Months came and went. The press slowly relented of their pursuit of the couple, and Rin became a free lance writer under a pen name so as to make a living. She had also become friends with Karen. Karen and Joe had her over for dinner often. While it seemed as if they were curious as to Sesshomaru's whereabouts, they never once asked her about her marriage.

One Saturday Rin received a call from Toga. "Izayoi would like for both of you to come to dinner next Sunday."

"Thank you for the invitation, but I must decline. Every year on that date I have an obligation to fulfill." She refused to tell them that it was the anniversary of her parents' death, and on that day she would visit their grave.

"I'm sorry to hear that you will not be attending."

"Thank you for your invitation," she said ash she ended the conversation. "Sesshomaru should be grateful that I got him out of that," she told Eri, who was sitting in the living room waiting for her.

"Why didn't you tell them that you are visiting your parent's grave?"

"They don't need to know that. I'm not really that important to their family that I could tell them that."

"Why aren't you that important? You are a part of that family, which isn't that large, and they invite you over for dinners often."

"Yeah, but I am also the wife of the son of Toga's first wife. Sesshomaru doesn't have a good relationship with anyone in his family aside from his father. Haven't I told you this before?" Before Eri could answer they could hear keys unlocking the door. "Speaking of the devil..." He opened the door and glanced at the two women. "Your father called."

"What did he want?" he asked as he shut the door.

"He invited us to dinner for next Sunday. I told him I couldn't come." He didn't say anything as he walked to his room and closed the door. "He could have said 'thank you'," she commented sarcastically.

Someone knocked on the door. Rin opened the door to be greeted by Karen and Joe. "Are you two ready to go?" Karen asked.

"Nope," Eri answered. "Sota isn't here yet. He's running a little late." Only two minutes later Sota arrived, and the five of them took off for the coffee house.

It only took ten minutes to get to the closest parking garage. As they walked up to the coffeehouse Rin commented, "My brother-in-law and his wife are here."

"Really? Where are they?" Karen asked.

"My sister and brother-in-law are also here," Sota commented.

Joe then commented, "Our friends are already here." He approached Inuyasha and Kagome. "Have you been waiting long?"

Kagome jumped as Joe's hand wandered to her backside. She slapped him and Inuyasha hit him in the head once.

"Please don't tell me that Kagome and Inuyasha are your friends," Rin told Karen.

"They are. Why? How do you know them?"

Kagome hugged Sota saying, "I didn't know you were coming. Is this the girlfriend we have been hearing about for so long?"

Sota wrapped his arm around Eri and introduced them, "Kagome, this is Takahashi Eri. Eri, this is my sister and her husband."

"Eri? I didn't realize it was you. Gosh, it's been years since I've last seen you," Kagome gushed.

"I can't believe Sota didn't tell you that we have been friends in high school," Eri commented. "When I ran into Sota at the grocery store, we decided to get together over coffee some night and talk about high school since we did go to school for a couple of years together."

Rin had been standing back watching the scene with the song "It's a Small World" running through her head as she realized that should Sota and Eri's relationship go further she would be distantly related to Eri. She saw as Kagome moved around to stand next to her. "Rin, you're here too?" she asked.

"Sesshomaru's not with you is he?" Inuyasha asked Rin. "I will not stay if he is."

"Of course not! He's got his own life!"

"But every time we see you," Kagome commented, "you are with him."

"You only see me at family dinners and work events. I have my own life outside of those."

"And where is my half brother now?" Inuyasha asked.

"I don't know," Rin answered honestly. "We have our own lives."

"I still can't understand why you're married if you want separate lives," Kagome commented.

"It makes sense for us, and it works."

They spent hour at the coffeehouse listening to live jazz and poetry readings while talking about the past, Sota and Eri's relationship, and Rin's marriage, which she was reluctant to talk about. Eventually Inuyasha observed, "Despite all of your explanations for your marriage, I still can't understand how you can be so kind and be married to him."

"I have my reasons."

"If he ever does anything to piss you off, let me or Kagome know. I can set his straight."

"Thanks, but I don't think I'll need your help."