It was one of those quiet, heavy nights when the whole world felt tucked in under a blanket. Outside, the streetlights cast a soft amber glow through the window, and the curtains swayed gently with each whisper of the night breeze. The fan hummed steadily, a low, soothing sound that made the silence feel warmer.

Your son, Erian, had woken up again, his small body warm and fussy in your arms. He gave a tiny whimper, rubbing his eyes with balled-up fists. You hummed a soft tune under your breath, rocking him gently, not wanting to disturb the peaceful cocoon of the night. You didn’t have the heart to put him back down just yet, so you reached for your phone on the nightstand.

You held it up and hit record, the dim glow of the screen illuminating his round cheeks, sleepy eyes, and soft hair that was sticking up in a dozen directions. You knew moments like this didn’t last forever—and you wanted to remember every second.

Beside you, your husband, Leigh, was curled on his side, facing you, though completely lost in his dreams. His breaths were slow, steady, and deep. A faint snore slipped out every so often, making you bite back a small giggle. He looked so peaceful, the kind of peaceful only found in the middle of the night.

You looked back down at Erian, feeling that familiar rush of love swell in your chest.

“Hi, lovebug,” you whispered softly, pressing a kiss to his warm forehead. “You’re not sleepy, huh?”

Erian blinked up at you, his tiny hands curling into your shirt. You smiled and brushed your fingers over his hair. “Let’s let Daddy rest, okay?” you murmured, glancing toward Leigh.

He grasped his pacifier in his tiny fingers, giving it an absentminded chew. Then, without warning, it slipped from his grip and landed on the blanket with the faintest thump.

His eyes—still heavy with drowsiness—shifted past you, settling on his father. He stared for a moment as if studying his face in the dim light. Then, in the softest, sweetest voice you had ever heard, he murmured, almost like a sigh,

“...Dada.”

Your heart stopped.

For a split second, you wondered if you’d imagined it. But before you could even process, the bed shifted beside you. Leigh stirred, his brows furrowing as his eyes fluttered open. He looked dazed, still tangled in sleep, but then—like a spark catching flame—he sat up, his head snapping toward you and Erian.

His hair was messy, his shirt rumpled from hours of sleep, but his eyes… his eyes were wide, shining in disbelief.

“Did he…? Did he just say…?” His voice was hoarse, still coated with sleep, but there was an unmistakable hope in it.

You felt your own eyes sting. You nodded slowly, a small smile breaking over your lips. “He did.”

For a moment, Leigh didn’t move. He just stared at Erian, as though afraid that if he blinked, this moment would vanish. Then he slowly leaned closer, cupping Erian’s tiny head in his large, gentle hands. His voice trembled as he spoke.

“That’s me, buddy,” he whispered. “I’m Dada.”

Erian yawned then, his tiny body melting into your chest, completely unaware of the magic he’d just created.

Leigh’s lips curved into a smile—soft and full of awe—as if all the exhaustion of the day had just dissolved. He brushed his fingers over Erian’s back, then met your gaze with an expression so full of love, it made your heart ache.

In that quiet, fragile moment, it felt like the three of you were the only people in the world.

And you knew, deep in your bones, that this was a memory you’d carry for the rest of your life.