After a happy year of being married, Nico came to me while I was making breakfast one Saturday morning, hugged me from behind, and said, "I think I want kids."

I stopped buttering my toast and turned in his embrace, "What?"

"You know, tiny humans. I want some."

"Children?"

"Yes, William, children." When I didn't say anything, he sighed. "Will, I could die tomorrow for all I we know and I don't want to go without living the life I want with the man of my dreams."

I frowned, "Don't you dare say that! You'll be fine! And I was just surprised that's all! Of course I want to have children with you!"

He narrowed his eyes, "Are you sure? I was kidding. If you aren't ready we can wait━"

"No, I want children too. Honestly, I've been thinking about it, I just wasn't sure how to bring it up to you." I cupped his face and kissed him. Without letting go of his face, I said. "Let's continue building our family."

The smile he gave that day was one of the brightest I had ever seen. It was beautiful. Immediately after breakfast, we started searching online who we could talk to or where we could go to discuss us adopting kids. Halfway through we realized our little apartment wouldn't be enough to house a child. There was one bedroom and we couldn't put the kid in there with us.

We decided if we were really going to do this, we needed a bigger place. Next thing we knew, we had a bout fifty tabs open on Nico's laptop looking through real estate agents and houses near our area. Around lunchtime, we decided on a real estate agent to call. We were pleasantly surprised to know they were available right away if we wanted to see the houses that day. We agreed and changed. Fifteen minutes later, we were buying a quick lunch from Subway before heading to the address the real estate agent had provided.

The agent was already there when we got there. She smiled when she saw us and shook our hands, introducing herself again as Sparrow. "Nice to meet you two. This is the first of five houses I have to show you around this area. So shall we head in?"

We nodded and followed her in. She gave a tour of the house and talked a little about its history and previous owners. When we were done, she let us know the price. It was not something we could afford at the time and we didn't really like it so it was okay. We moved onto the next houses. The second one was way ugly, we didn't even go in, we just left to the third. The third, now that one was great. It was affordable, a decent sized backyard. Three rooms, two bathrooms and a really cute kitchen. It was perfect. We almost decided on it right then and there but Sparrow asked us to keep an open mind there were two houses left and we might even like one of the others more than that one. So we saw the other two. The fourth was alright but it didn't seem right for us. The fifth was actually nice too. It cost almost the same as the third but this one had four bedrooms. But in the end, the third house was what we wanted. We returned, saw it again and went through the paperwork. Two weeks later, we were moving in.

(A/N: I saw this house and I was like perfect. That's their house. Dark color for Nico but cheery enough for Will. Also for what's about to happen, all I know about adoption is from Meet the Robinsons so yeah. I might change some things because of stuff I heard but uh yeah, sorry. I tried looking online but I was kind of confused so sorry if I get things wrong.)

It took us another two weeks to get settled in and organize everything. On the very day we completed our moving in process, we made the calls that were needed to an address we were given. There, we talked to the person in charge of adoption and she explained how the process would work and what we needed. We filled out an application and she said we would be contacted when they found a child who could be the one for us. Two months later, we received a call from her. She said we had been matched but before we went forward, she needed to know more about Nico and his condition. And after that, if all went well, we needed an official interview and everything that came with it. 

Our appointment was the following week at the hospital. A social worker would come with us to speak about Nico's condition. We were really nervous. What if it didn't work out? But we pushed through our nerves and in the end, the social worker said we were cleared. Our official interview would be happening that weekend. He let us know they had found fraternal twins who could do well with us. A boy named Alyn and a girl named Solstice. They were two years old. He said he would be the one to come to our house and interview us that weekend. We were ecstatic. The interview went well that weekend. 

Three months later, the two kids were being dropped off. 

Solstice and Alyn were holding hands and walking toward us very slowly. We waited in front of the stairs leading to the porch and front door. The same social worker was walking behind them, assuring them we were nice people and telling them this would be their home. They were the most beautiful children we had ever seen. They had tight black curls and the prettiest brown skin. Solstice had hazel eyes and Alyn had dark eyes like his new father Nico. 

They were shy at first but by the end of that year they were completely comfortable and they even called them dad, daddy or papa. Nico thought it was the best when I was called papa, he said it was like in a fairy tale and that proved he had married a prince. I would always say that proved that he was a king. He always rolled his eyes at that and told me to stop trying to one up his compliments.

For the next four months we were really happy. The happiest we had ever been. We had our friends and family come over and they met you two. We went out as a family as much as we could and even when we couldn't we spent all our time together at home. It was really actually was like a fairy tale. 

But then it happened. It was just Nico and I that day. Hazel and Frank were babysitting you two and we went out for a date. It was going well until we decided we should take a walk in the park for old times sake. We talked and laughed and everything was fine until Nico suddenly started feeling lightheaded. We sat down and I was trying to figure out what was wrong. Then he fainted. I froze for a second before realizing I should take him to the hospital. I rushed him there and waiting felt like ages. At last, the doctor came out with Nico. He tried to explain but Nico told him it was fine and didn't let him so he left us and we went home. I tried to ask Nico  but he brushed me off and said nothing was wrong, he had just exerted himself. He was fine. I believed him. 

For about a month everything did seem fine. But then he fainted again. I took him to the hospital and this time I demanded an explanation from the doctor. It's his cancer, he said, it's getting worse. I asked him what we could do and he gave us some extra tips but there wasn't much else we could do other than what they were already doing. That day, at home, I was furious. Why didn't he tell me? I was his husband for christ's sake! He said there was no pint if there was nothing we could do. He would keep doing what was already going and he would enjoy the time he had with his family and that was it.

After that, I couldn't be mad at him. I saw what he meant and I understood. So all I could do for the next four months was watch in pain as he worsened and there was nothing I could do. And finally, even though I was expecting the day to come, he told me the doctor said he would have three to six weeks and that was it. He told me at home, before bed, right after coming home from an appointment that I couldn't go to because I had to take care of you two. There was no one available to to babysit and Nico didn't want you there. He didn't want you to see him at his worst. So I stayed and when he told me, I fell to my knees and I cried.

Nico was sitting on the bed, his eyes were watering too but he hugged me to his chest and said, "Please don't be sad. We knew this would happen. But please know, you were the greatest thing that ever happened to me. We still have these weeks. These small hours still remain"

"Dad, you're crying." Solstice reached for my face and wiped my tears.

Alyn moved my arm and hugged me, "Don't cry dad. He's still your king. Just your ghost king now."

Even through my tears, I couldn't help but chuckle, "Yeah. You're right." I wrapped an arm around each of them. "Don't forget you two are our little royalty too."

"Yeah, Dad." Alyn nodded and that night we couldn't bring ourselves to go to our own rooms and instead fell asleep on the couch, remembering Nico.