Ere'ana stood in the kitchen, her wings trembling slightly as she wiped down the counters with far more vigor than necessary. Her frustration was written all over her face, her brows furrowed and her lips pressed into a thin line.
Kikidori, sitting at the table with his feet propped up on a chair, munched on a sandwich like nothing was wrong. He seemed blissfully unaware—or perhaps he just didn't care—that his wife was on the verge of snapping.
"You're unbelievable," Ere'ana finally said, slamming the rag down onto the counter.
Kikidori glanced up, mid-bite. "What now?" he asked, his tone casual.
Ere'ana turned to face him, her wings flaring slightly as her frustration boiled over. "You!" she snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "You let Yumi do whatever the hell she wants, and you don't care about the consequences!"
Kikidori shrugged, taking another bite of his sandwich. "She's an adult, Ere'ana. She can make her own choices."
"That's not the point!" Ere'ana yelled, her voice echoing through the house. "You're her father! You're supposed to guide her, not just let her run wild!"
Kikidori set his sandwich down and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "Look, she's not a kid anymore. She's got to figure stuff out on her own. Micromanaging her isn't going to help."
Ere'ana stared at him, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "It's not micromanaging to care about what she's doing with her life! Do you even know half the things she's been up to lately?"
Kikidori raised an eyebrow. "She's been doing fine, hasn't she? She's not dead. She's not in jail. What more do you want?"
"Are you serious right now?" Ere'ana asked, her voice dripping with disbelief. "She has *OnlyFans,* Kikidori! *OnlyFans!* And you didn't even bat an eye when you found out!"
Kikidori chuckled, shaking his head. "Look, it's her life. If that's what she wants to do, who am I to judge?"
"Who are you to judge? You're her father!" Ere'ana shouted, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "You're supposed to care!"
"I do care," Kikidori said, his tone calm. "I care that she's happy. I care that she's not getting herself into trouble. But I'm not going to freak out over every little thing she does."
Ere'ana groaned, rubbing her temples. "You're impossible," she muttered. "How can you be so... so *detached* about everything?"
"I'm not detached," Kikidori said, his voice firm. "I just know that trying to control everything she does is only going to push her away. She needs space to figure out who she is."
"She's figuring it out in all the wrong ways," Ere'ana said, her voice cracking slightly. "And you're just sitting back and letting it happen."
Kikidori sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, Ere'ana, I get that you're worried. But you've got to trust her. She's smarter than you think."
"That's not the point," Ere'ana said quietly, her wings drooping slightly. "The point is that I feel like I'm the only one who's trying to parent her. You're supposed to have my back, but half the time it feels like you're more of a friend to her than a father."
Kikidori frowned, his expression softening. "Ere'ana... I get it. I do. But we have different ways of doing things. You're the one who keeps her grounded. I'm the one who lets her breathe. It's called balance."
"Balance?" Ere'ana repeated, her voice tinged with bitterness. "It doesn't feel like balance. It feels like I'm carrying all the weight while you sit back and laugh everything off."
Kikidori stood up, walking over to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, his crimson eyes meeting hers. "I'm sorry if it feels that way," he said softly. "But you don't have to do this alone. We're in this together, okay?"
Ere'ana stared at him for a moment, her expression softening slightly. "Then start acting like it," she said quietly.
"I will," Kikidori promised.
Ere'ana nodded, though her frustration hadn't completely dissipated. "Good. Because Yumi's not the only one we need to think about anymore. We have Kael now, too. And he's going to need both of us to be on the same page."
Kikidori smiled, his hand squeezing her shoulder gently. "Don't worry, angel. We've got this."
Ere'ana sighed, her wings folding neatly behind her. "I hope so," she said softly.
As the tension began to ease, Kael crawled into the room, his mismatched wings fluttering as he babbled happily.
"Fuck," he said, grinning up at his parents.
Ere'ana groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And this is exactly what I'm talking about," she muttered.
Kikidori chuckled, scooping Kael up into his arms. "Come on, it's kind of funny," he said, smirking.
Ere'ana shot him a glare, but the corners of her lips twitched slightly, betraying a hint of amusement.
The End of Chapter 21