The sound of the front door opening, followed by the virtual voice welcoming Jurina in the house, reached Rena from the bedroom. At once, she looked up from her work and tilted her head to her vintage yet beloved red alarm-clock. 11:15 p.m. Jurina was even more late than yesterday. Rena found herself once more curious to discover what kind of project seemed to monopolize all her wife’s attention recently, and also knew she needed to address a certain situation that had occurred during dinner.

A little before 8 p.m., Jurina had called home to warn she would be late, and it was best they didn’t wait for her. Rena had followed her instructions, warning Alfred to prepare the table for two. Soon after, she and Natsuki had settled at the table while Alfred served the food, and it didn’t take long for Rena to be testimony of Natsuki’s difficult behavior. Natsuki wasn’t talkative, barely answering her questions about her day at school, and wasn’t being cooperative when it came to finishing the plate in front of her.

“Mama is not eating with us?” They were in the middle of dinner when Natsuki finally admitted what was troubling her.  

“No, mama is working late. She’ll come and kiss you goodnight as soon as she arrives,” Rena smiled, trying to cheer her up. “Now, Natsuki needs to finish her vegetables.”

Natsuki pouted and played with her green beans. “But I don’t like them. And I’m not hungry anymore. Can I go and play in my room?”

“Natsuki won’t grow as tall as her mama if she doesn’t eat her vegetables,” Rena said, her voice firm but gentle.

“Mama never forces me to eat them if I don’t want to,” Natsuki mumbled, looking down at the floor.

Rena paused at the revelation and regarded her daughter, but she was cleverly avoiding her gaze. Rena let out a small, almost inaudible sigh, making a mental note to have a conversation with her wife later. “Alright. You can leave the table.”

“Thank you, mommy!” Natsuki smiled widely, jumping out of the chair. Rena followed her retreating form as she ran towards the staircase, only to see her retracing her steps back to her with a hesitant look. “Can Alfred come and play with me?”

Rena turned to their robot who was busy cleaning up the dishes, and who had instantly looked upon the calling of his name, his eyes now darting between both his mistresses. “Yes, Alfred can play with you.”

“Mistress? Are you sure?” The robot’s gaze dropped to the plates in his hands, then looked back at Rena questioningly.

“Yes, it’s fine. I’ll take care of it,” Rena assured with a smile.

The robot’s eyes remained fixed on her, visibly torn between carrying out his duty and obeying his mistress’s new order. At last, he emitted a sound of agreement and carefully replaced the plates on the table, Natsuki not wasting time in grabbing his hand and quickly leading him towards the staircase.

Rena realized she truly hadn’t seen time passing by after dinner. Much as she didn’t enjoy bringing work at home, she had an important business meeting to attend in the morning, and she wished to check one last time that she had all the elements. Rena turned off the tablet computer and, while waiting for Jurina’s arrival, decided to go and check up on Natsuki. She got out of bed and made her way outside, carefully pushing their daughter’s bedroom door, only to catch a glimpse of Natsuki sleeping soundly.

At the sight, a warm smile moved to Rena’s lips. As she was about to close the door, she distinguished the sound of footsteps approaching behind her. “You’re still awake?” Jurina whispered, surprised.

“Yes, I was finishing reading a few documents,” Rena nodded with a smile, kissing her back when Jurina pressed her lips against hers. Rena stepped aside to let her wife enter their daughter’s bedroom, Jurina leaning over Natsuki’s sleep form to plant a kiss on her forehead, before quietly retreating.

They both took the direction of their bedroom. While watching her wife getting prepared for the night, Rena slipped under the covers, before Jurina joined her in bed and switched the lights off. As they faced one another, Rena snuggled close to her and looped one arm around Jurina’s waist, asking the question that had been nagging her for far too long. “What have you been working on all these evenings? You still haven’t told me.”

Jurina tensed in her arms. “I-It’s a complicated project. I really don’t want to say anything until it’s finished.”

Rena frowned at her vague explanation. “I can’t have a hint?”

Jurina shot her an amused look, and tucked a strand of hair behind Rena’s ear. “My God, you are so curious. It doesn’t matter how many times you ask. I won’t tell you anything. You’ll have to be a bit more patient.”

“There’s really nothing I can do to convince you?” Rena slipped a sneaky hand inside Jurina’s pajama top, tracing her fingers along the length of her back in a sensual caress.

Jurina felt her heart beat more rapidly, drawn to those irresistible lips taunting her. She could no longer hold back and slowly lifted Rena’s nightdress, only to feel her jerk at her touch when her fingers came in direct contact with her thigh. “Sorry, my hands are cold?” She winced, and withdrew her hand. “The evenings have been quite chilly lately. Alfred usually reminds me to bring my gloves, but he forgot this morning.”

“Always poor Alfred’s fault,” Rena said cheekily, before remembering a particular topic she had wished to tackle with her wife. “I never realized until today how much you spoiled our daughter.”

“Eh?” Jurina’s eyes widened in surprise. “I don’t spoil her.”

“Oh, come on,” Rena chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. “We both know that you’ve always been Natsuki’s favorite. Today, during dinner, she refused to eat her green beans. Apparently, you told her that she didn’t have to eat them if she didn’t want to.”

Jurina felt like a deer caught in the headlights. “W-Well, it’s true that she doesn’t like them very much, so I might have said…” she swallowed nervously at her wife’s inquiring look. “It won’t happen anymore. I’ll make sure she eats her vegetables properly next time.”

“Good.” Rena cradled Jurina’s cheek in her palm and kissed her, a satisfied expression on her face. “If you could also limit the number of candies you give her behind my back, I would very much appreciate it.”

Jurina made a face, realizing she had been caught in the act, before her eyes twinkled with mischief. “I think my wife is jealous.” When Rena arched an eyebrow, Jurina leaned in, pressing their bodies closer. “She also wants to be spoiled.”

Jurina moved on top of her and quickly attacked the crook of her neck, Rena laughing and twisting as Jurina relentlessly tickled her in the ribs. After a little while, Rena tapped her arm, asking for a respite, and Jurina complied, shooting a playful, mischievous look at her. Ultimately, Rena’s laughing died down and she stared into the pair of brown eyes never leaving hers, catching Jurina’s hand and slowly replacing it on her thigh. “It’s true the nights have been cold lately. I guess it can be the occasion to warm you up?”

Jurina’s eyes gleamed with expectation at her wife’s explicit tone, knowing exactly what she had in mind for tonight when she witnessed the hot desire burning in her eyes. Jurina swooped down, kissing her fiercely, Rena returning the kiss with equal passion. Unable to stop herself, Jurina’s hand moved on her thigh and raised the nightdress hem higher, pulling it over Rena’s head then removing her , her own nightshirt and underwear soon being disregarded and following the same path on the floor.

Jurina felt Rena’s chest heaving against her body, and she let her fingers dance across the skin of Rena’s cheek and down to the line of her jaw. She admired every curve of Rena’s breathtaking body, as if seeing her for the first time. She kissed her neck, led her s and caressed her body with such a soft, gentle yet firm touch, as if nothing else mattered but here and now.

Rena shuddered in pleasure and wove her fingers into the soft strands of Jurina’s hair, guiding back on hers. Jurina obliged and lowered her lips on to hers, drugging, kissing her into pure bliss, making Rena’s body quiver with anticipation as to what was to come next. Jurina’s heart quickened, and her hand moved down her torso, past her navel and below her waist, where Rena ached for her.

For a brief instant, a part of their previous conversation rushed back to Jurina’s mind, admitting to herself that it was getting harder to keep a secret from Rena when her curiosity only increased with the passing of the weeks. But Jurina refused to relent and ruin the surprise. She was so close to reaching her final objective. A few more weeks. It was all she needed to finish it. In time for Rena’s 30^th birthday.

Jurina stirred aware at the feeling of someone pulling at the bedcover repeatedly. She slowly fluttered her eyes open, only to discover Natsuki tightly holding Duran and standing by her side of the bed. Jurina blinked, briefly noting that it was past 2 a.m. as she tried to assess the situation, before guessing by her daughter’s frightened look that something had disturbed her sleep.

“What’s wrong? Did you have a bad dream?” Jurina asked in a whisper, receiving a quick, silent nod in return. “Alright, go back to your room. I’m coming.”

Jurina sleepily watched Natsuki leave, and turned around in bed, relieved to find her wife still sleeping peacefully by her side. Rena’s arms were wrapped around her waist, and she slowly disentangled herself from Rena’s embrace, not resisting laying a gentle kiss on her cheek before she slipped out of bed. It took her longer than she anticipated to encounter in the obscurity her clothes scattered on the floor, a smile unconsciously moving to her lips at the remembrance of their passionate lovemaking.

After getting dressed, Jurina gave her sleeping wife one last lingering look, tugging into an amused smile as Rena unconsciously drew closer to her side of the bed in her sleep. Jurina approached the door and quietly made her way outside to enter Natsuki’s bedroom, only to find her daughter sitting in bed with a scared expression plastered all over her face. After taking a seat by the side of her bed, Jurina her hair and spoke to her softly. “What did you dream about?”

Natsuki looked the other way, embarrassed. “I-I don’t want to say.”

“You know you can tell me everything,” Jurina said encouragingly, playing with the stuffed dog secured in Natsuki’s arms.

There was a short pause before Natsuki hesitantly spoke. “I dreamed that the prince wasn’t strong enough to save the princess.”

It took a few seconds for Jurina’s brain to register what she was referring to, until understanding crossed her features. Jurina felt a slight twinge of guilt, now remembering indeed that she never finished reading the bedtime story. These last few weeks, she had been working later than usual. And, by the time she arrived home, Natsuki was already fast asleep. “Why didn’t you ask mommy or Alfred to read you the story?”

“No! I want mama to read it!”

Jurina smiled a little defeatedly. It was during those moments that she recognized Natsuki’s characteristic stubbornness. A trait of personality that her daughter had apparently inherited from herself, according to her wife’s own words. “What if I read it to you when I get home tonight?”

Natsuki’s eyes brightened. “You will? You promise?”

“I tell you what.” Jurina’s voice lowered and she leaned forward, as if wanting to share a big secret with her. “I will even leave the office earlier to pick you up from school. What do you think? Would you like that?”

“Yes! Yes!” Natsuki nodded rapidly, head bobbing.

Jurina raised her pinky finger with a conspiratorial smile. “So does it mean we have an agreement?”

Natsuki giggled, wrapping her finger around Jurina’s, and spontaneously reached forward to kiss Jurina’s cheek. “Duran says it’s a deal.”

“Good.” Jurina wore a serious expression on her face as she gazed down to the stuffed dog and shook his leg, sealing the agreement, before looking up at her daughter grinning from ear to ear. “It’s now time to go to sleep. Or you’ll be very tired at school tomorrow morning.”

She didn’t need to say it twice that Natsuki was already laying down and making herself comfortable in bed, Duran closely pressed against her. Jurina smiled knowingly at her, figuring out by her daughter’s current excitement that it would take a few good minutes for her to fully calm down and fall asleep. Jurina tucked her in bed properly, soon meeting her daughter’s expectant look. “Can you stay with me?”

“Yes, I will.” Jurina dropped a kiss on her forehead, witnessing a huge smile appearing on Natsuki’s face. “And you don’t have to worry. The prince is very, very brave. He will never stop fighting until his princess is free from the evil king.”

Jurina watched her fondly as Natsuki slowly closed her eyes, reveling in her happiness of having such an adorable and beautiful daughter. There was no denying that she found great accomplishment in her job, and nothing gave her greater satisfaction than to reach the objectives she had set and to carry out a project to its end with success. However, if there was one thing that fulfilled her even more as a human being, it was to be surrounded by the two people she loved the most in this world. Because her wife and her daughter were her biggest pride in life.