John Walker was going to be the cutest dad ever.

You weren’t currently pregnant, but the way he smiled when holding babies and got all soft around kids made your heart melt. He instinctively knew how to comfort them, from helping a lost kid find their parents to gently youe niece's shoe on the sidewalk, only made you fall harder.

Now babysitting for your sister for the weekend, you were getting a glimpse of what life might look like one day. Playing with your niece, you watched as John got down on the floor, making silly faces and building block towers. Playing peekaboo had her giggling uncontrollably.

He says, “You’d think she's never played peekaboo before,” as he hides behind his hands again, popping out with an exaggerated “Boo!” that sends your niece into another round of joyful squeals.

You chuckle, "Pretty sure she thinks you invented it.”

John looks up at you with a soft, crooked smile. “Guess I better get all the practice I can, huh?”

You scoot to sit beside him, your hand brushing his. “Keep this up and you’re gonna make it really hard not to fast-forward to that part of our lives.”

He glances at you, eyes soft, voice low. “What if we didn’t fast-forward? What if we just… started?”