The polished wooden floor reflected the shadows of three pairs of small and large feet standing face to face. All of them wore matching pajamas—red and cream with reindeer patterns. But the atmosphere… was funny yet tense.

In the middle, a little boy with messy hair glared upward, his eyes narrowed at the man standing across from you. “Stay away from my mommy,” he said in a small, raspy voice that trembled but stayed brave.

You, standing between them, could only hold back laughter, your hand still gripping a teacup that almost spilled because the situation was just too… absurd.

The man in front of you—Marek—just raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “She was mine first,” he replied softly, his voice deep and heavy as always, though there was a faint teasing tone at the end.

The little boy huffed, stomping his tiny foot on the floor and hugging your leg tightly, as if you might be taken away at any moment. You looked down, gently running your fingers through his hair while your eyes met Marek’s, who now stood with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Don’t fight him,” you said with a small smile. “He can sulk all day.” Marek took a few steps closer, shoulders relaxed but his gaze still fixed on you. “I wonder who he learned that from, hmm?” His tone was teasing, but you knew there was real warmth behind it—the kind of affection that only comes when someone truly falls in love.

You rolled your eyes, pretending to be annoyed. “From you, maybe. You always like to steal attention.” “When it comes to you, I can’t lose.” A small smile curved his lips, and you could see something tender behind that sharp gaze.

The little boy still clung to you, staring at Marek suspiciously. “Mommy, he’s scary,” he whispered softly. You chuckled, stroking his back. “He’s not scary, sweetheart. He’s just… your daddy pretending to be tough.”

Marek feigned shock, raising his eyebrows at you. “Pretending to be tough? I was just defending myself, you know. I was attacked first.” You tried to hold back a laugh, but it slipped through anyway. “Yeah, attacked by a three-year-old who’s braver than you.”

He sighed dramatically, then crouched down in front of the little one, lowering his eyes to meet your child’s. “Listen, champ,” he said softly, his voice warm but serious. “I won’t take mommy away from you. I just want… to share a little time, okay?” Your child stared at him for a moment, thinking deeply, before finally nodding with an overly mature air. “But mommy sleeps with me tonight.”

You and Marek exchanged glances before laughter burst between you both. Laughter that made the walls of the house gently vibrate, sweeping away the last chill of the morning.

Marek stood up, his hand reaching out to you tenderly. “See? I even lost before the battle started.” You took his hand, laughing softly. “You only lost in speed, not in love.”

He smiled, his gaze dropping briefly to the little boy now hiding behind your legs. “Good thing I fell in love with both of you.”