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Katara recruits Sokka to watch Bumi for the night so she and Aang can have their first real date in six months.
She knows he’s a little nervous—
(“He’s so tiny!” Sokka says over the phone when she calls him up. “What if I break him by accident?”)
(“You’re not going to break him, Sokka. He’s not a vase.”)
— but she trusts him implicitly, and she figures it’s long overdue that he have some bonding time with his nephew.
So, her brother shows up to Air Temple Island at seven and takes Bumi from his father’s arms.
”Have fun, kids!” he says, waving as they leave.
As the door closes behind them, Katara hears Sokka say: “Looks like it’s just you and me, buddy. Hey, did your mom ever tell you how I took down the Fire Lord?”
Aang and Katara share a romantic dinner at Kwong’s Cuisine and then take a leisurely stroll through the lamplit trails of Republic City Park.
It’s late summer and the warm air is sweet with the scent of gardenias.
They find a bench near the pond and watch fireflies create glowing reflections over the water.
Laying her head on Aang’s shoulder, Katara hums, content. “This was perfect. Just what we needed.”
Aang makes a quiet noise of assent.
“I do miss our little guy, though,” he admits.
Katara smiles and looks at him. “Me too. He’s never been away from us this long since he was born. How do you think he’s doing?”
“Oh, he’s fine, I’m sure. The real question is, how is Sokka doing?”
She snorts. “True. I don’t think he’s held a baby in more than twenty years. But he’s great with kids, and I know he’ll do anything for Bumi. Still, we should start heading back if we want to go out again in the future. We’ll need him to babysit and I don’t want him to get too overwhelmed his first go around.”
“You’re probably right,” Aang agrees. He stands and holds his hand out for her which she readily accepts.
Using their waterbending to propel the ferry across the bay, the couple arrive home just as the clock tower strikes ten.
While Aang checks on Appa in the bison stables, Katara goes inside. The lights are on, but the dining room and main sitting area is empty.
Quickly checking the kitchen and library with no success, she makes her way to Bumi’s nursery. The lamp in the corner is switched on, and in the soft glow, the sight she comes upon nearly brings her to tears.
Sokka is asleep in the rocking chair, which he has moved right next to Bumi’s crib. One hand is squeezed through the slats of the crib, and Bumi’s tiny fist is clutching Sokka’s finger.
Aang sidles up next to her a moment later and Katara can see the same love and gratitude that she feels radiating from his eyes.
He places his hand on the small of her back and she instinctively leans into him.
They can wait a few more minutes before they wake him.