Kael had underestimated how much work moving could be. He stood in the middle of his apartment, staring at the three bags on the floor. That was everything he owned: clothes, a few books, some kitchen utensils, and several things he couldn’t remember buying.
He looked around the room. "Eight years of my life, packed into three bags," Kael muttered.
Sera, who was sitting on the bed with Noah in her arms, glanced at him. "Is that supposed to be sad or impressive?" Sera asked.
"Honestly, I’m not sure."
Kael picked up one of the bags. "At least moving won’t take long."
"That’s one way to look at it," Sera replied with a small smile.
She had changed into a cleaner set of clothes after washing up. Although she still looked tired, she was doing much better than when she had arrived the previous night. Noah was awake in her arms, looking around with his gray eyes and occasionally moving his tiny hands.
Kael walked over to them. "Ready to see your new home, little man?"
Noah responded with a soft coo.
"I’ll take that as a yes," Kael said.
Sera laughed quietly. "You’ve started talking to him as if he understands everything."
"He might. Have you considered that?"
"He’s barely old enough to hold his head up properly."
"Exactly. He’s probably gathering information before he starts talking."
Sera shook her head, smiling. "You’re ridiculous."
"And yet, you’re still here."
Her smile faded slightly. For a moment, she looked as if she wanted to say something, but she lowered her eyes to Noah instead.
"Yes," Sera said softly. "I am."
Kael didn’t press her. He picked up the remaining bags and carried them toward the door. "Come on. Let’s get you two settled in."
Sera carefully stood up with Noah in her arms. Before leaving, she looked around the small apartment. "This place must have been lonely for you," Sera said.
Kael paused. He had never really thought about it that way. It had always been just a place to sleep, somewhere to return to after work. But now that he thought about it, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d invited anyone over.
"Sometimes," Kael admitted.
Sera turned toward him. "I’m sorry."
Kael sighed. "There you go again."
"I know. I just..." She stopped and looked at him. "Thank you for letting us stay."
Kael smiled faintly. "You’re welcome. Now, let’s go before I start charging you rent."
Sera stared at him. "You wouldn’t dare."
"You’re right. I can’t afford to lose my tenants."
She laughed, and Kael opened the door. For the first time in years, he wasn’t leaving the apartment alone. Their new life was waiting.
The taxi pulled up in front of the residential building in Crestview District twenty minutes later. Kael paid the driver and stepped out, carrying the bags, while Sera climbed out after him with Noah in her arms.
She looked up at the building before turning toward Kael. "Are you sure this is the right place?"
Kael checked the address on his phone. "Apartment 604. Sixth floor. Unless there are two buildings with the same address, we’re in the right place."
Sera stared at the entrance. "Kael, this place must cost a fortune."
"Probably."
"And you bought an apartment here?"
"Apparently, I did."
She turned toward him. "You’re taking this surprisingly well."
Kael adjusted the bag on his shoulder. "What do you want me to do? Start crying?"
"No, but..." Sera looked at the building again. "I just don’t understand how you managed this."
Kael knew she wouldn’t stop wondering about it, and he couldn’t blame her. If someone had told him yesterday that he would own an apartment in Crestview District, he would have laughed in their face.
"I got a lucky break," Kael said. "It’s a long story, but the paperwork is in order. I can afford to move us in, so you don’t need to worry about the rent."
Sera frowned. "That’s still not much of an explanation."
"I know."
"Are you going to tell me more?"
"When I have everything sorted out," Kael replied. "For now, I just want us to get settled."
Sera studied his face. Kael held her gaze, hoping she wouldn’t notice how carefully he was choosing his words. He wasn’t going to tell her about the system. Not now. Not later. Whatever it was, it belonged to him, and he had no idea what would happen if other people found out about it. He wasn’t willing to take that risk, especially with Sera and Noah involved.
After a few seconds, Sera finally nodded. "All right. I won’t push you."
Kael let out a quiet breath. "Thanks."
"But I’m still going to worry about you," Sera added.
He smiled. "Something tells me I won’t be able to stop you."
"No, you won’t."
They entered the building, where the security guard greeted Kael, recognizing him from his visit earlier that morning.
"Good afternoon, sir," the guard said. "Welcome back."
"Good afternoon," Kael replied.
The guard glanced at Sera and Noah before looking back at him. "Is this your family?"
Kael looked at the two people beside him. For some reason, hearing the word family from someone else felt different. He had spent so many years living alone that the idea still felt new, even though Noah was his son and Sera had come to stay with him.
"Yes," Kael answered with a smile. "They are."
Sera lowered her head slightly, hiding her smile. The guard nodded politely.
"Welcome to Crestview, ma’am."
"Thank you," Sera replied.
Kael led them toward the elevator. As the doors closed, he glanced at Noah. "Well, little man, looks like we’ve made it."
Noah waved his arms, making Kael chuckle. "Don’t worry. I’ll show you around properly when you can walk."
"You’re already making plans for him?" Sera asked.
"Of course. Someone has to teach him how to become a respectable citizen."
"Maybe you should start by learning how to change his diaper without looking terrified."
Kael turned toward her. "That happened once."
"Twice."
"The second time doesn’t count. He moved."
Sera laughed as the elevator reached the sixth floor. Kael unlocked apartment 604 and pushed the door open.
"Welcome home."
Sera stepped inside, then stopped as she took in the spacious living room. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, and the kitchen was clean and modern, with the furniture already arranged. She slowly walked farther into the apartment, looking around as if she expected someone to tell her she wasn’t allowed to touch anything.
Kael watched her reaction. "Well?" he asked. "What do you think?"
Sera turned toward him. "It’s beautiful."
Her voice was quiet as she walked toward the windows and looked outside. "I’ve never lived somewhere like this before."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought the Scarlette family had houses all over the city."
Sera gave him a small, complicated smile. "Having a house isn’t the same as having a home."
Kael fell silent. He hadn’t expected that answer.
Sera turned back toward him. "I spent most of my life in a place where everyone cared about appearances. Everything had to be perfect. The clothes I wore, the people I talked to, even the way I behaved at dinner."
She looked down at Noah. "I don’t want him growing up like that."
Kael glanced at his son. "Then we’ll make sure he doesn’t."
Sera looked at him. "You make it sound so easy."
"It won’t be easy," Kael admitted. "But we can at least try."
For a moment, Sera said nothing. Then she smiled. "All right."
Kael set the bags down beside the sofa. "Now, let’s see what we’re missing."
He walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, only to find it empty. The cupboards weren’t any better. Kael stared at them for a moment before shaking his head.
"Well, that’s embarrassing."
Sera walked over. "What is?"
"We have a beautiful apartment, but unless you enjoy eating air, we’re going to have a problem."
She laughed. "Then we should buy groceries."
"Groceries, baby supplies, cleaning products..." Kael counted on his fingers. "Probably a few other things."
Sera glanced at Noah. "We also need a proper crib."
Kael nodded. "Right. And a stroller. And a baby monitor."
He stopped counting and looked at her. "How many things does one tiny person need?"
Sera gave him an amused look. "You’re only discovering that now?"
"I thought babies just needed milk and a blanket."
"Kael!"
"What? I’m learning!"
Sera laughed so hard that Noah stirred in her arms. She immediately lowered her voice. "Sorry, sweetheart."
Kael watched them for a moment before smiling to himself. He had never imagined that his quiet apartment would become a place filled with this kind of noise, but he liked it more than he wanted to admit.
Then a notification appeared before his eyes.
[Ding!]
[Family Man System]
[Task: Purchase essential supplies for your family.]
[Objective: Provide the necessities required for your family’s daily life.]
[Reward: All qualifying expenses will receive a tenfold rebate.]
[Progress: 0%]
Kael’s eyes widened slightly.
’Tenfold?’
He quickly looked away from the panel and pretended to check his phone. He had already received a tenfold rebate bonus in the system’s initial announcement, but this was the first time it had given him a task that specifically mentioned qualifying expenses. If the system worked the way he suspected, the possibilities were ridiculous. He could buy everything his family needed without worrying about the cost.
Still, he decided not to get carried away. He had no idea whether the system had any limits, and he wasn’t going to start wasting money just because it promised to give him more.
Kael put his phone away. "All right," he said. "Let’s make a list."
Sera found a piece of paper while Kael sat at the dining table. They spent the next few minutes writing down everything they needed: formula, diapers, baby clothes, a crib, a stroller, bottles, blankets, groceries, and cleaning supplies.
By the time they finished, the list was much longer than Kael had expected. He stared at it and sighed.
"This is going to take a while."
Sera smiled. "Welcome to parenthood."
Kael leaned back in his chair. "I’d like to speak to the manager."
"Too late," Sera replied. "You’re already the father."
Kael groaned, making her laugh again. For the first time since she had returned, the room felt light. There were no tears, apologies, or questions about the past. They were simply sitting together, planning what their family needed.
Kael picked up the list. "Let’s get started."
The first stop was a baby store inside a nearby shopping mall. Kael had expected to buy a few things and leave, but he quickly realized that he had underestimated the situation again. The moment they entered, Sera began pointing out items Noah needed.
"That crib looks good," Sera said, pointing toward a display near the back.
Kael walked over to examine it. It looked sturdy, had adjustable mattress heights, and came with a proper safety rail.
"How much is it?" Kael asked.
Sera checked the price tag. "$650."
Kael nodded. "All right. Let’s get it."
Sera turned toward him. "Wait. Shouldn’t we look at the others first?"
"Why? Is there something wrong with this one?"
"No, but we should compare prices."
Kael considered that. She was right. Just because he could afford something didn’t mean he should buy it without thinking.
"Fair enough," Kael replied. "Let’s look around first."
They spent the next twenty minutes comparing cribs, checking their prices and features before eventually returning to the first one.
Sera smiled sheepishly. "I guess this one really is the best."
Kael grinned. "Congratulations. We just spent twenty minutes proving that we liked the first thing we saw."
"At least now we’re sure."
"That’s what I’m going to tell myself."
A sales assistant approached them. "Have you decided on a crib?" the woman asked.
"Yes," Kael answered. "We’ll take this one."
"Excellent. Would you like us to arrange delivery?"
Kael glanced at Sera. "Can you deliver it to Crestview District?"
"Of course," the assistant replied. "We can have it delivered tomorrow morning."
"That works."
While the assistant prepared the order, Sera moved toward a display of baby clothes, and Kael followed her. She picked up a tiny blue shirt and held it against Noah.
"Look at this, sweetheart."
Noah moved his hands, and Sera smiled. "He looks so cute in it."
Kael looked at the shirt, then at Noah, before looking back at the shirt. "He’s going to outgrow that in a few months."
Sera stared at him. "He’s a baby, Kael. Of course he’ll outgrow it."
"Then why buy so many clothes?"
"Because he needs them."
"How many does he need?"
Sera looked at the display. "Maybe six or seven outfits to start with."
Kael nodded seriously. "All right. Six or seven it is."
Ten minutes later, they had picked out eight outfits. Kael looked at the shopping basket and raised an eyebrow.
"Didn’t you say six or seven?"
Sera placed another shirt inside. "I changed my mind."
Kael shook his head. "You’re already teaching him how to spend money."
"He’s a baby!"
"And he’s already winning."
Sera laughed, and Kael found himself laughing with her. They bought the clothes, bottles, blankets, diapers, and formula, adding everything to their growing collection of supplies. By the time they reached the checkout, the total was much higher than Kael had expected.
The cashier read the amount aloud. "Your total comes to $1,284.50."
Sera’s smile faded as she looked at Kael. "That’s a lot of money."
Kael glanced at the total. It was certainly more than he would normally spend in one afternoon, but everything in the cart was something Noah needed.
"It’s fine," Kael told her.
He paid for the items and took the receipt.
[Ding!]
[Qualifying Family Expense Recorded.]
[Purchase Total: $1,284.50]
[Rebate Processing...]
Kael kept his expression neutral as he put his phone away. He wasn’t going to react to every notification in front of Sera. Whatever the system did, he would check it later. For now, he had a baby to take care of and a shopping trip to finish.
"What’s next?" Sera asked.
Kael looked at the list. "Groceries."
Sera stared at him. "More shopping?"
"Unless you’ve figured out how to feed a baby with the power of positive thinking, yes."
She laughed. "You’re impossible."
"And yet, you keep saying that while following me around."
Sera shook her head, still smiling. "Just go, Kael."
He grinned and pushed the shopping cart toward the exit. For the first time in his life, buying necessities didn’t feel like a burden. It felt like something he was happy to do, and if the system wanted to reward him for it, he certainly wasn’t going to complain.
After all, he had a family to provide for, and he was only getting started.