The next morning, when Hitomi and Kaito wandered into the living room to watch morning cartoons, Juuzou was waiting for them.
"Good morning Mister Suzuya," Kaito said, flopping down on the couch.
"Morning Dad!" Hitomi said, sitting down next to her brother.
Hitomi's words made Juuzou's heart lurch, but he decided not to acknowledge it for now.
"Good morning!" he said cheerfully. "I have a surprise for you."
"Is it candy?" Kaito asked.
"Really?" Hitomi asked. "Is it a body?"
"No to both," Suzuya said, ignoring yet another comment from his daughter. "I'm taking you to meet your mother."
"Really?" Hitomi said, starting to bounce up and down on the couch. "Our real mother?"
"Yes."
"I don't wanna meet mother," Kaito grumbled.
Hitomi stared at her brother. "Why?"
"She gave us up. She don't wanna see us. I'm not going."
"If you go, you'll get food," Suzuya said.
Kaito's stomach rumbled.
"Come on," Hitomi said. "Please?"
"Fine," Kaito said. "But only cause I'm hungry."
"And one thing," Juuzou said. "She lives in a giant house. And you know one of the people who works there."
"Who?" Hitomi asked.
"Ju San."
"She found us when we were in the box," Kaito said. "But she wouldn't take us to our mother."
"She told me where you were," Suzuya said. "She's good. But you have to pretend you've never seen her before."
"Why?" asked Hitomi.
"Because Ju San is really a spy named Mesume."
"Cool!" Kaito said, eyes lighting up.
"But it's a secret, okay?"
"Okay."
It wasn't long before Kaito, Hitomi, and Suzuya stood outside the mansion door. Kaito stared at the flowers, and Hitomi swung around her tote bag. In it was her Kanji book, which she had made a habit to take everywhere.
"This was the address," Juuzou muttered, knocking on the door.
The servants working inside were startled by the sudden rapping on the door. Ni gave the other servants an uneasy look; visitors were not expected. He walked over and hesitantly opened the door. His jaw almost dropped when he saw who was standing there.
"C—can I help you?" he stuttered.
"Yes, you can," Juuzou said. "Tell Yoshimura and Naki that's Suzuya's here, and he's got the twins with him."
"Y—yes sir," Ni said, scuttling down the hallway and up the steps.
"Come in," Ju Nana said, holding the door open for the investigator and his children.
The trio walked inside, and the children stared in awe at Naki's lavish home.
"Is this a castle?" Hitomi breathed.
"No, it's just a fancy home," Juuzou said, placing a defensive hand on his daughter's shoulder. He looked around at the servants. No doubt they were all ghouls. Mesume was nowhere in sight.
Eto and Naki appeared at the top of the staircase, and they slowly descended. Eto's eyes were wide, and she was pale as a ghost.
"Is that our mother?" Kaito asked softly.
"Yeah," Suzuya replied bitterly. "That's your mother."
"Mommy!" Hitomi said, dropping her tote bag and breaking away from Suzuya.
"Wait!" Juuzou said. But it was to late; Hitomi was sprinting down the hall.
She got to the two ghouls as they reached the bottom step. Hitomi stared at the two Aogiri members, and they stared back. Hitomi had her eyes locked on Eto, and then she shifted them to Naki.
"Woah," Hitomi said, staring at Naki. "You're tall."
Naki squatted down so that he could look the white haired girl in the eye. "I'm not all that tall," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're just used to short people."
"My Daddy is kinda short," Hitomi giggled, smiling bashfully.
Suzuya rolled his eyes from where he stood by the entrance.
"What's your name?" the five year old asked. "You can't be my mother."
"Well, I can't be your mother because I'm boy," Naki chuckled.
"That's why I said you're not," Hitomi said, giggling shyly.
"But the woman standing next to me is your mother," Naki said, giving a small smile. "And she's missed you a lot."
"Really?" Hitomi asked, eyes widening.
"Oh yes," Naki said, nodding.
"I told my brother Kaito that she missed us," she said boastfully. "I knew all along."
"Well that's cause you're smart," Naki said, squeezing Hitomi's shoulder.
"What's your name?" Hitomi asked, cocking her head at the man squatting in front of her.
"I'm Naki," the blond ghoul said. "What's your name?"
"Hitomi."
"That's a good name," Naki said.
"I like your eyes," Hitomi said, touching Naki's face in the way that someone would dry tears. "They're like my brother's. But what's that gray stuff?"
"That's makeup," Naki said.
"Can I wear it?" Hitomi asked, still feeling his face.
"You'd have to ask your Daddy," Naki said, adverting his eyes to Suzuya for a moment. "But you're probably going to have to wait till you're older."
Hitomi patted Naki's hair. "I like your hair," she said. "It's soft."
"Thank you. You like to touch things, don't you?"
"Mhm," Hitomi said, stroking Naki's hair with green eyes alive with curiosity.
"She's five," Suzuya said from the end of the hall. "She'll grab, and break, anything she can get her hands on."
Naki scowled at Juuzou, and then turned his attention back to the white haired girl in front of him. "It was nice to meet you, but I think your Mommy really wants to meet you."
Hitomi let go of Naki and turned her round, green eyes to Eto. The half ghoul was staring at her daughter with tears in her eyes. Naki stood up, and Eto took his place by kneeling in front of the five year old.
"Don't cry Mommy," Hitomi said as tears began to dribble down the half ghoul's face. "Don't cry."
Eto let out a choked sob and pulled her daughter close. The woman cried and buried her face in Hitomi's white hair, wrapping her arms tightly around her, as if she was never going to let go. As if, she was trying to make up for the last five years.
"Hitomi, I'm so so sorry," she whispered into her daughter's ear.
"It's okay Mommy," she replied softly.
"No it's not," Eto said. "I left you at that orphanage, and I will never forgive myself."
Hitomi pulled back so that she could look her mother in the eye. "You have eyes like me," Hitomi said, touching Eto's face in the same manor she had touched Naki's.
"Yes," Eto said, laughing through the tears. "That's cause I'm your Mommy. And as your Mommy, I promise to never ever leave you again, okay?"
"Okay," Hitomi said in a distracted way, tugging at Eto's hair.
"Do you believe me?" Eto asked, to make sure her daughter was paying attention.
"Yes Mommy."
"And where's Kaito?" the half ghoul asked, peering over her daughter's shoulder.
Kaito stood shyly next to Suzuya, who gave him a nudge towards his mother. Kaito slowly approached Eto. He was tense, and his hands trembled. He kept his head low, but his red eyes did not stray from the woman.
"Hello, Kaito," Eto said, reaching out to touch his cheek when he stood in front of her. He flinched and scooted backwards a little, as if he was afraid the woman in front of him would strike him.
He did not look his mother in the eye.
"You know I missed you a lot," Eto said, trying to look at Kaito's face. However, he kept his head hanging low.
"You left us there," Kaito said quietly.
Eto went to speak but faltered. Juuzou, who had maintained his place by the door, picked up Hitomi's tote bag and walked over to the group.
"Hello, Yoshimura," he said bitterly.
"Suzuya," Eto said flatly, standing up.