Growing Up
Isshin & Karin/Yuzu

I stared up at my wife's poster. I know it's silly, maybe even downright stupid to keep it up after so long, but I have gotten used to seeing her there. I like having her in the house, even if it is just her image. I almost feel like she's watching our children grow up. Kami knows its days like this one, when I most wish she were here.

Karin is first to pelt down the stairs, "You gonna stare at mom all day? We're supposed to go shopping, jii-san."

"Don't hassle tou-san, Karin. But, if we're going to catch the bus and make it out to the mall before lunch, we'd probably better leave," Yuzu's cheerful voice broke in.

Ichigo's head appeared out of the kitchen, "What're you guys going to the mall for? I could use a new…"

"Girl stuff." Karin turned her famous grumpy face on her brother, who promptly sat back at the table.

"Right, then. I can go later, I guess."

I sighed; I wished I could huddle at the kitchen table and forget that my precious little girls were growing up. Whatever Ichigo needed was sure to be far less daunting than shopping for girl stuff. Hey, don't get up in my face about it. That's how Yuzu put it to me. I just hope I don't die of mortification. "Right you are, Yuzu-chan. Come on, Karin, let's get going."

My little honeys trooped out the door and I followed them out after checking to make sure I had my wallet and keys. It's hard to live it down when your neighbors catch you using your own children to break into your house. We walked, hand in hand, the three of us talking over nothing serious to the bus stop. Taking the bus, we arrived at the mall just before lunch. Plenty of time, I hoped, to get the girl stuff, and then get some finger lickin' fast food.

I have been known to curse. Sometimes I curse silently and in great repetition and sometimes loud enough so that repetition is not necessary. This was almost one of those times. Bless my sweet Misaki; our daughters were making me go bra shopping. A big step in any girl's life. Judging by how seriously my two angels were taking their mission, if they failed at this important juncture, they would be cast out of the girl club for good. I tried not to curse.

I never handled so many bras in my lifetime as I did that afternoon. White, tan, nude - whatever that means - and seemingly every design under the sun. Tank style, sports, demi, crossover with every imaginable material. Anything from satin smooth to jersey and every decal a girl might enjoy plunked on the middle. How long, exactly, should it take two budding young women to find a first bra? I think I spent less time awake at the academy.

In the end, it was worth it. Karin only had to slug me three times before I stopped hitting on the grown women in the lingerie department. Yuzu managed to talk the salesgirl out of reporting me to the mall police. My babies managed to pick out three bras each and I paid for them and endured the pity stare from the cashier. It was a successful trip, all things considered.

After eating, and strolling the mall looking for other things for me to buy for my beautiful daughters; we got back on a bus to go home. We walked back inside and I smiled up at the poster of my wife, "Our babies aren't babies any more."

Ichigo stood behind me, "I think she knows how you feel, dad."

I glanced at my son, and nodded. He did not need to know that I said the same thing about him not too long ago.

AN/ Who doesn't Like Isshin and the twins? They're easily my favorite non-combatants. Thank you goes to eelgirl, who prompted this whole thing. A generous round of applause goes to Hasty, who very kindly agreed to beta these for me. A kind word or two would probably make all of us grin like idiots.