The ensuite bathroom was warm and quiet.
Soft steam curled through the air while sunlight filtered faintly through the frosted windows.
Izana stood beside the counter, looking down at Zarek.
The little boy was still wrapped loosely in a towel from where Izana had cleaned the worst of the mud from his hands and knees after the fall.
But despite that—
he was still dirty.
There was dried mud on his legs.
A streak along one arm.
A smudge on his cheek.
Even his hair had somehow managed to collect dirt.
Izana stared at him for a moment.
Zarek stared back.
Then smiled.
"Hi, Da-da."
Izana looked at the mud on his face.
"…Bath."
Zarek blinked.
"Bath?"
"Yes."
Zarek looked down at himself.
Then at the mud.
Then back at Izana.
"Oh."
A pause.
Then:
"Otay."
Izana almost smiled.
Almost.
"Come here."
Zarek immediately lifted his arms.
"Carry?"
"Yes."
That answer seemed to make him very happy.
Izana picked him up effortlessly and carried him toward the bathtub.
Usually Leah handled bath time.
Usually Leah was the one laughing while Zarek splashed water everywhere.
Usually Leah was the one getting soaked.
But Leah wasn't here.
And Izana wasn't going to wait for her.
He carefully adjusted the taps.
Testing the temperature.
Then testing it again.
And once more.
Zarek watched the entire process.
"Da-da."
"Yes."
"You checking?"
"Yes."
"Again?"
"Yes."
"Again?"
Izana looked at him.
"…Yes."
Zarek nodded seriously.
"Good checking."
Izana ignored that.
The bath was finally ready.
He turned toward Zarek.
"Undress."
Zarek immediately raised both arms above his head.
"Otay."
Izana helped him out of his clothes.
Zarek giggled.
"Tickles."
"Stand still."
"Can't."
"Yes, you can."
Zarek laughed.
"No."
Despite saying that, he stood perfectly still.
Izana finished helping him and lifted him into the water.
The second Zarek entered the bath his eyes widened.
"Warm!"
"Yes."
"Nice."
"Yes."
Zarek settled into the bubbles immediately.
Izana turned off the water.
Then stood.
"Wait here."
Zarek nodded.
"Wait."
"You need clean clothes."
"Otay."
"Stay in the bath."
"Otay."
Izana looked at him for another second.
Making sure he understood.
Then left.
The trip took less than two minutes.
When Izana returned carrying folded clothes—
he immediately stopped.
Zarek had not stayed still.
Not remotely.
A giant tower made entirely of bubbles now stood proudly in the middle of the bathtub.
It leaned dangerously to one side.
Defying logic.
Defying gravity.
Defying common sense.
Zarek looked incredibly pleased with himself.
"Da-da!"
Izana looked at the tower.
Then at Zarek.
Then back at the tower.
"…What is that?"
"Tower."
"I can see that."
"Big tower."
"Yes."
"Very big tower."
Izana set the clothes on the toilet lid.
Then looked at it again.
"…Impressive."
Zarek gasped.
The compliment clearly meant everything to him.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Zarek immediately sat up straighter.
"Made it myself."
"I gathered that."
"Lion helped."
"Of course he did."
The lion plush was not present.
That apparently didn't matter.
Izana knelt beside the bath.
He reached for a washcloth.
"Let's get you clean."
"Already clean."
"You have mud in your hair."
"Oh."
"And on your arms."
"Oh."
"And on your face."
"Oh."
Zarek thought for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Need clean."
"Yes."
Izana began washing the remaining dirt away.
For a while things went smoothly.
Then Zarek discovered splashing.
Again.
Water hit Izana's arm.
Then his chest.
Then his face.
Zarek laughed so hard he nearly fell over.
"Zarek."
"Yes?"
"Stop."
"No."
Another splash.
Izana stared at him.
Zarek grinned.
Then splashed again.
"Zarek."
"Sorry."
Splash.
"…That wasn't very convincing."
Zarek laughed harder.
"Again!"
"No."
Splash.
Water soaked Izana's shirt.
Then soaked it again.
And again.
Eventually Izana sighed.
"This is pointless."
Zarek blinked.
"What?"
Without another word, Izana pulled his shirt over his head and set it aside.
"It was getting wet."
"Very wet," Zarek agreed.
"Yes."
Then suddenly—
the laughter stopped.
Completely.
Zarek's eyes focused on something.
Izana immediately knew what.
The word carved into his chest.
MONSTER.
Old.
Faded compared to years ago.
But still there.
Still permanent.
Still impossible to hide when his shirt was gone.
The bathroom became quiet.
"Da-da?"
Izana looked away slightly.
"…Don't look at that."
"What say?"
Izana hesitated.
A rare thing.
Very rare.
Zarek noticed.
"What say?"
The question came again.
Patient.
Curious.
Completely innocent.
Izana looked at him.
Then answered.
"…Monster."
Zarek blinked.
"Monster?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Izana looked down at the water.
"A long time ago."
"Who write it?"
Another pause.
"I did."
Zarek stared.
"You?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
The question was so simple.
So direct.
And so difficult to answer.
Because how did you explain years of self-hatred to a two-year-old?
You didn't.
So Izana chose the simplest truth.
"I believed it."
Zarek frowned.
Deeply.
The way children do when something doesn't make sense.
"But…"
He pointed at Izana.
"You Da-da."
"Yes."
"Da-da not monster."
Silence.
Izana looked at him.
Zarek looked completely serious.
Not joking.
Not confused.
Just certain.
"Da-da not monster."
The words hit harder than they should have.
Harder than they had any right to.
Because there wasn't doubt in Zarek's voice.
Not even a little.
To him, it was obvious.
The sky was blue.
Water was wet.
And Izana wasn't a monster.
Simple.
Certain.
Undeniable.
Izana looked away.
"…You don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes I do."
That answer came immediately.
Izana blinked.
"Do you?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Zarek looked confused by the question.
Because the answer was obvious.
"You carry me."
Izana froze slightly.
"You read stories."
A pause.
"You make flower crown."
Another pause.
"You kiss my head."
Izana said nothing.
"You hug Mama."
The bathroom felt strangely quiet.
"You make pancakes bad."
Izana stared at him.
"…What?"
Zarek pointed dramatically.
"Bad pancakes."
"They weren't bad."
"They funny."
"They were perfectly edible."
Zarek giggled.
"Funny pancakes."
Despite himself—
Izana almost smiled.
Almost.
Then Zarek pointed at him again.
"Not monster."
There it was again.
Simple.
Absolute.
Certain.
Not monster.
The bath finished a little while later.
Izana lifted Zarek out of the water and wrapped him securely in a towel.
Warm.
Comfortable.
Safe.
Zarek immediately leaned against him.
Sleepiness beginning to replace energy.
Izana carried him to the counter and began drying his hair.
For a few moments neither of them spoke.
Then:
"Da-da?"
"Yes."
"Monster gone?"
Izana paused.
His hand stopped moving for a second.
Then continued.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because scars don't disappear."
Zarek thought about that.
For a very long time.
Then:
"Oh."
Another pause.
"Otay."
Izana looked at him.
That acceptance surprised him.
But then Zarek tilted his head.
Studying him carefully.
And suddenly his small face changed.
Concern.
Real concern.
"Da-da sad?"
Izana froze slightly.
"No."
"Yes."
Izana blinked.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
The argument continued for nearly a minute.
Eventually Izana sighed.
"…Maybe a little."
Zarek immediately moved.
Tiny arms wrapping around his neck.
A sudden hug.
So sudden that Izana actually froze.
Completely.
For a moment he didn't move at all.
Zarek hugged him tighter.
"Don't be sad."
Izana stared at the wall.
Then down at the child clinging to him.
"It's alright."
"No."
A pause.
Then:
"Need hug."
Izana almost laughed.
Almost.
Then something even more unexpected happened.
Zarek pulled back slightly.
Looked at him.
And leaned forward.
Pressing a tiny kiss against Izana's forehead.
Exactly the way Izana always kissed his.
The bathroom went completely still.
Zarek smiled proudly.
"There."
Izana couldn't speak for a second.
Because he understood immediately where Zarek had learned it.
Every forehead kiss.
Every gentle moment.
Every quiet reassurance.
Zarek had remembered.
And now he was giving it back.
"Better?"
Zarek asked hopefully.
Izana stared at him.
Then finally—
very slowly—
wrapped his arms around him.
Holding him close.
Safe.
Protected.
His voice was quieter than usual.
"…Yes."
Zarek smiled.
"Good."
Then rested his head on Izana's shoulder.
Satisfied that the problem had been solved.
And standing there in the warm bathroom, holding his son close while steam drifted through the air, Izana found himself closing his eyes briefly.
The word on his chest was still there.
The scar hadn't disappeared.
The past hadn't disappeared.
But for the first time that day—
it felt a little further away.
Because in his arms was a small boy who looked at him and saw none of those things.
Only his father.
And to Zarek—
that was all Izana had ever been.