For new readers: The story will be alternately divided into three scenes: Light's adventure, Hope's adventure, and common activities of their family (Parenting, leisure, friendship, travel, business setup)

There will be three OCs in this story (Two in Light's adventure, one in Hope's adventure), which will play dominant roles to direct Hope and Lightning into their new adventure. Another half-OC is Alyssa. In this story, she became one of the protagonists. However, her inclusion will spark a conflict between Hoperai in the later part of the story.

Original FFXIII characters (Serah, Snow, Sazh, Dajh, Fang, Vanille, Hope's parents, NORA) will still be in the story but they have only minor roles.

Short summary: Hope and Lightning relocated from Paris to Bordeaux and be involved in the new adventures. Lightning and Hope were married and had two children, Hope had finished his PhD in Ecole Polytechnique and received a job offer in Bordeaux, and Lightning quit her job in Guardian Corps. In the beginning of this story, Hope was 28 and Light was 35.

As usual, helpful reviews will be appreciated in chapters you readers find interesting (^^)

Here is the list of chapters featuring an introduction to new characters:
- OC 1 (Chapter 3)
- Alyssa (Chapter 6)
- OC 2 (Chapter 10)
- OC 3 (Chapter 13)

[From Lightning's diary]

[WRITTEN ON 11 DEC 2021]

Earlier, I have written about my own career transition. Hope also underwent a similar situation. In his case, the thing is a bit different from mine. As a researcher, his work is never a permanent job. It is always a two to three years contract. That applies for all researchers, including very talented ones. When Valerie had reached 6 years old, it was time for her to go to elementary school. However, Hope's two years contract in Ecole as a research fellow was about to end. He tried to apply for a professorship position but unable to secure an offer, as it was a very competitive position with very limited vacancy.

After around 6 months of job searching, he finally got an offer from Inria as a senior scientist. It is France's government laboratory for computer science research. The offer came with 30% raise, and with that he finally outearned me. The problem, however, was the place is located in Bordeaux. Hence, we were required to relocate and it was a very major adjustment in our life at that time. I needed to tender resignation from the Guardian Corps to Amodar. Up until that time, Nora was still able to help to take care of Valerie and Conroy since Hope's parents also still reside in Paris. Before I went to my station for work, I drove to their place and dropped my kids with Nora.

I was glad that Hope achieved progress in his career. But on the other hand, I felt not very prepared to go through this adjustment. I must admitted that up until that point, I was the one always wearing the pants in my relationship with both Serah and Hope. I am not very good at typical woman's skills like housekeeping and child care. But now, the situation was reversed. I quit my job. My kids were still young and required care but no help from extended family was available. I could still hire a babysitter but I do not feel comfortable leaving my kids to non-family members every weekday.

We realized that we have a lot of things to do to move to Bordeaux: Finding property for our residence. Find a school for Valerie and Conroy and enrolling them there. Packing our stuff and our children's stuff. Hope cannot leave his job, since somebody needs to pay the bills. Hence, I am the one that surveys the site and goes to Bordeaux many times. The errands seem endless. I must admit that I never relocated throughout my career in the Guardian Corps in Bodhum, so it is a very new experience for me. But relocation because of work is far more common here than in Cocoon.

Luckily, I knew that Serah and Snow also stayed in Bordeaux. I contacted them many times when I came to look and Serah advised me on which neighborhoods are safe and unsafe, helping me in making a better decision. Hope is letting me make the decision, as I will be purchasing the property using my investment funds. We will just rent out our two-bedroom apartment in Paris for supplementary income. I also learned that she just had her second child the same year Conroy was born, a boy named Robin.

Another positive development is that currently both of us have become permanent residents of France. It made it easier for Hope to find a job and for me to apply for a grant for my startup.

I officially resigned from the Guardian Corps around two months ago. That was near Christmas time and I was driving alone without my kids around. I made an appointment to meet with Serah in a rental house. I planned to be in Bordeaux for two weeks, my agenda included visiting Serah, Snow, and NORA. I had also made appointments with some real estate agents to make decisions on our property and with some private school administrators in Bordeaux to decide Valerie's school.

I reached her residential complex around 2pm. It was snowy outside and I entered from the north gate. It was located around 10 mins driving from the Basilica of St Michael, near Garonne river. I knew from Serah that Snow was currently working away from home and she had informed her landlord that I would stay at her place for two weeks. I drove through the small path and finally reached her home, at the end of the road - 121th.

The house was three-bedrooms landed property, with a one-car garage. The fence was shiny grey aluminum and the exterior walls of the house were colored yellow. There was a small yard in front of the house and I could see a seesaw in the middle. When I honked the horn, I heard a barking sound come from inside the house. Then, I saw a white-brown rough collie climbing through the gap in the fence, watching me eagerly. Not long after, Serah appeared through the front door holding a bundle of keys. Her hair now had grown longer and was untied. She reached the gate and opened it for me. Lumina and Robin were watching from the terrace while I drove my car onto her property.

I got out, and Serah immediately hugged me, crying. "I missed you a lot, sis..."

"Yeah, Serah...me too...", I replied, kissed her cheek. Serah helped me to carry out my luggage from the back seat. Not long after, I watched Lumina and Robin quickly run into me.

"Aunty Claire!", shouted Robin eagerly and he grabbed my fingers, "Did you bring something for us?"

"Robin! Do not say that...", Serah instructed him while lifting him from the floor, "And Lumina! I told you to wear your sandals if you go outside!"

She then turned to me, "Come, sis...please go inside. I have prepared lunch for you..."

I entered Serah's house while carrying my luggage. She guided me to the empty room with one queen-side bed and an empty wooden wardrobe in the corner. There was a small desk with a mirror beside the bed. On the other side, there was a door to the bathroom and a window with trellis. Her rough collie dog was still following and sniffing me from behind.

"Kelly...", Serah caressed the dog's head from behind. pushing to turn its body towards the door, "This is my sister...ok?"

Kelly barked and followed Serah she went outside the room. "Take your time, sis...I will be waiting for you with the kids in the dining room..."

"Hi, Claire!", Serah greeted me again, waiting for me to sit, "Go ahead, let us eat!". I looked at the table. Serah prepared grilled chicken chop, a bowl of broccoli and cauliflower, and mushroom soup with garlic bread. Lumina and Robin were sitting in the living room and playing PS4 with Kelly watching them, her tail is wagging.

I took a bit of french fries from my plate, "It has been a while, Serah..."

"I think you have not changed since the last time we met...", she commented, "How do you feel about your current life change?"

I thought deeply for a while, "In an initially selfish part of me, I thought it was a bad thing. I needed to quit from Guardian Corps and care for Conroy so Hope can focus more on his research..."

"But...", I continued, "I am glad that Hope finally secure a job and I can be close to where you are...and I can plan for my next life phase. I did not feel my job in the Guardian Corps so far fulfilling. I held onto it for the sake of Hope and the kids..."

"Welcome to the life of a normal woman, Claire!", Serah giggled, "Finally, you stop wearing the pants!"

I rolled my eyes in annoyance, "You talk as if it is good thing for me to be unemployed..."

"Come on, Sis...", Serah picked some pieces of broccoli and put them onto my plates, "You should be happy, right? You already have so much from Dissidia tournament...you can support yourself just by those dividends alone...". She took my empty plate and hers, brought them to the washbasin behind the dining table, and began washing them.

"How about working for charity? I am doing that currently, I teach various arts and crafts for stressed people...", she suggested.

"Hmph...I imagine I would do a bad job...unlike you, I am a very impatient person...", I replied.

"Who said that?", Serah protested, "Claire, don't you remember I was known to be impatient? I was called..."

"Meanie Miss Farron..", I smiled, "But compared to me, you are very soft..."

"People change as they grow...", Serah continued as she put a clean plate back on the rack beside the basin, "Especially, becoming the mother of my children...it taught me how to be patient. Maybe for not for you, because Hope and Nora were the ones that took care of Valerie and Conroy most of the time..."

I took a deep breath and sighed, "He insisted...although he knew that it would be difficult for him as well..."

"I know." Serah nodded, "You do not have to feel bad about it, Claire...you have your own strength. You are a warrior, you are supposed to be determined and strong...and I admire you for that!"

"I am thinking of doing something that is more physically intense. Maybe I will become a part-time mixed martial arts instructor while caring for Conroy..."

"You have been doing that for awhile, right?", Serah directed me to sit on the sofa near Lumina and Robin while watching them play Crash Bandicoot, "I am sure it does not take much of your time. How about learning a new recipe and how to cook for Hope? I can teach you some if you want...", Serah approached and gazed on me, "So you can get in touch with your feminine side, Claire!"

"I am sure that you and Hope would do a better job...but yeah, why not?", I answered, "But, I am not responsible for the taste, OK?"

"Wah, aunty Claire wants to cook!", Lumina commented enthusiastically, "Mom, I want to taste!"