You came home balancing groceries in your arms, calling out, “I’m back!”

The apartment was spotless. Too spotless. Rui’s toys were neatly stacked in a corner, dishes were done, even the laundry was folded.

“Keigo?” you called, suspicious.

He appeared from the kitchen in a crisp button-down, looking far too put-together. “Hey, welcome home.” His smile wavered, nervous in a way that instantly made your heart race.

Before you could speak, Rui peeked out from the hallway, grinning, then darted back into his room with a muffled giggle.

You narrowed your eyes. “Alright. What’s going on?”

Keigo exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Deja vu, that’s what.”

“What do you mean?” you asked, setting the grocery bag on the counter.

He sank onto one knee, pulling a small box from his pocket. “Do you remember the first time I asked you out?”

The memory rushed back. Three years after the war, Rui was only four, and you were standing in the same doorway. Keigo had been babysitting for you when you got home from a long shift, and you found the apartment strangely clean then too. Rui was peeking out of the hallway just like today, giggling just like today. Keigo had been in another collared shirt, fidgeting as he asked, “So… wanna go on a date with me?”

You had laughed, blushing, and Rui had proudly declared, “I helped!”

Now, here you were again. Same man, same apartment, same collared shirt. Only the stakes were higher.

Keigo looked up at you, his usual cocky grin stripped away, leaving just him—soft, earnest, hopeful. “Back then, I thought I was crazy. A washed-up ex-hero trying to date a single mom. But you said yes. You trusted me with Rui. You let me into your world. And it became the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Rui darted back out, bouncing on his toes. “Surprise! We did it again!”

You felt your throat tighten. “Rui, you helped again?”

He nodded proudly. “Yep! I told Keigo to wear the nice shirt and clean stuff, like last time. ‘Cause it worked before!”

Keigo chuckled, reaching to ruffle Rui’s hair. “Smart kid. He’s been in on this for weeks.”

You pressed a hand over your mouth as tears blurred your vision. Rui wasn’t Keigo’s by blood—he never had been—but the way Keigo looked at him, treated him, loved him, you knew he might as well be.

Keigo reached for your hand, voice quieter now. “I know Rui’s yours, not mine. But I’ve never once thought of him as anything less than family. I want this. All of it. You, him, our messy little life. So—” He opened the box, the ring glinting under the light. “Will you marry me?”

Rui tugged your sleeve urgently. “Say yes, Mom! Say yes!”