Time passes fast. It's December twenty-first, the night before Megumi's first birthday. He sits in his high chair while you feed him a purée you made for him. Toji sits on the couch, playing a card game with your daughter, one that she's forcing him to play.

Two months since you got married, and your relationship is quite the same. There hasn't been any progress, mainly because he doesn't make any sort of attempt. However, your daughter and him couldn't get along any better than they do.

"C'mon Megumi, it's yummy." You tell him, trying to give him a bit more of the food, but he just spits it out. It dribbles down his chin and you take a napkin to wipe it off.

Your sweet baby Megumi, the baby that you consider your son since you're always taking care of him, is already walking. With help of course. He's taken his first steps, and the action of walking intrigues him.

"I bet he wants some ice cream." Your daughter speaks up, noticing the bit of struggle from your part. She can see you from the couch, you sitting down and trying to feed the baby who doesn't want the food he finds nasty. She hears your laugh, as you scoop up the food that's on his chin.

"I bet he would, but he has to eat something healthy so he'll grow strong." You respond, attempting to give some more food to Megumi but his lips are sealed shut. You sigh and put the spoon down. "You're full?"

You take the bowl and spoon away, setting them down in the sink before going back and picking up Megumi from the high chair. You take him to the sink to wash his little face and hands that are covered with food.

"Ah! You won!" You hear Toji, putting down his cards on top of the pile. Misaki cheers, finally winning a game during the night. You smile hearing her cheers, and Toji's fake complaints. "Rematch?"

You walk back to them, and watch them for a minute straight before putting Megumi down in his playpen. It's six at night, and you usually put him to bed at seven thirty. You bathe him at seven, then prepare a bottle which doesn't take more than thirty minutes.

You watch the toddler stand up, holding on to the side of the playpen for balance. He attempts to walk to his favorite toy, and he manages for a bit before losing balance and having to crawl. You look at Misaki and Toji, who are both focused on their game.

"I'll take a quick shower before starting dinner." You tell them. You have a long day ahead and the moment you finish eating dinner you want to put your daughter to bed and go to bed yourself.

"Okay." Toji responds, and your daughter gives you a thumbs up. You leave them alone, knowing that Toji will stand up if Megumi needs anything, after all Megumi is his son. Toji knows he'll win again, like the other five times, but he gets tired of winning. He never really thought a person could get tired of winning. Or maybe it's the fact that his win causes Misaki to get frustrated and gloomy. "I'm gonna win this time, Misaki."

"I'm gonna win." She answers, much confidence in her tone. He'll let her win again. He just has to make sure Misaki doesn't figure out that he's letting her win. He knows Misaki is smart and can put two and two together. At least smarter than a normal five year old.

"Are you excited for Megumi's birthday party tomorrow?" Toji asks and she nods. She thinks a lot of kids will be there to play with her. She hadn't yet put together the fact that not many kids will be there.

"Can I also have a birthday party? Mommy wasn't able to give me one this year but she promised me she'll give me one when I turn six." She questions. Toji knows her birthday is in May, so they still have a lot of time before it comes.

"We'll make sure you get a birthday party. The greatest one. Something better than what you have imagined." Toji says, making her eyes widen in awe at the idea. She grins as she looks back at her cards.

"Toji..." She begins and he hums. He looks at her, and puts his cards down for a moment. She looks up at him before speaking again, "Can I call you my dad?"

Toji is stunned by this question. He doesn't know what to say. He wants to say yes, but he doesn't know if that's the right answer. He doesn't know for how long he'll stay there. He doesn't know how long the marriage will last. He doesn't want to hurt your daughter's feelings. But he doesn't want to imagine her reaction if he refuses. He smiles at her. He decides. "Only if I can call you my daughter."

Misaki quickly nods with a lot of energy which causes Toji to laugh. They continue playing.

-

You have to make sure everything is perfect. In this new life you have, everything has to be perfect. To meet the expectations of Naobito Zenin. You're supposed to be the perfect housewife and mother. Toji is supposed to be the perfect husband and father. The kids are exempt for the time being since they are so young.

"We have to pick up the cake at noon." You inform Toji as you decide on the better outfit for the day. Megumi's outfit is blue so you're hoping to match with him.

"We need to be at the house at three." Toji adds. The birthday party is being hosted at the same mansion you got married in. Since it's winter, and it's snowing out, you have to stay inside. Your house is big but not big enough to host so many people inside. You practically begged Naobito. He refused to help because this was now in your hands. You notice he enjoys Toji's suffering and perhaps he hopes that everything goes bad. It's ironic, really.

"Jin is bringing his baby." You share and Toji couldn't care less about it. Maybe like that he won't be so focused on writing down each detail.

"I'll go wake up Megumi, if he sleeps in he won't want to go to bed early." Toji changes the topic and walks out of the room. Meanwhile you look at the options you have in front of you. You hear the sound of running, which breaks your focus. When she enters the room you pick her up from the floor and kiss her face.

"Good morning, baby, how'd you sleep?" You ask your daughter, looking at her messy hair, and her pajamas.

"Good." She answers.

"Did you brush your teeth?" You raise your eyebrow and she shakes her head. You put her down and she runs to the bathroom. Your focus shifts back to the dresses.

Toji walks back in with Megumi in his hands, and he notices that you're still deciding. He walks over to you and looks back and forth between the options. "You'd look sexier in the dress."

"So I'll go with the second option." You respond, making him furrow his eyebrows.

"Why?" He questions and you don't say anything. Instead your attention shifts to Megumi. You kiss his chubby cheek.

"Happy birthday to the cutest baby ever." You kiss his cheek again, and he laughs which makes your heart warm.

"Start getting ready, we don't have too much time to waste." Toji says.

"It's nine in the morning, we have a lot of time to waste."

-

Setting up a one-year-old's birthday party shouldn't be such a difficult task. Toji had already hired someone to decorate the place, which was left looking amazing, but you still had to finish up some things. It shouldn't be a pain in the ass but it is.

"The cake is messed up." Toji yells, as you try to fix a couple of balloons that are out of place. Misaki is playing with a balloon, watching Megumi who chews on his toy.

"What do you mean messed up?!" You yell back.

"His name is spelled wrong!"

"I told you to check, Toji! Why didn't you listen?!" You stop trying to fix the balloons, and walk to the kitchen where he's at. He feels your eyes bore into the back of his head. He looks back at you, indifferent.

Toji wears a blue polo shirt and some jeans. Of course, he came with a coat that he put away the moment he stepped into the place. It's white and matches the same coat you have on at the moment. Misaki and Megumi also have the same coat, except it's put away as well.

"Why are you still wearing that? Aren't you hot?" He questions but you ignore him since you have bigger problems at hand.

"Find a way to fix his name." You tell him.

"The fuck do I look like? Am I supposed to know how to do that shit?" Toji crosses his arms and you glare at him.

"Go get it fixed." You order.

"But guests will be coming soon." He argues, and you have the same look in your eyes. That wasn't a request from you. He sighs, knowing he has no option but to go.

You walk back to the kids and see that Misaki got bored of the balloon and now sits with Megumi, trying to play with him. But Megumi is savoring the toy that he has in his hand. You want to laugh as you watch her struggle.

"Mom! Megumi won't play with me!" She complains, causing a chuckle to escape your lips. Sometimes she doesn't realize that Megumi doesn't understand half of the things she says.

"Hmm... How about we play together." You suggest as you sit down on the floor with them. You don't worry about the coat that you have on because you know that the floors are clean. You pick up Megumi and put him down on your lap. "What do you want to play?"

"Patty cake." She answers.

"That's a game for two people." You tell her.

"Well I want to play with Megumi, not you. Sorry mommy." She tells you the truth which almost offends you, but you take it lightheartedly.

"Alright, I'll be back soon!"  Toji yells with the cake in hand.

"Drive safe and don't forget your coat!" You yell back, and he ignores you.

"Well, Megumi and I can be a team." You suggest, going back to your original conversation with your daughter.

"There are no teams in patty cake." She tells you.

"Hmm... Today there is."

-

"Fuck." Toji is more than irritated. This was supposed to be easy, yet it's giving him a headache. How can a one-year-old's birthday party be so fucking complicated? In his perfect world he would've bought a cupcake for the baby and a candle. That would've been so much easier than sitting in traffic, wondering which idiot got into an accident.

"Just go!" He yells. He can't find himself happy although he drives an expensive car, and wears expensive clothes. It's all he wished for once upon a time. He thought that it'd bring him happiness. Now he realizes how wrong he was. "Should've just told the bitch to solve the problem herself."

Traffic flows slowly, and he knows that he'll be late to the birthday party. He finds himself more irritable than usual, mainly because this day is supposed to be celebrated with Megumi's mother. Yet she's dead. He can't do anything to celebrate the day with her.

He can only imagine how beautiful she would've looked. He remembers one year ago all the pain and struggles she went through. The screams and cries of pain. The cries and laughter of joy when she held her newborn in her arms. The tears that escaped Toji's eyes when he saw his son. Feelings he never thought existed.

It was a type of love that couldn't be compared to any other.

Megumi was a week old and she was making plans for his first birthday party. It wasn't anything extravagant. The idea was cute, Toji recalls. He almost suggested it, but in the end he held back.

Megumi turns one, yet she's nowhere to be seen. Her plans will never see the light of day. Toji is the only one to blame for this. But he'll try to blame someone else– You. Because you're the unlucky one, all the blame always falls at your feet.

Toji drives back with the cake fixed. He's late but he doesn't care. He doesn't really feel like entertaining anyone. He has no other option but to. There's no traffic this time so he gets there fast. Many cars are outside, most of them he can recognize.

He grabs the cake and walks inside the house. The place is filled with people who are considered his family. He notices your parents as well. Toji has to greet everyone which he's dreading.

He has the excuse that he's holding the cake so he can walk away. So he does. He walks straight to the kitchen, where he finds you holding Megumi.

This weird feeling overtakes him when he sees you wearing the dress that he suggested. It looks pretty, which isn't new. Everything you wear makes you look pretty, which he doesn't like to admit. But this feeling is weird... Almost like butterflies.

Toji notices Jin across from you, and he's holding his son. Toji sees the spark in Jin's eyes as you laugh at the stupid joke that Jin makes, which makes Toji click his tongue. Toji makes his presence clear when he clears his throat. He puts the cake down on the island of the counter.

"Mr. Zenin, so nice to see you again." Jin says, while Toji picks up Misaki who ran to his side.

"So nice to see you too, Mr. Itadori. May I ask what you were speaking to my wife about?"