YOTSUBA & MOMMY

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 embarrassed 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," 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. "Aa...hai," she agreed, bowing. "Just a sec..." She pulled out her phone and dialled her own home number. "Okaasan? Koiwai-san wants me to stay and have dinner with them. Yes, I'm calling 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," 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 up 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," 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—"

"Yousuke."

"—eh?"

"My name's Yousuke."

Fuuka blinked stupidly, then shook her head. "Yousuke-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. 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. "Anou..."

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

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

"G'nite, Fuuka."

"Good night, Yousuke-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 just happened?! 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, Okaasan," 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 Yousuke-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? 'Yousuke-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! Gomen nasai!" 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 Yousu—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! STOPPIT!"

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 Touchan. 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 Touchan."

"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 tomorrow either."

"Um...the tomorrow after tomorrow?"

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

* * * * *

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

"Welcome home, Yotsuba," Koiwai called.

"Touchan, 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. Yotsuba, be sure to properly thank Fuuka."

Yotsuba turned and bowed to Fuuka. "Doumo arigatou gozaimasu!"

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

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

"Sure, go ahead," Koiwai replied.

Yotsuba scampered off to the TV room, her father and Fuuka watching. "Seriously, Fuuka, 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, Yousuke-san." She paused. "Umm...about...the talk we had yesterday..."

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

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

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

"Hai," 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."

"Gomen ne, Okaasan," 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. "Otousan doesn't know yet, does he?" she asked.

Fuuka sighed and shook her head. "No, and...Otousan, 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 gonna 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, Okaasan," 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 Yousuke-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. "Otousan...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...this late in the evening?*

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, Otousan'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 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 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...fits. In every conceivable way, she's 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 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 an easy 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 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 around 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 Otousan 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. "Anata, 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..."

* * * * *

"Mornin', Yotsuba!" Jumbo said as the young girl opened the door.

"Shhh!" Yotsuba hissed up at him. "Touchan's still 'sleep. Fuuka said to come over an' brush my teeth an' change clothes then go back over to her place so Touchan 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 Takeda-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, Takeda-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 with Tabasco sauce and vinegar, 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?"

"Yeah."

"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.

* * * * *

That afternoon, Koiwai called Fuuka on her cell phone. "Hey, let me know when you're just about to get home," he said. "Soon as you're back, I'm gonna meet you over at your place, so we can tell Yotsuba together. That sound okay? Good. See you."

An hour later, Fuuka called back. Koiwai headed out, and met her at the front door of her house. "Yo," he said.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Good day at school?"

"Eh, it was okay." She looked him over. "Feeling better?"

He grimaced. "I am SO sorry you had to see me in that condition," he said, bowing. "I'm not in the habit of getting drunk like that."

Fuuka sighed. "It was pretty disgusting, but...Otousan was actually in even worse shape than you..." She shrugged. "Okaasan said just ignore it, so..."

"Yeah, but it's still a pretty messed up thing to have to see," Koiwai replied. "Anyway, you ready to do this?"

Fuuka nodded. "Yeah."

* * * * *

"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. "Touchan?"

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, Touchan?"

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

"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 Touchan an' be my mommy?"

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

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

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 Kaachan 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.

* * * * *

Yotsuba had insisted on sleeping with her new mommy, so Koiwai brought her pajamas and toothbrush over and then went home. Fuuka had been happy to cuddle the little girl all night, and Yotsuba had been very impressed with Fuuka's bed.

The next morning, Yotsuba had hung around for breakfast and "helped" Fuuka get ready for school, so when Fuuka left (waving bye-bye to the sad little tyke), she was in high spirits.

"You're in an impressively good mood today," Shimau said as she met Fuuka at the school gates.

"Mm-hmm," Fuuka replied, beaming.

Shimau tilted her head and studied Fuuka. "Did something happen?"

"Mmm...maaaaaybe," Fuuka drawled, giggling.

"Does this have anything to do with what you were so spaced out about the other day?" Shimau asked.

"Yyyyep!"

Shimau frowned. "You know, you could just tell me instead of acting all smug about it."

Fuuka laughed. "Sorry, Shimau. I guess I'm just a little..." She thought for a minute. "Giddy, maybe?"

"Well, just...don't overdo it, or weird rumors will start flying around again," Shimau said.

Fuuka giggled. "If they do, it'll be pretty funny."

"Eh?"

Fuuka glanced around, then grabbed Shimau by her uniform tie and pulled her off to a tree lining the main walkway. Quietly, she said, "You know those rumors about me that were going around, the ones that weren't true?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, now they are."

Shimau stared at her. "They are what?"

"True." Fuuka smiled. "I'm engaged to Koiwai-san, and I'm going to be Yotsuba-chan's new mommy."

Shimau's eyes expanded to fill her round face. "EHHHH?!"

"But for now, keep it quiet, okay?" Fuuka smiled, then headed into the building.

Shimau stood under the tree for several minutes, frozen in shock and confusion. She didn't snap out of it until the bell rang.

* * * * *

Koiwai was sitting in the Ayase living room when Fuuka got home from school. "Yo," he called. "Get changed, we've got something to do."

Fuuka blinked. "Um...okay." She went upstairs and changed. For some reason, she felt like putting on something a little nicer than her usual out-of-school attire; when she came back down, she had on a knee-length blue skirt, black stockings, and a cream-colored sweater-vest over a sky blue blouse.

"You look nice," Koiwai said.

"Thanks," Fuuka replied, blushing. "So, what is it we're doing?"

"Just a little shopping," Koiwai replied, standing and picking up the jacket he'd draped over the back of the sofa. "Something you'll be needing..."

"Something I'll be needing?" Fuuka asked, confused.

"Come on...I'm borrowing your mom's car, so let's get going."

"O-okay..."

* * * * *

Fuuka turned red as the car coasted to a stop. "A...jewelry store?" she asked.

"We're engaged now," Koiwai said. "So there's something we kinda need..."

"Oh...Yousuke-san...you don't really need to do that," Fuuka said, smiling. "I mean..."

"I want to," Koiwai said. "Even though this is all for Yotsuba's sake...I want to do it right. I didn't exactly do the proposal right, but at least I can give you a nice engagement ring."

Fuuka ducked her head. "A-alright."

* * * * *

At dinner, Fuuka showed off her new ring. It wasn't terribly fancy; it was silver instead of gold and it had a small, square diamond flanked by two sapphire chips.

"It's pretty!" Ena said.

"He sure didn't shell much on it, though," Asagi noted.

Fuuka flicked a wadded-up napkin at her. "Don't tease," she said. "I picked the ring out." She turned it on her finger, letting it catch the light. "The one he had in mind was a lot more expensive than this, but...I didn't want to go overboard, and I like this one. It's pretty and it gets the point across without being too much..."

"It suits you," Ena said. "I mean, you never wear jewelry, so a less fancy ring is really more your style."

"That's what I told Yousuke-san," Fuuka said.

"It's a very nice ring, dear," Mrs. Ayase said, smiling.

Fuuka picked at her dinner for a few minutes. "So...I've been talking with Yousuke-san, and I've been thinking..."

"Yes, dear?" Mrs. Ayase asked.

"Well...I think I need 'mommy practice'," Fuuka said, cheeks turning faintly pink.

"Mommy practice?" Asagi echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Fuuka said. "I figure...Yotsuba-chan's six, and she's a little...well..."

"Crazy?" Ena suggested.

"Spirited," Fuuka corrected. "So the way I see it, I could dive right in cold after I marry Yousuke-san, or I could..." She gestured with her chopsticks. "Spend a few nights a week over there doing the housewife thing, so I get a little experience."

"Hmm," Asagi drawled, smirking. "Mommy practice, huh? That sounds like a pretty thin excuse..."

"Oneechan!" Fuuka cried. "Get your mind out of the gutter!"

"Why, whatever do you mean?" Asagi asked innocently.

"Asagi-oneechan needs a boyfriend, BAD," Ena said.

"No kidding," Fuuka agreed.

Mrs. Ayase chuckled. "So, 'mommy practice'..." She sighed. "It's a good idea. It's exactly the kind of smart thinking that put you in this situation in the first place..."

"I'm not in a 'situation', Okaasan," Fuuka groused.

"Sorry, bad choice of words," Mrs. Ayase agreed. "But you said 'nights'...I'm not so sure about that part."

"There's a spare bedroom," Fuuka said. "I'll keep about half my clothes over there, an extra set of pajamas, stuff I need...you know," she gestured vaguely. "And half the week, I'll come home like normal, and the other half, I'll go right over there and get to work around the house and spend time with Yotsuba-chan. That way, when I marry Yousuke-san, I'll already have the routine down."

Mrs. Ayase thought about that for a minute, then nodded. "Alright, I don't really see a problem with that. You've put a lot of thought into it, and..." She shook her head. "You're right about wanting to get your feet wet being a mother and housewife before you've got the job full-time. In fact, you're pretty lucky you've got an option like that." She frowned. "I'm just a little worried about you being over there at night, unsupervised..."

"O-kaa-sa-n," Fuuka groaned, blowing on her bangs. "For like the millionth time, Yousuke-san isn't like that! And even if he were, I can take care of myself."

"Maybe he's the one who needs to watch out for her," Asagi quipped.

"SHOUOUKEN!"

"Wow, she almost hit the ceiling..." Ena said, impressed.

"Dear, no violence at the table," Mrs. Ayase chided.

"Sorry, Okaasan..."

* * * * *

After dinner, Fuuka started rounding up some of her clothes and personal belongings to move into the Koiwai house. The next morning, Koiwai came over around the same time as she was leaving for school.

"So, I've got some stuff packed up, and Okaasan's gonna go out and pick up a few things to bring over," Fuuka explained.

"I'm amazed your family went for this 'mommy practice' thing so easily," Koiwai said, shaking his head. "I thought for sure there'd be objections..."

"Well, Okaasan was concerned about me spending the night so often, but I assured her nothing weird's going to happen." She blushed. "Oneechan thinks I'm planning to jump you or something, but she's got a dirty mind, so..."

Koiwai raised an eyebrow. "Well now, I hadn't even considered that. I mean, what protection do I have from the libido of a cute schoolgirl?"

Fuuka rolled her eyes. "Trust me, you have nothing to worry about. I have no intention whatsoever of doing that kind of thing with you."

Koiwai flinched. "Wow, you really know how to kill a guy's ego."

"Ah! Sorry," Fuuka said, turning very red. "I didn't mean it to sound like..."

She trailed off when she realized Koiwai was laughing. "I'm just teasing, Fuuka-chan." He stretched, popping his back. "I'll see you when you get home from school."

"Uh...yeah. Later," Fuuka said, shaking her head and fighting the horrific blush that had overtaken her face as she hopped on her bike.

* * * * *

"Oh, it's very nice!" Shimau said as she examined Fuuka's engagement ring. "And it's not too gaudy or ostentatious...it's perfect for you." She smiled. "You know, I believe you're very excited about all of this."

Fuuka smiled back. "I am. I mean, this isn't a storybook-romance thing, but...I'm really starting to enjoy the idea of having my own little family."

"And without having to go through months of sickness and swelling and—"

"Yes, without that, thanks," Fuuka said, covering Shimau's mouth with her hand.

"Ayase-san!" a male voice suddenly intruded.

Fuuka looked around and saw one of her classmates standing nearby. "Ah, Hiro-kun!"

"You're coming to the Student Council meeting today, right?" Hiro asked.

"Oh! That's right, we have a meeting today...of course I'll be there."

"Good. See you there!"

As Hiro wandered off, Fuuka sighed and pulled out her phone. "I'll have to text Yousuke-san and tell him I'll be late today..."

* * * * *

The Student Council President raised an eyebrow at the Treasurer. "You seem to be in a rather determined mood, Hiro-kun."

The handsome, tea-haired boy nodded. "Yeah. Today, I'm finally gonna do it."

"It?"

"After the meeting...I'm gonna ask the Vice President out."

"Oh?" The President looked amused. "Good luck, then, Hiro-kun."

After a fairly boring and mercifully short meeting, the President stuck around, hovering in the background, to watch as Hiro approached Fuuka.

"Um...Ayase-san," he asked, trying to fight the nervousness in his voice.

"Yes, Hiro-kun?" Fuuka asked as she stood up, packing her things to leave.

"Um...the thing is..." Hiro rubbed the back of his head. "Um, I have movie tickets for Sunday, and I'd...really like to take you to the movies, if you'll..."

Fuuka's expression turned pitying and regretful. "Oh," she said. "I..." She sighed. "I'm really sorry, Hiro-kun. I can't."

Hiro's face fell. "Oh. You're busy, then? Maybe some other—"

"No, Hiro-kun, I really can't. I'm sorry, and...I'm just really sorry," Fuuka said. She smiled encouragingly at him. "You're very, very nice and very good-looking, and a week ago, I might have said yes, but..." She looked down at her left hand. "I'm kind of off the market now."

The ring caught the light in such a blinding fashion that the President saw it from across the room. Her eyes widened.

Hiro stared at it uncomprehendingly for a long moment. Once he realized what he was looking at, he deflated like a balloon. "Oh," he said in a small voice. "Um...oh." Without another word, he left.

Fuuka sighed. "Poor Hiro-kun..."

"That was kind of a harsh way to let him down, Ayase-san," the President said.

Fuuka blushed. "Um...yeah...I guess maybe..."

"Still, I thought I knew everything that went on in this school, but this one slipped right under my radar. Congratulations."

"Thanks," Fuuka replied. "And...there's no reason you'd have known about this. It happened...very much outside school."

"I see," the President replied. "Well, in any case, good luck. And I hope your fiance can handle Hiro-kun when he finds out who it is. And you know he will."

Fuuka sighed. "I wouldn't worry about my fiance..."

* * * * *

Shimau closed her phone after reading a text from Fuuka, and looked up just in time to see Hiro walk past. She fell into step beside him. "Hey, Hiro-kun," she greeted.

"Oh, hello Hiwatari."

"You seem upset, whatever is the matter?"

"It's...nothing..."

"You asked Fuuka out and she said no," Shimau corrected.

Hiro glanced at her. "How'd you know?"

"She told me," Shimau replied. "She knew we head the same way when we leave; she wanted me to intercept you, make sure you're okay..."

"That's thoughtful of her," Hiro said tonelessly.

"Well, you know...you could have asked her out any number of times over the, what, three years you've had a crush on her?"

Hiro remained silent.

"So it's just your bad luck you picked the week she got engaged to Koiwai-san to finally work up the nerve—"

"Koiwai-san?" Hiro repeated. "Wait. You mean...the father of that cute little girl that brought Ayase-san milk?"

Shimau flinched. *Damn, he didn't know...* "Ah, yeah."

Hiro's eyes widened. "Ayase-san is marrying HIM?!"

"Yes, she is," Shimau replied. "Take my advice, Hiro-kun...let it go. Move on."

Hiro sighed. "I guess...that's all I can do, huh?"

Shimau patted him on the shoulder. "You'll be fine." She smiled. "Hey, if you still need a date for Sunday, I'm free."

Hiro smiled gamely at her. "Thanks, Hiwatari, but...I don't need a pity date..."

Shimau whapped him on the head. "Pity date nothing, I don't have a boyfriend and nobody's interested in me at all. I figure a rebound is about my best chance."

Hiro blinked at her. "Ah...okay then..."

* * * * *

Fuuka looked slightly less cheerful when she came home; Koiwai raised an eyebrow. "Did something happen?"

"I had to break a heart today," Fuuka replied with a sigh. "And having been through it myself, I feel really lousy about it."

"Oh," Koiwai replied. "A boy at school asked you out, huh?"

"And I had to say no. He seemed...pretty down about it," Fuuka said. "I just hope he'll be okay."

Koiwai frowned. "You know, you could've gone if you really wanted to. That ring isn't a chain and you're not my slave."

Fuuka shook her head. "I made a commitment to you and Yotsuba-chan. I'm sticking by it." She shrugged. "I just didn't know Hiro-kun was even interested in me, is all, and I hate doing that to him. But, he's one of the most popular guys in school, so...I'm pretty sure this won't kill him." Stretching, she looked around and grimaced. "I should get changed and think about what to make for dinner, since it's my first night of mommy practice."

"Actually, I kinda thought I'd order pizza tonight," Koiwai said. "It just feels like a good night to order in."

"Oooh, sounds good," Fuuka said. "I haven't had pizza in a while." She smiled. "In that case, I think I'm gonna take a nice long bath, if that's okay."

"Sure, it's fine," Koiwai replied. "Might as well give Yotsuba her bath too while you're at it."

"Got it," Fuuka said. "Oh, and no peeking!" She winked at Koiwai before wandering off to round up the younger girl.

Koiwai shook his head and laughed. As he headed back to his work room, though, he couldn't fight the ever-so-slightly dirty thoughts that had risen at the thought of Fuuka in the bath...

*NO. Stop that. This isn't about... This is for Yotsuba. YOTSUBA. Not you. So knock it off, pervert.*

"Gonna be a lot of cold showers around here..."

* * * * *

"Isn't it kinda early for a bath?" Yotsuba asked.

"Eh, a little, but at least this way we get it out of the way before dinner, and we can play later until bedtime, right?"

"Okay!"

As Fuuka untied and washed the little girl's hair, Yotsuba suddenly turned around and stared up at her.

"Don't do that, you'll get shampoo in your eyes," Fuuka chided.

"Those are really really big," Yotsuba said.

"Huh? What are?" Fuuka asked.

Yotsuba pointed up at her. "That!"

Fuuka realized what she was pointing at, and yelped, blushing. "Yotsuba-chan!" she squeaked.

"What are they, Kaachan?" the little girl asked.

*First day of mommy practice and ALREADY this kind of thing...*

And so, much of her first bath time with Yotsuba was spent explaining the concept of breasts to an inquisitive six-year-old...

* * * * *

After bathing and dressing herself and Yotsuba, Fuuka headed for Koiwai's work room while Yotsuba went to the TV room to play with her blocks.

"We're done with our bath," Fuuka reported.

"Good," Koiwai said. "I'm just about ready to quit for the day, so we can order pizza as soon as I finish uploading this..."

"So THIS is your work room," Fuuka said, looking around. "I've never actually been in here before."

"It's not that interesting or special," Koiwai said. "It's the same as any other home office."

Fuuka giggled. "You know, for the longest time, back when you first moved in, I thought..."

"Hm? Thought what?"

"Well," Fuuka said, trying to stifle her giggles, "when I asked Yotsuba-chan what you did, she got it a little mixed up..."

"She's awfully good at that," Koiwai nodded.

"So for a long time, I thought you were in here making konnyaku."

Koiwai blinked at her. "Konnyaku."

"Konnyaku."

"The hell—" Koiwai started, then paused and groaned. "Honyakuka, konnyakuya." He shook his head. "I'm amazed she actually came up with something intelligible at all."

Fuuka laughed. "Yeah, but it was enough to give me some really weird mental images."

"I'll bet," Koiwai chuckled. "Well, there's no konnyaku in here, only lots and lots and lots of really boring books."

"As expected, one would find a honyakuka in a honya."

Koiwai winced. "Don't do that. Please."

Fuuka just giggled.

The computer beeped. "Okay, we can order the pizza now," Koiwai said, bringing up his web browser and going to the online order site. "Any particular preference?" he asked.

"Hmm...not really...ah! No tunamayo," Fuuka said. "The last time I tried that I threw up for two days."

"No tunamayo, got it," Koiwai said.

"Shouldn't we check and see what Yotsuba-chan wants?"

"I already asked. She said you can pick for her."

"Really?" Fuuka asked. "Then I'll have to take this seriously..."

"Don't take it too seriously..."

* * * * *

A short while later, three piping hot pizzas were delivered, each half-and-half, for a sampling of six of Pizza-La's eclectic specialty pizzas.

"Itadakimasu!" they chorused as they opened the boxes and began swapping slices back and forth, so that everyone got to try a little of each. As they ate, they made small talk about the weather, baseball, Yotsuba's favorite new animal, what Fuuka did at school, and so forth.

At one point, Yotsuba blurted out, "Hey Touchan, did you know? Kaachan has breasts!"

Fortunately, Koiwai had just picked up his cola and had not taken a drink yet; the opportunity for a perfect spittake was missed. "Ah...is that so..."

"I saw 'em an' they're HUGE!" Yotsuba exclaimed.

"Yotsuba-chan," Fuuka said, "please...don't talk about things like that at the dinner table."

"How come?" Yotsuba asked.

"Just don't, it isn't nice," Koiwai said.

"Aww. But I thought it was awesome...I just wanted Touchan to know..." Yotsuba said, pouting.

Koiwai coughed. "Touchan already knows."

"Touchan's got somethin' cool too, Kaachan—"

"I'm sure he does, Yotsuba-chan, but don't talk about it right now, okay? I mean it."

"Aww. ...how come your face is all red? Are you a messy eater?"

"S-something like that..."

After the pizza had been consumed, Yotsuba rolled into the TV room, splayed flat on her back and half-asleep. Fuuka and Koiwai cleaned up the boxes and napkins; Fuuka was incredibly red-faced the entire time. "Okay, for the record, I was not expecting a dinner table discourse on anatomy from a six-year-old," she said.

Koiwai coughed. "Yeah, I kinda wasn't either. I'm sorry about that..."

"It's not your fault," Fuuka replied. "I just...guess it didn't occur to me that Yotsuba-chan would..."

"EVERYTHING fascinates her," Koiwai said. "When she gets used to it, she settles down, but for right now, your..." He coughed. "Well, she isn't used to that yet."

"Um...yeah," Fuuka replied. Looking down at the floor, she asked quietly, "Was she really about to tell me about your—"

"Let's change the subject," Koiwai said hastily.

"...good idea."

* * * * *

Fuuka had a hard time getting to sleep that night, partly because Yotsuba had decided to use her breasts as a pillow, and partly because before dozing off, the little girl had done her absolute best to try to describe Koiwai's manhood, despite Fuuka's repeated efforts to change the subject.

*This is gonna be a lot harder—TOUGHER! A lot TOUGHER than I thought,* Fuuka mused as she dozed off.

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Author's Notes