Kagome sat quietly as she watched the man in her living room looking at the pictures of her family with a sad look in his eyes. He had long black hair, tied back, and he seemed imposing, though Kagome wasn't scared of him. He seemed familiar, and she felt as if she should know him.
After watching him for a few minutes, she called out to him from her place on the stairs. He swung around, and smiled weakly at her.
"How are you kid?" he asked finally, after a long period of silence.
"Mommy says I shouldn't talk to strangers...but I'm fine." she answered.
"You should listen to your mother. She's very smart. Always has been."
"You know Mama?" she asked happily.
"I did.."
"So that means you're not a stranger! I'm bored, Mama and Grandpa are at the hospital, 'cause she's having a baby!" Kagome exclaimed, as she jumped up from the step she was on.
"You're here alone?" he asked. The girl he had known wouldn't have left her kid alone, even if she was giving birth.
"Well, not really. The neighbor is here, but she's old and boring, and she sleeps all the time." Kagome whined.
He chuckled and lifted the girl up. "You're a big girl aren't you?"
She nodded proudly, "I'm FIVE! Mama says that means I'm almost a real woman!"
"Well, don't grow up too fast kiddo. You'll miss being a kid."
"I'll never grow up! I'll be like an adult, but I can play with my toys, and run around outside, and I won't have to go to school." she answered, before saying, "You have the same color eyes as me! Mommy says that my eyes are this color because I spent so much time with my head in the clouds that eventually my eyes turned the same color as the sky on a rainy day."
"She said the same thing to me once. Who knows, maybe it's true."
"I hope so! Maybe if I stick my new brother or sister's head in the mud his eyes will turn brown!"
"Maybe they'll be born with brown eyes though."
Kagome looked thoughtful before saying, "Then I'll just stick them in the trees so that they'll turn green."
"How do you know that they won't have your color eyes?"
"Because my eyes are special!" she giggled.
"They are. They're very special," he looked to his watch, and sat her down on the floor.
"I've got to go now kid. Goodbye." he turned to leave, but she let out a squeal before asking him to wait. She ran up the stairs, before reappearing with a small stuffed animal.
"This is Teddi! He's my favorite bear. You're nice, so I give him to you."
She placed the bear in his hands and said, "I, Kagome, give you...er, what's your name?"
She didn't notice the small wince he gave at hearing her name, and only saw that he smiled a little when he said, "My name isn't important right now Kagome."
"Okay! Then I give you, Mr. Mysterious, my bear."
He smiled graciously, and pulled something out of his jacket.
"I, Mr. Mysterious," he allowed himself a small smile at her name for him, "give you, Kagome, this toy in return for your wonderful gift."
Kagome stared in wonder as she got the small white dog plush toy before smiling happily and bouncing around him.
"Yeah, I thought you'd like it. I've got to go now. Goodbye Kagome!"
She smiled back, and made a decision. She hugged his legs and said, "Goodbye Daddy!"
He looked down at her, a sad smile on his face, as he said, "I never said I was your father Kagome."
"I know...but you could be. And even if you aren't...I wish you were." she murmured.
"You don't know anything about me Kagome."
"I know that you like saying my name!" she said happily.
He grinned, "It's a very pretty name."
"I didn't like it before, but I do now."
He patted her head, before turning to leave again.
"Even if you aren't my daddy, I can pretend."
"You'll grow to be as smart as your mother is Kagome." he said quietly, before he left the front door.
Kagome smiled, and gave her new toy a smile, and leaned her head into it. The small dog smelled like her new daddy. She skipped upstairs, and went to wake up her caretaker so that she could have her dinner and dream about her future.
That day, Kagome Higurashi became a new person. She had a ray of light and hope that wasn't there before, and she thanked her mysterious father for it every night.
She lost her toy long ago, and she lost a lot of her childish innocence, but she never lost the memory of the first man who held her.