"Dad! Look! I made a cream pie!" laughed Alba as she held out a pile of bubbles from the bathtub.

"Ooommmmm, it looks good enough to eat!" Auburn responded. He was kneeling beside the bathtub, aiding his five-year-old daughter with her nightly splash. He kept a loving, fatherly smile on his face even though he was tired all over his body and couldn't wait to curl up into bed himself. Alba splashed a bit more, maybe a bit too much, until Auburn pulled her out.

"Okay, I think you're clean now," he said as he set her down and wrapped her up in a towel.

"Dad, guess what!"

"What?"

"You'll never guess!"

"What, Alba?"

"I got a wobbly tooth! Look!"

"Really? I don't believe—oh, yes you have!" said Auburn, hovering a curious forefinger over the suspected incisor.

"I fink da toof fairy i' gonna cong," said Alba.

"What?" said Auburn, withdrawing his hand.

"I think the tooth fairy is gonna come!"

Auburn picked her up. "I'm sure she will."

"Will she bring me a thousand rings?"

"Maybe...maybe not that much, honey. Tooth fairies aren't the richest fairies in the fairy kingdom."

"What about a million?"

"I don't think so."

"Pearl Tanner from school, she said that—she said that when she lost a tooth, the tooth fairy gave her five whoooolle rings!"

"Five whole rings?" Auburn said in mock surprise as he dressed his daughter.

"Uh-huh! And, and, and she said she bought lots of toys!"

"Well, if I manage to talk to the tooth fairy at some point, I'll make a deal with her. Does that sound good?"

"Yeah!"

"Good. Now," he kissed his daughter on the head. "Bed, honey."

"Awwwwwh!" Alba moaned.

"You sleep well now, and have pleasant dreams," said Auburn as the five-year-old clambered into her bed. Then he remembered. "Oh! Do you want your diaper?"

Alba rolled her eyes. "I'm nearly six, Daddy."

"You're not gonna wet the bed, are you?"

"Noooo!" Alba retorted.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Good. Now, sweet dreams, princess. I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy."

Auburn kissed his little princess on the forehead once more and left the room. As soon as the door was shut, he let loose a long, heavy sigh. Having kids was hard work, and you never get a vacation.

He went downstairs to his wife who was kneeling on the floor, bleaching the kitchen tiles. Does this woman ever sleep? Auburn wondered. As he approached the door, Sonia looked his way warmly.

"She in bed?"

"Yep. Reed asleep?"

"Like a baby." She set down her equipment. "Ain't they just the most beautiful things?"

"Next to you, yes," Auburn smiled, settling himself behind her. "Though I really should be relaxing right now."

"This isn't relaxing?" Sonia asked sweetly, sitting back in his embrace.

Auburn smiled. "You know what I mean."

Sonia grinned and patted his bronze-brown face. "You should get back to your art."

"Maybe you should get back with your band."

"I am," she said. "Maternity leave finishes Monday."

"Oh yeah," Auburn sighed. "I remember because that means I go back on diaper duty."

Sonia giggled, ruffling the otter's untidy dark red hair. "You're always on diaper duty, loser."

"Like I need reminding."

Sonia sighed. "We should probably get a babysitter."

There was a pause, which Auburn filled with a print on Sonia's shoulder with his lips.

"Hey," he said. "Happy Anniversary."