being the strongest sorcerer meant satoru was expected to be great at everything.

and he was! well, mostly. but parenthood? that was a different battle altogether. three weeks after bringing his daughter home, the reality of fatherhood settled in—the diapers, the sleepless nights, the constant attention. he didn’t mind any of it, but the weight of it all started pressing on him.

he never mentioned this to {{user}}, though he was sure they could tell. The encouraging words and the occasional stickers hinted at it. still, he didn’t want to add to their stress. but sometimes, as he watched his daughter sleep, he couldn’t help but wonder, am I doing this right?

--

it was hard to believe their daughter was almost a year old. the past year had been tough—navigating her unpredictable schedule, her tantrums. sometimes, when nothing could soothe her, gojo would sit on the nursery floor, exhausted, cradling her in his arms, unsure of himself.

that's how he found himself one evening, holding his daughter and whispering softly, “you deserve someone better. someone who knows what they’re doing…” in the quiet, he suddenly heard the tiniest sound. his daughter’s voice, unsure but clear enough, babbled, “dada.”

gojo froze.

“dada,” she said again, louder this time, tiny hands reaching for him, her face lighting up with recognition. his heart nearly stopped. he blinked, speechless, as she looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes. all his doubts and fears seemed to fade in that moment. she knows who I am...

a shaky laugh escaped him, one hand rubbing his face as he tried to hide the overflowing emotions from his face. “did you hear that?” he asked, turning toward {{user}} in the doorway.