something totally unexpected happened just 
now, and..." With a heavy sigh, she slumped over the table. "I don't know 
what to do about it."

"What happened?" her mother asked, looking up from her magazine.

"I was over next door, having dinner and listening to Yotsuba-chan tell her 
dad about her day," Fuuka began. "And I was about to leave, when 
Koiwai-san..."

"When Koiwai-san...?" Mrs. Ayase prompted, growing alarmed.

"kindaaskedmetomarryhim," Fuuka mumbled, head bowed and face red.

"...I'm sorry, what?"

Face even redder, Fuuka looked up. "He asked me to marry him," she said.

"...Koiwai-san...proposed?" Mrs. Ayase said, head tilting, jaw slack. "I...I 
didn't even know you two were..."

"We're not!" Fuuka cried, face red, waving her hands in denial. "It's 
not..." Fuuka tried to explain, pausing. "I mean, it's..." She stopped 
again. "It's about Yotsuba-chan," she decided at last.

"It's about Yotsuba-chan?" Her mother echoed, blinking.

"He wants Yotsuba-chan to have a mother," Fuuka explained. "And he thinks 
I'm the best choice."

Mrs. Ayase shook her head in disbelief. "What?!"

"He's worried about raising Yotsuba-chan by himself, and what's going to 
happen when she gets old enough to have...um...you know," she blushed. "So 
he really wants a mother for her, and he says I get along so well with both 
of them and I'm so responsible and mature that he thinks I'd be a good fit."

"So...he's looking for a live-in babysitter," Mrs. Ayase replied flatly.

"That's not it at all!" Fuuka replied frantically, shaking her head.

"But he's not looking for a wife," the older woman clarified. "He's looking 
for a mother for his child."

"Yeah."

"So he decides to ask someone who's still a child herself to marry him."

Fuuka looked down at the table, pushing the tips of her index fingers 
together. "Don't say it like that, Mom," she murmured. "You make it sound 
really bad."

Mrs. Ayase frowned. "It doesn't exactly sound *good*," she said.

"I...I can see where he's coming from," Fuuka said hesitantly. "And I'm 
flattered by it, really."

"But what about your plans for your future?" her mother asked. "I mean, he's 
asking a lot of you..."

"I don't...really have any plans," Fuuka admitted.

Mrs. Ayase blinked. "You don't?"

"No," Fuuka replied with a shake of her head. She laughed quietly. "That 
doesn't sound like me, does it? I'm always the one doing stuff that needs to 
be done and telling everyone else to do what they need to do, but I don't 
have any idea what I want to do with my life..."

"I didn't know that."

Fuuka sighed. "I just...I don't know what to do."

"Are you...actually considering going along with this? With marrying a man 
so much older than yourself, just to raise his child?"

The teenager was quiet for a long time. "I...I'm thinking about it," she 
admitted. "I mean really thinking about it."

"I see..." Worried, Mrs. Ayase stood, smoothing her skirt. "Just...be 
careful, Fuuka-chan."

"You're not going to say something like 'absolutely not' or 'you're 
forbidden to talk to that person ever again'?" Fuuka asked, somewhat 
surprised.

"Why should I?" Mrs. Ayase asked. "All he did was ask a question. A very 
strange question that's more than a little alarming, but...the way you 
explained it, I understand where he's coming from, and...you're old enough 
to handle situations like this for yourself," her mother replied. "I won't 
say I'm thrilled about this, but...I trust you to do what's right. Whatever 
that might be."

"Oh. Um...thank you." Fuuka paused. "Umm...please don't tell anyone about 
this yet. I'll...tell other people when I'm ready. If I'm ready."

"Sure thing," Mrs. Ayase drawled lazily as she picked up her magazine and 
went upstairs.

* * * * * *

Fuuka leaned against the armrest of the couch, staring in the direction of 
the television but not really seeing it. Asagi was reading a magazine on the 
other end of the couch, and Ena had spread out her homework on the living 
room table.

"Okay, that's the fifth time you've sighed in the last three minutes," Asagi 
suddenly said, looking at Fuuka. "You haven't been this spaced out since--" 
she paused, smirking. "Well, since you know when."

"Oneechan, that's mean," Ena said. She glanced at Fuuka. "But, 
Fuuka-oneechan, you DO seem kinda out of it. What's wrong?"

Fuuka sighed ("That's SIX!") and shook her head. "I'm just thinking about 
something, that's all," she said.

"In other words, you ARE having boy troubles," Asagi said in a mildly 
teasing tone.

Fuuka turned red. "It's...I wouldn't exactly call it boy troubles." She 
sighed again ("SEVEN!!") and turned away from the television.

Asagi raised an eyebrow. "Oh my. Interesting that you should suddenly point 
your head in THAT direction," she said.

"Eh?" Ena asked, glancing up. "What do you mean? What's over there?"

"NOTHING!" Fuuka yelped, forcing herself to look down at her own lap.

Asagi snickered. "I wondered when this was going to happen."

"When what was going to happen, Oneechan?" Ena asked.

"Oneechan, you don't even know what you're talking about," Fuuka groaned.

"Oh? I'm not talking about you and Koiwai-san?"

Ena's eyes bugged out.

"Not in the way you THINK you are," Fuuka said archly. She glanced at Asagi, 
frowning. "You've got some weird mental image, like a teenage crush on an 
older man, or some kind of kinky stuff, or something, right?"

Asagi tilted her head. "Well, those are all fairly interesting ideas," she 
admitted. "But no, I just think you and Koiwai-san look cute together, so 
I've been kind of hoping something interesting would happen."

Fuuka's face turned crimson. "The only thing going on between 
Kotashi-san..." she caught herself, and coughed. "Koiwai-san and me, is I 
have to decide what to do about something he asked me today."

"Oh? 'Kotashi-san' now, is it?" Asagi teased.

"Oneechan, you ARE having some kind of relationship with Yotsuba-chan's dad, 
aren't you?" Ena asked, gaping.

"It's not like that at all," Fuuka said tonelessly. "We're not in a 
relationship beyond friends." She sighed, staring down at her hands, which 
were folded in her lap. "Which is part of the problem."

Asagi blinked. "You're not in a relationship with Koiwai-san, who you are 
now apparently on a first-name basis with, and that's part of the 
*problem*?"

"She's got a big-time crush on him, Oneechan," Ena guessed. "Has to be. She 
WANTS to be with him! She's thinking of him by his first name!"

Fuuka turned very red. "Ena-chan, you are completely mistaken."

"So what IS the problem, then?" Asagi asked.

Fuuka didn't answer for some time. At length, she finally said, quietly, 
"The problem is, I have to decide whether or not to accept his marriage 
proposal."


The other girls stared at her.

"He...asked you to marry him?" Ena asked.

Asagi frowned. "Wait. Wait." She began ticking off points on her fingers. 
"So you claim you're not in any sort of relationship with him whatsoever, 
beyond friendship, despite suddenly being on a first-name basis with him, 
but all of a sudden he wants to marry you, and you're still trying to 
decide?"

"That about sums it up."

Ena blinked. "But...if you're not...then why does he want..." She tilted her 
head. "I'm completely confused here."

"I am too," Asagi said. "This doesn't make sense."

Fuuka sighed and tilted her head back. "It's not about him and me. It's 
about Yotsuba-chan needing a mother."

"Ahh!" Asagi exclaimed, nodding with a knowing grin. "I think I get it now. 
That's rather interesting. And typical of Koiwai-san."

Ena frowned. "Um...I still don't get it."

"Koiwai-san wants to get married so he'll have a woman in the house to help 
raise Yotsuba-chan," Asagi said. "But he's too lazy to go out and meet women 
his own age, so he just asked Fuuka since she's the most convenient choice."

"That's not it!" Fuuka exclaimed hotly. "It's not about him being lazy or me 
being convenient! He wants the right mother for Yotsuba-chan and he thinks 
I'm the best choice!"

"Really now?" Asagi asked. "Are you sure?"

"I'm absolutely sure," Fuuka said, looking away. "He wouldn't screw around 
about something this important to him. If he didn't really think I was the 
one, he wouldn't have asked."

"Well, you ARE always helping them out and stuff," Ena commented, tapping 
her pen against her cheek absently. "I mean, Yotsuba-chan spends lots of 
time with all of us, but you're the only one who spends a whole lot of time 
over there."

"Hmm, that's certainly true," Asagi agreed. She raised an eyebrow, smirking. 
"Could it be that part of why Fuuka spends so much time over there...is a 
secret desire to be near Koiwai-san?"

"NO! I've never...that kind of thing..."

"And yet look how easily you took to using his first name."

Fuuka slumped. "I don't need this right now," she complained. "I'm going to 
bed."

"Alone?"

Fuuka picked up one of Ena's textbooks and threw it at Asagi, then trudged 
upstairs.

"Mou," Ena complained, "you really shouldn't tease her like that, Oneechan. 
This is serious."

"I know," Asagi said, returning Ena's textbook to the table. "I just can't 
help myself. This is too weird not to have fun with."

* * * * * *

Fuuka lay in bed tossing and turning for hours, mind too busy examining her 
situation from dozens of angles to allow for rest. All too soon, morning 
came, and a bleary-eyed, listless Fuuka went through the motions of 
dressing, eating breakfast, and bicycling to school.

She managed to take several short naps during her morning classes without 
getting caught out by the teachers. At lunch, she was at least rested enough 
to face the rest of the day, but she was still pretty out of it.

"You okay, Fuuka?" Shimau asked. "You look a little wrung out."

Fuuka sighed. "I didn't get much sleep last night," she admitted. "I had a 
lot on my mind."

"I see."

Fuuka looked up at Shimau thoughtfully. "You've met Yotsuba-chan's father," 
she said.

"Yes, we all have, remember?" Shimau asked. "They both came to the culture 
festival, and we nearly had a disaster..."

"I remember, I remember," Fuuka said, blushing.

"A~re~re?" another girl chimed in. "Are you talking about Yotsuba-chan and 
her father?"

"We are," Shimau said.

"Is that handsome guy coming back or something?" she asked. "He was pretty 
cool."

Fuuka blinked. "Koiwai-san, handsome?" She giggled. "You have weird tastes."

"Huh?" the girl replied. "But don't you have the same tastes? I mean, aren't 
you with him--?"

"EHHH?!" another girl exclaimed. "Ayase-san is seeing Yotsuba-chan's dad?"

"She isn't, she isn't," Shimau said. "I thought that rumor already went 
away."

"What rumor?" Fuuka asked.

"Some of the girls in class mistook Yotsuba-chan's dad as your husband," 
Shimau told her.

Fuuka ducked her head. "Really..."

"Well, it's not like it's that strange," Shimau continued. "I mean, the 
three of you are a good fit."

"A good fit..." Fuuka echoed. She smiled. "Thanks for that, Shimau."

"Um...sure."

* * * * * *

That afternoon, Fuuka's mother sent her out to pick up a few things from the 
store. As she walked through town, she saw mothers with young children, new 
mothers pushing babies in strollers...everywhere she looked, there were 
reminders of the dilemma she faced.

She was so absorbed in her observations that she smacked right into Jumbo.

"Uaaah! It's Fuuka!" Jumbo exclaimed, voice loud and booming as usual.

"Ah! Jumbo-san! I'm so sorry!" Fuuka replied, bowing frantically. "I wasn't 
paying attention--"

"That's not like you, Fuuka-chan," Jumbo said, tilting his head. "Are you 
alright?"

"I've just got a lot on my mind," Fuuka replied. Pausing, she asked timidly, 
"Have...have you spoken to Kota--Koiwai-san recently?"

Jumbo tilted his head. "Not today, no. About what, exactly?"

"It's nothing, nothing!" Fuuka frantically answered, shaking her head. 
Bowing again, she added, "I've got to finish my shopping now. I'll see you 
later!"

"Ja na, Fuuka-chan!" Jumbo replied, waving, as the blushing teen hurried off 
down the sidewalk.

A few minutes later, Jumbo paused. *Did she almost say--?*

* * * * * *

It was nearly sunset when Fuuka finished her shopping. A few blocks from the 
store, she picked up sounds on the wind: several children laughing, and one 
child crying.

Yotsuba crying.

Alarmed, she followed the sound; a half a block or so from the store, a gang 
of big, stupid, mean boys--easily fourth or fifth graders--had trapped 
Yotsuba in an alley. They had taken her satchel from her and scattered the 
acorns she'd been collecting, and were playing keepaway with the satchel 
while loudly stomping and crushing Yotsuba's precious acorns she worked so 
hard to gather.

"STOP IT!" Yotsuba wailed. "MY ACORNS! STOP IT! GIMME BACK MY BAG!"

"Come get it, shrimp!"

"What a baby. And what's up with these stupid (*CRUNCH*) acorns? Why are you 
picking up stupid acorns? (*CRUNCH*) Are you a squirrel? You're stupid, 
stupid!"

"AM NOT! STOP!"

Setting aside her groceries, Fuuka approached the scene, cracking her 
knuckles. "KNOCK IT OFF, YOU BRATS!"

"FUUKA!" Yotsuba exclaimed, tears in her eyes. "HELP!"

The brats froze and looked up at the furious teenager. "Gk--!" one of them 
exclaimed.

"Give her back her bag, or I'll do to your balls what you're doing to those 
acorns," Fuuka growled.

The boys quickly tossed Yotsuba's bag at her feet and broke for it, running 
away in several directions.

As soon as they were gone, Fuuka sighed, closing her eyes, then turned to 
Yotsuba. "Are you okay, Yotsuba-chan?"

Yotsuba sniffled. "They busted my acorns," she grumbled.

"I know, Yotsuba-chan, and I'm sorry. I know how hard you worked to get 
those." Fuuka grabbed a handful of unbroken acorns and dropped them back 
into Yotsuba's bag, which she handed to the little girl. She began checking 
Yotsuba herself over for injuries. "Did they hurt you?"

"Nuh-uh, they just pushed me down, but I don't got no owies."

"That's a relief," Fuuka said. "I tell you what, Sunday you and me'll go to 
the park and spend all day looking for new acorns. That sound good?"

Yotsuba nodded, rubbing at her eyes.

"Wanna get some ice cream before we go home?" Fuuka asked, smiling.

Instantly, Yotsuba brightened. "Ice cream! Yay!"

Taking the young girl's hand, Fuuka led the way to the ice cream shoppe.

* * * * * *

Yotsuba forgot all about the grade school hooligans as soon as she had a 
yummy banana split in front of her and was making as much of a mess as 
possible while still actually eating most of the ice cream. Fuuka was 
delicately spooning her own parfait and watching the cheerful young child, 
thinking.

Around the time their ice cream was half gone, Fuuka asked, 
"Yotsuba-chan...you've never had a mommy, ne?"

"Nuh-uh," Yotsuba replied. "Just Daddy. Well, until we moved here, then I 
had a mommy next door--"

"That's..." Fuuka laughed. "Okay, but there's never been a mommy that lived 
with you and your daddy, right?"

"Nope," Yotsuba agreed. "Nobody lives with me and Daddy."

"Hmm," Fuuka commented, spooning ice cream. After a moment, she asked, "Ne, 
Yotsuba-chan...what if you *did* have a mommy? One that was *your* mommy, 
and lived with you and your daddy? Do you think you'd like that?"

Yotsuba blinked, tilting her head, and looked up curiously. "Heeh?" she 
asked.

"I mean, if it was you and your daddy and a new mommy. Would you like to 
have a new mommy? A mommy of your very own?"

The small girl seemed to give that some thought for a minute. Then, she 
asked, "A mommy would cook good food and play with me a lot and give me lots 
and lots of ice cream, right?"

"So-something like that," Fuuka said with a strained chuckle.

Yotsuba smiled broadly. "Then I'd like a mommy!" She paused, tilting her 
head, and pursed her lips cutely in thought. "But where'm I gonna get a 
mommy?"

Fuuka smiled at her. "Maybe you'll get one soon..."

"Today?" Yotsuba asked.

"Not that soon."

"Tomorrow?"

"Not *that* soon."

"Um...the tomorrow after tomorrow?"

Fuuka laughed weakly. "Yotsuba-chan..."

* * * * * *

"I'm home, Daddy!" Yotsuba yelled.

"Welcome home, Yotsuba," Koiwai called.

"Daddy, guess what!" the little girl bubbled, skidding down the hall on her 
bare feet and pinwheeling her arms. Fuuka giggled at the sight.

"What?" Koiwai asked.

"A bunch of big mean stupid doo-doo boys was pickin' on me and stompin' on 
my acorns, an' then Fuuka showed up an' she was like RAAAAH! an' they ran 
away!"

Koiwai blinked. By the time Yotsuba had finished her tale, Fuuka had walked 
up behind her. The stringy-haired man looked up at her, mildly alarmed.

"She...ran into a pack of grade school bullies," Fuuka confirmed. "They 
didn't hurt her, they were just really mean." She smiled. "I promised her 
I'll go to the park with her on Sunday to get new acorns, and I bought her 
ice cream."

"Ah, that's good. Thank you, Fuuka-chan. Yotsuba, be sure to properly thank 
Fuuka-chan."

Yotsuba turned and bowed to Fuuka. "Thank you very much!"

Fuuka smiled at her. "It's my pleasure, Yotsuba-chan."

"Can I go watch TV now Daddy?" Yotsuba asked.

"Sure, go ahead," Koiwai replied.

Yotsuba scampered off to the TV room, her father and Fuuka watching. 
"Seriously, Fuuka-chan, thank you. I don't know how to thank you. I...if you 
hadn't been there..."


Fuuka shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Kotashi-san." She paused. 
"Umm...about...the talk we had yesterday..."

Koiwai sat up, alert and intent. "Yes?"

Fuuka's face turned slightly red, and she bowed. "I accept."

Koiwai blinked audibly. "You...really?"

"Yes," Fuuka replied, bowing again. She glanced into the TV room, and her 
face softened. "You're right...she needs a mommy. And...I want to be..." She 
trailed off. "So, yes. I'll marry you."

* * * * * *

After spending a half hour or so discussing the logistics of potential 
marriage, Fuuka bid her new fiance good evening and went home to tell her 
family about her decision.

As luck would have it, her father had actually come home early for a change, 
and she found everyone in the living room.

"You're awfully late, Fuuka-chan," Mrs. Ayase said, frowning. "You know I 
can't start dinner without the stuff I sent you to the store for."

"Sorry, Mom," Fuuka replied, handing over the bag of groceries she'd 
initially been sent out after. "I...a lot of things happened after I left."

"Are you okay, Fuuka-chan?" Mr. Ayase asked. Ena was standing behind him, 
busy massaging his shoulders. Asagi was stretched out on the couch, 
half-asleep.

"Yeah," Fuuka replied. "Umm...I have something really important to tell 
everyone."

Asagi suddenly sat up, fully alert. "Is it about...*that*?" she asked.

"Yeah," Fuuka replied.

"'That'?" Mr. Ayase asked.

Ena grimaced. "Dad doesn't know yet, does he?" she asked.

Fuuka sighed and shook her head. "No, and...Dad, please try to stay calm."

Mr. Ayase frowned. "That's not especially encouraging."

Mrs. Ayase drifted in from the kitchen, frowning. "She's right, 
dear...you're liable to overreact to this. Especially if..." She trailed 
off. "Fuuka-chan, maybe you'd better explain it. Very clearly."

"Okay," Fuuka nodded. She took a deep breath. "Koiwai-san is concerned that 
Yotsuba-chan needs a mother. A concern I happen to share. The problem is, 
he's single and isn't interested in finding a wife for himself--just a 
mother for Yotsuba-chan." She paused. "Yesterday, he asked me to become 
Yotsuba-chan's mother. Once the initial shock wore off, I've spent every 
minute since he asked thinking about it. This afternoon, I made my 
decision." She paused, bracing herself. "I have accepted. I have agreed to 
marry Koiwai-san."

Mr. Ayase was staring at her in complete shock. "...what...?"

"Called it," Asagi said simply, smirking.

"Oneechan...you're really going to do it?" Ena asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah," Fuuka nodded. "Right after graduation. That's what we decided on."

"Are you absolutely sure, Fuuka-chan?" Mrs. Ayase asked. "This is a huge 
responsibility and a major change in your life."

"I know, Mom," Fuuka said. "We already went over that, remember?" She shook 
her head. "I've thought long and hard about it, and I..." She paused. "I was 
already leaning towards accepting, and something happened this afternoon 
that really decided it for me."

"Oh? What was that?" Mrs. Ayase asked.

"This little gang of shithead grade-schoolers were bullying Yotsuba-chan," 
Fuuka said. "She was so upset, and they were so mean..." She trembled 
slightly. "All it took was seeing her cry, and I felt myself go into mommy 
mode. That's when I knew."

"Ouch," Asagi grimaced. "How bad did you beat the little bastards up?"

"I didn't, I just ran them off," Fuuka said. "They're lucky to be alive." 
She shook her head. "So anyway, after I bought her some ice cream and took 
her home, I told Kotashi-san I'll marry him and be Yotsuba-chan's mommy. We 
talked about stuff for a little while, working out some of the details. I'll 
finish high school, of course, but after that, I'm done. Full-time 
stay-at-home mom." She paused, then glanced at her parents nervously. 
"Umm...I know you've probably got a thousand questions, reservations, 
objections...this whole thing is so sudden and so unusual, and I understand 
that, but I hope...I hope you understand why I'm doing this. And will 
support my decision."

Mr. Ayase silently stood. "Excuse me. I need to have a talk with 
Koiwai-san."

Fuuka cringed. "Dad...don't do anything bad--"

"Like I said, I'm going to have a talk with him," Mr. Ayase replied, 
rounding up his wallet and car keys and grabbing his suit jacket. "I just 
want to understand everything about this situation before I do anything."

"A-alright," Fuuka said. "But don't be angry with him or--or do or say 
anything to hurt him," she pleaded. "This whole thing is about a father 
wanting what's best for his little girl."

Mr. Ayase nodded. "I understand that. But understand that there's more than 
one father looking out for his little girl here."

"Of course," Fuuka replied.

"Well then, I'll be back later," Mr. Ayase said.

An awkward silence descended.

"Think there'll be enough left of Koiwai-san for you to marry?" Asagi asked.

"Oneechan? Do you want the beating I didn't give those brats?" Fuuka asked 
sweetly.

"I'll pass on that," Asagi said.

"Good."

* * * * * *

The gate bell rang. Frowning and scratching himself idly, Koiwai shuffled 
blearily to the door. *Who in the world...at this time of night?*

He wasn't entirely sure he recognized the man standing outside, although 
somehow he felt he should. The late caller was a worn-down looking 
salaryman, his suit jacket slung over one shoulder, his dress shirt rumpled 
and his tie askew. "Yes?"

"Koiwai-san?"

"Yes."

The other man bowed. "Ayase."

Koiwai's eyes widened and he straightened up. "Ah. Fuuka's father."

"That's right." Ayase gave him a long, measuring look; he was acutely aware 
that he was in his underwear. The older man frowned slightly. "Pardon the 
late intrusion, but I would like to talk to you."

"Yeah, I thought you might."

Ayase turned to look over at his own house, sighing. "Get dressed and come 
have a drink with me, Koiwai-san. Don't worry about Yotsuba-chan, she can 
sleep over at my house tonight."

"Alright, give me a minute."

* * * * * *

Several minutes later, a fully-dressed Koiwai had bundled up his sleeping 
daughter and handed her to an apologetic and nervous Fuuka. "Good luck," she 
whispered.

"Thanks," Koiwai replied. "I haven't had to deal with this since I was 
nineteen," he grimaced.

"'This'?"

"Interrogation by a girl's father," Koiwai clarified. "Only girlfriend I've 
ever had, and her dad pretty much scared me right out of town."

Fuuka winced. "Well, Dad's not that bad, and I think this'll go well. 
Just...do your best."

Koiwai smiled gamely, squared his shoulders, and turned to face the 
gallows...

"First off, I must apologize for never actually introducing myself to you 
before now," Mr. Ayase said as the two men got in his car. "After all, you 
and your daughter have become important people to my family."

"I understand that you work very hard and very late, Ayase-san," Koiwai 
said. "I do wish we'd met sooner, but I don't feel offended."

"Nn." The car stopped at a traffic signal. "There are things I want to ask 
before we get to the bar and start drinking," Mr. Ayase said. "Important 
things."

"Of course."

"The first thing I want to ask is your age," Mr. Ayase began. "I think 
that's very important under the circumstances."

"I'm 27," Koiwai replied.

Mr. Ayase blinked. "That young? You look older. Not terribly older, but I 
was thinking at least 30." He shook his head, and was quiet as he made a 
turn. Then, he asked, "As I understand it, the reason you want to marry my 
daughter is not out of romantic interest."

"Ayase-san," Koiwai interrupted, "I have nothing but total respect for your 
daughter. Fuuka-chan is one of the closest friends I have, and there are 
times when I would be completely lost without her." He scratched his chin. 
"It's that respect, that friendship, and that total reliance on Fuuka-chan 
that led to my decision." He paused. "You're a father, Ayase-san. All your 
children are girls. Put yourself in my place. If you weren't married, if you 
were raising your daughters entirely by yourself..."

The car smoothly parked in front of a bar Koiwai had never been to. Mr. 
Ayase turned and studied Koiwai intently for a long time. "I do understand," 
he said. "Children need mothers, especially girls. I'm just trying to make 
sure I understand *exactly* what motivated you to upheave my little girl's 
life like this, instead of taking the time to find a woman closer to your 
own age and developing a more...standard relationship."

Koiwai shrugged. "It's simple. I'm not thinking about myself at all. I'm 
thinking about Yotsuba. If I started dating or hired a matchmaker, it could 
take years to find a suitable match, and there's no guarantee Yotsuba would 
accept someone she barely knows as her stepmother." He paused. "But 
Fuuka-chan...fits. In every conceivable way, she is exactly what Yotsuba 
needs. And she's already one of Yotsuba's most important and loved people." 
He smiled. "You should see the two of them together. I think Yotsuba would 
accept Fuuka-chan as her new mommy very easily."

"I see," Mr. Ayase replied. "Let's go in and get that drink, and we'll 
continue this discussion. I still have quite a few questions to ask."

Once inside, they ordered beers and found a table in the corner. Mr. Ayase 
signaled one of the servers to also bring them warm sake. Koiwai raised an 
eyebrow. "Beer and sake. You ARE a salaryman."

Mr. Ayase chuckled. "That actually brings me to my next question. What 
exactly do you do for a living?"

Koiwai took a swig of his own beer before replying. "I'm a translator. I 
mostly translate technical manuals, with a few other things on the side. I'm 
entirely freelance."

Mr. Ayase raised an eyebrow at that. "That sounds like an interesting job."

"Honestly? It's like doing homework for a living," Koiwai replied with a 
grimace. "But I work from home, I set my own pace, and the money's good."

"How good?" Mr. Ayase asked.

"Hmm...do you have a pen?" Koiwai asked. Mr. Ayase nodded and fished one out 
of his pocket, handing it over. Procuring a napkin, Koiwai wrote down a 
figure, then handed the napkin and pen to Mr. Ayase.


The older man stared at it, bug-eyed. "That's...a LOT more than I make," he 
breathed. "And you work out of your own home?"

Koiwai nodded, draining a third of his beer in one swallow.

Mr. Ayase shook his head in wonder. "You unbelievably lucky bastard."

"It's not like it's that easy a job," Koiwai said. "Some days I get so burnt 
out I look in the mirror and wonder why my ass is on top of my neck and why 
my brain feels like toejam."

Mr. Ayase snorted.

"I'll admit not having to wear a suit and go to an office for hours on end 
is a major perk," Koiwai said. "Especially since I have Yotsuba. I honestly 
don't know how I'd manage if I had an office job." He shook his head. "Then 
again, if I had an office job, I wouldn't have Yotsuba in the first 
place..."

Mr. Ayase raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yotsuba is adopted," Koiwai replied. "I was overseas on business when I met 
her. The circumstances are kind of weird and hard to explain, but the bottom 
line is, I came back to Japan with a three-year-old daughter."

"So that's how it is," Mr. Ayase said, nodding thoughtfully. "And I'm glad 
you brought that up on your own, because I was about to ask an awkward 
question."

"You were going to ask what happened to Yotsuba's mother?" Koiwai guessed. 
At the older man's nod, he sighed. "Good question. In any case, I've never 
been married. The longest relationship I've ever had was six months, and it 
ended very abruptly because her father chased me away with a samurai sword."

Mr. Ayase nearly spat beer all over the table. "You're kidding!"

"I didn't even DO anything," Koiwai grumbled. "He kept ranting about keeping 
the noble family line pure and how he just KNEW I was shitting on his 
ancestors' graves. The whole thing was completely insane. I...kinda lost 
interest in her after that. I mean, she was nice and all, but she wasn't 
worth THAT." He grimaced. "That makes me sound like a jackass."

"Not really," Mr. Ayase said. "I'm pretty sure any man would've said 'to 
hell with this' after something like that."

"Anyway, that was eight years ago, and I just...haven't really gotten around 
to dating again after that." He sighed. "Which of course brings us right 
around to where we are now..."

The sake came, and Koiwai poured for both of them. "Kanpai," they chorused, 
bolting back their first cup.

"Ah, this is the good stuff," Mr. Ayase said. "So, Koiwai-kun, there's 
something else I want to ask."

"Go ahead."

"I don't like the idea of Fuuka-chan getting trapped in a loveless 
marriage," the salaryman replied. "You seem to be very decent and you make a 
good living and I'm sure no matter what, she'll be well cared for and 
well-treated, but..." He swished the sake bottle around a minute before 
pouring another round. "I'd feel a lot better about this if I have some 
guarantee of my daughter's happiness."

Koiwai shrugged, tipping back his second cup of sake. "Me an' Fuuka-chan get 
along great," he said. "I don't think she'll be unhappy, and I..." He 
trailed off. "We've had some pretty nice times together. I mean, is that 
storybook love? No. But hey, it's a start."

"And how do you feel about her, personally?" Mr. Ayase asked.

"Like I said, she's one of my favorite people," Koiwai replied. "And she's 
damn cute." He paused, brow furrowed. "Jumbo likes Asagi better, and maybe 
she's a little prettier, but I have more fun hanging out with Fuuka." He 
frowned, and his eyes went from slightly unfocused to suddenly sharp, then 
settled somewhere in between. "You sneaky old fart," he said. "You wanted to 
get me drunk so I'd make some perverted comment about Fuuka's body or 
something. Not falling for it, but nice try."

Mr. Ayase raised an eyebrow. "The thought honestly never crossed my mind, 
Koiwai-kun."

"Bullshit," Koiwai said. "If I was you and it was Yotsuba and not Fuuka, 
it's what I'd do." He paused. "Of course, Yotsuba's six, so any guy who 
thought stuff like that about her would be a fuckin' pedo, and I'd rip his 
dick off with pliers..." He poured more sake and toasted the older man. "To 
pliers!"

Mr. Ayase doubled over laughing. "You're a very interesting fellow, 
Koiwai-kun!" He tipped back his own sake, and called the waitress over.

"So, are you gonna let me have Fuuka-chan?" Koiwai asked. "Or are you gonna 
run me outta town with samurai pliers?"

"Yeah, I think we got a deal," Mr. Ayase said, fishing his car keys out of 
his pocket. "Here's the keys..."

"Those are your car keys, Ayase-san..."

"Oh? Oh, right." Mr. Ayase pocketed them with a shrug. "Guess I left my 
daughter keys at home."

Koiwai fell over laughing. "Daughter keys! Oh my god, you said daughter 
keys..."


The older man started laughing too, and suddenly their corner table was in a 
completely different world than the rest of the bar...

* * * * * *

A taxi pulled up to the gate of the Ayase house, disgorging two men. At the 
sound of the vehicle, Mrs. Ayase went to the door and looked outside.

The cab peeled away, and her husband and neighbor turned their backs to the 
house...

"Is Dad home?" Fuuka asked. She'd been lightly dozing on the couch, too 
anxious about her father's decision to really sleep; Mrs. Ayase had been 
similarly nervous, and had stayed up with her.

"Yeah, he's..." Mrs. Ayase trailed off. Fuuka started to walk over to the 
door, but her mother turned around, a sickened and disgusted look on her 
face. "You don't want to look," she said.

"Huh?"

"Our husbands are pissing on the street."

Fuuka jumped back in alarm, a look of horror on her face. "WHAT?!"

"I haven't seen your father do this since his last promotion," Mrs. Ayase 
said, shaking her head. "At least it's a good sign..."

"It's a good sign that they're both gross!" Fuuka retorted, nauseated.

Mrs. Ayase shook her head and chuckled. "Welcome to the life of a Japanese 
wife," she said.

"I'm home!," Mr. Ayase slurred as he lurched through the door into the 
genkan; he and Koiwai were supporting each other, and had difficulty 
figuring out how to get through the door. Koiwai had Mr. Ayase's necktie 
tied around his head.

"Yo, Fuuka-chan," Koiwai greeted, waving with his free hand. "I passed!" He 
hiccuped.

"GIN GON GAN GON GIN GON GAN GON GIN GON GAAAAAAAAN!" Mr. Ayase bellowed.

Mrs. Ayase pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly. "Dear, get upstairs and 
go to bed before you pass out on the floor."

"Piss out on the floor?" Mr. Ayase asked, reaching for his zipper...

"DON'T PISS OUT ON THE FLOOR!" Mrs. Ayase and Fuuka both roared.

"Oh. Okay. I'll go to bed then." Mr. Ayase belched, then shambled unsteadily 
into the house.

"And YOU," Mrs. Ayase said sternly to Koiwai, "Go sleep this off next door 
before you completely gross your fiancee out and blow this whole thing."

"Ryoukai!" Koiwai slurred, saluting. He turned, took one step onto the front 
walk, and keeled over, throwing up all over the ground.

"Oh my GOD," Fuuka said, staring at the drunken mess. And the pool of vomit 
beside it.

Mrs. Ayase clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Don't let it bother you," she 
said. "This is just what happens when men get together for a drink..." She 
sighed. "Well, we'd better carry this thing over to its own house before the 
crows start gathering..."

Fuuka sighed, gingerly stepping around the puddle of sick to haul Koiwai up 
by the armpit. "I'm starting to have second thoughts about this whole thing 
now..."

"Dear, if every woman had second thoughts about marrying men after seeing 
them drunk, we'd be extinct..."

* * * * * *

"Good morning, Yotsuba!" Jumbo said as the young girl opened the door.

"Shhh!" Yotsuba hissed up at him. "Daddy's still 'sleep. Mom said to come 
over an' brush my teeth an' change clothes then go back over to her place so 
Daddy can sleep today."

Jumbo frowned. "Is Koiwai sick or something?"

"He hung himself," Yotsuba replied seriously.

The tall man jumped backwards. "EHHHHH?! What the--?!"

"SHHH!"

"This is no good! This is serious!!" Jumbo boomed. "Why would he--"

"They said he went out with Ena's dad an' drank a lot an' then he came home 
an' got hung an'--"

Jumbo stared down at the little girl...then laughed, relieved. "You mean 
he's got a hangover," he corrected.

"Yeah, that was it! A hangover."

"Well, it just so happens I know a very good hangover cure, so I'll take 
care of your dad while you go play next door. Okay?"

"Okay!"

As Yotsuba scampered off, Jumbo shook his head and chuckled. "Scared the 
hell out of me...now, what to do about Koiwai..."

The tall man walked into the bedroom, where Koiwai was sprawled on the 
futon, the covers scattered all over the place, a necktie still tied around 
his forehead. Jumbo nodded thoughtfully as he appraised the situation, then 
crouched down as low as he possibly could next to the sleeping man's head. 
He drew a deep breath, and...

"BYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~~"

"GAAAH!" Koiwai screamed, shooting straight up off the futon. "AHH!" he 
yelled, grabbing at his head and wincing. He looked around in alarm, and 
then spotted the smirking Jumbo crouched beside the futon. "DAMMIT, THAT'S 
NOT FU--gaah"

Jumbo shook his head. "You're a sorry sight today, Koiwai. I heard you were 
out drinking all night. That's not like you. What happened?"

Massaging his temples with his eyes squeezed half-shut, Koiwai replied, 
"Ayase-san wanted to go drinking so he could ask me a bunch of stuff," he 
said. "So he could decide whether or not to let me marry Fuuka-chan."

* * * * * *

" W H A T ? ! "

* * * * * *

"And he just told Jumbo-san," Asagi smirked, as the current occupants of the 
Ayase residence all jumped in alarm and stared in the direction of the 
neighboring house.

"Told Jumbo what?" Yotsuba asked, blinking.

"You'll find out later," Asagi said with a smile. "Don't worry, it's nothing 
bad, Jumbo-san's just surprised."

"Why's he surprised?" Yotsuba asked.

"Like I said, I'll tell you later."

"Awww..."

* * * * * *

Koiwai cracked two eggs and emptied them into a glass, then tipped it back 
and swallowed it all in one gulp.

Jumbo turned green. "That's disgusting."

"It helps," Koiwai said. He sighed. "Ugh. I haven't gotten that plastered 
since college."

"Alright, now that you've had your incredibly gross old man hangover cure," 
Jumbo said, "You need to explain this whole marrying Fuuka thing."

Koiwai shrugged. "I realized Yotsuba needs a mother, and Fuuka-chan's 
perfect for the job."

Jumbo stared at him. "And?"


"And I asked her and she said yes."

The tall man frowned. "Koiwai, what did you say to that poor girl to get her 
to agree to such a bullshit reason to get married?"

"It's not a bullshit reason," Koiwai said, irritated. "And I just told you 
what I told her."


"Wait," Jumbo said. "You mean you seriously told Fuuka-chan you want to 
marry her so she can be Yotsuba's mother, and she's going along with that?"

"Yup."

"And words like love, did they come up at all?"

Koiwai blew upward at his stringy bangs. "I'm not looking for a wife, Jumbo. 
I'm looking for a mother for Yotsuba. I told Fuuka-chan that, straight out. 
Those exact words. And she said yes." He gave Jumbo a challenging look. "And 
her father gave his consent. So that's that."

Jumbo stared at Koiwai for a long moment, then shook his head. "I'm sorry, 
I'm just having a hard time getting my head around this."

Koiwai sighed. "Look, it's simple. You've seen Yotsuba and Fuuka-chan 
together."

"Of course."


"You've seen how well they get along."

"Of course."

"So you'd agree that Yotsuba will definitely accept Fuuka-chan as a mother."

Jumbo rubbed his chin, brow furrowed in thought. "Probably," he nodded.

"Now, if I started dating and trying to find a woman closer to my own age to 
be Yotsuba's mother," Koiwai said, "how well do you see that working out?"

Jumbo opened his mouth to reply, then stopped. After a moment, he sighed. 
"Okay, I see your point. Still..."

"Nobody's forcing anybody to do anything, Jumbo," Koiwai said. "All I did 
was ask the question. Fuuka-chan decided to answer yes. That means she's 
looking at it the exact same way I am, and feels the same way about it. Even 
her parents can't find fault with the logic. Hell, I wouldn't have gotten 
drunk enough to need two prarie oysters if I hadn't hit it off with 
Ayase-san." He smiled. "Yotsuba's going to have a complete family for the 
first time ever, Jumbo. Just be happy for us. All of us. Okay?"

Jumbo's face softened, and he nodded. 'Of course," he said. "I'm sure once 
it's really had time to sink in, I'll be really happy for you. I'm just 
still a little shocked." He frowned. "Have you told Yotsuba yet?"

"No," Koiwai said, shaking his head. "We're gonna tell her today, after 
Fuuka-chan gets home from school." He stood and stretched, then caught a 
whiff of himself. His nose wrinkled. "I gotta take a shower," he grimaced.

"I think I'll go next door and play with Yotsuba, then," Jumbo said.

"Later, then!" Koiwai said. "Oh, wait!" He untied the necktie from around 
his head. "Take this over there, will you? It's Ayase-san's."

Shaking his head and chuckling, Jumbo took the necktie from Koiwai, then 
headed over to the Ayase residence.

* * * * * *

"I'm home!" Fuuka called out, stepping out of her shoes.


"Fuuka! Fuuka!" Yotsuba cheered, rushing to the door. She was about to plow 
into the taller girl when she skidded to a stop, blinking. "Daddy?"

Koiwai was also at the genkan.

"Hey, Yotsuba," he said. "Have fun today?"

"Yeah!" Yotsuba said. "But somethin's goin' on an' nobody's tellin' me..."

"Oh-ho," Koiwai said. "Well, it just so happens...that's why I'm here."

Fuuka and Koiwai walked into the living room, Yotsuba following behind them. 
Asagi and Mrs. Ayase were the only ones present. "Hm? Did Jumbo leave 
already?" Koiwai asked.

"Yeah, he had to go back to the shop," Asagi said. "But he already knows, 
right? So it doesn't matter if he's here or not..."

"You say that so dismissively," Koiwai said. He shook his head. "Anyway..." 
He walked over to the couch and sat down. Fuuka sat beside him, leaving 
enough space between them for Yotsuba, who climbed up with a 'hup!'.

"Yotsuba-chan," Fuuka began, "Do you remember what we were talking about 
yesterday while we ate ice cream?"

Yotsuba nodded. "You were askin' me if I want a mommy of my very own." She 
tilted her head. "Am I gonna get a mommy?"

"As a matter of fact, you are," Koiwai said, smiling down at her.

Yotsuba's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really really." Koiwai placed his hand on top of Yotsuba's head and gently 
turned her to face Fuuka. "There's your new mommy, right there."

Yotsuba tilted her head. "Huh?"

Fuuka smiled. "I'm gonna be your new mommy, Yotsuba-chan."

Yotsuba's eyes got even wider. "Fuuka's gonna be my mommy?" she asked.

"That's right," Fuuka said.

"...AWESOME!!" Yotsuba declared. Then she looked from Koiwai to Fuuka, and 
asked, "Can she really do that, Daddy?"

"She most certainly can," Koiwai said. "You see, Daddy is gonna marry Fuuka. 
Then Fuuka'll be Mommy."

"Uooooooh, so it works that way," Yotsuba said, awestruck.

"Yep, that's how it works," Fuuka said. "Well, that's how it works in this 
case, anyway."

Yotsuba looked at Fuuka. "You're really gonna marry Daddy an' be my mommy?"

"That's right, Yotsuba-chan," Fuuka said.

Yotsuba suddenly flung herself at the older girl, hugging her fiercely. 
"MOMMY!"

Tears started to spill down Fuuka's cheeks as she embraced her 
stepdaughter-to-be. Koiwai and Asagi watched the two of them with a happy 
smile. Mrs. Ayase let out a sniffle and dabbed at her eyes with a 
handkerchief.

After a time, Koiwai coughed. "But there's a couple things you need to know, 
Yotsuba," he said.

Yotsuba turned and faced him. "Eh?"


"Fuuka-chan's gonna be your new mommy, but not right away. She's gotta 
finish school first."

Yotsuba looked stricken, and turned to face Fuuka. "B-but...you just came 
home from school..."

"He means all of school, not just today," Fuuka said sadly, playing with 
Yotsuba's hair. "I have to graduate first."

"What's graduate?" Yotsuba asked.

"It's like the finish line," Fuuka said.

"Oh," Yotsuba said quietly.

"And I'll cross the finish line around the end of March," the older girl 
added.

Yotsuba's eyes widened in shock. "That's a long way off!"

"It's not that long," Fuuka said. "And when I'm done, then I'll be your 
mommy forever and ever." She ruffled Yotsuba's hair affectionately. "Can you 
be a good girl and wait?"

"Okay," Yotsuba said somewhat reluctantly. "But can I call you Mommy now?"

Fuuka sniffled. "Of course you can," she said.

"Is this giving anyone else cavities?" Asagi stage-whispered.

"Cavities? No. Diabetes? Absolutely," her mother replied in the same tone.




==================
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