Goku grabbed a white apron and quickly tied it around his waist, securing a kitchen scarf around his head as he prepared to make his daughter's bottle.
"You're still just as handsome, even as a father," Panchy remarked, watching Goku in the apron and storing the image in her memory. It was rare to see her son-in-law in such a domestic setting.
Goku chuckled nervously as he poured water into the heater, setting the timer for two minutes. He watched as the water slowly warmed, passing the time quietly. Once it was ready, he carefully poured twenty-five centiliters of hot water into a small cylindrical container.
He reached up to open a cupboard, pulling out a container of powdered baby formula and setting it on the counter. Although newborns were best nourished with breast milk, formula provided important supplements. Bulma had made sure to teach Goku how to prepare a bottle properly.
Taking two level scoops of powdered milk, he added them to the bottle of warm water, then shook it thoroughly to dissolve the powder.
"Whew, done!" Goku smiled in satisfaction, examining the bottle to make sure he had mixed it properly. "You can bring her over now."
Panchy carefully handed the baby back to her father. She had just finished calming her down after she had spent nearly half an hour crying.
Goku gently cradled his daughter, sitting down in the nearest chair. With his right hand, he removed the pacifier from her mouth and replaced it with the bottle's teat. The baby instinctively latched on, eagerly drinking. She hadn't eaten for hours.
Watching her tiny fingers curl and her eyes flutter as she drank, Goku felt a huge smile spread across his lips. He adored his little girl. It was incredible how much his life had changed. Nine months ago, he had returned from Kami-sama's lookout, unaware of what awaited him.
Since then, he had fallen in love with Bulma, learned to express his emotions, and trained to become a father. Although parenthood had never been part of his plans, he couldn't deny—it was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Holding his daughter filled him with a feeling he couldn't describe—an overwhelming happiness and warmth. That's why he never wanted to let go of her.
After a few minutes, Goku set the bottle aside and stood up, gently rocking his daughter as he walked around Capsule Corp, letting her rest.
---
A heavy silence hung between them.
Bulma sighed, taking a small sip from her skimmed milk, while Chi-Chi did the same with her black tea. They finished at the same time, exchanged a quick glance, then immediately turned away to avoid another.
"...How's the baby?" Chi-Chi finally asked, breaking the awkward silence.
"Hmm… she's doing fine," Bulma replied with a small smile. "Goku's taking care of her right now. Thanks for asking."
"I see…" Chi-Chi was surprised. The idea of Goku babysitting was still strange to her. He had changed so much over the years.
Bulma took a deep breath. She knew today was important.
"Chi-Chi… I know you don't like me much," she admitted. "You wanted to marry Goku, and then, just when you were about to, he realized his feelings for me."
Chi-Chi lowered her eyes.
Bulma owed her this conversation. After everything Chi-Chi had done to help during the delivery, Bulma's conscience wouldn't let her ignore it any longer.
"Ever since I was a little girl, I loved Goku," Chi-Chi said softly. "Every time I saw him, my heart would race, my face would turn red… That's why I asked him to marry me when we were older."
Bulma nodded, sipping her milk again. For some reason, the taste was unusually good today.
"I grew up believing that, one day, he'd keep his promise," Chi-Chi continued. "But I realized… if we had married, he wouldn't have loved me. He would have stayed with me out of obligation."
Bulma wanted to protest, but she couldn't. Deep down, she knew Chi-Chi was right. Goku had always been someone who kept his word, even at the cost of his own happiness.
"We would have had kids, a house… but he never would have loved me the way I love him," Chi-Chi admitted, her voice trembling as she held back tears.
Bulma's eyes softened.
"I admire you, Bulma," Chi-Chi continued. "You taught Goku the value of love. You made him a better person—something I never could, no matter how much I loved him."
Bulma hadn't thought about it that way before. Goku had matured so much… but was it really because of her?
"I never planned on having a child with Goku," Bulma admitted. "If I hadn't gotten drunk that night… you might be married to him right now."
Chi-Chi froze, startled by Bulma's honesty.
"But," Bulma continued, "that 'mistake' brought Goku and me closer than we've ever been. So if he's a better person today, it's because of our daughter—not me."
Chi-Chi wiped her eyes. "I… I'm sorry for what I said in the hospital. I was an idiot. You're the right person for Goku."
Bulma smiled. "Don't worry. I promise I'll take care of him—no matter how many headaches he gives me."
They shook hands, sealing their newfound friendship. Fate had chosen one of them to be with Goku, but that didn't mean they couldn't be friends, right?
----
Later That Night
Goku leaned against the crib, gazing down at his sleeping daughter. Her tiny hands twitched, her chest rising and falling softly. Her angelic face filled him with pure joy.
A few minutes ago, he had changed her diaper, bathed her, applied baby powder, and dressed her in a clean onesie. He had wanted to feed her as well, but Panchy insisted on doing it.
He had whined about it, but in the end, he had left her to it. Now, after waiting outside for a while, he had returned to the room, gently placing his daughter in her crib.
"I'm home, Goku."
He turned to see Bulma walk into the room, holding a few shopping bags.
She smiled, stepping forward and kissing him lightly on the cheek before lowering her gaze to the crib. Seeing her daughter sleeping peacefully, a warm expression formed on her face.
"I didn't expect you to get her to sleep," Bulma admitted.
"I did it after bathing her and changing her diaper," Goku replied. "I wanted to feed her, but your mom stole that job from me."
Bulma giggled. "You're doing great, Goku."
"I've been training for this, so I'll do my best," Goku said earnestly.
"You can go train tomorrow if you want," Bulma offered. "After all you did today, you deserve a break."
But Goku shook his head.
"I'll stay here with you two," he said. "I can train when you're both asleep."
Bulma smiled. "Chi-Chi and I went shopping after talking. She has great taste."
"I'm glad you two get along," Goku said sincerely.
"...Goku, I have something to say," Bulma hesitated.
Goku tilted his head.
"Now that our daughter is born… I think it's time we start living together."
Goku's face lit up. "That means I'll live here with you, right?!"
"Not exactly…" Bulma smirked. "I'll move to Mount Paoz with you."
Goku blinked, then scratched the back of his head. "Humm… that's fine, but my house is kinda small for the three of us, hehehe."
"Don't worry, remember that I have capsules," Bulma said, her smirk growing. "When Bra is three months old, we'll go live there, okay?"
"Sounds great… Wait, who's Bra?" Goku asked, blinking in confusion.
"Our daughter," Bulma said matter-of-factly. "I've decided to name her Bra. Or do you have a better name in mind?"
"Bra… I like how that sounds," Goku admitted. "If we have another kid, I'd like—"
"Whoa, whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves!" Bulma interrupted, laughing. "One step at a time, Goku."
Goku grinned as Bulma handed him a set of new clothes. He lifted them up, frowning at the yellow sponge pajama set.
Bulma giggled. "Go take a shower. Then we sleep."