The sky was still a soft blue, the world barely awake when Mai stirred. Her alarm clock hadn’t even needed to sound—her body was used to the routine by now. Quietly, she slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Satoru, who was sprawled across the mattress with his blindfold pushed up to his forehead, snoring lightly.

Before she could even make it down the hallway, a soft pat pat pat of little feet followed her. Megumi, still rubbing sleep from his eyes, padded out of his room with his bedhead sticking up in every direction. He clutched his stuffed dog in one hand, but his other hand already reached for hers.

“Mom, you’re leaving again?” His small voice was still husky from sleep, but his eyes were wide and awake, just like every morning.

Mai crouched down, brushing his messy black hair out of his face. “I’m going to the gym, then to class, sweet boy. But you should still be sleeping.”

Megumi shook his head quickly, tugging her gently toward the kitchen. “I’ll help. You always need me.”

It wasn’t unusual for mornings to look like this. Megumi had made it his mission to “take care” of his mom. He’d help pick out her workout clothes, clumsily choosing between leggings and tops, then insist on cracking eggs for breakfast even if half the shell ended up in the pan. He stood on his little step stool by the counter, frowning in concentration as he poured pancake mix into the bowl, proud when Mai let him stir.

Meanwhile, the sound of their laughter and clattering dishes carried back into the bedroom, where Gojo finally groaned and sat up, hair sticking out worse than Megumi’s. He rubbed his face, listening. A smile tugged at his lips—his wife up before the sun, his son insisting on being her shadow, and somewhere down the hall, their little daughter still curled in blankets, probably waiting for “Daddy” to carry her out of bed.

Gojo stretched, yawning, before standing and wandering toward the kitchen, ready to “help” (aka eat whatever his son made) while teasing Mai about how she managed to get their boy wrapped around her finger more than him.