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Reflections

Shiemi had already briefed Rin when he walked by the bathroom door and had to do a double take, shaking his head to make sure he wasn't imagining things.

Lily was standing on a step stool in front of the vanity, leaning over the sink and staring at herself in the mirror, twisting her head every which way and making all sorts of intense faces, as if searching for something that wasn't there.

"What'chya doin'?" Rin asked softly as he leaned against the doorframe, not wanting to embarrass or startle her.

She heaved a long suffering sigh and looked up at him with a concerned expression. "You know how people say babies got their parents' eyes and noses? I've got Dad's hair, but…" she trailed off, staring in to the mirror once more and missing Rin's amused snort.

Lily had dirty blonde hair, something she'd obviously gotten from her mother, and she had no idea that even in his thirties, Ryuuji took meticulous care of his hair, booking salon appointments at the first sign of his roots peeking out under the bleach. Rin honestly didn't know how he hadn't gone bald like his old man.

"Do you think I've got your nose?" Lily asked.

Rin fell back on humor, the same way he always did when he felt that people around him needed cheering up or distracting. He feigned confusion and touched his face. "No," he said, "I've still got it."

Lily pursed her lips and glared at him through the mirror's reflection. Dang. That would have worked when she was younger, sending her in to a fit of laughter and distracting her from the topic. No such luck now.

"I hear you didn't have a great day at school," Rin said, placing his hand on her head.

"Daddy, when is my tail gonna' grow in?"

He snorted back laughter and Lily glared at him.

"Sorry, Stringbean, but I don't think you're gonna get a tail," he said as he ruffled her hair. She swatted his hands away and he was expecting another glare, but his eyes widened as Lily looked up at him in the mirror and furrowed her brow, her eyes wet with the tears she was valiantly holding back. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she spoke first.

"We talked about families at school today," she said wiping away tears, hanging her head and staring down in to the sink instead of meeting the eyes of his reflection

"Oh yeah? I saw your drawing," Rin said, trying to sound casual as he bent down to wrap his arms around her, resting his chin on her head and holding her close, "Looked pretty good."

"Kiko-chan said I can't have two dads."

Rin froze, and Lily turned in his arms to look up at him, the look on her face heartbreaking.

"Sachiko Sensei said she was right."

"Oh," Rin said, suddenly really wishing Ryuuji was there. "Well, I'm sure she didn't mean it like that. I mean… I guess technically they're correct," Rin said with a shrug, "You know where babies come from. Biologically you can't have two dads, but I've told you about Grandpa Shiro before, right?" He waited for Lily to nod and then continued, his voice wistful. "He wasn't biologically my dad either, but he was still my dad in all the ways that matter the most. He read to me and taught me how to tie a tie, and how to be a good person. He encouraged me to pursue my hobbies and didn't give up on me, even when I'd given up on myself. It didn't matter that he wasn't my real dad. He was still my dad, you know what I mean?"

Lily nodded and looked up at him. "So… I am adopted…?"

Rin face palmed, scrubbing his hand up through his hair. "No, you're not adopted, but… It's a little complicated. We should probably wait until Dad gets home before we talk about that, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded, lips pursed as she went back to studying their reflections.

"You're our daughter and we both love you very much," Rin said and he planted a kiss on the top of her head and gave her a quick squeeze of a hug. "And family is a lot more than just moms and dads, you know. They come in all shapes and sizes."

Lily stopped crying, sniffing back her tears, but she hung her head dejectedly, staring down in to the sink. Rin pursed his lips as he studied her face in the mirror, trying to think of something more to say when Lily's tiny shoulders heaved with a dramatic sigh.

"But I'm not getting a tail."

Rin barked out a laugh and Lily glared at him in the mirror again, letting out an annoyed grunt as he ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Sorry, Pumpkin. No tails."

She puffed out her cheeks in an exaggerated pout and leaned over the sink towards the mirror, kicking her legs as she supported her weight on the vanity.

"What do I have then?" she asked.

"From me, you mean?"

Lily hummed in affirmation and Rin frowned, trying to think of what he could say that wouldn't count as perpetuating a lie. He'd always assumed they'd tell her when the time felt right, but he'd also assumed Ryuuji would be there for it too.

He placed his hand on Lily's head, running his fingers over her fine blonde hair.

"You know, your dad actually bleaches his hair, right? You can't have two colored hair naturally."

Lily nodded, and then turned to look up at Rin, her brow furrowed as she realized what he was saying.

"I don't have Dad's hair?" she asked. Rin shook his head.

"You have your mom's hair."

Lily looked up at him in surprise, her eyes wide.

"I have a mom?"

Her voice was caught somewhere between wistful and disbelieving, as if it was too much to hope for. A small smile spread over her face as she looked up at him, and Rin's heart broke. He smiled down at her.

"Yup. And you have your dad's beautiful brown eyes."

Her eyes sparkled and she smiled brightly, waiting eagerly for more, for the next part. Rin wanted to look away, afraid to disappoint her, but he didn't. He just kept on smiling and comprehension sparked momentarily in her eyes before her expression fell, her brow creasing. Rin took her in to his arms and held her close, tucking her head under his chin so she wouldn't see him starting to cry.