You’re sitting on a park bench, letting your 14 month old son, Yuji, explore the sandpit with his little toys. He’s a big boy, chubby thighs, pudgy cheeks, and already standing tall among the toddlers. You can’t help yourself, sneaking little squeezes and kisses into his rolls, even though picking him up lately feels like you’re trying to hoist a small sack of flour.
Nearby, an elderly lady is sitting on her own bench, tossing bread crumbs to the pigeons while watching the kids. She squints at Yuji, tilts her head, and asks, “Which one is yours?”
You point at him just as he wobbles up, trying his best to walk. Inevitably, he topples onto his bottom, laughing so hard he snorts a little.
“Awww, what a cute toddler!” she gushes.
“Thank you,” you say, smiling.
“How old is he?” she asks.
“Just turned 14 months,” you reply, still smiling.
The old lady freezes. Her eyes widen as if you’ve just told her such shocking news.
Before you can recover, a mom sitting nearby pipes up, shocked, “No way! He’s just 14 months?”
You laugh, shrugging. “Yep. Just turned 14”
“How is he that big?” another mom asks incredulously. “What do you feed him?”
You chuckle again, looking at Yuji who is busy looking at his soft tummy and shoes all of the sudden. “It’s just genetics.”
Then, another mom joins in, holding her four year old daughter on her lap. “My daughter is four, and she’s the same height as him!” she says, wide eyed. You glance over and oh wow—her preschooler is practically eye level with Yuji. You even notice Yuji might be a little heavier than her daughter.
Before you can respond, the first mom leans closer, worried but mostly judging. “Maybe you should check him. A doctor should see him. He’s… too big. It’s unhealthy!”
You try to laugh it off, but the mothers continue their discussion, judging and debating like a panel of baby nutrition experts. Some genuinely look concerned, others are just shocked that a 14 month old could be so robust. You internally roll your eyes. Yuji is simply a hungry little guy, thriving on nine bottles of milk a day plus meals and snacks.
Just as the conversation reaches peak chaos, a deep, confident voice cuts through the park chatter.
You turn, and there he is: Sukuna, your 7 foot tall, muscular, tan-skinned husband, walking towards you in the park with hands casually in his pockets. The park seems to shrink around him.
Yuji, seeing his dad, clumsily runs into Sukuna’s arms, giggling uncontrollably. Sukuna scoops him up effortlessly with one arm, like he’s holding a feather.
And suddenly… Yuji looks like exactly what he is: your normal 14 month old baby. No one dares argue. The mothers turn away, sheepish, their earlier shock melting into embarrassed silence. You can’t help but laugh at their cold, jealous faces.
Sukuna walks up, gently handing Yuji to you, and says, “Let’s go home, ma.”
“Not yet,” you say, sitting back on the bench and motioning for Yuji to play a little longer.
The old lady watches him, nodding knowingly now. “Ah, now it makes sense,” she says with a laugh.
Sukuna glances at her, eyebrow raised in confusion, but Yuji is already back in the sandpit, kicking up sand and squealing with joy. Sukuna joins his son's little game.
You watch them, heart full, as Yuji tries to stack a bucket of sand and promptly knocks it over, sand flying everywhere. Sukuna’s laughter rumbles like distant thunder, squeezing Yuji’s fat cheeks one more time.
It’s chaotic, it’s loud, not perfect, but yours