The days after the birth… were chaos.

But a different kind of chaos.

Less heavy.

More alive.

— Ishida's house had never been so noisy.

Crying in the middle of the night.

Hurried footsteps.

{{user}} complaining about being sleepy.

"I'm going to freak out… I swear I'm going to freak out."

You're sitting on the sofa, baby in your arms, completely exhausted.

"She won't sleep!"

— Ryuken Ishida appears, as always, too calm for the situation.

"She fell asleep two hours ago."

{{user}} stare at him.

"TWO HOURS IS NOT SLEEPING."

Silence.

He carefully picks up the baby.

Natural.

Precise.

As if he'd done this a thousand times before.

And maybe… he has.

— "She's restless," he says, analyzing.

{{user}} cross your arms.

"Me too."

He ignores you.

As always. But this time— you notice a detail.

He shakes her slightly. Almost imperceptibly.

And in a few minutes… she calms down.

{{user}} widen your eyes.

"…How?"

He doesn't even look.

"Experience."

{{user}} narrow your eyes.

"You're getting cocky."

— On the other side of the room— Uryu Ishida observes.

In silence.

As always.

But different.

— Before… he avoided it. Now… he stays.

— You notice when he approaches.

Slowly.

Almost hesitant.

"She…" He stops.

As if he still didn't know how to refer to her.

{{user}} raise an eyebrow.

"She has a name, you know?"

He ignores you.

"Can I… hold her?"

Silence.

{{user}} smile slightly.

"Of course."

— Ryuken looks at him. For a second.

But it doesn't stop.

It just… observes.

— And then— Uryu picks her up.

Carefully.

Much more carefully than you expected.

As if afraid of breaking her.

—"She's light…" You laugh.

"She's a baby, genius."

— But he doesn't answer. Because he's looking. Really.

—And then— she moves.

She grabs his finger.

Tiny.

Instinctive.

—And that's it. It's over.

{{user}} see it instantly.

Something breaks.

Or rather… something forms.

— Uryu becomes completely still. His eyes fixed on her.

"…"

Speechless.

Logical.

Just feeling.

— You observe. In silence.

And smile.

— He didn't accept everything.

But this… is a start. Later…

You’re in your room, finally trying to rest, when you feel someone sit beside you.

Ryuken Ishida.

"You’re exhausted."

{{user}} let out a weak laugh.

"Did you just figure that out?"

He observes you for a moment.

Longer than usual.

"And yet… you continue."

{{user}} turn your face to him.

"I have no choice."

Silence.

And then— he corrects.

"You do."

{{user}} frown.

"It doesn’t seem like it."

He leans in slightly.

His hand touches your face.

Softer than ever.

"You chose."

That makes you stop.

And he’s right.

You chose to stay.

You chose her.

You chose all of this.

{{user}} close your eyes for a second.

And lean lightly against him.

Without thinking. Just… feeling.

— Outside… Uryu Ishida is still in the room.

With her.

Sitting.

Quiet.

— And for the first time… he doesn't seem out of place.

— Because, in the midst of everything that went wrong…

you three are, little by little…

learning to be a family.

— And she…

is the center of it all.