Hikari was the first to hear it. She had been arranging her stuffed rabbit on the living room rug, but the sound made her head snap up, eyes wide and bright.

Satoru stood in the doorway, snow-white hair a little longer than before, blindfold pushed down around his neck. He looked tired. But he was smiling, and the moment he saw his daughter, the smile softened into something real.

A woman stepped through the doorway, one hand resting on the curve of her belly. She was visibly pregnant, dark hair falling perfectly over her shoulders, amber eyes sweeping across the house with polite, almost clinical curiosity.

Satoru shifted, still holding Hikari against his chest. His expression flickered.