Misaki and {{user}} stand in a crowd of other parents, all dressed a bit fancier than usual. The sun hangs high in the afternoon sky, casting sharp shadows across the school courtyard. Chairs are arranged in neat rows, but folks are already starting to mingle after the ceremony. She's trying to keep the fabric of her button-up shirt from clinging to her gym-toned arms, her fingers absently tugging at the collar. Her cargo pants are the only concession to not wearing denim - {{user}} elbowed her earlier about not showing up in ripped jeans. Kazuma's diploma is clutched in her left hand, slightly crumpled from how tight she'd been gripping it during the valedictorian speech. Her eyes scan the crowd until she spots their kid - tall, lanky, wearing a too-big cap that slips over one eye. He's laughing with a group of friends, gesturing wildly while recounting something that makes a girl with blue-streaked hair snort soda out her nose. "Hey," her voice is rough, emotional despite herself, "remember when he hated loud noises? Wouldn't let go of your leg at daycare? Now look at the little shit. Bet he sneaks a beer later." Misaki doesn't mention how her chest aches watching him. Doesn't say how part of her wants to tackle him into a bear hug so tight he complains and never let go. She shifts from foot to foot instead, her boot scraping asphalt. Should've brought a water bottle. My throat feels like fucking sandpaper. Be normal. Don't cry in front of all these people. Fuck. He looks so... grown. She swallows hard and glances at {{user}} sideways, smirking to cover the wobble in her voice. "You think college freshman him'll still think bedtime stories are lame? Or wait - bet he'll call us for advice on laundry. 'Mom why did my shirts turn pink.'" Her joke falls flat even to her own ears. Her knuckles whiten around the diploma's edge. "{{user}}..." The name comes out lower, strained. "We did okay, right? With him?"

Misaki grins against his shoulder, relaxing slightly at the reassurance in his embrace. "I know we did," she says with quiet certainty, peeking up at him through her lashes. "He's gonna do great things, just like you said." She clears her throat, looking around awkwardly again. "So... now what? You and me, uh... you know?" Her smile dims a bit as she struggles to put into words what she means, how she feels about the future. This is new territory for them; they've always been partners before their son, but never quite like this. And despite all her strength, it makes her feel small and uncertain, like the teenage girl she once was who'd only just started to understand the depth of her feelings for Jay1231. "I mean..." She pauses, biting her lower lip before

"Yeah..." She nods slowly, eyes drifting back to their son as he laughs with his friends. "Okay," she says at last, squeezing Jay1231's arm reassuringly before letting go and stepping back. "Let's do that." Misaki takes a deep breath and smoothes out her shirt, squaring her shoulders. "Hey Kaz," she calls out, her voice strong and steady despite the butterflies in her stomach. "Can we get a picture with you?"

"Perfect." Misaki flashes a bright smile at the camera, her arm wrapped tightly around Kazuma's shoulders as they stand shoulder-to-shoulder. It's not like they don't take photos together all the time, but there's something bittersweet about this one that makes it harder to swallow down the lump in her throat. As soon as the shutter clicks, she pulls Kazuma in for a tight hug, breathing in his familiar scent of sweat and cologne. "I love you so much," she whispers against his ear, voice rough with emotion. "No matter what happens, remember that, okay? You can always come back home." A tear rolls down her cheek before she manages to blink it away; this isn't how she wanted things to be, not today of all days. But she refuses to let her insecurities ruin

"Yeah," she manages to choke out through a watery smile. "I'm fine. Just... a little emotional today, that's all." She presses her lips together tightly and forces herself to look at Jay1231, eyes narrowing slightly as she tries to hold back the tears that threaten to spill over. "But hey," she says brightly, slipping an arm around his waist and leaning into him, "let's go find someplace a little more private and celebrate properly, huh?"

She smirks at him as they begin to walk away from the crowd. "Well, I'm not talking about someplace fancy," she says, glancing sidelong at him. "More like... one of our old haunts. You know, where we used to go before..." Her voice trails off, memories washing over her like a warm summer breeze. They find a quiet corner of the courtyard and lean against the brick wall, watching as their son reunites with friends he hasn't seen in months. "I miss that," she confesses, tilting her head back to look at Jay1231. "Just us... being together like this."

It's not a question, but it hangs there between them all the same. She knows they both love Kazuma more than anything, but sometimes, when the weight of responsibility presses down so heavily on her shoulders that she thinks she might cr

She snorts, a laugh escaping despite her best efforts to remain stoic. "Oh yeah," she says between breaths, eyes sparkling with mirth as she recalls the memory in vivid detail. "That was... not our brightest moment." Her laughter dies down into a soft hum, and after taking another long look at their son, she turns back to Jay1231. "You still think we should've named him Tetsuo?" It's Jay1231's turn to choke on his own laughter. "Are you serious right now?" he manages between gasps for air, a grin spreading across his face. "Hell no!" She shrugs, feigning innocence. "Just wondering." Leaning in closer, she whispers in his ear, "So... what do you think? We should leave now?"

As they walk toward their car, hand in hand like old times, Misaki can't help but feel a sense of peace wash over her. Despite the emotional rollercoaster of the day, being with Jay1231 by her side makes everything seem just a little bit brighter. She wonders if that's why she loves him so much - because even when things are at their worst, he still manages to make her feel safe and protected. It's a feeling she'd never had with anyone else, not before Jay1231, and she knows it's something special. "So," she says, squeezing his hand as they approach the car, "where do you want to go?" She tilts her head back, letting the sun warm her skin for a moment before adding with a grin, "Someplace where I can show off my muscles in that little bikini I've

Misaki lets out an exaggerated pout at his words. "Aw, come on," she says, poking him in the side. "I know it's not the same as when we were kids, but I still look good! Besides, you don't want me to go around showing off everyone else's hot bods." She lets out a soft laugh and leans against his shoulder, content for the moment to just be with him. "Besides," she adds after a moment, more serious now, "I'm still your Jay-muscle, right?" He looks at her, smile still there but eyes more somber now. "Always." He kisses her forehead and squeezes her hand again. "No matter what."

"Another?" she repeats, arching an eyebrow in amusement. "Don't you mean 'first'? I still want one, you know." She pauses, thinking for a moment before adding with a laugh, "Well, not like we can't adopt or anything. But that's what all those grueling workouts are for, right?" Her hand drifts up to cup her stomach protectively, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. She glances over at Jay1231, taking in his expression and can't help but feel a twinge of hope bloom inside her. "Don't you want to start a new family with me?"

"Then let's do it," she says resolutely, leaning over to press a kiss against his cheek. "We've always been great together; we can make another amazing kid, and maybe even have the kind of family we both dreamed about." Her eyes shine with determination, and for a moment, everything feels right in the world again. "So," she adds with a grin, "what do you say? Wanna go on a date first?"

I roll my eyes. "Well, you're no fun," I pout, trying to hide the smile that tugs at the corners of my lips. "Fine. We can stay in tonight and cuddle on the couch. No hard feelings." I reach across him and squeeze his thigh reassuringly before leaning against him again. Even though we've been together for years, there's still something special about being this close to Jay1231 that makes everything feel right in the world. "But if you change your mind about the date," I add with a wink, "just let me know."

I grin at him. "Really?" My eyes light up with excitement, and I can't help but feel my heart flutter in anticipation. "Where do you want to go? Anything special in mind?" The thought of spending time alone with Jay1231, just the two of them, makes my skin tingle. It's been too long since we've had a proper date night. "And no," I tease, poking him playfully in the side, "no going out to dinner at Taco Bell. You have to impress me this time."

I shake my head and laugh at the memory. "Okay, okay," I say, leaning against his shoulder. "You'll have to do better than that this time." I pause, thinking for a moment before adding with a sly grin, "How about we go to that fancy Italian place you've been eyeing down for months? The one where they serve breadsticks shaped like tiny birds?" His eyes widen in mock horror. "You wouldn't dare," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. But there's a playful glint in his eye that tells me he's secretly enjoying this whole game of convincing him to take me on an impressive date. "We can go anywhere you want," I assure him, giving his arm a quick squeeze. "It's your special night."

"I know we're not as young as we used to be," I say with a laugh, "but you make me feel like we could still have more time together. And honestly? It'd be amazing to raise another little one with you." My heart swells at the thought of growing our family further; there's something so deeply fulfilling about being a mom that I can't imagine not experiencing it again. "Besides," I add with a playful grin, "you never know what kind of surprises another kid might bring." As we pull up to the restaurant, I unbuckle my seatbelt and turn to face him, reaching across the center console to take his hand in mine. It's small but strong, reassuring me that everything is going to be okay - no matter what challenges lie ahead of us as parents or partners. "What do you say?" I ask with a soft

I roll my eyes and shake my head, but there's a small smile playing at the corners of my lips. "You know what I mean," I reply with a gentle squeeze of his hand. "We can handle anything together." As we step out of the car and make our way toward the entrance of the restaurant, I can feel the anticipation building inside me; not just for the delicious food that awaits us, but for this new chapter in our lives - whatever it may bring. "So," I say, trying to lighten the mood, "do you want to see my muscles in that bikini after dinner?" His answering grin is all I need to know that the night is already off to a perfect start.

"Yeah, yeah," I tease, rolling my eyes good-naturedly. "I won't show it to just anyone." With a playful shove, I push him toward the hostess stand. "Let's go find a nice table and order some wine; we've got plenty of time to talk about this stuff later, don't we?" As we approach the maître d', my heart skips a beat at the thought of spending the rest of the evening in Jay1231's arms. Despite all our ups and downs, all the challenges we've faced together as parents and partners, there's something so reassuring about having him by my side that makes everything else seem insignificant. Tonight feels special, like anything is possible - even the idea of bringing another little one into this world filled with love and laughter.

I grin mischievously back at him over my menu. "We'll just have to see about that," I tease, batting my eyelashes playfully before taking a sip of water. The wine might be delicious, but I want to keep my wits about me tonight; there's no room for overindulgence when you're talking about the future of your family. "But seriously," I continue once I've swallowed, looking at him earnestly, "I do want another kid. With you." There's a newfound resolve in my voice that wasn't there before, and it takes my breath away just a little bit. "No matter what happens, no matter how old we get or where life takes us... I want to keep building our family together." His smile grows wider as he reaches across the table to take my hand in his, squeezing gently.

I'm not sure I have a preference anymore. With Kazuma, it was important that we have a son to carry on our family name... but now? Now I just want another chance to experience everything parenthood has to offer, whatever the gender may be. "As long as it's healthy and happy," I say with a quiet determination, "that's all that really matters." There's something so powerful in this realization, in the knowledge that the love they share for each other is bigger than any title or expectation. And as we sit there, hands entwined across the table, it feels like anything is possible - even their dream of raising a big, loving family together.

My heart skips a beat at his words, but there's something comforting in knowing that we're in this together, no matter how many kids - or grandkids - come along down the line. "I don't know about that," I say with a laugh, shaking my head playfully, "but it is a nice thought." For now, though, there's plenty to enjoy in our own little family of two; tonight was just the beginning of what promises to be an incredible journey ahead.

As we continue talking and laughing, I can't help but wonder where life will take us from here. But one thing is certain: as long as Jay1231 is by my side, I know that no matter what challenges or joys come our way, we'll face them together...and make the most of every moment along the way.

"Pout all you want," I say with a laugh, leaning over to kiss his cheek, "but remember, that's what all those workouts are for." Grinning playfully, I add, "Besides, you can always get your fix whenever we go to the beach or hang out at the pool. It'll be fun watching your belly grow and knowing it's because of me." The thought sends a warm rush through my veins; despite everything that's happened today, this feeling of closeness and connection with Jay1231 is stronger than ever before. And as we pull up in front of the house and I glance over at him, I can't help but feel a sense of hope and excitement for whatever lies ahead - together. "So," I say as he turns off the engine, "what do you want to do now?" There's an invitation in my voice that doesn'

"Oh you," I roll my eyes but can't help but smile at his teasing tone. "Maybe I'll take that bath first and then we can get started." With a wink, I lean over to give him a quick kiss before unbuckling my seatbelt. As we climb out of the car and make our way toward the house, I can already feel the exhaustion from today beginning to set in. It's been a whirlwind of emotions, but at least now it feels like things are finally starting to settle down - or at least head in a more promising direction. Once we're inside and I've made my way upstairs to the bathroom, I run a hot bath, sinking into its soothing embrace with a contented sigh. Maybe tonight we can just relax and enjoy each other's company; tomorrow there will be plenty of time to worry about the