Professor Layton set the letter he had received from Luke and smiled. It was the first he had smiled in weeks; he had had a rough couple of days.
"P-Professor." a voice squeaked. It sounded nervous; uneasy.
Layton turned around to see Flora holding a tray full of finger sandwiches and tea. He smiled at his adopted daughter and gestured the girl to come towards him.
"What is this?" Layton said, his smile growing. He retrieved the tray and set it down on the desk beside Luke's letter, careful to not let the tray sit upon it.
"I thought you could use some food to put in your system, Professor." Flora murmured. She looked to the professor and then to the floor. "You've seemed sad these days and I just wanted to cheer you up. And I've been getting better at making sandwiches. I didn't leave it out in the window this time! There was no way the cucumbers could shrivel up then!" Flora giggled, obviously proud of her fifteen year-old self.
"Dear..." Professor Layton was speechless. Reflecting on the past few days, he didn't really eat anything. He would sit at his desk, watching people roam by from their evening college classes. He, of course, had taken a few days off to let the damage he had ensued subside. He stood from his desk, moving the chair out, causing it to shriek along the wooden floors. He embraced his daughter in a hug. His hug tightened and he let a tear fall down his cheek. "I have a feeling I'm going to be quite alright. I have you around, don't I?"
Flora nodded, "You always will!" she muffled. She squirmed her way out of the hug and smiled at the Professor. "Although...you need to do something."
"What's that, dear?"
Flora grabbed the top hat that was Layton's signature look and placed it upon his head like a crown. "You need this hat, of course! You're not the same without it. N-Not that your hair is unflattering or anything! I just...it reminds me of when I first met you. And when you became my second father." She wrapped her arms around Professor Layton. "I love you!" she cried into his jacket.
"Flora..." Once again the Professor had been speechless. Was he worthy of the words she was speaking? Had he been that much of a father figure in her life? He couldn't exactly answer the question himself, but considering the words Flora had said, and how tightly she was hugging him, he figured he was doing a pretty good job. He put his hand on the back of her head, petting her hair. The girl was crying for goodness sakes. Hopefully tears of happiness.
"Ahem, sorry about that." Flora had stopped the hug once again and began to smooth out the crease lines in her dress.
"You are my daughter and I love you." Professor Layton said with a smile. He had felt ten times more powerful then he had ever before.
And it was all thanks to Flora.