Irie Naoki is good at most everything, but multi-tasking is one thing he knows he could work on. When he's focused on something he commits all of his attention to it which, as a surgeon, is vital. As a parent though, it's caused him a fair number of problems. Especially once Kotomi started toddling and even more so now that she's nearing five years of age and, while she got his smarts, she also got her mother's imagination. It's a combination that has both brought him immense pride and tested his patience to the limit.

He's nearing the end of a journal article a colleague had recommend when he realizes he hadn't heard any noise coming from Kotomi's room in a disturbing amount of time. He glances at his phone and confirms that more time had definitely passed than he'd intended in between his check-ins with her. Usually, there'd be someone else in the house to keep track but everyone else is either at work or school and his mother had stepped out to meet with some friends. He sighs and scratches at the bridge of his nose before standing up and stretching out his long limbs.

He takes the short walk next door to his daughter's bedroom and is relieved to see her sprawled on the floor, crayons scattered about and pigtails bobbing side to side as she scribbles and hums to herself. He leans his shoulder against the doorframe and crosses one leg behind the other to watch her. A smile crosses his lips, but quickly fades when he sees the top of his briefcase sticking out from under the bed, opened and empty. His eyes widen and he stands up straight, scanning over the papers his daughter is currently drawing on.

"Kotomi! What are you doing?"

Kotomi stiffens, dropping the purple crayon she was holding and scrambling quickly to her feet as Naoki crosses the room and starts gathering the paperwork from the floor. She watches with wide eyes as he grabs the suitcase from under the bed and starts stuffing the papers back inside. Her tiny hands bunch up her skirt and she sucks in her bottom lip to keep from crying.

"What were you thinking? Why would you touch something that doesn't belong to you?" Naoki grumbles, still gathering papers, wondering how in the world Kotomi had figured out the combination to unlock his suitcase. He closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath when he recognizes a well-worn envelope and Kotoko's handwriting. Her letter hadn't escaped Kotomi's colorful scrawlings. He turns, leaning against the bed and throws his head back on the mattress, closing his eyes again.

"I'm sorry, Papa," Kotomi whimpers. "I wanted to draw you something but you were busy so I got some paper out of your suitcase. I wanted to surprise you."

Naoki raises up and looks at her, tiny fist still balled in her skirt and tears ready to fall from her big brown eyes. God, he hates seeing her cry.

"Come here," he whispers, motioning for her to sit beside him on the floor. She hesitates but when he motions her over again she comes, slowly, obviously still trying her best to hold in her tears. When she sits Naoki glances at her from the corner of his eye before looking over the letter again. She's added several nonsensical scribbles, what he thinks is maybe meant to be a portrait of her mother, and four tiny stars. Now, not only is it a memento of their beginning it's also evidence of where they've ended up. From a rejected love letter to a frustratingly clever four year old.

"This letter," he says showing it to his daughter, "Is the first thing your mommy ever gave me. It's special."

"I ruined it," Kotomi mutters. Her shoulders slump and her head lowers in shame. She loses the battle against her tears and several slip out, rolling over her chubby cheeks. She sniffs and swipes at her nose with the sleeve of her sweater. Naoki sighs, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and bringing his hand up to rest on top of her head. He gives her a squeeze and pats her head in a short, soothing rhythm.

"You didn't ruin it," he promises.

She'd made it better.

He stands up and motions for her to do the same. She stares up at him with giant, red-rimmed eyes but she's stopped crying and her hands are relaxed at her side. He gently yanks on one of her pigtails.

"You really shouldn't touch other people's things. Especially not things meant for work. Do you understand?" He places his hands on her shoulders as she gives him an enthusiastic nod. "Come help me make new copies of the papers you drew on."

Later, after they've nearly replaced all the paperwork and most everything is back in dedicated folders it occurs to Naoki to ask how she'd gotten into his suitcase to begin with. He'd bought one with a lock to hopefully avoid situations such as this.

"That's easy," Kotomi grins. "It's my birthday 'cause you like me best!"

Kotoko walks through the bedroom door then and clutches dramatically at her chest, obviously overhearing what her daughter had said.

"I can't believe this. For years I fought off woman after woman to be number one in Irie-kun's heart only to be ousted by my own daughter! I think I'll have to challenge you to..." she trails off, raising her hands up in claw shapes and advancing on Kotomi who shrieks out a giggle.

"A tickle war!" Kotoko yells and lunges at her daughter who just barely out-maneuvers her and takes of down the hallway with Kotoko close behind.

Naoki laughs after them and looks at the letter on his desk again. It was definitely an improvement.