Eventually, the wedding went smoothly. A lot of photos were taken and we still have a look at them from time to time. Ran loves the one with the flower girl who dances with two boys at the same time (she didn't want to hurt their feelings so she gave both Genta and Mitsuhiko her first dance). My mom kept wiping her eyes and saying she couldn't believe I was all grown up now. Yeah, neither could I.

Of course Kogoro got drunk. He drank so much that he eventually said: "Eri, leaving you was my biggest mistake, you're the love of my life, I would do anything to get you back." I'm not making this up. It would have been very romantic if he hadn't said that while staring at the wedding singer. Yoko was so embarrassed. Everyone was so embarrassed. Then Kogoro stuttered something about remembering me when I was three feet tall. At that point, I became afraid that he would give the game away and I tried to make him shut up but he wouldn't stop talking. Eventually, Heiji tried to change the subject by falling onto his knees and proposing Kazuha.

That made Kogoro stop. Well, everyone stopped talking and Kazuha was not too happy about it. She shouted that proposing at his best friend's wedding was rude and inappropriate, it was insulting for both the bride and the groom and yes, she wanted to marry him, why did it take him so long to propose? She just believed that stealing Ran's spotlight was really, really mean. But good news, Ran was more amused than upset. She told them it was actually a cute proposal. So Heiji and Kazuha kissed in front of everyone and Ran was the first person to applaud. No doubt possible, I married an angel.

At that point, everyone was laughing. Then Pr. Agasa started crying. He explained me later that Shiho had whispered to him that she didn't think she would get married one day but if she would, she would want him to walk her down the aisle. He was so moved that he cried. And Ayumi, Genta and Mitsuhiko fell asleep together on the couch and we had to wake them up at the end of the party.

And you know what the best thing was? No one was murdered. Absolutely no one! I couldn't believe it!

So we went back to our everyday life. I was working as a detective and Ran was teaching in primary school. Shiho moved to live with her boyfriend, his cat and the dog they adopted together shortly afterward. She wants to start an independent lab to study APTX. She thinks she can alter it and make a drug that could cure diseases like progeria. I think she wants all the crap we all went through to lead into at least one positive thing and honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if she got a Nobel prize one day.

Then I got a big surprise a few months ago. I went back home and found Ran with a positive pregnancy test. This was unexpected, all the more so since Shiho told me APTX might have damaged our reproductive systems. We had decided to wait a couple of years before having kids but after all, why not? We can afford to raise children now.

So everyone congratulated us. My mom believes she's too young to be a grandmother, which is weird as she was 20 when I was born, and we'll have this child at 22. Someone needs to tell her that everyone ages, including her.

Well, we've been turning one of our guest rooms into a baby's room. We go to the doctor's appointments together and I'm always relieved to find out that everything is going smoothly. Sometimes, I imagine myself as a dad. I'll teach him soccer if it's a boy and I'll also teach her soccer if it's a girl because everyone should love soccer! We will be so happy…

It's Sunday and Ran is sleeping in our room. Someone knocks at our door. It's Kogoro, holding a big bag.

"Hello!" he says. "Is Ran here?"

He looks happier since Eri and him got back together. And healthier. He thinks that if Ran can abstain from alcohol for 9 months, so can he. So he's sober now.

"She's sleeping."

"Can I wait here until she's awake? I have some things for your baby."

I let him enter and I ask if he'd like a beer. He says he'd rather have a cup of tea. Amazing. Who's that man and what did he do to Kogoro Mouri?

"This was Ran's very first dress," he says, putting a tiny blue and white dress onto the table. "She was so cute with it!"

I imagine a baby version of Ran wearing this and I nearly melt. Cutest baby ever, indeed. But…

"That's very kind of you but we don't know if we're expecting a boy or a girl. We want it to be a surprise."

"I also brought clothes that can do for both but honestly, I have a feeling it will be a girl."

Whenever Kogoro has this kind of feeling, he's wrong. I have a sudden urge to buy those "Our son is the best" sheets I saw at the supermarket.

"Maybe."

"She will be the daughter and granddaughter of three beauty queens. You'll have to fight hard to keep boys away from her."

He's getting annoying. Yes, our child will have the genetic pool to be good-looking but shouldn't we love her (or him) no matter how they look like?

"What if it's a boy?"

"Then maybe you could give him your red bow tie and your shorts!"

I'm OK with it as long as I don't have to wear them myself. I think I'll never, ever wear shorts or a flashy bow tie again. I only want grown-up clothes.

A familiar voice makes us jump:

"Dad!"

It's Ran, who just woke up. Kogoro goes to hug her and she frowns:

"Have you been drinking?"

She noticed his flushed face and his stupid smile, yet she didn't notice his slightly messy hair and his shirt buttoned wrong. Her dad isn't drunk, he just had sex. I hope this won't get embarrassing.

"No, I just had a good moment with your mom! We were… choosing baby clothes for you!"

"Awww, that's so sweet!"

Her mobile phone rings. She leaves the room to answer and Kogoro whispers to me:

"I last much longer since I quit alcohol!"

I didn't need to know that, really. Sometimes, Kogoro is so annoying! But on the other hand, I'm getting along much better with him now so let's carry on like this. Ran comes back and her dad shows her the baby clothes he brought. Then comes the surprising news:

"Remember the novel I've been writing?"

"Yes?"

"I've met a professional who wants to published it!"

I'm surprised. Most published writer had been practicing since they were young before they got their first book published. I used to live at Kogoro's home for some time and the only things he ever wrote were invoices and New Year cards.

"A real publisher?" I ask cautiously.

"Of course! Isn't it great? My granddaughter will be related to two great writers!"

I don't think Kogoro will ever be as good as my dad. My father puts a LOT of work in all of his books and Ran's is, let's say it, a bit of a slacker. I'm really skeptical about it.

"What kind of book is it?" I ask. "A fiction?"

"Yeah, it's a detective novel. It will hit the shelves next Monday but I'd like you to have one now."

He gives me a small book. "Nothing but lies", by Kogoro Mouri. I promise I will read it. Then Ran starts crying because the baby clothes her dad brought are soooo cuuuute. She was already a crybaby before her pregnancy but now it's worse with the hormones and all. Where are the tissues?

Kogoro eventually leaves. Later, I start reading the book. It's about an American detective named Gary Moore who is estranged from his wife and lives with his teenage daughter, Rose. One day, Rose's obnoxious boyfriend disappears and an annoying child named Arthus Vargas knocks at his door and asks for a place to live and…

I skip a few pages and frown. It happens that Vargas acts like a grown-up half of the time. He lies and manipulates and… I skip more pages, I read some more and I eventually put the book down, aghast.

This is not fiction. This is what happened to us, written from his point of view! I grab the phone and I shout:

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"You don't like my book?" he asks.

"It's not a fiction! You used things that actually happened!"

"All authors use things that actually happened, don't they?"

The worse thing is, he's right. My dad visits crime scenes to get some new ideas. I'm still angry, though.

"And you want to make money out of this?!"

"Everyone wants to make money. I wrote a story and people will read it. What's wrong with that? Don't you want your child's grandfather to get decent money so he can spoil her?"

I hung up and I turn on the TV. Watching soccer always makes me feel better. Then I grab the phone again and I call my dad. I ask him how many copies of a beginner's novel are usually printed and he says no more than a few hundreds. Good. Hopefully, no one will buy them.

Our daughter is born healthy, at last.

I was worried she would be born wrong with the drugs and antidotes I took but she's the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. She looks like a baby version of Ran with my darker hair. What a little angel...

Professor Agasa gave us a self-lulling cot. My mom and dad gave us toys, Eri gave us more baby clothes, Heiji, Sonoko and all our friends all gave us something and Kogoro… well, he gave us a signed copy of his book. He tells us our little Kimiko will read it when she's older.

And you know the worst part of it? His book is a best-seller. Everyone wants a copy of it.

I think I'll never recover from this...