There was a fleeting moment when you saw how the kids cornered Suki outside the school premise, for a passing moment in time you thought you saw the younger version of yourself instead of the six year old girl that resembles Kenma.
And it brought you back to the time when you have experienced it yourself, being intimidated by other kids in your class, being called names and laughed at. Until this kid came and stood in front of you, as if to act as a shield against those who were being mean to you.
Since then you thought how cool he was, and you wanted to be that kind of hero to someone else. So when you saw Kenma a few years ago, back in college, when he was being cornered and intimidated, you defended him.
You didn't know the same thing would happen to his daughter. And as fate would have it, you stood up for both of them.
"Suki-chan," you called, the little girl had been silent for a while now, even when you two are inside the car.
So instead of going straight home, you decided to go on a detour and drove to a cherry blossom park ten minutes from the apartment complex. And since Kenma said he wouldn't be home until dinner, you thought you could use some time alone with Suki and talk to her.
"Do you like chocolate or strawberry ice cream?" you asked, sitting on the bench beside her as you showed her two cups of ice cream.
"Strawberry," she muttered and you handed it to her.
She took a scoop of the ice cream and took a bite, the cold and sweetness exploding in her mouth as Suki smiled slightly and took another bite.
"Thank you..." she trailed off, averting her gaze elsewhere as you looked at her.
"It's alright, you can call me whatever you like."
She was hesitant for a second before she looks at you a bit shyly and muttered, "Mommy?"
You nodded your head. "Yes, Suki-chan?"
"Can I call you mommy?" she asked, this time her voice is louder than earlier.
"Of course you can."
"Really? Can I really?!" she asked again, her eyes lighting up in excitement before you scooted closer to her and engulfed her in a hug that lasted a few seconds before you leaned back.
"I can't believe I have such a cute and brave daughter," you said, squeezing her cheeks slightly as Suki giggled before she scooped a spoonful of strawberry ice cream and lifted it towards you.
"Mommy say ah," she said and you opened your mouth as she gave you a spoonful of ice cream, the sweetness overwhelming your taste buds but it's nothing compared to the feeling you're experiencing now.
Suki giggled again as you engulfed her in a hug before brushing your lips on her head.
"Come to think of it," you started. "Why haven't you called me mommy? I thought you wanted me as your mother."
"Oh, that..." she trailed off, looking down again. "I thought Ms. Y/n wouldn't like it."
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Because I thought it would make Ms. Y/n feel uncomfortable being called mommy by someone else's daughter."
That didn't cross your mind, to think that this little girl had thought about what you would feel and that she took that into consideration. At first you must admit you thought of her as another spoiled and childish young girl who grew up getting what she wants, and when she didn't receive something, she retaliated by refusing to eat her meals.
But as you spend more time with her, you realized she's mature, even more mature than you initially thought.
"From now on, Suki-chan can call me mommy," you said. "And show those kids that you have a mommy who makes you delicious, healthy and beautiful bento."
"Oh...the bento," Suki muttered, pulling the bento closer to her and you looked at it.
"What's wrong, Suki-chan?" you asked.
"About the bento mommy made," she started, her voice low and no more than above a whisper. "One of the kids earlier...he...took the bento and I tried to take it back from him and it fell and it got ruined."
She looked up at you and quickly added, "Sorry, Ms—mommy."
"Sorry? Why would you apologize? It's not your fault, Suki-chan."
"But I didn't protect the bento mommy made."
"But you aren't the one who should apologize, it's not your fault, it's the kids' fault for taking Suki's bento."
"Right? So do you know what Suki did?" she said, and somehow she seems excited to tell you what she did. "I pulled his hair and he fell down. And I told him that's what happens to kids who stole other kids' bento."
"Oh that's...quite unexpected," you said, chuckling a bit too forcefully. "But great job, Suki-chan. I mean, bullies like that need to be taught a lesson, either by words or by force."
Suki finally laughed and you smiled, knowing that she had probably forgotten about what occurred earlier by now. And for the better, you thought.
"Don't worry, Suki-chan. Mommy will make lots of bento each day, and you'll have the best bento in your class."
"Can Suki-chan help mommy too?"
"Of course!"
"And we'll ask daddy to help us too!"
"Of cou—oh, well, if he feels like it," you said, not really quite sure Kenma would ever do something like that.
Which reminded you that Kenma will be back by dinner and you needed to prepare for dinner before he returns.
"Let's go back, Suki-chan."
Once you two are back home, Suki headed to her room to change while you made your way to the kitchen to marinate the chicken left in the fridge before you headed to your room to take a shower.
An hour later, you started to make dinner while Suki is in the living room watching a movie. You were too busy to hear the door being opened and close until you saw Kenma making his way to the kitchen.
He was wearing a suit and tie earlier, which you thought looked good on him since it's your first time seeing Kenma in that attire.
But as he made his way to the kitchen, Kenma got rid of the coat, and his tie is loosened down while he's unbuttoning the first few buttons of his polo, and you thought it looked way better than seeing him in that suit and tie.
"Do you need something?" Kenma asked and you realized you have been staring at him as Kenma stood in front of the fridge.
"No, I uhh—" you blinked your eyes, shaking your head as you went back to the stew. "I need to talk to you about something later."
"About what?" he asked, opening the fridge as he took a pitcher of water and poured it in his glass.
"About Suki."
He downed the cold water before he turned to you, making his way towards the kitchen island. "Why don't you talk about Suki now?"
You were about to open your mouth when Suki came running from the living room.
"Daddy!" she said, running up to Kenma as she engulfed him in a hug before Kenma lifted him up and settled her on the stool.
"Mommy made me bento today."
"Who?" Kenma asked, his brows furrowing when he heard what Suki said before he looked at you and noticed your cheeks turning pink slightly.
"Oh," Kenma said before he took something out and put it on the island. "Guess what? She made me one too. You're not that special."
"Daddy!" Suki said, whining at her dad. "But mommy made mine with dried seaweed shaped as a cute kitten."
"She made mine with dried seaweed shaped as a cat."
You felt your face heating up more, you're a hundred percent sure the tips of your ears are turning red from embarrassment while hearing them talk about the bento you made.
"And I finished all the food in the bento, including the vegetable. Did you?" Kenma asked and it suddenly made Suki silent as she averted her gaze elsewhere.
"My bento..." she started, her voice low and she seem hesitant.
"Ah, the stew is ready. Let's set the table, Suki-chan," you said, making Suki look up at you as you gave her a smile.
Kenma knew something isn't right, and he realized it might have been connected to what you're going to tell him later.
And a few hours later, once you tucked Suki in bed, you headed outside her room just in time to see Kenma and you two headed to the living room.
"What do you want to talk about?" he asked. "What about Suki?"
"Had she ever told you anything about her classmates?"
"No," Kenma answered.
"Have you asked?"
"No," he answered again. "What about it?"
You took a deep breath, letting a few seconds lingered by as you thought about how to tell Kenma, since it's his daughter who was being bullied.
"I think... no, I saw how Suki was being picked on by some of her classmates."
Kenma didn't say anything as you continued.
"Earlier when I picked her up from school, I saw how she was cornered outside the gates and do you know what they were telling her?"
"What?" Kenma asked, his face remained neutral but you noticed his hand formed in a fist before he hid inside his pocket.
"They were telling her that she doesn't have a mommy."
Kenma never showed himself at school, when there were events where parents are asked to go, his mother was the one who always accompany Suki. He didn't realize it would go so far as for other kids to pick on her because of that.
And Kenma realized something.
Perhaps her birthday wish, to have a mother, wasn't simply her longing to have one. But perhaps because she was being picked on because she doesn't have one.
"She has you now, Y/n."
Yes, you thought. At least she has you now, for a year. But you didn't say that out loud, because right now, you never wanted to think about that. A year may blur by quickly, but you realized you don't have to think about it, and instead enjoy every day and every hour you spend with Suki as her mother.
And perhaps with Kenma too.
A/n: Advance Merry Christmas to everyone!