Getting Ready for the Big Date
The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over Max's apartment. It was an important day—his date with Noriko. As much as he wanted to keep it casual, there was no denying the nervous energy buzzing in his chest.
Max stood in front of his wardrobe, rifling through the clothes with a furrowed brow. Kota, sitting on the bed and happily playing with one of his toy trucks, was his appointed style consultant for the day. Max had figured it couldn't hurt to get some input, even if that input came in the form of excited giggles and random baby noises.
"So, Kota, what do you think?" Max asked, holding up two different shirts. One was a dark blue button-up, and the other was a casual graphic tee that he usually wore when lounging around.
Kota looked up from his toy, his big eyes blinking curiously at the two options. He made a soft cooing sound, his head tilting to the side as if deep in thought. Then, with all the seriousness a two-year-old could muster, Kota pointed his tiny finger toward the button-up and nodded.
Max smiled, amused by his son's confidence. "The blue one, huh? Good choice, buddy. It does make me look a little more put together."
Kota gurgled happily in response, clapping his little hands together. Max couldn't help but laugh as he draped the shirt over his shoulder and moved to the mirror. "Alright, what about pants? Should I go with jeans or…?" He trailed off, holding up a pair of dark jeans and some khakis.
Kota made a soft "mmm" sound, his eyes flicking between the two options before he suddenly shot up his tiny thumb with enthusiasm, pointing straight at the jeans. He followed up the gesture with a high-pitched babble, clearly very proud of his decision.
Max shook his head, grinning. "Jeans it is! You've got good taste, kid."
With Kota's guidance, Max finished putting together his outfit. He slid into the dark jeans and buttoned up the blue shirt, feeling pretty good about the final result. He turned to Kota for the final approval, giving a little twirl for effect. "What do you think, Kota? Am I date-ready?"
Kota, sitting cross-legged on the bed, let out a squeal of delight, his arms flailing excitedly as he gave his dad two enthusiastic thumbs up. His face lit up with pure joy, and his eyes sparkled as if to say, *You've got this, Dad!*
Max chuckled, his heart swelling at how adorable his son was. "Well, I guess that's a solid yes, then. Thanks for the help, buddy."
Kota clapped again, his little face beaming with pride. Max scooped him up and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Now, let's get you ready for your big day, too."
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An hour later, they were both ready to go. Max was dressed and looking sharp, while Kota was bundled up in his little jacket, his tiny sneakers squeaking against the floor as he waddled beside his dad.
Their next stop was the daycare. Max had called ahead earlier in the week to make sure they could take Kota for the afternoon, and now he was leading his little guy toward the entrance of the brightly colored building. The walls were painted with cheerful murals of animals and trees, and through the window, Max could already hear the sounds of children playing and laughing.
As they entered, a friendly-looking daycare worker greeted them with a warm smile. "Hi there! You must be Kota's dad. Welcome!"
Max smiled back, crouching down to say goodbye to his son. "Alright, Kota, be good for the nice people here, okay? Daddy's gonna be back in a little while."
Kota blinked up at him, clearly not understanding the full situation but happy nonetheless. He gave a toothy grin and waved his chubby little hand. Max could feel his heart melt all over again.
The worker knelt down, extending her hand to Kota. "Come on, Kota! We're gonna have lots of fun today."
Kota looked back at Max one more time, gave an excited squeal, and then toddled toward the worker, ready for his adventure in daycare. Max watched him go, feeling a mix of pride and slight nerves at leaving his little boy behind for a few hours.
"You're gonna be fine, buddy," Max said under his breath, more to himself than to Kota.
As the daycare worker led Kota away, Max straightened up, taking a deep breath. This was it. His first real date in… well, forever. And he was actually excited about it. He had no idea how the day would go, but he knew one thing for sure: Kota had given him the confidence boost he needed to take this step.
With one last glance through the window at his son, who was now already engrossed in a toy, Max turned and headed out the door. The date with Noriko awaited, and as nervous as he was, he felt like today could turn out to be somet
hing special.
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*End of Chapter 20.*
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