"Why do you keep calling people who make you mad?" Kanna asked, not looking up from her colouring book on the table.
"I have not called anyone lately," Papa said, adding a little more miso to the pot on the stove.
"They call you, though," Kanna replied, switching out her green crayon for a purple one. "Like that woman with the green eyes that took you to the movies. And the one who wore too much perfume."
He paused in his stirring, glancing at her over his shoulder. "Does that bother you?"
"Movies are fun," she replied. "But you don't like smelly people."
"There have been other excursions," he said, still eying her carefully.
Kanna leaned back, deciding her picture was finished, then climbed out of her chair. She padded up to Papa, tugging on his pant leg to make him bend down. "Playing isn't fun unless you're having fun." She poked him in the forehead. "You always come home with a crease right here. It's how I know you didn't have fun."
He nipped playfully at her finger, and she poked him again in each cheek before he caught her. Balancing her on his hip, he offered her a taste of the sauce he was making. Kanna shook her head, and he added more miso.
He held her until the sauce was to her liking, then sent her off to wash her hands. Kanna paused at the doorway. "Being happy is important, Papa. Even if they smell." He snorted, then waved her off, and she couldn't help but wonder what it would take to make him smile.