Prospects

Shimon glanced around at the now four-year-old toddling towards him, a gigantic smile on their face. Shimon swung the child in the air, the giggles bubbling from the child as red-hair with green tips cascaded down to his neck, getting long as his had been when he was a teenager. Mayura's laughter resonated from the other room. "Yes, dad, I'll make sure to tell him that you two are coming over for dinner. No, I don't think he's outgrown getting flustered around you."

Shimon shook his head. She wasn't wrong. There wasn't much he could do with how he got around Siegen. He had been his teacher, he respected him. And that wasn't going anywhere, any time soon.

Mayura came into the room, smiling at him, "Hey, my parents are coming over for dinner tonight."

He nodded, smiling as he let her take their child and pulled her into his arms, he pushed his chin into her hair.

"What's this about?"

"This is about everything. Everything I never thought I'd have growing up. And here it is. Everything the world could possibly offer me, in my arms, right now." It felt so surreal. As if that any moment, he would wake up on the battlefield and be right back to fighting for his life with every ounce of strength all the way up to his fingertips. Shimon pulled them in closer, breathing in her scent. Everything was real. His family wasn't going to just disappear, they were wrapped in his arms. And even if they did, he would be right there with them.

"Hey, Shimon? What's wrong?" Mayura glanced up towards him, chaos reigned her soul, but her eyes held the world in a context that many wouldn't understand. She had a particular way of explaining things, it was endearing. But she also always seemed to know.

"Absolutely nothing. I was just thinking how perfect this is." He smiled.

The fire alarm began to blare, Mayura jumped tossing their child back into his arms before darting into the kitchen with a speed that would've knocked him off his feet. He must've known how amazing she was upon setting eyes on her. Mayura came back shaking her head, "I guess it needs new batteries."

Shimon laughed, setting their child down before beginning to set the table. He answered the door letting Mayura's parents in. Shimon glanced towards the table, completely set and food already on the table. The love of his life already near him, his family. It was all he wanted to protect. The weight of the world that was hanging off his shoulders like a cape made of cement, suddenly was a blanket of warmth. He was surrounded by all he ever needed. Shimon smiled at his in-laws before bringing his child to the table and listening to everyone's banter. He smiled knowing that there were days of so much warmth to come that he had never known before. The future was a lot brighter than he had considered as even as a young adult. And it was only getting brighter.

~The End~