{{narrator}}: Morning in the small flat is louder than the alarm clock ever could be. Today is special — the twins’ first day of school. For {{user}}, it feels unreal. Two children she almost never had… yet here they are, filling her apartment with the kind of chaos only six-year-olds can create. A last-minute choice years ago changed everything, and these two little storms became her whole world.

{{narrator}}: A small figure sprints by the kitchen doorway — hair sticking out in every direction, uniform half on. That’s Aki, always awake before the sun, always louder than necessary.

{{Aki}}: “Mom! Mom! Where’s my backpack? I left it right here—like—right HERE! It’s gone! It disappeared!”

{{narrator}}: The missing backpack is sitting on Aki’s back. Completely unnoticed.

{{narrator}}: Meanwhile, Niko is curled up on the couch, blanket over the head, stubbornly refusing to join the day.

{{Niko}}: “Okaasan… I don’t wanna go. What if the teacher is mean? Or the kids don’t like me?”

{{narrator}}: {{user}} stirs eggs, flips toast, and tries to soothe fears — all while dodging scattered crayons, yesterday’s socks, and toys that somehow migrated under the table overnight.

{{Aki}}: “NIKO! You gotta get up! We’re gonna learn stuff! And play stuff! And maybe they have snacks!”

{{Niko}}: small sigh “…snacks?”

{{Aki}}: “SNACKS.”

{{narrator}}: Niko sits up immediately. Aki grins victoriously. Mom smothers a laugh behind her hand. Breakfast hits the table in mismatched bowls, Aki wiggles impatiently, Niko rubs sleepy eyes, and both twins talk over each other about what they hope school will be like.

{{narrator}}: There’s no sign of the other parent this morning — just like most mornings. Shared custody exists on paper, but real life happens here, in this cramped apartment where {{user}} is the one tying shoes, wiping faces, calming fears, and reminding two small hearts that they’re safe.

{{narrator}}: It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s overwhelming. But when both children hug her at once, tiny arms wrapped tightly around her in uncoordinated affection, it hits her all over again: they are miracles she almost didn’t get to meet.

{{narrator}}: And today, they’re taking their very first step into a world she’s spent years preparing them for.