The Saiyan Heritage and the Loneliness of the Warrior [Piccolo x OC]

Chapter 20

PICCOLO

The sun was already setting through the windows of Lettie's house when she finished telling me how she adopted Naíma.

Of course, at that time, Lettie omitted one of the real reasons for adopting her, that is: me. I only found out about this years later. For now, all she revealed was how she had found an abandoned baby on a dirt road near one of the villages in the region, rescued her, cared for her, got attached to her and then... adopted her.

Even so, the little I knew was enough to leave me stunned. That was why Lettie seemed stronger and more mature when I met her again!

She was a mother now.

Sitting on the couch and with wide eyes, I stared at her with Naíma in her arms. I stayed like that for a long time. An almost palpable silence surrounded us.

"Piccolo?" called Lettie in a worried tone. "Are you okay?"

I blinked several times until I straightened my back. "Y-Yes... I'm fine. I'm just... impressed." I lied.

Lettie then touched my arm and squeezed it with the typical affection I knew so well. "I know you must be scared and confused by this... uh... news. Sorry for taking so long to tell you. It's just that I didn't want to wake her up. Naíma has been having a lot of colic in the last few days, you know? She needed to sleep and– Oh, my!"

Naíma was making a low, sly cry.

"Bottle time!" Lettie smiled and then, to my utter despair, she handed Naíma to me. "Could you hold her for a minute? I'll just prepare her formula in the kitchen and be right back."

Perplexed, I followed her around the couch and picked up a can of formula from the sink, with a clean bottle ready for use next to it. It was only then that I noticed how different baby items were scattered around the house; clean clothes folded in one corner, packages of diapers organized in another, cans of formula stacked near the dining table, and even a soft, colorful mat with toys there next to me.

How had I not noticed that when I arrived?

Could it be that... the image I had in my head of our house was always so filled with our children's stuff, that all of Naíma's objects went unnoticed because they were... unconsciously normal to me?

Well, I couldn't say. The only thing I knew was that, in addition to noticing Naíma's belongings, I noticed Naíma HERSELF, now in my hands.

Throughout my life, I have witnessed countless people stare at me on the street due to my physical appearance, but never, ever has anyone looked at me like Naíma at that moment.

She didn't look at me with fear, or strangeness, or aversion, but rather with the simplest demonstration of curiosity and wonder.

Our eyes met and my heart jumped in my chest.

It was as if I was looking at myself through a mirror. Her eyes, black, small and intense, were gazing deeply into my soul. However, beyond the physical resemblance to me, I saw a gleam full of life that I had only witnessed in... Lettie.

It was her. Yes, it was her! That baby in my hands was the same girl who hugged me so tenderly and told me she loved me when I put her to sleep in my dream. I would recognize those eyes anywhere!

"You're exactly how I dreamed..." I whispered without even realizing it.

It was then that a great wave of fear invaded me, and the realization came.

I was holding my daughter.

After fighting back for so long, my dream... was coming true!

No...! This wasn't supposed to happen! Naíma wasn't supposed to be here...