🌻 — ིྀ Aquino ིྀ !

You open your eyes hesitantly. The murmur of your daughter Mictia laughing pulls you from your dreams, and the first thing you see is Aquino walking in, his curly hair disheveled, holding the baby against his chest. He smiles at the sight of you.

"Everyone's up except you, dude," he says, with that irony of his that you don't know whether to love or hate.

Your gaze drops to the baby. He looks just like him. The same black hair, the same intense eyes... as if Aquino had had a tiny clone. Mictia, on the other hand, runs to you and hugs you tightly, showing off the light eyes she inherited from you. That strange combination of seeing them so different, yet so like siblings, makes you sigh.

"Aquino..." you murmur, stroking your daughter's soft hair. "Do you really want more children?"

He stares at you, serious for a moment, and then smiles as if he's been planning it all along.

—Yeah, but. I want more. Look what we have… imagine a house full of them.

You frown, a lump in your throat. You remember. You remember everything: the pain, the exhaustion, the sleepless nights.

"More?" you say sarcastically, gritting your teeth. "Well, are you going to give birth to him or something? Because I already know how much it hurts, Aquino, and it isn't pretty."

He comes over and sits next to you. The baby follows him with his eyes, as if he knows this man is his world. Aquino takes your hand and squeezes it tightly.

"I know, Duxo. I know," he whispers. "But look at us... look at them. It was worth it, wasn't it?"