“Since I left,” Kagome’s father answered, at last.

She nodded. 

“But I never betrayed your mother.”

Kagome turned her face away. He stepped toward her.

“That was why I left like I did,” he said, his expression torn. “Because when I fell in love with Reiko, there was no turning back. I thought I’d be doing you all a favor, giving you a clean break from me.”

“A clean break?” Kagome said, rounding upon him. “As if! There’s nothing clean about breaking up a marriage—a family! How could there be? Only a fool would think that!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she bit down on her traitorous tongue. Mr. Higurashi looked at her in open remorse.

“I see that now. I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry,” Kagome said, turning away with Shin in her agitation. “Souta wouldn’t even know you off the street. All these years you’ve been gone, I always imagined you’d left the country, or at least the region. But here you were, just a few train stops away.” 

As she shook her, he said, “We did roam around for a while. Never stopped roaming, really. We’re only back in town because Reiko’s dad got sick, and we’ve been helping out her brother at the shop since he passed.” Awkwardly, he said, “Reiko’d have loved to meet you, if she were here, but she’s off visiting her mother today. For the record, she always encouraged me to stay in touch with you. It’s not her fault that I didn’t.”

“Good to know,” Kagome bit out, her temper flaring. “So do you and her have kids, too? Do Souta and I have other family we don’t know about?”

“No,” Mr. Higurashi said, frowning. “Reiko and I never wanted children.”

A fresh look of guilt shadowed his face, and Kagome wished she hadn’t seen it. Even though she knew what he meant. Even though she understood. Then she looked down at Shin and couldn’t imagine her life without him.

“Would you like something to drink?” Mr. Higurashi asked. “Tea, or…?”

“I”m fine,” Kagome said, collapsing into a seat at the kitchen table anyway. In her lap, Shin stood with his tiny hands on her shoulders, studying her face as she glanced dully around them. “You live here.”

It was still so hard for her to believe. Mr. Higuarashi nodded, sitting down beside her.

“Your baby,” he said uncertainly, “what’s his name?”

“Shin,” Kagome said.

“Shin,” Mr. Higurashi said, smiling faintly. “That’s a good, strong name.” As Shin’s cool blue eye held his, he said, “It suits him.”

Kagome nodded briskly. “He takes after his father.”

“And he takes good care of you,” Mr. Higurashi asked, “your husband?”

Kagome stiffened, her eyes flashing to his. “Of course.”

Mr. Higurashi shrank back from her slightly, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Kagome. I didn’t mean any offense.”

Kagome willed all her struck nerves to stop firing, to no avail. “Stop saying that. Please.”

“I’m sorry, what—”

“‘I’m sorry,’” Kagome snapped back at him. “Stop saying, ‘I”m sorry.’ Because it doesn’t do any good to say it. It doesn’t do anything but make me—m-make me so…” She broke off, placing her hand to the back of her mouth. “…Just stop.”

“Okay, I—” Mr. Higurashi touched a conciliating hand to her shoulder, catching himself just before he could say ‘I’m sorry’ again. “…Okay.”

With difficulty, Kagome relaxed her spine. She pressed a soothing kiss to Shin’s temple as he continued to peer closely at her father. Then with a shimmer, his head cocked doggishly to one side, and Mr. Higurashi recoiled from the table with a gasp—and a flicker of unconscious reiki.

“What—what’s wrong with him?”

“Nothing’s wrong with him!” Kagome said heatedly, hugging Shin close to her chest. “I know what you’re sensing, but it isn’t what you think. It’s just a long story, that’s all.”

“He isn’t entirely human,” Mr. Higurashi said wonderingly. “Is he? So the old man’s legends were true…”

Kagome glanced away. “Shin’s my son. That’s what matters.”

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi