Dasha's POV
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Marked by the sound of the electric bell, Eva's very first school day finally came to an end.
"Alright, children, that's it for today. See you tomorrow!"
"See you tomorrow, Miss Tina!" the children chorused.
They began packing up their things and saying goodbye to one another.
"See you tomorrow, Evan, Charlotte!" Eva's voice sounded so cheerful—completely different from her gloomy mood before school this morning.
"See you tomorrow too, Eva!"
"See you."
Evan and Charlotte replied before rushing over to their parents. I also said goodbye to the other parents, especially Evan's and Charlotte's.
After that, I held Eva's hand and led her out of the school.
"So, how was your first day, Eva? Your friends like you, don't they?"
"Emmmh, they were really nice to me. Especially Evan and Charlotte, and Jessie, Anna. And Mikel, and..."
Hearing my daughter list off the names of her new friends filled me with overwhelming joy. Knowing that my shy little girl had already made so many friends on her very first day made me proud as a mother.
"If Eva wants to meet her friends again, then she has to come back to school tomorrow, right? Deal?"
"Yes!"
******
On the way home, my smartwatch buzzed with a message from my husband saying he'd be home around sunset. Since we could have dinner together, I began thinking about what to cook.
"Eva, Papa's going to eat with us tonight. Do you have a special request for Mama?"
"Eva wants steak! Steak! Steak!"
"Alright, alright, Mama will make you steak," I said, ruffling her hair.
'Looks like I'll need to stop by the butcher first.'
******
Raphael's POV
At last, I arrived home. Looking up, I realized the sky was already pitch dark. The train had been delayed, and it took me twenty extra minutes to get back.
Gazing at our modest little house—a single-story home with a garage and a small front garden—I couldn't help but think about how rare such houses had become these days.
With so many city apartments built to accommodate the rising population, I hardly ever saw simple homes like this anymore on my commute.
Shaking off those idle thoughts, I hurried inside, knowing my wife and daughter were waiting. I was also eager to hear about Eva's very first day of school.
The moment I opened the door, I was greeted by the savory aroma of grilled meat. I quickly realized Dasha had made steak—my favorite, and Eva's too.
'Dasha hardly ever cooks something as pricey as steak. This must be to celebrate Eva's first day at school.'
Seeing that, I felt certain her day must have gone well.
When I stepped into the dining room, I found Dasha and Eva already waiting at the table, with three warm steaks laid out before them. The instant Eva spotted me, she leapt from her chair and ran toward me.
I scooped her up, hugging her tight and planting a soft kiss on her cheek.
"Papa's home! Let's eat steak!"
"Alright, alright," I chuckled, carrying her over to the table. I set her on her chair and sat down beside her.
"Looks like today was a huge success if it calls for steak at dinner?" I asked my wife, who sat across from me.
"That's right. Eva made lots of friends today. Isn't that true, Eva?"
"Mmmh, Eva made lots of friends. There's Evan, Charlotte, Anna..."
Watching my daughter chatter excitedly about her new friends, I couldn't resist pinching her cheeks.
"Didn't Papa tell you that your friends would like you? Now you believe me, right?"
"Eva always believes Papa!"
"That's my little angel," I said, releasing her cheeks.
"Um, Papa, Eva wants to ask something?"
"Oh sure, what do you want to ask?"
"Hmmm, earlier Miss Tina explained about… what was it… se–seef zone? Oh, and ded zone. But Eva didn't really understand."
Her question caught me off guard. The thought of them teaching such terms to six-year-olds was surprising.
I guess times really have changed.
"Eh, well… Papa can explain, but you probably won't understand everything. Basically, a safe zone is a place where we can live, and a dead zone is a place where we can't."
"Oooh, I think Miss Tina said that too."
"Eh, maybe Mama can explain more—Wait, what is it, Dasha? Why are you smiling like that?" I asked when I saw my wife grinning as she watched us.
"Oh, nothing. I'm just happy. Eva, let's finish the questions for now, or your steak will get cold."
"Hoh, Mama's right! Let's eat steak!"
With Eva's cheerful voice as the signal, we all began digging into our meals. As always, food tasted a hundred times better when shared with family—especially when it was already delicious to begin with.
******
After putting Eva to bed in her room, Dasha and I lay down in ours. Turning onto my right side, I found myself gazing into a pair of golden eyes. Dasha was smiling at me, and I wrapped my arms around her slender figure.
"How was your day, Raph? Did Team Leader Eric scold you again?"
"You know how that old man is—always dumping his work on his subordinates and then yelling at them when things aren't finished. I still wonder how a guy who only knows how to fight ended up in the field division instead of security," I grumbled.
"They must have their reasons, Raph. And don't hate Eric—he isn't a bad person, you know that."
"Of course I know. All the members of Team 10 are good people. That's the only reason I haven't quit in these past two years."
As my wife began closing her eyes, ready to sleep, I let out the feelings I'd been holding in all day.
"Dasha, I'm sorry I couldn't be there with you today. I'd been looking forward to this day for so long. I regret choosing work over you two."
"It's alright, Raph. I know your work is important for the wellbeing of many people. I heard on the news that a gate opened in Sector 31. Was your team deployed?"
"Yeah, but honestly, compared to the others, I felt like my role wasn't important at all. Even AI robots could've done it."
"Who said your role isn't important? Didn't I tell you about my friend who had to live like a beggar for weeks because the robots didn't include her property in their malfunction report? Compared to that, has your work ever made a mistake like that?"
Hearing her words, the anxiety weighing on my heart finally lifted.
"Thank you, Dasha. You and Eva are the greatest blessings I've ever received. I promise I'll protect you, no matter what happens."
"Oh, you and your sweet words. Go to sleep, Raph—there'll be plenty more chances to spend time with Eva."
And just like that, I drifted off to sleep with my beloved wife in my arms.