#1 Deaky Fan

Y/N sighed softly as she opened the door to the house, setting her jacket and work bag off to the side before slipping off her shoes and looking around. The house looks pretty good… Joe must have gotten home early… she thought to herself. 

The lights were dim across the house, the golden glow of the lamps spilling warmly into the foyer, scattering soft light across the walls. It was quiet. There were no cartoons playing on the TV, no tiny footsteps across hardwood floors. Just quiet. Just peace.

Y/N took a deep breath, the smell of cookies wafting through the whole home. She smiled, chuckling quietly to herself. Joe hadn’t made cookies in ages. Maybe it was a special treat that Ava shouldn’t tell mom about.

I could get used to this…

She padded through the foyer and into the living room. There was a small, blue stuffed bunny hanging halfway off the couch, a little pink sock peeking out from under the coffee table, and the crumbs of a hastily-eaten chocolate chip cookie scattered across the glass of the table.

I’ll get those after Ava’s asleep… she thought, grabbing the stuffed bunny and heading to the kitchen to grab one of her husband’s cookies before she heard it. 

Joe’s voice, low and animated, drifting from their daughter’s room upstairs.

“And then Goldilocks went to the porridge of the baby bear, and tasted that. And that was just right; and she liked it so much, that she ate it all up!”

Y/N’s heart gave that tiny ache— the kind that only came when she was reminded how much she loved this little, messy life of theirs. Her smile widened, and she climbed the stairs slowly and carefully, not wanting to interrupt. She hovered outside of the half-open bedroom door, leaning in just enough to see.

There they were— Joe sat cross-legged on the edge of their daughter’s bed, holding the book open in his lap. His brow furrowed dramatically as he made the baby bear’s voice, his other hand gesturing in the air like he was on stage. Their daughter was tucked under a lavender blanket, her curls spread across the pillow, eyes wide with delight.

“You’re silly, Daddy!” Ava giggled.

Joe continued, grinning as he ended the story and closed the book.

“That’s the end, peanut… It’s time to get to sleep, okay?” he said as he set the book on her nightstand and pressed a gentle kiss to the toddler’s forehead.

Y/N’s chest swelled with warmth, the soft sting of tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. There was something about seeing Joe like this— completely at ease, so calm, so tender— it cracked her open every time. Even after everything, even after the tantrums and sleepless nights and stained carpets, he somehow made it all feel like magic. 

He stood up, pulling the blanket up to Ava’s shoulders and turning to head out when he saw Y/N standing in the door.

“Hey, babe…” he whispered, his face lighting up at the sight of his wife. “Didn’t see you there…”

“Didn’t want to interrupt,” Y/N whispered back, stepping into the room. She bent down to press a kiss to Ava’s cheek. “Sweet dreams, sweetheart… I love you…”

“Night, Mommy… Love you,” their daughter murmured, already half-asleep.

Joe took Y/N’s hand, stepping softly out of the room and easing the door shut behind them. Downstairs, the house felt even cozier than before, the gentle hum of appliances and the ceiling fan filling the silence.

Joe flopped onto the couch, patting the cushion beside him. Y/N curled up next to him without hesitation, laying her head on his shoulder as he grabbed a blanket and draped it over the both of them. 

“You’re really good at that, you know…” she mumbled.

“At what? Baby bear voices?” he joked in return.

“At being a dad, you dork…” she laughed, nudging her husband lovingly.

Joe smiled softly and kissed the top of her head. “Only because I’ve got the best wife to do it with.”

A beat passed. He reached for the remote and pulled up their usual— The Princess Bride— again. She laughed.

“We’ve seen this a thousand times.”

“Exactly. I like knowing when the best parts are coming.”