Quality auntie time was required, and Mako stole Chibi-Usa from Serenity at the first possible opportunity with no intention of returning her one second before bedtime.
She lay on her back in the sunshine, baby curled on her chest. There, in a quiet voice, Makoto spoke the vows she'd been writing for a thousand years. They were gentle things, filled with hope. They were devoted things, filled with promise. It was all Makoto had to give, and she gave it freely.
She placed a gentle kiss on the baby's head. Listening to Mako's heart, Chibi-Usa gurgled and drifted to sleep.