"We have to come up with a name for our child, our daughter." Naoto said as she looked at Kanji. They had the book of names on the kitchen table, Naoto had been flipping through it, each suggestion one made the other didn't like it.
"How about the name Ryoko? Meaning bright child?" Kanji suggested
Naoto felt a kick from their little girl; she looked at Kanji and smiled.
"I think she likes that name." Naoto said.
"Ryoko Shirogane, it's a good name indeed." Kanji said nodding his head
A second kick made Naoto make and 'Ooh' she seemed to like that name and wanted to let them both know she approved.
"She kicked again." Naoto explained looking at him with a gentle smile.
The landline phone rang in the hallway; Kanji stood up and went to answer it, Naoto didn't attempt to get up from the chair as she was in the last stages of her pregnancy.
"Hello Shirogane residence." Kanji said
"Hey Kanji-kun its Yu here, I am phoning everyone to say our little Kotone has just been born." The voice on the other end said
"Whoa dude congrats." Kanji said
"Hey not long until your child is born." Yu said "Our children have to be friends."
"Of course they will. Send my best to Yukiko-senpai and Kotone-chan." Kanji said.
"Thanks, good luck to you and Naoto-kun." Yu said before he hung up
Naoto looked at him as he returned into the kitchen; she was idly stirring her finger in the fruit bowl, Kanji smiled as he sat down across from her.
"It was Yu-senpai; Kotone-chan has arrived safely. He has a lot more calls to make." Kanji said looking at his wife with a gentle smile
A month and a half later
Naoto was worried her due date had passed a week ago; she had read that it was rare that a child arrived on their due date, but she was anxious she wanted to have her little baby girl already. Kanji was on tender hooks; he was as stressed as Naoto was, he could tell she was becoming uncomfortable, she didn't try to hide it.
"Why isn't she here yet?" Naoto asked Kanji impatiently, as she paced around the living room.
"Naoto I'm sure she'll arrive soon, please calm down." Kanji answered looking stressed back at her.
"It's your fault, you were the one who got me pregnant." She said her impatient tone still in her voice, making it rise a little higher in pitch than usual.
"I know, I know." He said Kanji's brain made the executive decision to let her vent some hormone based anger at him, he silently remained calm trying not to shout back at her, she never got mad at him like this and he thought she was kinda sexy when she was mad. Damn it now's not the time to get aroused, come on Kanji.
Thankfully Naoto didn't have to stay in that state of irritation long as her labour was triggered shortly after that sentence was spoken. Kanji ended up panicking; he took a deep breath as he called for an ambulance, he managed to get himself calm after he hung up the phone call. Naoto held her hand out to Kanji to take as she was scared herself. Her tiny hand wrapped in his and she squeezed hard on his fingers, Kanji was a little shocked by the strength she had used.
"Breathe Naoto; you gotta stay calm." Kanji said
Seven hours later; Ryoko Shirogane was born, Kanji never realised how small babies were as he held his little daughter in his arms. Her fingers were tiny and all of them could barely wrap around one of his.
"She's beautiful." Kanji said as he looked over to his wife.
Naoto smiled contentedly as she looked at the bundle in his arms, neither of them had seen the colour of Ryoko's eyes as she kept them closed, as if she wasn't ready to look at the world yet. She wanted to live in a small world at the moment, Naoto knew one thing she was exhausted.
"I know she is we did good." Naoto said before she began to fall asleep. Naoto seemed to do so instantly as Kanji could hear her gentle breathing. There was a knock at the door, Rise was stood there and smiled.
"Can I see her?" Rise asked
"Sure come on." Kanji whispered.
The actress looked down at the little girl in Kanji's arms; Rise smiled and looked at Kanji, then back at Ryoko.
"She looks a lot like Naoto." Rise whispered.
"Yeah she does thankfully, it's a little sad for a girl to look like her dad." Kanji said a small smile on his face.
Rise patted Kanji on the shoulder and gave him a smile.
"You've never been happier since you and Naoto-kun got married have you?" Rise asked her tone still quiet.
Kanji looked between both the Shirogane women and smiled at Rise; he walked to put Ryoko into the cot, and tucked her in with the blanket. He also did the same with Naoto but he gave her a small kiss on the forehead.
"I never thought I'd ever be this happy." Kanji replied
The two of them had left mother and daughter to sleep; both exhausted from the birth, and headed to the coffee machine. Rise paid for their drinks and they sat together on a bench in the hallway.
"To Ryoko Shirogane, the next great detective." Rise said in her normal tone.
"To Ryoko Shirogane, my little princess." Kanji responded.
They clinked together the cans of iced coffee, and laughed together.
"Ryoko-chan is cuter than Kotone-chan right?" Kanji asked the actress
Rise laughed and nodded at her friend
"It's not a competition Kanji-kun." Rise explained
"Yeah cause Ryoko-chan wins hands down." Kanji said "I guess I am a little biased towards my girls. I like that 'my girls' I have something to protect, I am gonna be terrible when Ryoko-chan wants to get a boyfriend."
"I am sorry for the poor boy already." Rise replied as she laughed carefully.