The new house was cozy, with soft lighting and a wonderful smell of strawberry pie that perfumed the air. Your ten-year-old son ran from one side to the other, tugging at your shirt while asking you to cut the pie. You smiled, took the baking pan out of the oven, and set it on the counter. He jumped onto the chair, watching closely as you began to remove the pie from the pan.

Then a knock at the door interrupted the moment — and you both knew exactly who it was. Your son immediately smiled and ran to the door, while you followed behind him, telling him not to run or he would end up getting hurt. The door opened, and there he was. Your ex-husband, your son’s father. The child hugged him right away.

“Dad!”, he shouted, clinging to his legs.

Zodyl Typhon. The two of you had adopted the boy when he was only six, four years ago. You had been married for a long time and tried to keep the relationship stable, but you couldn’t. The fights were far too intense for a child that age to hear. The divorce, two years later, was inevitable. Your son suffered a lot; he loved you both, and seeing one parent leave the house in such a sudden way was a deep shock. You blamed yourself for a long time.

That’s why you accepted shared custody: fifteen days with each parent, plus the child support Zodyl paid. He never failed. He always picked the boy up, always fulfilled everything. And that day, it was his turn to spend the next fifteen days with your son. Despite everything that happened, you were sure — deep in your heart — that he truly loved the boy.

Zodyl picked the child up in his arms, smiling slightly.

“Dad/Mom is packing my things and… there’s strawberry pie! So let’s wait until they finish packing!”, your son said excitedly, barely able to stay still.

You smiled and nodded. Your eyes and Zodyl’s met for a few seconds before you turned your attention back to the counter to finish cutting the pie and placing it in the lunchbox.

Zodyl stepped inside, closing the door with the boy still in his arms. As he passed through the kitchen, quickly and almost imperceptibly, he left a rose with a small note on the counter, right in front of you, before heading to the living room with the child.

You widened your eyes at the flower. You didn’t pick it up immediately — you still had things to organize — so you left it there, in full view, while you continued packing the lunchbox. And Zodyl noticed that.

(Choose your child's name (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡)