Theme: #27 - Parent
Genre: General
Version: Crystal Tokyo
Rating: G
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Your Second Chance
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Little hands, little toes, a little nose, and little ears. Zoicite didn't think he'd ever seen something so small. Small, but oh-so-perfect. He brushed his wetted lips over his tiny daughter's dark fuzz of hair and smiled. A new, vibrant feeling resonated deep in his heart as he breathed in the soft baby smell. This was what he had been waiting for.
This little girl was a fresh slate, a person who would know him only as he truly was. There weren't any nasty memories. She wouldn't wake up at night, dreaming of blood and seeing him through the red haze. This was his second chance. This was the chance he never had the first time.
Zoicite rocked back and forth slowly, the wooden arcs of the chair grating over the old stone. He made a mental note to get more rugs, but the sound was actually comforting. He was sitting in the nursery he had helped to build, rocking his daughter on a lazy Sunday morning.
He smiled. He was rocking his daughter.
The soft patter of frantic feet advanced down the hall, and suddenly a disheveled Ami was leaning in the doorway. She seemed out of breath, eyes wild and robe open. She'd fallen asleep in one of his shirts, and had buttoned it up the wrong way. When he turned to look at her, she shifted sheepishly from foot to foot, trying to cover her slender legs more thoroughly with the lopsided shirt.
"You let me fall back to sleep," she said softly.
"I thought you could use another hour or so," he explained, turning back to gaze at their baby. "I think I have it all under control here."
Ami bit her bottom lip, taking in the glowing morning light filtering in through the nursery windows. The room glistened a soft, comforting pink. For a second, it seemed too perfect, the man and child sitting in the rocking chair too angelic and loving, that she was afraid it'd disappear. Ami took a tentative step forward. Zoicite turned to meet her eyes again, and smiled.
The spell broke. Ami was part of that picture now, giving her husband an affectionate kiss on the temple and running a palm over the soft, downy hair on her daughter's head. The baby flailed a little, mouth puckering before drifting open for big yawn.
They stayed in silence, enjoying their little family. The family they deserved, wanted, and worked so hard to achieve. Contentment spread through Ami's bones, making her feel sleepy again.
Then, Zoicite sighed.
"She's cute when she isn't screaming," he joked.
Ami had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing too loud.