Thirty years old Dr. Asami Ryuichi,

Thirty years old Dr. Asami Ryuichi, a cardiothoracic surgeon, came home from work at the local general hospital at 11 pm Tuesday night, expecting to see his wife of two years, Asami Rina and his one year old daughter, Asami Toya asleep.

It was extremely late, he had to pull a double shift because of a particularly complicated chest surgery and now he came home tired and in need of some rest. He had called Rina fifteen minutes ago to let her know he would be home soon. After taking off his shoes, he made his way upstairs to his bedroom and turned on the lights…there was nobody in the bed. After putting his briefcase on the chair by the bed, he looked around to make sure she wasn't there, then he made his way towards his daughter's room, where he figured Rina would be. When he opened the door, Toya was asleep in her crib, but still no sign of Rina.

Frowning, Asami closed the door softly before heading back to his room. Sitting on the bed, he took out his cell phone and dialed his wife's number.

She answered after the fifth ring.

"Where are you?" the golden eyed man asked sharply.

"I'm down by Ryu's house…"

"In the middle of the night, and you left Toya alone in her crib?"

"I'm sorry, I left just a few minutes ago because I knew you would be home soon!"

"What if something had happened and nobody was here?" Asami rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation. He was certain Rina was trying to give him a heart attack with her flippant ways and too easy attitude.

Knowing that if he was to say anymore it would be a string of curses, Asami instructed her to get her ass back home now. She must have taken him for a fool, he knew what she's really been up to and she didn't need to hide it, it's not like he cared that she was with her lover.

"I'm a little busy…" came the hesitant reply.

Asami immediately cut the call off before throwing his phone on the bed. His entire body ached from the extra hours spent at work and when he suddenly heard little Toya's crying voice, he sighed before getting up to make her a bottle.

He needed a damn baby sitter…and he needed to get rid of Rina. They might have been married and living together, but the woman was more like a friend and Asami didn't mind, but this has got to stop.

When he met his now wife two years ago, she was a woman he had a one night stand with. Unfortunately, due to a burst condom she ended up pregnant, and he decided to take her in for both her sake, because of her very traditional family who held firmly to their traditional values, and their unborn child's. He believed in good family structure, and that a child should have both parents and a good family life if possible. But Rina didn't see things like he did, and she still acts like she did before they got married and had a kid. Besides, they were never really two people in love; they just tolerated each other because of circumstances.

But when it came to their child, she wasn't even trying very hard to be a good mother.

After quickly changing out of his three piece suit, he slipped on a t-shirt, one that outlined his muscles and a pair of slacks. He then went to Toya's room and looked down at her while approaching her crib. Seeing him, she turned watering golden eyes in his direction and calmed down to a few hiccups.

"Dada."

Using both hands, he put her on his shoulder and hushed her before heading down to the kitchen. He could tell she was sucking her thumb because she wasn't crying anymore and other than being fed, that's the only thing able to calm her.

After preparing the formula, he took his baby back to his room and propped her up on a pile of pillows before lying beside her and feeding her. He loved how she would bring both her legs up while trying to grip the bottle she had in her mouth. The only sound in the too quiet room was the soft sound of her sucking while she drank.

Feeling the sleep threaten to overcome him, Asami sat up straight and put little Toya in his lap while feeding her, he had to put her to bed before himself in fear she might roll of the bed and fall to the floor.

It took twenty minutes for the both of them to fall asleep, and Asami had one hand wrapped firmly around his little girl, if she tried to roll away he'd know.

******AxA*****

Rina entered her home close to the morning, knowing that she was in big trouble. It wasn't that she didn't love her family, but she didn't share the same family values her husband did and she was never prepared for a child, neither was she prepared for marriage. She was just 23 when everything happened, now at 25 she thought her outlook would change; that with time she would see the light. Unfortunately nothing did.

Walking up to her room, she smiled at the sight that greeted her. Her little girl was sound asleep on her father's stomach while the man had both arms resting on her back. They looked so beautiful in their peaceful slumber while light from the barely peeking sun on the horizon shined in through the window to slightly illuminate the room.

She moved as quietly as possible to the other side of the room, feeling her knee length white pleated skirt swaying with the motion. She did not notice that her husband's eyes were wide open.

Rina held back a gasp of surprise when she caught movement out of her peripheral vision, but when she turned around she realized her husband was silently carrying Toya to her room. She knew what would come next.

Asami returned to the bedroom in an irritated state. He looked at the woman sitting on the bed with her brown eyes looking straight ahead, but didn't say anything. He just ignored her and went back to bed, no need for useless arguments, he was tired of it. To be honest, he'd been contemplating asking her to leave for a while now.

"I'm sorry I left so suddenly…" she started. She turned around and looked at him lying there. "I'm getting a job as a coordinator down at the local tv station, I start next week…"

"So who's going to watch Toya when you're not here?" Asami asked without looking at her.

Rina took a while to answer, she really didn't think that far ahead yet. Her right hand traced the soft fabric of the bedspread lightly while she watched said hand in a bid to avert her husband's gaze.

"I'll hire a babysitter, I'm sure you'll be too busy to care what happens to our daughter once you start working," Asami answered spitefully.

Rina sighed wearily before turning her back to her husband. "You make it sound as if I don't love my daughter…"

Asami glared at the woman's back. "I'm surprised you could say that with a straight face.