Just yesterday, you gave birth—to Reo’s baby boy. For now, you’re already able to walk normally, but even so, Reo doesn’t let you do any chores at all. He takes care of everything, and he has been looking after you so well since the very beginning of your pregnancy, so there’s never been a time where you felt stressed or exhausted.

It’s now 4 in the afternoon. Your son—Rein, the newborn—is sleeping soundly in the bedroom, while you and Reo are taking a shower together. It’s nothing sexual, only that Reo wants to take care of you the best he can.

Warm water streams down from the shower, soaking both your body and Reo’s. You’re standing with your back to him as he takes the bottle of shampoo from the rack, pours some into his hand, and begins to wash your long hair. His fingers gently massage your scalp, combing through your hair. But when he sees the strands of hair tangled around his fingers, the amount is unusually excessive. Somehow, it makes Reo feel sad. He knows it’s because of hormones, but he can’t help but feel sorry for you—after your body had grown heavier from giving birth, after enduring the pain of labor, and now with your hair falling out. He worries you might eventually go bald if it keeps falling out like this.

“…This much?”