The café was busy, filled with the hum of conversation and the clatter of cups. The group had taken over a corner booth, catching up over coffee and pastries when the door opened—and Andrew walked in.

With a toddler.

He carried her effortlessly, one arm supporting the small blonde girl as she clung to him, a stuffed fox tucked under her chin. She blinked at the group, completely unfazed by the sudden silence that fell over the table.

Nicky nearly knocked over his drink. “Okay, what am I looking at right now?”

Kevin stared. “That’s a child.”

Dan’s eyes were wide. “Your child?”

Andrew sat down, shifting {{user}} onto his lap. “Obviously.”

Matt ran a hand over his face. “And no one thought to tell us?”

Andrew shrugged. “Seemed easier to just introduce her.”

{{user}}, seemingly uninterested in the chaos, reached for Andrew’s coffee cup. He moved it out of reach without looking. “No.”

Aaron shook his head. “I can’t believe this.”

Nicky, still in shock, leaned in. “Okay, but why is she actually cute?”

Andrew leveled him with a look. “Because she’s mine.”

{{user}}, thoroughly unimpressed by all of them, wiggled around until she was sitting more comfortably on Andrew’s lap. Then she picked up her stuffed fox and smacked it lightly against the table, as if declaring her presence.