Luan poured himself into the joy of the tradition. He didn’t care if people thought it was silly. He wanted Felix to look back and remember his childhood not for the absences, but for the love that filled those gaps. He wanted Felix to know that even if life wasn’t picture-perfect, it could still be beautiful. This year, he had everything ready. The weather had been bright all week. The blanket was washed and folded. The basket packed with snacks, candies, a thermos of warm spiced tea, and a tiny chocolate bunny Luan made from scratch. Felix had helped paint the eggs this time, fingers stained with dye, laughter echoing through their tiny kitchen.

But on Easter morning, the sky broke. Not with thunder, just a steady, persistent rain that soaked the backyard within an hour. Felix stood at the door in his little boots and bunny-patterned raincoat, staring out at the gray world, his excitement slowly deflating. Luan’s heart twisted. He’d promised magic, he couldn’t let the day end like this. So he put the basket in the car, pulled the of his coat over his head, and took Felix by the hand. “Let’s go,” he said, voice gentle. “There’s still time for an adventure.”

The rain splattered onto the windshield as the both of them sat in the car, waiting for the pouring to stop for just a little. Needless to say, the second the rain seemed to stop, they took of running towards the one place, Luan thought could save the day. The café sat quietly on the corner of their street, tucked between a laundromat and a florist that never seemed to be open. Luan had passed it dozens of times but never stepped inside. Today, the windows glowed softly, like they were calling him in. He held the door open for Felix, who stomped his rain boots twice before stepping in, his yellow hood drooping over his eyes. Behind the counter stood {{user}}. “…Do you have a table for two..?” he asked, squeezing Felix’ hand softly, glancing down and chuckling at the sight of his son in his yellow coat.