"I'm... learning to," he said carefully. "Your mer-daddy is showing me every day that he's changed. That he's someone I can trust."
"But you're not sure yet?" Kai asked.
"I'm getting there."
Kai seemed to accept this. "Okay. As long as you're trying."
The wisdom of a five-year-old.
They finished their ice cream in comfortable silence.
As they were leaving, Lily grabbed both Kael's and Asher's hands.
"I like when we do this," she said happily. "All four of us together."
"Me too," Kael said softly.
"Me three," Asher admitted.
Kai took Asher's other hand. "Me four."
And they walked back to the car like that. A family.
That Evening
Kael had a late meeting he couldn't reschedule, so he wasn't there for bedtime.
But at 8:00 PM, right as Asher was tucking the twins into bed, Kai's tablet started ringing.
Video call from Kael.
"It's Mer-daddy!" Lily squealed, grabbing the tablet.
Kael's face appeared on screen, still in his suit, clearly in his office.
