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The sun was shining and a light breeze was blowing, creating the perfect spring day. One just right to catch up on laundry and to air out the bedding for the day.
As I finished laying out the sheets on the line cast between trees outside the small hut I lived in now, I heard a small, soft giggle drift towards me from behind. When I looked over my shoulder, I could see Saizo laying out on the veranda, the same as always, relaxing in the sunshine like a cat.
Just beyond where he had his back facing me, I saw a tuft of silver-white hair moving back and forth and felt my heart warm, knowing that no good could come from this and found myself wondering what was happening.
When I reached the veranda, I found out what was going on.
Our son, ever the mischievous one like his father, was stacking soy beans on his father’s cheek as he slept with his head propped on his palm. I knew he wasn’t actually sleeping, of course. Not only was Saizo always on alert, but when he was watching our child, his alertness was heightened even further than normal.
I couldn’t hold back the chuckle that formed as the tower toppled over and spilled onto the wood planks beneath. Saizo took the opportunity to look over his shoulder at me for a second with a bored, sleepy expression before turning back to the boy. In the blink of an eye, Saizo snapped his arms out towards the boy and pulled him towards his chest, wrapping himself around the child, protectively.
This earned a high pitched peal of laughter from his tiny form as his father held him tight. If my heart hadn’t been full of warmth and love before, it was fit to burst with the sight before me. I had thought I was happy before, when it had just been Saizo and I, with the occasional visit of little Sasuke and Yukimura. But with the addition of our son, my happiness increased tenfold.