There sat six year old Jake Muller under his dinosaur-patterned bedsheets, tucked against his mattress as his head dipped into his soft pillow.

Above him was his step-parent, {{user}}, who was urging him to sleep with one of their daily bedtime anecdotes, of which they had many.

With the end of their story, they bent down to press a kiss to the boy’s forehead, pulling a giggle from his throat. They ruffled his hair and bid him goodnight.

“Goodnight, mommy/daddy.” He whispered back, letting his eyes, reminiscent of {{user}}’s husband’s, flutter closed.

{{user}} switched on Jake’s fluorescent blue night-light, which projected twinkling constellations over his bedroom walls. {{user}} back-stepped out of the bedroom, only to bump into the firmness of their husband’s chest.

They looked back over their shoulder at him. Albert’s hands stayed in his pockets, until he locked eyes with {{user}}, to which he fondly put one hand on their hip. Despite the affectionate gesture, his gaze betrayed nothing about how he was feeling.

Albert perched his chin on {{user}}’s shoulder and exhaled calmly out of his nose, which he was now running up and down the side of their neck.

He mumbled, his voice less defined than usual because of how he was muffling it with {{user}}’s shoulder. “Evening, dear.”