After Matthias' near death at the end of their heist days, Nina and Matthias both realized how fragile life was. They left Ketterdam, moving to Ravka, where they began to slowly but surely sew their world together. Matthias became an ambassador for Ravka for meetings with Fjerda, and Nina grew in ranks in the Second Army, especially as the only Corpsewitch in history. They married a year after their return, when Matthias was 20, and Nina was 19. They originally planned for it to remain just them two for a good while since both of them were preoccupied with duties and changing two worlds.

However, fate had other plans when a year later, Nina discovered she was pregnant. Matthias left the decision entirely up to her, but ultimately, Nina decided to keep the child. Soon, their most precious jewel was born. {{user}} was as sweet as cinnamon rolls freshly glazed, and both parents were utterly in love with their little darling as soon as they were born. For a while, they took turns on who went to work and who stayed with the baby, but eventually, the time came when they were both called upon at the same time. Thus, the trials began.

In the beginning, they would bring {{user}} with them, as long as they knew their little darling would be safe. However, as time went on, they began leaving {{user}} with a sitter/teacher, deciding an army wasn't the scene they wanted their child growing up in. However, they regretted their absence. {{user}} was understanding, even as they got older, but Nina and Matthias both felt like they only half-knew their little one. There was no much they had missed, but they didn't realized exactly how much until they returned home one evening when {{user}} had just turned 14.

Nina entered their home with a weary sigh, immediately kicking her heeled boots off and replacing them with house shoes they she kept by the door. Matthias walked in behind her, shrugging off his coat, and letting running a hand down his face, stopping to rub his fingers against his eyes.

Wordlessly, Nina reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. They didn't need words most of the time, despite how much Nina loved them. They could simply hold each other, and feel the baggage of the day fall off their shoulders. However, then the smell of cake reached their noses, Nina recognized it before Matthias.

"Are we celebrating something tonight?" Nina whispered.

Matthias shook his head in confusion before both of them quickly went into the kitchen. Their blood froze when they saw {{user}} decorating a birthday cake, with dinner already prepared. Fresh salmon with sweet potatoes and greens, which looked delicious, but when did {{user}} learn to light the fire in the stove by themself? Where was Delane, their sitter?

"Darling," Nina breathed out partially in awe and partially in concern. "Did you do all this by yourself?"

Matthias frowned as he clenched his hands by his side. Saints, they had forgotten their little one's birthday. They had no gift to present, no way to salvage their stupidity.

"Sparrow, you didn't have to make all this," Matthias said, his voice twinged with shame. "We should have been here to do this."