"And this is my new stuffed animal," said Airi, holding up the plushy in the shape of a gray bipedal cat with a giant smile on its face and holding a leaf in two hands before handing it to Fukui to inspect. "Do you like it? Do you know what it is?"

"I'm quite familiar," answered Fukui, smiling at Airi's question. "I grew up watching these movies. Do you watch them with your family?"

"Sometimes," said Airi, taking back the plushy and holding it tight. "We watch lots of different stuff, but we've watched those lots of times. My favorite is where the girl goes to the castle with the robots. Which one's your favorite?"

"I'd have to say the one with the girl on the glider who helps save her kingdom from the giant bugs," said Fukui smiling. "And the one with the tanuki, I like the idea behind it. Not as fantastical as the others, but it stuck with me."

"I like the bug one, too," said Airi, smiling as Fukui chuckled. "But I don't like the tanuki one. It doesn't make sense. But Mommy said I'd understand when I was older."

"It is a tough movie to understand," agreed Fukui while he made some notes. "But since we're on the subject, what about your moms and brother? What are their favorites?"

"Mama and I really like the one with the wizard and the fire that controls the castle like a robot."

Following this statement, Airi tried to imitate the film's castle and make machine noises, making Fukui laugh.

"That's not bad," said Fukui once he and Airi had calmed down. "And what about your mom and brother."

Airi chewed on her lip for a moment before saying, "Well, Hideki's favorite is the one with the piggy that flies the plane, and Mommy likes the one with the girl on the broom that does deliveries. Mommy even read me the book about that movie. It's a good book, and Grandma likes the one with the wolves, and Grandpa likes the one where the girl goes and picks safflowers. I liked that one a lot too."

"Those are all good choices," agreed Fukui, making a note. "It sounds like you had a fun time on your field trip and that it was a good choice for your teachers to take you there. Did you hang out with..."

Fukui returned to his notes and read them before saying, "Kyoko-chan and Momiji-chan?"

"Yep." Airi continued to smile, but it fell a little bit. "But I wish Honoka-chan could have come."

"Why couldn't she come?" Fukui made another note as he observed Airi's expression. "I thought it was a field trip for the kids up to her year? Did I get my notes wrong?"

"No," confirmed Airi, shrugging. "Honoka was supposed to come, but she's got family stuff still. She was supposed to be back yesterday, but she told me last night she was gonna be gone longer. Her daddy's mom is sick, so they're visiting her, and her mommy is going to have a baby."

"That's exciting," said Fukui nodding. "Are you excited to meet the baby when it's born?"

"Yeah," sighed Airi, looking out the window. "But I wish they'd come back, but they must wait since my Aunty is sick. But last night, when they called, Aunty told my Mama they should be back this weekend and that we'd get to play soon."

"I bet that made you feel better."

Airi nodded and said, "Yeah, but I miss them. Do you think Aunty is going to be okay? She said if she doesn't feel better, they'll have to stay with Honoka's grandma until she is, and I don't want something to happen to her or the baby because it'd make Honoka sad, and I'd get sad too."

"I understand." Fukui nodded and sighed. "I'm sure they miss you too, and I know it's tough to have people you love be far away and unable to help them. But you have your other friends, and your moms and family are around to help. It's okay to ask them for help and to lean on them, and I'm sure Honoka-chan and your aunt are leaning on their friends and family. I'm sure they called you because they needed your help and to talk to you. Besides, from what you've told me about Honoka-chan, I think she'll be happy you've made some new friends. And if you want to, you can always invite her over next time, and the four of you can have fun together."

"I guess," sighed Airi rubbing her eyes as she tried to hold back tears. "But what about my Aunty? Is she and the baby going to be okay? Honoka's worried, and I heard Mommy and Mama say that if Aunty is too sick, it can hurt the baby."

"That is possible," explained Fukui, placing a gentle hand on Airi's shoulder, "and it could happen, and I understand that you're scared. It's okay to be scared, and it's good that you're talking about it because bottling it up inside doesn't help."

"I remember," sniffed Airi as she squeezed her plushy. "You told me that I gotta tell people things or else it'll hurt more than it helps."

"That's right." Fukui squeezed Airi's shoulder reassuringly before letting go. "I did say that, and I'm glad you remember because that means I can help you get through it, and if you want, I can tell your moms if you want me so they can help you out. Is that okay with you, or do you want to talk to me?"

Airi again chewed on her lip before nodding and saying, "You can tell them. I know they're scared too because I heard Mommy talk about what happened with Hideki to my Aunty, and it made Mommy sad, so I don't want her or Mama to get sad because I didn't tell them I was scared."

"That's a very responsible decision, Airi." Fukui made a note and double-checked to make sure his recorder was on so that it was on record that Airi had permitted him to tell Yuzu and Mei what she'd told him.

After confirming everything, Fukui smiled at Airi and said, "You're a considerate kid for wanting your moms to know this, Airi-chan. But I want you to understand that I'd understand if you told me I couldn't."

"I know."

Airi held her plushy close while Fukui made a few more notes before asking, "What's 'considerate' mean?

"It means that you take other people's feelings into account and try not to hurt their feelings," explained Fukui while he continued writing, but stopped to make eye contact with Airi as he wrote.

"Oh," said Airi, her ears burning a little when she realized that Fukui had paid her a compliment. "Well, you're considerate too, Fukui-san."

Fukui chuckled at this and said, "I appreciate the compliment. I'd be pretty bad at my job if I didn't consider other people's feelings. What do you think?"

"Yeah, you would be," agreed Airi, and both of them shared a laugh before Fukui closed his journal and focused on Airi.

"I'm happy you made new friends, Airi," he said, smiling kindly at her. "I am."

"Me too," said Airi smiling sheepishly. "Do you think I'm gonna have fun?"

"I know you will." Fukui removed his glasses and nodded. "But I want you to remember your exercises and that someone might accidentally touch your hair. I know it will be scary if it happens, and if it does, promise me that you'll do your best to remember what I taught you. Also, remember that if you feel you can't get it under control, you need to tell an adult. Okay? That way, they can call me or your moms to help talk you through it. All right?

"I will." Airi sounded nervous, but she nodded all the same.

"I don't doubt it." Fukui nodded back, but he couldn't help but feel nervous for her and decided to give her one more tool to use. "Also, make sure you and your moms set that boundary before they leave. If anyone forces the issue, you find a way to tell your moms. While you are a guest and should be polite, you're allowed to say 'no.'"

"I know." Airi twirled some hair around her finger as she spoke. "My moms told me that after I yelled at my friends for touching my hair after they invited me over."

"That must have been scary," said Fukui, feeling a slight twinge of pain in his heart. "I'm sorry that it happened."

"So am I." Airi let out a loud sigh and looked at him. "But we said sorry, and they still played with me and wanted me to come over, so maybe it won't be as scary as I think."

"I think you'll be fine," he chuckled while Airi smiled. "Unfortunately, as much as I want to continue, our time's up for this week, and your Mama should be done soon too."

"Okay." Airi slid off her chair and began packing up her things. "Can I tell you about my sleepover next time?"

"If you want to," said Fukui as he set his notes on his desk. "You can tell me whatever you feel comfortable with. But we have to hurry since we pushed your appointment to today, and you need to get home and get your bag for your sleepover. Also, you said your moms are going on a date tonight. We don't want you guys to be late, do you?"

"Oh yeah."

Airi's pace quickened, and she grabbed the pictures she drew at the start of their session about the field trip, and once her bag was zipped up, she walked to the door with Fukui-san.

Once it opened, Yuzu's voice filtered in, saying, "... I'll let Mei know what we discussed. It will be tough, but I think we'll be okay. You're sure we can come back, though?"

"You know you can," chuckled Hayashi while she cleaned her glasses. "But only if you start to see a massive regression into old habits. Remember, this is a tool to help you learn how to manage the situations that lead you to seek therapy. My job is to guide you, not to fix you. You and Mei-san are the ones that decide where you go from here, not me. But should you choose to come back, I'm here to help."

"Thank you," said Yuzu, her shoulders relaxing a little at hearing this before turning her head to see Airi appear out of the doorway, a smile forming.

"Hi, Sweetie," said Yuzu warmly, making Airi grin. "Did you have a good visit?"

"Yep!" Airi ran towards Yuzu and hugged her before holding her plushy. "I told Fukui-san about my field trip, sleepover, and other stuff. He said he even knows what my plushy is from!"

"That's wonderful." Yuzu reached down and ruffled Airi's hair before giving the plushy a gentle pat on the head. "I'm happy things went well today. Thank you for taking care of her."

"It was a pleasure," replied Fukui with a smile. "Also, I will email you about some things we discussed. Airi's permitted me to send it, so you and Mei-san will receive that soon."

"Okay." Yuzu looked down at Airi, who was focused on tying her shoes, and then back up at Fukui. "Is everything okay?"

"She's doing great," said Fukui firmly, hoping it'd keep Yuzu from worrying. "She's just got some things she's worried about, and she doesn't know how to tell you, so I'm acting as a middleman."

"I see," Yuzu felt her anxiety ebb a little, but she didn't know if that would last. "I understand, and thank you for keeping us informed. But we need to get out front. Mei's running a little late, and as I'm sure she's told you, Airi has a sleepover tonight."

"She did." Fukui winked at Airi, who returned the gesture. "I'm excited for her, and I reminded her about setting boundaries with her friends and their parents and to remember her calming exercises."

"Thank you for that." Yuzu sighed in relief as she ticked that one partially off her list of things to go over before leaving Airi. "But we really should get going; I don't want to keep Mei waiting, and I'm sure you have other patients."

"I'm not sure about Fukui-san, but I'm done for the day, so I'm just going to get my things and then head home," said Hayashi before giving Airi a kind smile. "You have fun tonight, both of you. And Yuzu-san, remember what we discussed."

"I will." Yuzu nodded and then placed a hand on Airi's head. "Airi, say goodbye."

"Okay." Airi shifted her plushy under her armpit and waved at Fukui and Hayashi. "Bye, Fukui-san. Bye, Hayashi-san. Thank you for today."

"Bye," said the two of them in unison, repeating Airi's gesture.

"I'll add in the availability when I send you that email," said Fukui.

"Remember to talk to Mei-san about next week," added Hayashi shortly after.

"I will," said Yuzu as she took Airi's hand, "thanks again. We'll set up the appointments soon."

With that, Airi and Yuzu walked down the hall while Airi happily hummed a song Yuzu hadn't heard.

"Is that a new song you're learning at school?" she asked once Airi had stopped humming.

"I heard it on the field trip," explained Airi, clutching her animal tighter to her chest. "They played it when we ate lunch. It helped make the food taste better."

"That must be a heck of a song to make mine and Mommy's food taste better," laughed Yuzu as they stepped out into the lobby and sat as they waited for Mei to arrive. "Did you like the lunch we made, or was it so bad that you needed the song to help eat it?"

"It was delicious," answered Airi, her voice confident but not loud while showing off a gap in the lower left corner of her mouth where a tooth had fallen out the day before. "I liked the chicken meatballs the best, and the tonkatsu sandwich was my second favorite; the salad was yummy too. Who made my bento? You or Mommy?"

"We both made it," teased Yuzu, though she felt a swelling of pride when she heard Airi had liked her dish the most. "But I'm not going to tell you who made what, though; that's between Mommy and me. Just remember that it was a team effort between us and that you thank Mommy for helping make it."

"Okay," she sighed and kicked her feet as she watched several people walk in and out of the building while Yuzu answered a few work-related texts on her phone.

Noticing the signs of boredom, Yuzu set her phone down, placed a hand on Airi's head, and asked, "Do you want to go outside and wait for Mommy?"

"I'm fine," said Airi looking up at her mother. "I'm just... what's that word when you're nervous but excited at the same time?"

"Anxious," offered Yuzu with a chuckle.

"Yeah, that," said Airi taking a deep breath before exhaling loudly.

"Is it because you're staying the night with your friends," inquired Yuzu noticing that Airi was keeping her breathing going, though she'd lowered the volume during exhalation. "Or because you aren't going to see me and Mommy?"

"Both," said Airi shifting closer to Yuzu, and moving Yuzu's hand to her shoulder, which Yuzu squeezed gently. "You think they really wanna be my friends, Mama? Or are they just acting like it until they can be mean like the other kids?"

Yuzu sighed and wished she could pick Airi up and hold her, but unfortunately, the chairs weren't big enough for that, and Yuzu knew that Airi wouldn't appreciate the looks it would get them. So she settled for massaging her daughter's shoulder and playing with her hair as she spoke.

"I know you're afraid, Airi," began Yuzu looking down at her daughter, locking eyes with the young girl. "You've been hurt, and it's hard to trust people when you've been hurt like you have. I was hurt too long ago, and so was your Mommy, and you've seen us hurt each other."

"Yeah," said Airi looking down and nuzzling Yuzu's bicep. "I don't like it when you guys do that."

"I know." Yuzu sighed and shook her head. "I don't either, but Mommy and I are working on it. That's why we come here, remember? So we can remember how to trust and talk to each other. It's like how you come here to talk to Fukui-san to help you not be afraid so you can make friends and trust them."

"I guess." Airi tried to scoot closer but let out a sigh and let herself be satisfied with Yuzu moving her hand so Airi could hold it. "I just don't want you guys to fight and my friends to hate me."

"Well, I can't promise Mommy and I won't argue," said Yuzu, squeezing Airi's hand. "But I can promise you that we will do our best not to have any more fights like what happened this summer. I thought we would have one after we saw that manga, but we didn't. Instead, we talked it out and came to an understanding."

"That's good," said Airi, who'd decided to start drawing symbols on Yuzu's hand with a finger.

"It is," agreed Yuzu, trying not to giggle at Airi's touch, "and believe me when I say this, Airi, I don't think your friends will ever hate you. But I get why you're scared, and that's why Mommy and I met Kyoko's dad and Momiji's parents at the restaurant so we could talk everything over, and they said they understood. But, Kyoko-chan's dad did say that if you get scared or too anxious, you can call us, and we'll come right over and pick you up."

"Really," said Airi in disbelief.

"Really," replied Yuzu, smirking at the look of skepticism on her daughter's face. "And just to prove it to you, you can ask him when we get there, and I promise you he'll say the same thing, so there."

Yuzu stuck her tongue out at Airi, who did the same after firing back, "Fine then I will!"

Yuzu couldn't help but laugh at how Airi managed to cross her eyes while sticking out her tongue, which got Airi to giggle as Yuzu squeezed her daughter as tight as she could. It wasn't much due to the chairs' design, but she managed somehow.

"You really promise you and Mommy will get me if I call you? You won't get mad if I make you stop your date?"

"I promise we won't get mad and will come and get you," said Yuzu smiling a little at Airi's question. "We might get a little sad we have to stop, but Mommy and I have had a lot of dates, and there will be lots more for us. So you don't have to worry about us coming to get you. You're more important than any date Mommy and I could ever take, so I promise that if you need us tonight, we'll be there for you."

"For real life," asked Airi in English, forcing a laugh from Yuzu as she remembered the cartoon Hideki used to watch that Airi had recently taken a similar interest in.

"For real life," echoed Yuzu in English, causing Airi to beam.

"Okay," said Airi taking a deep breath as she squeezed Yuzu's arm. "I'll try not to bug you guys on your date unless it's super important."

"Thanks." Yuzu leaned down and gently kissed the top of Airi's head and smiled. "You're a good kid."

"I'm considerate," said Airi before returning to drawing symbols on Yuzu's hand and humming some songs.

Yuzu tried to figure out where Airi had learned that word but decided to let it rest for a moment, instead focusing on the song her daughter hummed for a few moments until her phone dinged.

Unlocking it, Yuzu saw that it was a message from Mei and sighed when she saw that Mei was running late due to road construction.

Hoping that Airi wouldn't be too upset by the delay, Yuzu sent a quick text off to Kyoko's dad and began trying to figure out a way to break the news to her when Airi's head shot up, and a smile spread across her face as she waved at a familiar-looking person, coming off the elevator.

"Daichi-kun," said Airi loudly before walking to the middle of the row and waving at the crowd, where a young man with shoulder-length brown hair and a patchy amount of facial hair blushed before waving back.

Yuzu heard a couple of people joke about Airi being his girlfriend before he told them to be quiet and excused himself from the group before walking over to Airi and beaming at her.

"Hi, Airi-chan," he said as they walked back over to Yuzu, where Airi sat beside her mother before Daichi sat across from Yuzu. "Hello, Aihara-san. I didn't expect to run into you here."

"Neither did I," said Yuzu, surprised to see her employee here though it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Daichi attended the same university Hideki would be attending and lived nearby if she remembered correctly, so she was bound to run into him at some point on the street, but inside the building was another matter entirely. "But it's nice to see you outside of the restaurant. Are you ready for classes? I remember you saying you would be taking on an assistant role for your management teacher this year. Are you sure you'll be able to handle your shifts and that amount of work?"

"I'm going to try," he said while scratching the beard small amount of facial hair he'd finally managed to grow while tugging on a tiny bit of his frayed jeans. "But if it becomes too much, I'll talk to you about my schedule. I don't want you to think I'm unreliable, but I'm graduating next year, so I need to prioritize school, which means I may lose some shifts occasionally."

"That's all right; I've been there, so I'll be sure to keep that in mind and let the supervisors know," replied Yuzu, chuckling internally at Daichi's subconscious habit of playing with his facial hair.

She didn't mind it; after everything he'd been through the past few years, she could empathize with finally having what everyone saw match what he felt inside. But she'd repeatedly reminded him not to do it while on shift. Thankfully he was diligent about washing his hands, so they'd avoided any issues, but it was becoming a bit of a chore having to remind him so often.

"Thanks, Aihara-san," said Daichi with a relieved smile. "It means a lot, especially after that one time when those jerks came in and..."

"That wasn't your fault." Yuzu straightened up a little as she recalled the event Daichi was referring to. "Those kids came in to cause problems because of their narrow-mindedness. You're a good person Daichi-kun. I know the past couple of years have been tough, but I've seen enough since you started working for me to know that you're not the kind of person to bring trouble to others. So please stop apologizing for it."

"I'm sorry," he said shyly as his knee bounced nervously. "It's just that all of this has been harder to adjust to than I thought. Not just because of the meds but also how people have looked at me when they see me or hear me talk."

"Has your family said anything," inquired Yuzu, keeping her voice as low as possible without making it difficult for him to hear her.

"My family's been...fine...I guess," he replied with a shrug.

"Explain fine," said Yuzu, using her boss voice which immediately got Daichi to stiffen.

"My sister and dad have been cool," he began, his voice pitching. A few people looked up to see what was happening but quickly lost interest.

Coughing nervously, Daichi rubbed his hands together and continued, "Mom's been having the toughest time, but she's trying, and she's adjusting."

"That's good," said Yuzu while Airi began making quiet noises while she pretended to make her animal fly. "I remember you saying you were worried when you talked to me about starting treatment. Are you sure you're okay?"

"It's been tough, but I'm doing all right. There've been slip-ups with my name, and sometimes it takes a minute for most people to remember this...," Daichi took a second to wave a hand over his body, "is my new normal, but it's been okay so far. But they apologized, and it's not them I'm worried about; it's everyone else and it..."

"It hurts," offered Yuzu while Airi shifted and did her best to slide into Yuzu's lap, making the situation awkward, but Yuzu relished the chance to hold her daughter.

"Yeah," confirmed Daichi, again rubbing his stubble and smiling at how much it reminded her of Hideki when he started growing facial hair.

"I know, well, I sort of know." Yuzu adjusted Airi and handed her the phone so she could play while they talked. "Mei and I got looks all the time back when we got back together, and people still stare when we're alone or with the kids, and while I know it's not the same, I understand the feeling of being othered just for being who you are."

"I don't like it when people stare at me," said Airi ignoring the phone and looking at Daichi. "It makes me feel like I did something bad."

"Same," chuckled Daichi, smiling at Airi. "I've heard a bit about some of the stuff you've been through, and it's not right. I know you're a good kid, Airi-chan, and if you ever need help, you can count on me, and I'm not just saying that because your mom is here."

"Sure you aren't," chuckled Yuzu before nuzzling Airi's hair. "So why are you here today? Is that some sort of counseling group?"

"Yeah," said Daichi with a nod. "Uhh, it's a group of people like me, and we meet once a week. The counselor is helpful, but I still have to visit my psychiatrist monthly because of the meds, like my physician."

"What's a psychiatrist?"

Airi looked up at Yuzu, who shrugged and said, "I think they're like Fukui-san and Hayashi-san; they can help people and sometimes give them medicine to help with their feelings, but that's all I know. But I'll research it later, and I can tell you when you get back from your sleepover."

Airi nodded and looked at Daichi, who looked confused.

"Who are Fukui-san and Hayashi-san?"

"Fukui-san is my feelings, doctor," explained Airi before pointing at Yuzu. "And Hayashi-san helps Mama and Mommy with their feelings. But I can't say anything else because it's none of your business."

"Airi," said Yuzu sternly while Daichi and a few people's eyes widened in surprise, "that's rude. Apologize to Daichi-kun."

"But that's what Hideki said when I asked him what that doctor stuff was about when he hurt his leg," whined Airi as she crossed her arms. "He said that unless I want to, I don't have to tell anyone what I tell Fukui-san because it's none of their business, and you and Mommy said the same thing about Hayashi-san."

"Your brother may have said that, but Mommy and I said that you aren't supposed to tell anybody because it can get people into trouble," explained Yuzu while Daichi chuckled. "The way you said it was insulting, and you need to apologize to Daichi-kun for talking to him like that."

Airi lifted her arms, slammed them down, and huffed, causing Yuzu to reach up and tweak Airi's ear just enough to get Airi to jump a little before pointing again and cooly saying, "Apologize."

Airi turned her head and opened her mouth to protest but closed it when she saw the icy Mei-like glare that had taken over her mother's face.

Slowly, Airi turned her head back to Daichi and, after a wary glance back to her mother, whispered, "I'm sorry I was rude, Daichi-kun."

"Apology accepted," said Daichi, noticing the minor softening of Yuzu's glance. "I understand why you said what you said, so my feelings aren't hurt, okay?"

"Okay." Airi nodded and turned her focus to her shoes, afraid to look at Yuzu but felt her mother's grip tighten on her and understood that her mother was satisfied.

"Well, I gotta get going," said Daichi with a nervous cough. "I have to prepare a few things since the first years are starting next week; plus, it's my turn to bring the snacks for the next support group meeting, so I gotta figure that out. Want me to tell Hideki-kun anything when I see him?"

"That's right," said Yuzu, softening a bit more, "I forgot you and him are taking similar classes. Are you two in the same building for those?"

"Uhhh, kinda," said Daichi, looking nervous. "He's in one of the classes I'm helping out in, so if you need me to pass on a message or yell at him to come visit, I can do it."

"Thank you for the offer," chuckled Yuzu while Airi grumbled something about not being mean to her brother, "but I think we can handle something like that. Treat him like a student, and if he acts up, we'll deal with him."

"Okay," said Daichi, a little uncomfortable with how Yuzu had phrased that last part. "I'll do that and see you at work on Monday. Airi-chan, thanks for hanging out, and I hope you have fun tonight."

"Thank you," whispered Airi, still nervous about what her mother would do if she said anything that wasn't polite.

"Hey, Airi-chan, can I talk to you for a minute? We won't go anywhere," he added as Yuzu arched an eyebrow in curiosity, "I just need to tell her something. We'll stay right here."

Daichi pointed at the spot right in front of him, and after a moment, Yuzu relaxed her grip on Airi and nudged her forward, saying, "It's okay; you can go."

Sliding out of her mom's lap, Airi walked over to Daichi, who dropped down to her eye level and said, "I meant it when I said you didn't hurt my feelings; you understand that, right?"

"Yeah." Airi nodded and pointed back at Yuzu. "I just don't want Mama to get mad at me again."

"I understand," said Daichi, smirking. "She can get pretty scary, huh?"

"She's scarier than Mommy sometimes," whispered Airi grinning sheepishly, turning to look at Yuzu, whose face was now bright red. "But she and Mommy are going on a date tonight, so I don't wanna mess it up by making her mad."

"Yeah, I can see why you're worried." Daichi took a deep breath and let out a sigh. "But just so you know, there are no hard feelings; I'm gonna tell you a secret, okay?"

"Okay."

Airi leaned in, and Yuzu watched as Daichi whispered something in Airi's ears, making the girl's eyes widen as her face split into a smile.

"Really," Airi asked, covering her mouth.

"Really," repeated Daichi, chuckling at her response. "But I don't mind if you tell your moms about it, but no one else; they're the only ones you can know. Also, if they're cool with it, I'll get you a snack and a drink the next time you come into the shop. How's that sound?"

"I want a slice of cake and a cocoa," said Airi, causing Yuzu to groan at the thought of how hyper it'd make her.

"I'll do my best to get that for you." Daichi placed a hand on Airi's shoulder and smiled. "Now go keep your mama company because if I don't leave soon, I will get yelled at."

Airi nodded, and the young man waved toward Yuzu, who waved back, as did Airi, who shouted, "Bye-bye, Daichi-kun! Have fun on your date!"

Daichi nearly tripped at Airi's exclamation, causing several people to laugh as he pulled his hoodie up and rushed out of the building while Yuzu shook her head and chuckled.

"I guess his date was the secret he wanted to tell you," asked Yuzu as Airi climbed back into her chair and pulled Yuzu's arm back over her shoulders.

"Yeah," giggled Airi, curling into Yuzu's arm and yawning a little. "Am I still gonna get to go to the sleepover?"

"Of course," said Yuzu, watching Airi play with her animal. "You haven't done anything to keep you from going; you deserve to spend time with your friends Airi."

"Even though I told Daichi-kun's secret and I was rude," she asked, looking up at Yuzu worriedly.

"You weren't that rude," said Yuzu, smiling and brushing the hair out of Airi's eyes. "And I know you weren't being mean when you said Daichi-kun had a date. You were being nice and just happened to yell out his secret. Next time, whisper it to him, okay? He's got a lot on his mind, and I don't think having a building full of people knowing he's going on a date helped him calm down."

"Okay."

Airi nodded and returned to playing with her toy while Yuzu watched her as she played with her daughter's hair.

As she ran Airi's hair through her fingers, Yuzu felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

She didn't know if it was because of the carefree way Airi played with her toy or the relief of knowing that she and Mei were finally at a point where they could stop attending sessions, but she felt better than she had in a long time.

Yuzu chuckled as she watched Airi bounce the toy around, make odd noises, and smile at the change that had come over Airi in the past few months.

While the incident from earlier in the week was a clear sign that they'd be in this for the long haul, Yuzu could tell that Airi was slowly improving.

Fighting back the urge to pick her daughter up, Yuzu allowed herself to be satisfied with watching her daughter quietly play and sing little songs while she stroked the girl's hair.

Eventually, the moment ended with the arrival of Mei walking through the door, looking frustrated but relieved at seeing her wife and daughter waiting for her.

"I am so sorry," said Mei apologizing as she approached. "I didn't expect the traffic to be that bad, but I managed to get everything Airi needed from the house, including the manga she promised to bring. So we can head straight there if we don't have any other stops. But I suggest we head straight there since I was so late. Are you two okay? Did your appointments go well?"

"They went fine," said Yuzu reaching out for Mei's hand and squeezing it tightly. "We'll have a few things to discuss later, but there weren't any issues. And don't apologize; you couldn't have known about the construction, so that's not your fault."

"I know," answered Mei after taking a deep breath and meeting Yuzu's grip with a strong one of her own. "But it's Airi's first real sleepover, and we have our plans on top of that. Then there was the fact that three people nearly hit me, and I got scared that if something happened, you'd think I was trying to avoid you and...

Mei's face went red, and as much as she didn't want to let Airi go, Yuzu stood up, placed a comforting hand on her wife's shoulder, and squeezed before kissing Mei's forehead and pressing them together.

"It's okay," whispered Yuzu while Airi gathered her things while Mei took several deep calming breaths. "I know you don't like driving in these conditions, and I'm sorry you got so scared. But look on the bright side: you're here, with me and Airi, and safe. Nothing bad is going to happen today, okay? You're safe, Mei."

"I know," answered Mei letting out a shaky breath and placing a hand on Yuzus. "It was just a lot to deal with all of a sudden, and between work and everything...I didn't want to scare you. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Yuzu smiled, kissed Mei's forehead again, and patted her cheek while Airi clutched her shirt. "I understand, and Airi does too. Right, Sweetie?"

"Yeah," said Airi quietly, tugging on Mei's pant leg and looking up at her mom worriedly. "Are you okay, Mommy?"

"I'm doing better," answered Mei bending down and giving Airi a quick but much-needed hug that Airi gladly returned. "Thank you for asking, Airi; it means the world to me. I'm sorry you'll be late getting to your friend's house."

"It's okay," said AIri while Yuzu pulled out her phone and texted. "Kyoko-chan and Momiji-chan are my friends, so I don't think they'll get mad."

"Well, we should still do something to make up for it," said Mei smiling as she held her daughter's face. "Mama and I will bring a gift tomorrow for them to make up for it. But we need to hurry, we don't want you later than you are, and Mama and I have reservations for our date we need to get to."

Airi nodded, and Yuzu stepped forward, holding her hand next to Mei's cheek, and asked, "Do you want me to drive?"

"Please," sighed Mei, taking the keys out of her pocket and handing them to Yuzu. "I've had enough driving for today."

Yuzu chuckled and took the keys, taking a moment to caress Mei's palm and noticing the blush return to Mei's face, but saw it recede when Yuzu swapped the keys into her other hand and proceeded to hold Mei's.

"Come on," said Yuzu gesturing toward the door, "we still got a lot to do tonight, so let's not waste any more time. Airi, hold Mommy's other hand and let her know how your day went. I'm sure that'll help her feel better."

Mei smirked at the words and felt her anxiety ease when she felt both Yuzu and Airi's hands holding hers and listened intently as the little girl began telling her moms about what had happened on her field trip.

It took almost the entirety of their trip for Airi to recount everything that had happened during the day: from what they did when they first arrived, to her favorite part of lunch, to how she agonized with buying her new stuffed animal, and finally to Yuzu picking her up and taking her to their appointments.

As she drove, Yuzu could see the pure delight in Mei's eyes as she listened to Airi's adventures, though Yuzu thought she saw Mei shoot her a jealous glare at hearing about Airi enjoying her meatballs most. Unable to discuss it without taking her eyes off the road, Yuzu shrugged and listened while Airi talked about her day.

"We saw Daichi-kun," said Airi, kicking her feet excitedly as they turned off a busy main street. "He's going on a date tonight like you and Mama."

"What was he doing there," inquired Mei, reaching out to take Yuzu's hand now that she didn't have to worry about heavy traffic.

"He said he's in a 'support group,'" explained Airi while she played with her toy. "What's that?"

"It's a group where people who have gone through or are going through specific life events go to help one another process those situations," said Mei turning her head as much as she could to look at Airi. "I'm guessing it's for people like Daichi-kun who grew up not feeling like their outsides didn't match what they felt in their hearts."

"Oh," said Airi chewing on her lip and thinking momentarily. "So there's other people who take special medicine, like Daichi-kun and Hideki's aunt?"

"Lots," said Mei with a smile. "But it's not just about the medicine Airi; sometimes it's more about the mind than the body. So they go there to talk to people going through similar experiences to help them sort out their feelings along with seeing doctors."

"Huh," was all Airi said before letting out a loud sigh. "That sounds tough."

"I'm sure it is," said Mei with a nod. "But Daichi-kun is lucky that his family and friends are supporting him because many people wouldn't, and many still don't."

"Is it 'cus he's different," asked Airi quietly, clutching her toy.

"Unfortunately, yes," said Yuzu quietly, knowing where Airi's mind was going.

"Yeah," said Airi as she began playing with her hair. "That's not nice."

"It's not," agreed Mei as she felt the car slowing while Yuzu began reading house placards. "But as long as he and his friends have people in their lives who love and accept them and fight for them, I'm sure they'll make it."

"People like us?"

Airi's eyes locked with Mei's, and Mei wasted little time nodding and saying, "Exactly. But it would be best if you remembered that while he said you could talk about his date, everything else you know has to be a secret. Understood?"

"But..."

"Airi," said Yuzu firmly, catching Mei and Airi by surprise. "I know you want to help Daichi-kun, and you don't see anything wrong with him because there isn't. But unlike you saying he had a date, stuff like why he goes to the doctor and is in that group are things only he is allowed to tell people. It's not that we don't get why you want to tell people, but it has to be his choice when and where he tells people. Do you understand?"

Airi went silent at this and feeling frustrated, Yuzu unbuckled herself and exited the car, surprising Mei because she hadn't even realized they'd stopped.

Getting out, Mei joined Yuzu, who opened the door, climbed into the back seat with Airi, and began helping her unbuckle as she spoke.

"I'm not mad at you, Airi," said Yuzu softly as she slowly began helping her daughter get out of her car seat. "Far from it. I'm proud of you for being so accepting and caring. But this is one of those times where it's nobody's business but Daichi-kun's about telling people about himself."

"But earlier, you said it's rude to tell people it's none of their business. So why is it okay for me not to say it to Daichi-kun, but I can say it to other people?"

Yuzu was taken aback at having her words used against her but understood her daughter's frustration and patted her on the head.

"I'm not saying you should tell people it's none of their business," sighed Yuzu. "I'm telling you that you can't tell people this about Daichi-kun because it's a difficult situation. Not only that, but if you told the wrong person, it could cause problems for him, and we don't want that, do we?"

"You mean like when those kids came in and were mean to him, and you had to call the police," said Airi, remembering the time she had to go sit in Yuzu's office with one of the staff members while Yuzu helped Daichi file a police report against some kids from his school who'd been harassing him.

"Yeah," said Yuzu placing a hand on Airi's chest and smiling. " it's because of things like that that we need to do this. I know it sucks, and you want him to be happy, but we need to keep Daichi-kun's secret for him. I know it's hard to understand, but this is something that he has to do on his own. But if he says you're allowed to tell people, that's the only time you can tell them, and you need to ask him before you say anything. Can you promise me that?"

"I promise," said Airi holding Yuzu's hand. "I just don't like people being mean to him because he's different because people do it to me a lot."

"Because it hurts," said Yuzu repeating what she and Airi had discussed earlier.

"Yeah," said Airi pointing at her chest. "Right here."

Yuzu wiped away a tear and leaned in, pressing her lips to Airi's head and pulling her into an embrace, saying, "I know, Sweetie. But at least it's getting better for you, right? Fukui-san and your new school are helping a lot, right?"

"Yeah," said Airi as she hugged Yuzu and relaxed in her mother's arms. "It still hurts, but not as much, and I like my new school because no one's mean to me. I get teased sometimes, but when I tell them to stop, they stop and say sorry; that helps a lot. Also, I try not to tease kids and ensure nobody teases them, and Kyoko-chan, Honoka-chan, and Momiji-chan help me feel better, so I'm not as sad."

"Good," said Yuzu giving Airi another kiss on her head, thankful that Airi's explanation matched what her teachers had been saying. "I'm glad that you're doing better there."

"As am I," added Mei from outside the car, stroking Airi's hair. "And tonight is proof of that, Airi, so make sure you have lots of fun and cherish tonight. I have it on good authority from your friend's parents that they are excited, so take what time you need, and we'll walk you in when you're ready."

"Are we at Kyoko-chan's house already," asked Airi, her mood perking up almost instantly.

"We are," said Yuzu, ruffling Airi's hair. "But like Mommy said, we can take a few minutes if you need it. Yamato-san knows we're running a little late, so do we have time, or do you want to go in now?"

"I wanna go in," said Airi with a nervous look at Yuzu. "Is that okay, Mama?"

"That's why we're here," said Yuzu smiling as she rubbed her forehead against Airi's. "You go to Mommy, and I'll get your stuff out of the back."

"There are two bags," said Mei as she helped Airi out of the car. "One is her clothes and toiletries; the smaller is the manga."

"Fun," sighed Yuzu as she slid out of the seat and headed toward the back.

As she lifted the tailgate, they heard the front door opening, a distant voice shouting, and what sounded like two girls giggling as they ran to the front gate.

"Airi-chan," said both Kyoko and Momiji when they saw Airi standing with Mei next to the front gate.

"You came," said Momiji breathlessly while Kyoko grinned, showing off her recently lost tooth in the upper right corner of her mouth.

"Yeah," said Airi smiling as she held onto Mei's hand. "Umm...this is my mommy, Aihara Mei."

"Pleased to meet you," said the girls in unison as they bowed politely.

"I'm Nomura Kyoko. Is your tummy the one Airi came out of, or is that the other one," said Kyoko boldly while Momiji rolled her eyes.

"That's rude, Kyoko-chan," sighed Momiji, gently pushing her friend. "I'm Ikeda Momiji. Thank you for bringing Airi-chan over."

"It's our pleasure," said Mei bowing to the girls and blushing at Kyoko's boldness but admiring it. "Thank you so much for being friends with Airi, and no, Airi didn't come from my tummy. My wife, Aihara Yuzu, is the one who gave birth to Airi, but she's our daughter regardless of whose tummy she came from."

"Got that right," said Yuzu as she struggled to balance the bags.

"I know you," shouted Kyoko, catching everyone off guard. "You're the restaurant lady. Airi-chan, she's your mommy?"

"She's my mama," explained Airi quietly, pointing at Yuzu and then at Mei, "and she's my Mommy."

"Oh," Kyoko's eyes screwed up momentarily as she processed the new information and nodded. "Okay, so you came out of your mama's tummy, not your mommy's?"

"Yep," said Yuzu, setting the bags down and smiling. "Airi came out of my tummy, and he calls me 'Mama' because that's what her brother called me, and that's what I called my mama. That's it, but as Mei-san said, we're both her moms. I'm Aihara Yuzu, by the way; nice to meet you outside the restaurant Kyoko-chan."

"Did you bring that jiggly cheesecake," asked Kyoko, losing any semblance of manners now that she knew who Yuzu was. "I like that, I wanted to have it for the sleepover, but my daddy said we couldn't get it this time."

"I'm afraid I didn't bring it," chuckled Yuzu, appreciating the girl's candor. "But I'll see what your parents say about it if we have you over to visit. Is there a sweet you like, Momiji-chan?"

"Umm," started Momiji as she tugged on the bottom of her shirt as she spoke, "I like fruit tarts and matcha castella."

"So does Mei-san," said Yuzu, winking as Mei elbowed her gently before locking arms with her. "Well, when you come over, I'll try to have those available, as long as it's fine with your mom and dad."

"I'm sure they'll be fine with it," came a gravelly voice as a broad man wandered down the footpath, stopping to pick up both Momiji and Kyoko and spin them a little, making them laugh, before putting them down.

He looked tired, if a little disheveled, and had a rather impressive beard, but it was easy to see the smile beaming through all the hair, which was the same color as Kyoko's, they even had the same eyes, but that was about the only resemblance they shared. At first, Mei was shocked by his appearance, but she calmed down once she saw how comfortable Yuzu was around him. Also, finally seeing how relaxed the kids were with him, Mei's fears were mostly asuaged, but she wouldn't feel better until Airi came home.

And Mei knew that despite Yuzu's cheery demeanor, she hid the same feelings of trepidation.

"Sorry about them pestering you," said Yamato as he exited the gate, placed a hand on Kyoko's head, and rubbed it roughly, making the girl laugh. "These two have been as wound up as a snake waiting for you all to show up. Guess when they saw your car from the window, they snapped and couldn't contain themselves anymore."

"It's all right," said Mei politely while Airi showed the girls the manga she'd brought, and they began talking about how they'd ask Kyoko-chan's mom what she thought about them. "They've been delightful, and we don't mind the questions. It's good to see you again, Yamato-san, even though it's only been a few days. I'm sorry we're so late; I promise we'll bring a gift next time to compensate for it."

"There's nothing to apologize for," Yamato said with a chuckle. "Yuzu-chan was kind enough to keep me posted, and honestly, it gave my wife extra time to sleep and get cleaned up. We finally got her latest manuscripts out last night, and she wanted to make sure she was ready for you all when you arrived. I haven't seen her this excited in a while, come to think of it. If you don't mind, do you have a few minutes? I know you have reservations, but she asked that you come in, and just like you offered Mei-san, we will happily make it up to you later. She said she'd understand if you didn't, but she's a little too anxious to meet you if that makes sense."

"Couldn't hurt," said Yuzu, shrugging. "Could be she has some questions about admittance, or she wants to ask me for a recipe from the restaurant or a catering gig."

"I suppose we can make the time," said Mei checking her watch. "The venue is nearby, and if we need to push back our reservation, then so be it. Things like this are why we made a backup plan in case something happened, so, yes, we will meet your wife, Yamato-san."

"Thank you," said Yamato, letting out a sigh of relief. "I promise we'll make this up to you somehow. Girls? Do you need help with the bags, or do you got them?"

"We got them," said Kyoko, as she and Momiji rolled Airi's bag while Airi carried the manga. "Airi-chan, can I try on your bonnet thingy later?"

"Ummm, not this time," said Airi, sticking closer to her friends than her moms. "It's the only one I have with me, so I don't want something to happen to it. But I got more at home, so you can try one when you come to my house. Is that okay, Mama?"

"Only after Mommy and I make sure they're washed," said Yuzu while Mei smiled at Airi's negotiating.

"Cool," said Kyoko as she and Momiji lifted the bag into the house and set it inside the entryway while the Aiharas removed their shoes.

"Sorry about the mess," said Yamato after setting the bag off to the side. "I've spent most of the day cleaning, but between meetings and getting Kyoko to school and my wife resting, I didn't get as much done as I wanted."

"Trust me, we understand," said Mei as she helped Airi into the main house without a hint of judgment in her voice. "There are days we're barely able to cook dinner, so don't apologize."

And she was right; he had nothing to apologize for. Save for a bit of clutter and a few toys here and there, most likely from Kyoko and Momiji playing while they waited, the house was well-maintained, and Mei had no issues with it.

"Thanks," said Yamato, and Yuzu caught the faintest hint of a blush before he recovered. "Do you want to sit or have anything to drink?"

"I'm fine on the drink," said Yuzu, with Mei following suit.

"Okay," said Yamato before waving to the girls. "Hey, kids, can you play in the living room for a minute? I gotta take Airi's moms into the kitchen for a bit, so can you guys..."

"Ah, let them stay," came a voice from what Mei and Yuzu guessed was the kitchen making something in the back of their minds click. "They're only gonna hang around listening anyway."

"Mei," began Yuzu, as she wondered if the voice belonged to the person she thought it was, "what did Kyoko say her last name was?"

"Nomura," whispered Mei before glancing at Kyoko and then back toward the kitchen as the cogs in her mind started to turn. "Wait a minute, Yuzu. It can't possibly be..."

Before Mei could finish her thought, Nene appeared wearing a pair of old jeans, a tee shirt, hair done up in her trademark style, and a huge smile planted on her face as she laughed and said, "It's about time you two showed up."