Half a month later, another angel knocked on our door, and my daughter—Alice—was born.
……
"Ever since little Alice was born, you guy have been coming around less and less to keep us old fellows company. Sigh~ I suppose a man with a family really is different..."
White gripped a mug of draft beer in one hand, clapped me on the shoulder with the other, and clinked his glass against mine. For some reason, I always felt there was a hint of resentment in his gaze.
"I don't know what Clara ever saw in a guy like you. You guys judge for yourselves: when it comes to looks, am I not better-looking than this guy? When it comes to intelligence, aren't I a cut above him? Why on earth did he manage to find such a stunning wife, while I'm still a good-for-nothing bumpkin to this day!"
The more he talked, the more agitated he became, slamming his beer mug heavily onto the table with a dull thud. The other drinking buddies saw him like this and wisely kept their mouths shut, not uttering a single word.
"White, you've had too much to drink..." I patted him on the back, trying to soothe his emotions.
"No, no, not really. It's just... I'm damn envious of you, you know. Ever since we were kids, you've always been a head and shoulders above the rest of us. It's like the Goddess is truly unfair; some people are born protagonists, while the rest of us green leaves are just meant to be background props," White said, tilting his head back to take another huge gulp of alcohol. "Damn it, this is pointless. I'm done drinking for today. Arthur, put my tab on your bill—consider it my treat to celebrate little Alice's birth. Have a good time, everyone~ My shift is coming up, I've got to go on patrol. I'm off, I'm off." With that, White walked over to the tavern door, waved his hand over his shoulder without turning around, pushed the door open, and stepped outside.
"Um, Arthur, you know White's temper... Don't take his words to heart. That's just how he is, he speaks without thinking," a middle-aged man sitting next to me said. I didn't recognize him; he was a drinking buddy White had dragged over to our table.
Naturally, I wouldn't mind. After all, White and I grew up together, and I knew his temperament best. I just smiled and said, "It's fine, I don't mind."
When he was a little boy, White had also been an ambitious youth who idolized heroes, though he had no interest in the profession of a hero; instead, he admired generals more. He used to say that fighting alone didn't make someone a hero, and that a true leader was one who could guide ordinary people—a general who could lead his soldiers into a charge together was the true leader.
He had spent the first half of his life harboring his dream of becoming a general, breaking his head to squeeze into the garrison as a lowly cannon fodder, only to eventually have his sharp edges worn down by reality. He no longer possessed the vitality and passion of his youth, leaving behind only disillusionment and a sense of life's unfairness.
In the end, White had turned into the very person he loathed the most, becoming the kind of drunkard he used to look down upon, casting aside his dream of a general and muddle-headedly drifting through his days...
I sighed, pulled my thoughts back to the present, tilted my head back to finish the last of the beer in my mug, ran over to the front desk to settle the bill with Betty, paid for White's drinks as well, dusted off my pants, and left the tavern.
"I'm home, Clara." I carefully took off my shoes and crept into the living room on tiptoe, only to be startled by Clara sitting on the sofa with a stern face.
Clara sat on the sofa with her arms crossed over her magnificent peaks, her cold gaze fixed intently on me.
I shivered with fright, broke into a ingratiating smile as I hurried over to her, nodding and bowing in apology: "Hehehe, the great Lady Clara, your humble servant deserves a thousand deaths for missing the hour. I have sinned, I am no better than an animal. Today White insisted on dragging me along for a few drinks, which is why I accidentally delayed things for a bit, but I'm sure that someone as beautiful and gentle as you surely won't blame me, right? I beg your magnanimity to spare this wretch just this once!"
"Who do you think you are?" The smile on my face froze as I saw Clara's cold and stunning face take on a layer of frost, though the corners of her mouth couldn't help twitching upward slightly. Seeing a glimmer of hope—it seemed Clara wasn't genuinely angry—I quickly knelt down to plead guilty, swearing I would turn over a new leaf from now on, and hoping my dear little sparrow would give me a chance to start fresh. Clara still bit back her laughter and kept a straight face, but the smile at the corners of her mouth refused to stay hidden, until finally she let out a chuckle, a smile that surpassed any scenery in the world.
A cold outer shell could never mask the burning heart of a little sun, I thought to myself.
Suddenly, I heard another sound mixed within Clara's silver-bell-like laughter—it was an innocent, pristine sound of nature, as if the whole world could be healed by this laughter.
I walked on light feet to the cradle in the middle of the living room, suddenly poked my head out, and made a funny face with a "Boo!". Upon seeing my funny face, the little angel showed not a shred of fear; instead, she laughed even more happily, stretching out her hands to grab at the empty air toward me, seemingly asking for a hug.
Alice—my daughter, the best gift the world has ever given me. Daddy will always be by your side. Although I might do a lot of things less than perfectly, after all, this is my first time being a dad too, so please give me a few chances to make mistakes! Daddy here will definitely make you grow up happy and healthy, from learning to toddle to babbling your first words, from a budding mandy flower into a fully bloomed golden mandy, and further down the road—going to school, making friends, slowly maturing, and eventually getting married... Well, let's scratch that last one; my precious little girl is definitely not going to be taken advantage of by some other family's boy, I thought to myself.
I carefully picked up Alice, letting her nestle in my arms as I listened to her gentle breathing and crisp laughter. At that moment, I truly felt like the happiest person in the world.
Hoping this happiness could continue forever, and hoping time could freeze in this very instant, was my own selfish wish.
After playing around for a bit, Alice's energy came and went quickly, and she fell soundly asleep on my shoulder—a tiny little ball, resembling a newly hatched fledgling. I gently stroked her back, softly humming in my throat the lullaby Clara had taught me.
"May our daughter have sweet dreams," I whispered, turning back to look at Clara.
"Mm, she certainly will..." Clara's tone was somewhat low, and a trace of fatigue and weariness inadvertently flashed across the corners of her eyes. Thinking she must be exhausted from looking after the child all day, I patted her shoulder.
"Go on to sleep. I'll keep an eye on Alice. You've had a hard day today, my dear."
Clara raised her eyelids to look at me, her gaze filled with gentleness. "Mm, let's leave all unhappiness in today. Have a good sleep and forget all our worries~" With that, she stood on tiptoe, gave my cheek a light peck, and said with a chuckle, "Bedtime, bedtime, staying alive is what matters most~"
"Where on earth do you learn these phrases?"
"Hehe, I won't tell you, ner ner ner~"
"If you come in too late, someone might just find herself locked outside~"
"Hey hey hey, no, no, no, wait for me, Clara—"
I slowly placed Alice back into her cradle, turned around, and followed Clara into the bedroom. Yet, I failed to notice that at the back of Alice's neck—a patch of white, silver-like spot had grown...