Time Slips Away

Time had a funny way of moving too fast.

One moment, Lena was small enough to fit in Caesar's arms, her tiny fingers curling around his thumb like she never wanted to let go.

And then, before he knew it, she was eight years old, running ahead of him at the park, her wild laughter echoing through the air.

She had her mother's sharp wit and his stubbornness.

A dangerous combination.

But Caesar wouldn't have her any other way.

---

One afternoon, he came home to find Blythe and Lena sitting at the dining table, papers and crayons scattered everywhere.

Lena's brows were furrowed in concentration as she scribbled onto the page in front of her.

Caesar leaned against the doorframe, smirking. "What masterpiece are we working on today?"

Lena grinned up at him. "A family tree!"

Blythe gave him a knowing smile. "It was a school project. But she insisted on making it bigger."

Caesar chuckled, walking over to ruffle Lena's dark hair. "Of course she did."

Lena swatted his hand away. "Dad, you're messing up my thinking!"

Caesar held up his hands in surrender. "My bad, Picasso."

Lena rolled her eyes before going back to her drawing, tongue sticking out in deep concentration.

Caesar sat down next to Blythe, watching as their daughter carefully wrote down names inside little boxes, connecting them with lines.

When she finished, she proudly lifted the paper. "Done!"

Caesar leaned in, scanning the names. There he was—Caesar Tiu—right next to Blythe Anderson. Below them, in slightly messier handwriting, was Lena Elise Tiu.

His chest tightened at the sight of it.

His family.

His everything.

Blythe nudged his arm gently. "You're getting emotional, aren't you?"

Caesar scoffed. "No."

Lena tilted her head. "Dad, are you crying?"

"Absolutely not."

Blythe smirked. "He totally is."

Caesar groaned. "You're both ganging up on me."

Lena giggled before crawling into his lap. "It's okay, Dad. I still love you, even if you're super sensitive."

Caesar sighed dramatically, wrapping his arms around her. "How did I end up with two bullies in my own house?"

Lena beamed. "Mom and I are a team."

Blythe pressed a kiss to Lena's forehead. "That's right."

Caesar sighed, shaking his head. "I can't win."

Blythe smirked. "Nope."

And despite all his complaining, despite all the teasing—

Caesar had never felt luckier in his entire life.

---

As the years passed, their home was filled with laughter, chaos, and the bittersweet reality of watching Lena grow up.

She was fearless.

She climbed trees even when Caesar told her not to. She scraped her knees but never cried. She was always running ahead, chasing adventure, never afraid of falling.

Just like Blythe.

But then, there were nights when she curled up beside Caesar on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder as they watched movies together.

And in those moments, he saw himself in her, too.

She wasn't just her mother's daughter.

She was theirs.

And that meant she was unstoppable.

---

One evening, when Lena was thirteen, she came home looking unusually quiet.

Caesar noticed it immediately.

She had always been a ball of energy, never the type to sit still, always full of stories about her day.

But tonight, she barely touched her dinner.

Blythe noticed too. "Lena, is something wrong?"

Lena hesitated, pushing her food around on her plate. Then, finally, she sighed.

"Am I supposed to know what I want to be when I grow up already?"

Caesar and Blythe exchanged a glance.

Caesar leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "What brought this up?"

Lena shrugged. "Everyone in my class seems to have, like… a plan. But I don't. And my teacher says high school is important, and college is important, and my future is important, but I don't even know what I want to do."

Blythe smiled gently. "That's normal, sweetheart."

Lena frowned. "You and Dad knew what you wanted, though."

Caesar chuckled. "Absolutely not."

Lena blinked. "Wait, what?"

Blythe nodded. "Your dad had no clue what he wanted to do. He just knew he liked basketball."

"And you liked art," Caesar added.

Blythe smirked. "And you liked me."

Caesar grinned. "That too."

Lena made a face. "Gross."

Blythe laughed. "The point is, no one has it all figured out at thirteen."

Lena bit her lip. "But what if I never figure it out?"

Caesar reached across the table, squeezing her hand. "Then we'll figure it out together."

Lena's expression softened.

Then she sighed dramatically. "Okay. But if I end up a millionaire, I'm not giving you too much money."

Caesar chuckled. "I'll take what I can get."

Blythe smirked. "I'm asking for a mansion."

Lena groaned. "Ugh, why did I even bring this up?"

Caesar and Blythe just laughed as their daughter rolled her eyes, but deep down, they both knew—

She would be just fine.

Because no matter where life took her, she would always have them.

Always.

---

Years passed, and life continued moving forward.

Before they knew it, Lena was seventeen, then eighteen, then suddenly—

She was packing for college.

Caesar helped carry her boxes to the car, his movements slow, reluctant.

Blythe squeezed his hand. "You okay?"

Caesar forced a smile. "Yeah. Just… feels fast."

Blythe nodded, her blue eyes warm. "I know."

When Lena finally finished packing, she turned to face them, her usual confidence faltering just a little.

"…Are you guys gonna be okay without me?" she teased, though her voice wavered slightly.

Caesar chuckled, pulling her into a tight hug. "We'll survive."

Blythe joined them, wrapping her arms around both of them.

It was a moment Caesar wanted to hold onto forever.

Because this?

This was everything.

And even though Lena was leaving, even though the house would feel a little emptier—

She would always be their little girl.

No matter how much time passed.