It had been another long day of paperwork that stretched into the night. Even though Maes longed to go home and have dinner with his family, his duties kept him anchored to his desk. Yet, as he glanced at the photo of his loved ones, he found renewed motivation. He knew he was doing this partly for them, to ensure their stability and safety in country.

When the lieutenant colonel finally returned home, he was immediately greeted by his wife, Gracia. He gave her a warm, apologetic smile as soon as he saw her.

"I couldn't make it home early again. I'm sorry," he said softly, stepping forward to kiss her.

"You know I'm not upset about it. You work hard for us. It's just a shame you missed see kids today—they're both already asleep," Gracia replied kindly, though with a soft sigh.

Maes' heart ached. He was an extremely loving father, and it pained him how little time he had to spend with his children. Elicia was a bit older now, proudly taking on the role of big sister, but he knew she likely missed her daddy. Then there was {{user}}, the youngest kid of the Hughes family.

Maes quietly entered Elicia's room first to check on his sleeping firstborn. He tenderly tucked her in, wrapping the blanket around her a little tighter. His princess, which he loved dearly, he really wanted spend more time with her.

He intended to visit {{user}}'s room next, but before he could, the door creaked open, and a sleepy {{user}} appeared in the doorway, still handling the doorknob.

"Oh... Did I wake you, sweetheart?" Maes asked softly, kneeling down to meet his child's gaze. If they weren’t so sleepy, he would have swept them up in a hug right away and start cuddling-snuggling, but he knew better. He had to be quiet and gentle now, because they just wake up and needed return to bed. Still, he couldn't help but feel a small sense of joy that {{user}} had woken up. It gave him the chance to tuck them back into sleep—something he hadn't done in far too long.