1 year after kael fell on his head
The house was lively, as always. Yumi was sprawled out on the couch with her phone pressed to her ear, chatting animatedly with Akuma. Kikidori was in the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge for something to eat, and Ere'ana was sitting at the table, feeding Kael little bites of mashed fruit.
Kael was now a year old, and his mischievous personality had only grown. His mismatched wings fluttered softly as he sat in his high chair, his tiny hands smearing fruit across his face.
"Slow down, little guy," Ere'ana said softly, wiping his mouth with a cloth. "You're making a mess."
Kael giggled in response, his bright, dual-colored eyes sparkling with mischief. Ere'ana couldn't help but smile at him, her heart swelling with love.
Meanwhile, Yumi was deep into her phone call.
"Akuma, I'm telling you," she said, exasperated. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Who the hell even does that?"
There was a pause as Akuma replied, and Yumi's expression shifted to one of disbelief.
"No, no, no. That's bullshit," she said, her voice rising slightly. "That's not how it works! What the fu—"
She froze mid-sentence, her eyes darting toward Kael. The baby had stopped smearing fruit and was staring at her, his little head tilted in curiosity.
And then it happened.
"Fuck," Kael repeated, his tiny voice clear as day.
The room fell silent. Ere'ana's hand froze mid-wipe, her eyes widening in shock. Yumi's jaw dropped, and she instinctively hung up on Akuma without another word.
Kael, oblivious to the tension, giggled again. "Fuck!" he repeated, clearly pleased with himself.
"Kael!" Ere'ana gasped, her angelic composure breaking. She turned to Yumi, her expression a mix of horror and disappointment. "Yumi!"
"I didn't mean for him to hear it!" Yumi said quickly, holding up her hands defensively. "I swear!"
"Fuck," Kael said again, his giggles turning into full-blown laughter.
Ere'ana looked like she might faint. "No, no, no," she muttered, shaking her head. She crouched down in front of Kael, cupping his tiny face in her hands. "Kael, sweetheart, that's not a nice word. Don't say that, okay?"
Kael blinked at her, his little lips forming the word again.
"Don't you dare," Ere'ana warned, her voice stern.
Kikidori chose that moment to walk in from the kitchen, holding a sandwich. He took one look at Ere'ana's panicked expression, Yumi's guilt-ridden face, and Kael's smug little grin.
"What's going on?" Kikidori asked, raising an eyebrow.
Yumi pointed at Kael. "He said his first word," she said, her voice flat.
"Really? That's great!" Kikidori said, his face lighting up. "What'd he say?"
Kael grinned up at his dad, his little wings fluttering. "Fuck!"
Kikidori froze for a moment, and then, to everyone's horror, he burst out laughing.
"Oh my God," Kikidori wheezed, doubling over. "His first word is *fuck?!* That's priceless!"
"Kikidori!" Ere'ana snapped, glaring at him. "This is not funny!"
"It's hilarious!" Kikidori said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "Come on, Ere'ana, you've gotta admit it's kinda funny."
Ere'ana glared at him, her hands on her hips. "No, it's not funny! He's a baby, Kikidori! He shouldn't be saying words like that!"
"Fuck," Kael said again, his voice cheerful.
Yumi groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry, Mom. I didn't think he'd pick it up."
Ere'ana sighed, her shoulders slumping. "It's not entirely your fault," she said, though her tone was still stern. She turned to Kikidori. "But you laughing is not helping!"
"Come on, Ere'ana," Kikidori said, still chuckling. "It's just a word. He doesn't even know what it means."
"That's not the point!" Ere'ana snapped. She turned back to Kael, who was happily babbling to himself, his earlier word thankfully not repeated.
"Kael," she said softly, crouching down to his level again. "Can you say 'Mommy'? Or 'Daddy'?"
Kael looked at her, his little head tilted. He opened his mouth, and for a moment, Ere'ana thought he might actually say it.
"Fuck," he said instead, his grin widening.
Kikidori lost it all over again, laughing so hard he had to sit down. Yumi couldn't help but crack a small smile, though she quickly hid it when Ere'ana shot her a warning glare.
"This is a disaster," Ere'ana muttered, rubbing her temples.
"Relax, angel," Kikidori said, still grinning. "He'll grow out of it. Besides, there are worse first words he could've said."
"Name one," Ere'ana challenged, crossing her arms.
Kikidori opened his mouth to reply, then paused. "Okay, fair point," he admitted.
Ere'ana sighed again, picking Kael up and holding him close. "You're lucky you're cute," she murmured, pressing a kiss to his forehead.
Kael giggled, his tiny hands patting her cheeks.
Yumi cleared her throat. "I'll, uh, be more careful with what I say around him," she offered, looking sheepish.
"You'd better," Ere'ana said, though her tone had softened.
As the chaos finally began to settle, Kikidori leaned back in his chair, a smirk still on his face. "Man, that kid's got my sense of humor," he said proudly.
Ere'ana rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips.
The End of Chapter 20