The table was already a battlefield of crumbs, jam smears, and mismatched mugs.
Mira sat cross-legged on her chair, sketching on the corner of a page instead of eating her toast.
Leo chewed with his mouth wide open, making sound effects for the dragon's "squirrel battle."
Arin leaned back in his chair with a teasing grin, balancing his fork on the edge of his plate. "You know, this whole breakfast reminds me of that beast taming novel you were editing - food scattered everywhere, chaos brewing on all sides, and the so-called hero still manages to pose like he's the center of the universe."
Lina lowered her cup of coffee with an exasperated sigh, narrowing her eyes at him. "Don't even get me started on that novel. It was a nightmare to edit. The beasts had no rules - one minute a wolf evolves into a dragon because it 'felt brave,' the next minute a sparrow suddenly learns fire magic out of nowhere. And don't get me started on the hero."
She set her cup down harder than she intended, her voice warming with irritation. "Every time the story cornered him, boom... mysterious hidden skill unlocked. He falls off a cliff? Oh, never mind, he awakens 'Sky Step.' Surrounded by enemies? Suddenly, he has 'Infinite Blade Dance.' At one point he tames a creature just by staring at it, because apparently the author thought glaring really hard counted as a taming method."
Arin chuckled into his plate, clearly enjoying how animated she was getting.
Lina shook her head, muttering into her coffee. "No structure, no logic, just one convenient miracle after another. Honestly, I could still pardon the author for all of that if the novel had even a shred of coherence and the language was at least mediocre. But no - half the sentences look like they were run through a blender. Grammar all over the place, sentence structure collapsing in on itself, and scenes stitched together with no sense of flow. Reading it felt less like following a story and more like wrestling with a badly translated instruction manual."
Arin leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm, smirk widening. "Now, now, don't be too harsh. I kind of like the hero. He falls off a cliff and suddenly learns to fly? That's inspiring. Sounds exactly like the kind of luck I'd have if I were the protagonist." He tapped his chest proudly. "Besides, maybe the author was just… ahead of their time. Visionary, even. Who needs grammar when you have passion?"
Lina shot him a look sharp enough to cut through steel, but Arin only chuckled at her growing exasperation. Watching her brows furrow was almost as entertaining as her rants. He tilted his head, feigning innocence. "So what you're saying is the legendary Sky Serpent shouldn't have been taken down by some kid who barely reached level two?"
"Exactly!" Lina groaned, tossing her hands up in exasperation. Arin watched her with clear amusement, his grin only widening as she went on. "It's lazy writing, that's what it is. And don't even get me started on how none of them seem to know the difference between stamina and mana - they just swap the words whenever it suits them."
Mira finally looked up from her drawing, her lips twitching with amusement. "Mama, the way you're going on, it sounds like you're writing your own beast taming book."
Leo, still clutching his toy dragon, leaned forward eagerly. "Yeah, Mama! But yours would have all the monsters super strong!"
The whole table erupted in laughter, and even Lina couldn't hold her stern expression for long. She rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth tugged upward in a reluctant smile. Arin caught it, memorizing the way the sunlight caught her hair, how her expression softened in the warmth of the moment. Light-hearted bickering, the rhythm of their mornings. It was these fleeting snapshots that he treasured most.
Arin reached for the butter, spreading the last of it over his toast as the meal wound down. Soon the clatter of cutlery faded, and the family moved into the familiar rhythm of clearing plates and wiping the table.
While stacking a few dishes, he glanced at Lina. "So, how's the plan for Greenwich Park looking?"
Lina gave a small nod as she rinsed a cup. "After lunch, we'll head out. The weather's good, and it'll be nice for the kids to run around a bit."
Mira perked up instantly, her eyes shining. "Then I'm definitely bringing my sketchbook! I want to draw the flowers there."
Leo thumped his toy dragon on the table with a grin. "And the dragon's coming too!"
By the time the plates were cleared, Arin still lingered instead of rushing out the door. He had taken his own sweet time, even though half an hour was all he normally would have had. He had probably missed an early bus, but it didn't bother him. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he crouched down near the children. "Alright, before I head out - listen to Mama, follow her rules, and don't go wandering too far in the park, got it?"
Mira and Leo both nodded, eyes wide and obedient.
Arin grinned and added in a mock-serious tone, "And remember our family's secret code. If you ever get separated, what do you do?"
"I'm not gonna get lost, Papa Bear," Mira declared proudly, puffing herself up. "I'm big now."
Leo puffed his chest too. "And I'm super fast! Monsters can't catch me!"
Lina crossed her arms, smirking as she leaned against the doorway. "Says the man who manages to lose his wallet twice a month, his keys every week, and his lunch whenever I don't pack it."
The children giggled, and Arin raised his hands in mock surrender, a grin tugging at his lips. "Alright, alright. The rule doesn't change. If you hear your nickname, you shout back so we can always find each other. Deal?"
"Deal!" Mira and Leo chorused, voices bright.
Just before he finally left, Mira hurried to the table and slid a folded sheet of paper into his hands. "Here, Papa Bear."
Arin unfolded it slowly. The drawing showed the four of them together in the park, a huge bird with a flaming tail soaring overhead. Mira had given everyone careful detail - her own hair neatly tied, Leo's oversized grin, Lina's gentle smile. She had even drawn him taller than he really was, like the hero of their little world.
Warmth spread through his chest. It wasn't just a drawing; it was a promise, a reminder of what mattered far more than deadlines or buses. He slipped it carefully into his bag.
Before he could straighten, Leo came charging out from under the table and tackled Arin around the waist with all the force his little body could muster.
'Ouch...
It actually hurts'
In his hands was the battered stuffed wolf, held up like a prize. "Shadow Fang will protect you at the office, Papa. He's tougher than any monster there."
Arin accepted the toy with the same solemnity he would give to a knight's sword, still rubbing at his ribs from Leo's tackle as he placed it beside Mira's drawing. "Two treasures," he said softly. "I'll guard them well."
Soon the hallway smelled faintly of old paint and the neighbour's frying bacon. Arin hugged and kissed each of them before stepping out into the cool morning air.