The morning sun filled the room and offended my eyes. I winced at the light and rolled away. I found not only relief from the intrusive light but an unexpected warmth. Immediately, my eyes flew open, and my heart stopped when they were filled with the embodiment of perfection.

  Her hair was much longer than I remembered, and she slept with it down and free of any hair ties. Her skin was like the sand on a bright and vibrant beach. Her slender fingers rested peacefully on the pillow by her breathtakingly beautiful face, and my eyes were drawn to the third digit and the ring that proudly sat on it.

  It was nothing too intricate, nor was it lacking in anything; there was a decently sized diamond in the center with five much smaller on each side wrapping around it. In front of and behind the main band sat two more, all made of a sleek sterling silver. The outside rings had three small diamonds embedded in them. The three of them had been fused into one, and I found myself lost staring at it.

  Suddenly, the bed I was in shifted, like someone or something was climbing in. I activated my ability and shot up ready to meet whatever was coming. My already overburdened heart stopped again when I beheld the cause of the shift in the bed.

  She looked just like the goddess next to me. Their hair was identical in color, but the smaller version sported a sudden stoppage of hair at the shoulder. Her eyes were dazzling, like the largest emeralds known to man had been cut and shaped for eons just to be placed meticulously on her face. Her small frame was hidden by a grey shirt that nearly fell off on one shoulder. I felt my grip wavering as I stared with eyes wide open, and time began moving again.

  "Daddy!" she launched herself at me with open arms.

  W-what the hell?!

  She pulled back and locked eyes with me. "What's wrong? Are you sick like mommy?" her head tilted to the side.

  Mommy?

  I shot my eyes back to where she lay to see her slowly getting up and rubbing her eyes.

  "Ko, baby," she yawned. "Mommy isn't 'sick' sick, she's just queasy in the mornings. Good morning, darling."

  She brushed my arm and gave the girl in my arms a kiss on the top of her head. Her eyes were as beautiful as the last day that I remembered them. Her hair fell slightly and covered a small portion of her face. I turned back and looked at the little one sitting on my lap. What her mother had called her echoed in my head.

  Ko... Koharu... Ishigami Koharu...

  My brain snapped every last shard into place, and my situation became clear. Chika rested her head on my shoulder as she poked and tickled our daughter who sat on my lap. Koharu was almost three years old, and her younger brother was already on the way. The last piece of the puzzle clicked when I remembered his name.

  Hiro... Ishigami Hiro...

  I began trembling, and my head dipped in a desperate attempt to hide my gritted teeth and tearing eyes. I pulled Koharu in for a hug and I kissed Chika's forehead.

  "Aww," Chika's unmistakable teasing voice filled my ears. "Daddy had a bad dream, Ko. Let's both hug him so he gets better."

  All at once, a small pair of arms wrapped around my torso as another larger but still small arms fell over the two of us. Their warmth dwarfed that of the sunlight that had filled the room. Every single sensation was real; the way they both looked and smelled, the way that they held me, the sounds of the city coming to life outside our apartment window. A river of tears poured from my eyes no matter how hard I tried to fight it back.

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  It… it was just a dream… It really was all just a dream.

  The three of us got out of bed and started our day together. While I took Koharu to the kitchen to make breakfast, Chika continued her morning ritual of staring into the toilet water until something came out. I felt horrible that she had to endure such a hell, but she was insistent that after the first time, she would feel fine for the rest of the day.

  Koharu wiggled around in her seat as she sang some sort of rhyme waiting for her rolled eggs and miso soup. Seeing her kept a smile on my face the entire time that I was making the food. After finally getting it right, I placed the food in front of her, and she gave a big close-eyed smile before digging in. I returned to the kitchen to retrieve my coffee, and Chika joined us at the table.

  I never knew how gorgeous she could look in a bathrobe and house slippers. Underneath, she had worn a short nightgown which made me want to take her for myself. I fought back my urges and placed a second bowl at her spot. In response, she smiled and waved me in for a kiss on the cheek. Again, I sat down to behold perfection seated before me.

  "We need to do some shopping today," she said between spoonfuls of soup. "Thankfully, you don't have to go to work today."

  "Daddy, can we go to the park after shopping?" Koharu chimed in.

  "Of course, baby girl," I smiled and patted her hair.

  "Oh, I almost forgot," Chika poked my face. "Ino and Rito wanted to come over for some tea and to plan our baby shower."

  Countless memories flashed before my eyes: Ino getting accepted to culinary school and Rito following after her, their wedding, helping with the extravagant cake that she had baked for it, their announcement that they would be expecting as well as us. They had changed so much since I remembered them, but they also remained the same: Rito ended up either face first in her chest or her rear at least once a day.

  "Are they coming during a certain sleeping time?" I smiled and motioned my head at Koharu.

  "I think that's what Ino said," Chika took another bite.

  BUZZ BUZZ

  "Or they could be coming over first thing this morning," her eyes shifted away from my gaze.

  "I've got it!" Koharu leapt up and ran to the door.

  I smiled and kissed Chika's forehead as I got up and started clearing the table. The kitchen of our apartment was relatively small compared to what the two of us had grown up with, but it was a good place to start. The dining area and living room overlapped a considerable amount, so it was necessary to move the chairs around depending on where we would be sitting. I looked forward to talking to Rito again, it had been a few weeks since they had been over.

  "Daddy?" Koharu called from the foyer.

  "What is it, baby?"

  I peaked my head around the corner to see who had run the doorbell. In an instant, my head was plagued by the low droning that before had seemed like a distant memory. He stood in the doorframe like a haunting reminder of what once was. I picked Koharu up and stared him down.

  "What are you doing here, Number 9?"

  He gave no response at first. His eyes traced the two of us up and down. After hours of the standoff, he spoke.

  "It's time to wake up, killer."

  "Daddy? What's he talking about?"

  "I am awake, Number 9. You're just the daydream equivalent of a nightmare. You're not really here, and you never will be again."

  "Daddy?"

  "It's okay, baby girl," I reassured her, but as I went to stroke her hair, she disappeared from my arms. My eyes shot back to Number 9. "What the hell have you done?!"

  "This isn't your life, killer. You and I both know that. It's time to wake up."

  "Go to hell!" I turned back and ran to the kitchen to find Chika.

  She was hunched over with her face on the table. The light had long since gone away from her eyes. The sight sent me back to the three years of hell I had endured in the time loop. A small trickle of blood flowed from her mouth, and I crumbled to my knees.

  "No... no no no no no NO!"

  Wake up to reality.

  My eyes shot open, and I sprang up on my futon. Sweat poured down my face, and I could barely catch my breath. Night still reigned supreme outside of my window, and car horns and other noises filled the air. My shaking hands tried to grab my face and calm me down, but it was pointless. I broke down and cried for a good long while. That perfect life would never be mine.

  It was real... It was all real... This waking nightmare is my real life.