It was right after Kenma drove Suki to school, right when he got back home that he received a call from Aihara Mori. The man asked Kenma if he's free, of course Kenma is always free, or at least more often than not. But Kenma didn't exactly say that he is free.

"Depends," Kenma said, sitting on the couch as he leaned back comfortably. "You see, there are different things that can make me busy. Like playing a videogame, watching a movie, spending time with Y/n."

When you heard your name, you looked up at Kenma who in turn looked back at you.

"So...are you busy with anything right now?" Mori rephrased his question.

Kenma tore his eyes from you and adjusted himself on the couch, straightening up before leaning forward, elbow propped on his knee.

"Not really. Why do you ask?"

"Can we meet?"

Of course Kenma had thought of it the moment he called. He wouldn't call just to say hi after all, or maybe he will if it concerns Suki. Which made Kenma wonder why he even wanted to meet in the first place. If it's about Suki, then Kenma ought to know.

"Where?" he asked.

"Same cafe we went to last time we met."

This time however, Kenma didn't go alone. Unlike last time when it was just him and Mori, this time Kenma brought you with him. You were reluctant to come at first, thinking about not being necessary to be included in what Mori will tell Kenma.

But you realized that you should stop thinking that way now, since time and again not only Kenma and his mother but that little girl as well made it clear that you're already part of their family. It was what prompted you to agree to come with Kenma. And part of the reason was in case he and Aihara Mori got on each other's nerves again.

In a way you'd be there as referee, you thought to yourself.

When Mori saw you, he looked quite surprised, and Kenma took notice of his expression before it could vanish. "What?" Kenma asked.

"Oh, I didn't know you'd bring Ms. L/n with you," he said, averting his gaze from you to look at Kenma before he stood up while you and Kenma pulled a chair and you three sat down.

"Why? Am I not allowed to bring her with me?" Kenma asked, making the man even more flustered.

"No, of course not," he said right away. "More importantly, how is Suki?"

"She's still the same as always," Kenma answered, clearly not in any way interested in expounding that answer and you chuckled lightly before looking at Kenma.

"Suki's doing great," you said, averting your gaze to look at Mori. "She started showing interest in music lately, and she loves going to kid's cafes."

"Really? What kind of music is she into?"

"She said she wants to learn violin."

"She said that?" Kenma asked together with Mori before you looked at Kenma with a smile.

"Yes, she told me the other day."

"Maybe I should buy her a violin as a gift," Mori muttered, hand under his chin as if he's thinking deeply. Until he felt someone staring at him and when he looked up he saw Kenma with a look that says 'don't even dare'. "Anyways, you said she loves going to a kid's cafe?"

"Yes, she went to one the other day and she enjoyed it. She's a naturally friendly child so she made quite a lot of friends there."

"I see," Mori said, a smile playing on his lips. "She must have gotten that from her mother."

"What made you say that?" Kenma asked, folding his arms across his chest. "As if you know much about Kana."

"No, I mean, who else will she get that friendliness from?" Kenma could hear him saying 'definitely not you' even though the smile says otherwise. "And when I met her before, she exudes such a personality that draws people in, so light and warm."

Kenma didn't say anything, at least he held himself from rebutting him or this conversation will drag on in that way. There was a moment of silence as you three enjoyed each of your orders of coffee. Along with the mutter of people around, the calming music playing in the background, the atmosphere felt light and warm as well.

"Ah, right," you started. "Suki said she's looking forward to summer."

Summer, a few weeks from now summer will soon touch the land, ultimately thawing the remnants of winter. Though spring has passed, the weather will only get better. No dark clouds, rainfall and thunderstorms. It will be months of bright mornings and long days.

"Summer huh," Mori muttered, looking out the window to see the cherry blossom trees lining the sidewalk across the street. "Actually, the reason I called you here was to tell you something important."

"What is it?" Kenma asked. He had almost believed that Mori called him here just to ask about Suki. No wonder why Kenma felt like the man is still about to tell something more than just that.

"You know I work at a real estate company abroad. This summer, we will be moving to the States. And Suki–"

"You're not taking her with you," Kenma said even before Mori could continue talking. You turned to Kenma to see him taking his phone out and Mori looked at it for a second before looking up at Kenma. "I've been meaning to tell you this, so I think this is the best time to tell you."

"Kenma," you muttered, seeing him turn all serious just now.

"You may be her biological father that showed up barely two months ago from heaven knows where. But legally speaking, I'm her father. I signed the adoption paper and became her legal guardian."

"I know," Mori said, glancing down at Kenma's phone again. "But may I ask why you took your phone out?"

"Ah this?" Kenma lifted the device. "I'm going to call my lawyer. If you're going to take her away with you abroad, then we need to settle things in Court once and for all."

"Wait, Kenma," you started and Mori chuckled nervously.

"No, I think you're jumping to conclusions here," he said, still chuckling nervously. "I didn't say anything about taking her."

There was a brief silence, and you lowered your head, hand on your forehead as you sighed. "Kenma, I think you should let Mr. Aihara finish what he was saying first."

"What were you going to say about Suki?"

"Suki's part of our family. But I think you, of all people, have the most right in being a father to her than me. My son really wanted a sister, but my wife couldn't give him one. Suki is the only sister he will ever have."

"Not unless you sleep with another woman again like you did before."

"Kenma!" you said. "That wasn't very nice to say such a thing."

"It's alright," Mori said, laughing it off. "Anyways, since we'll be moving abroad this summer, I was hoping if we could maybe go out on a family date before we leave. Since we'll be living there permanently, I want the kids to have a memory together that would last a lifetime."

"You know, people often forget childhood memories when they grow up, especially childhood memories at their age."

"But you should also know that there are core memories, which our minds store forever. Those childhood memories that are unforgettable."

Core memories, Kenma had heard of that before. His sister used to tell him that. And he thought to himself then, it was like videogames where the memory card will store past games so he can go back to it when he feels like playing it again.

Those core memories that are stored in the minds that people can go back to when they feel happy, lonely or scared. Because one can never go back to the past literally, so core memories are all that they have to go back even for a fleeting moment in time.

And in time, Kenma hopes that Suki's core memories when she grows up will be filled with memories of him, you and all the people who held her dear.

"A family date," Kenma said, taking a sip of his coffee before he lowered the cup and looked at Mori, the side of his lips turned up in a small smile. "That doesn't sound so bad."