Café Curious

27

Time skip- 6 years

"Daddy-ya!" I heard Lami cheer as I opened the door. I smiled as my purple haired little girl came running towards me. I bent down and opened my arms for her. She jumped in to my arms and hugged me tightly.

"Daddy-ya! You're home!" She said with a bright smile.

"Well of course! You didn't think I'd miss today, would you? After you and Mommy-ya worked so hard?" I asked. She giggled and hugged me again, burying her face in my neck while giggling. I chuckled and kissed her face.

"Did you see Aunty Kira-ya today?!" She asked me.

"I did. She said that she's very excited to see your ballet this weekend." I said. Lami's silver eyes lit up happily.

"She's coming to my ballet?!" She asked happily. I nodded. She let out a happy cheer. Aka came around the corner, smiling happily up at me. Bepo at her side, his tail wagging fast.

"Alright, birthday boy. Come on. Time for your party~" she hummed to me. Lami kicked her feet and I moved her to sit on my shoulders. She covered my eyes and I chuckled. Aka grabbed one hand as I used the other to brace Lami on my shoulders.

They lead me to the kitchen where I sat down and Lami climbed off my shoulders.

"Surprise! I helped Mommy-ya make dinner!" Lami said as she sat in her chair next to me. I smiled.

"Then that means it's going to be amazing." I said and kissed her head. She giggled and we began to eat dinner.

"Did you like it, Daddy-ya?" Lami asked. I smiled and rubbed her head.

"I loved it, princess. You did very good." I said. She giggled and jumped down from her chair, running to the other room. Aka walked past me and I grabbed her hips, pulling her down in to my lap.

"It was delicious, dear." I said. She smiled and kissed me. I chuckled.

"Speaking of delicious~" I hummed to her. She rolled her eyes and playfully smacked the top of my head.

"Wait until after your daughter gives you your birthday present and goes to bed, Dr. Horny." She whispered to me. I chuckled.

"Mama-ya! The cheesecake first! It's daddy's favorite! We even had Uncle Sanji-ya make it special!" Lami said from the door. Aka giggled.

"Told ya so~" She sang to me. I chuckled back up at her. She slid off my lap and pulled a raspberry cheesecake from fridge. I could tell by the elegance of the cake that only Vinsmoke Sanji could make it. I smiled as Aka lit the candles. She and Lami sang to me.

"Blow out the candles and make a wish, Daddy-ya!" She said. I hummed in thought, then blew out the candles.

"Okay, Lami. Go get daddy's birthday present. You, too, Bepo!" Aka said. My daughter and dog ran off to get the presents. Aka stood behind me and kissed my cheek and down my neck. I hummed softly to her.

"So, what is it that you want most for your birthday?" She asked. I chuckled.

"Well, I've got a pretty good life, an amazing wife, a beautiful baby girl... what more could I want? You've given me everything, Aka-ya." I said. She giggled.

"Not quite." She said.

"Happy birthday, Daddy-ya!" Lami cheered, running in to the room with a box in her hands. I opened the box and smiled. A hand-made picture frame with a picture of me with Lami in my lap when she was two. On the picture frame in Lami's hand writting, it said "Best Daddy."

"I love it. Thank you, sweetie." I said and kissed her head. Lami smiled happily at me.

"Now Mommy-ya and Bepo-ya's turn!" Lami said happily. She giggled.

"Alright, Law. I'll ask again, what do you want most for your birthday?" She asked as Lami climbed up in my lap. I chuckled again.

"I have everything I could ever want. What else could I ask for?" I asked. She giggled and kissed my cheek. Bepo ran in with a necklace box. He brought it over to me and I took it.

"Well, how about~"

I opened the box and my eyes widened at the content.

"A son?" She asked. I looked up at her. She smiled at me and kissed my head.

"Happy birthday, honey~" she said. I felt a smile cross my face.

"Mama-ya, what is this? What does it mean?" Lami asked innocently.

"What it means, Lami-ya, is that you're going to be a big sister." I said. I heard her excited gasp.

"I'm gonna have a baby brother!" She said happily. I set Lami in her chair and stood up, pulling Aka in to a kiss.

"You continue to fill my life with blessings." I said and kissed her again.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you." I said.

Time skip

"It's a boy!" Kira said.

"Rocinante." Aka breathed as the baby boy was put in her arms. I smiled at the baby in my wife's arms. Rosa brought Lami in to us.

"Lami-ya. Come here." I said. I picked my daughter up.

"This is your baby brother, Rocinante-ya." I said. I heard Rosa gasp at the name. I smiled at her over my shoulder and motioned her closer. She stepped forward and looked at her grandson.

"He looks like his father." She said. Black hair and silver eyes.

"Roci-ya. Hi! I'm your big sister, Lami!" She said. I smiled and looked at Aka. She looked back up at me. We both smiled happily.

That night, as I laid in bed, I thought back over my life. From my parents dying, to my little sister dying, to meeting Cora-san, to him dying, to meeting Aka, to marrying Aka, having Lami. I smiled.

I rolled over and looked at the pictures on my nightstand that have been there since we moved here. The picture of me and my sister, a picture of me and Cora-san, a picture of Aka and her parents. I smiled at them.

"Thank you, for giving me something to live for." I said. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

[the end]

[epilouge + story line up next]