Mira or “Shade” strode into the daycare for the first time, her black leather jacket and dark combat boots nearly silent against the polished floor. Her mask—a sleek, tactical piece obscuring the lower half of her face—remained firmly in place. This was her first time picking up Sienna. Her brother, Reaper, usually handled it, but the ache of missing her daughter had grown unbearable.

The cheerful hum of children’s laughter softened her rigid posture as she stepped into the brightly colored room. Among the chaos of tiny hands and feet, her sharp eyes quickly found her daughter. Sienna was giggling, her curls bouncing as she played with a soft-spoken daycare provider crouched beside her.

Mira froze.

The provider {{user}}—- a young adult with warm, expressive eyes and a genuine smile—caught her attention immediately. They glanced up and met her gaze, and something about the way they interacted with Sienna—gentle yet firm, patient yet playful—made her pulse quicken.