Night fell, and the peaceful forest was filled with the soft rustle of leaves and the occasional croaking of frogs.
Inside the cozy wooden cabin, Kavi and Little Robin sat at the dinner table, enjoying a warm, hearty meal.
"Little Robin," Kavi said gently, glancing at the small girl across from him, "from now on, treat this place as your home. If you ever want something to eat or want to do something, just tell me, okay?"
He knew all too well that Robin's childhood had never been truly happy.
She had gone hungry more times than she could count. And after eating the Hana Hana no Mi, she was treated like a monster.
If there was one thing Kavi could do, it was to give her a bit of normalcy—a real childhood.
"Yeah!" Little Robin nodded without hesitation, completely at ease. She was surprisingly adaptable—or perhaps, she simply trusted Kavi that much.
Much of that trust came from Olivia's influence. After all, she often brought Robin to the cabin to clean or visit.
Robin had grown used to the place, and more importantly, curious about the mysterious "Uncle Kavi" her mother always praised.
That night, Robin went to sleep with her mind full of excitement and wonder.
"Go to bed if you're sleepy," Kavi said with a smile, pointing toward the bedroom as he began clearing the dishes.
Then it hit him.
There was only one bedroom.
When he built the cabin, he never imagined anyone else living here—especially not a toddler. With a sigh, Kavi resigned himself to sleeping at the table for the night.
"Guess I'll build another room tomorrow…"
Just as he was finishing his thought, Little Robin looked at him with wide, imploring eyes.
"Uncle Kavi... I don't want to sleep alone. Can you sleep with me? I always slept with Mom…"
Kavi hesitated, clearly flustered.
Robin was only two years old, so of course she was afraid to sleep alone. But still—he couldn't help but feel this was a slippery slope.
As a modern young man from the 21st century, Kavi decided to try a little parenting psychology.
"Robin, you're already two years old. You're not a baby anymore! Brave kids sleep by themselves. You're brave, right?"
He'd watched plenty of videos about raising children in his past life. Praise them a little, encourage them a bit—they'll do anything.
Some blogger even said the same tactic worked on boyfriends. Kavi had doubts. No way that trick worked on guys, right?
But reality was cruel.
Robin's eyes instantly welled up with tears. Her little lips trembled, and she looked on the verge of sobbing.
"Hey, hey! W-We talked about this! Why are you crying?"
"Ahem! Uh... don't cry, Robin! There's nothing scary about sleeping alone! Nighttime is just like daytime—no monsters, no ghosts, no…"
But the more he talked, the worse it got.
"Waaaaaahhh!"
Robin broke down in tears, bawling loudly, looking utterly heartbroken.
"Okay, okay! Stop crying! I'll sleep with you! I give up!"
Kavi sighed. This was going to be a long, long journey.
Robin sniffled, then looked up at him with hopeful eyes. "Really?"
"Really."
"Then... can you tell me a story? Mommy always told me stories before bed."
Those big sparkling eyes—how could he say no?
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you a story."
"Yay!" Robin clapped her tiny hands excitedly. "Let's go to bed! I want to hear it now!"
Her soft, sugary voice sent a chill down Kavi's spine. "I can already see it... in ten years, someone's going to fall hard for this little troublemaker…"
"Go wash your face first!" Kavi quickly changed the subject.
Robin pouted. "I want Uncle Kavi to do it. Mommy always did it…"
"Alright, alright! I'll do it!" Kavi gave in with a long-suffering groan.
Robin beamed. "Hehe... Mommy was right. That line works every time."
After helping her wash up, the two of them finally lay down on the bed. Robin curled up beside him, her voice soft and sweet:
"Uncle Kavi, tell me the story now!"
"Alright. Tonight, I'll tell you the tale of Sun Wukong fighting the Seven Fairies!"
"Oooh! I wanna hear that one!" Robin's eyes lit up like stars.
So, Kavi told a wildly embellished version of a story from his past life, filled with drama, martial arts, and comically overpowered monkeys.
Robin was completely captivated, her little face full of awe and laughter.
Before long, her eyelids drooped, and she drifted off into sleep with a small smile on her lips. Kavi gently pulled the blanket over her and lay quietly beside her.
He was tired. Not just from the physical work, but the emotional toll as well.
The next morning...
Kavi was still sleeping soundly when he felt something poking at his face.
"Uncle Kavi, wake up! The sun's shining on your butt!" Robin shouted cheerfully next to his ear.
"Huh? What...?" Kavi grumbled and turned over.
But Robin's eyes gleamed mischievously.
"Uncle Kavi! I wet the bed!"
"WHAT?!"
Kavi sat up instantly, horrified, and grabbed Robin in a panic—only to realize she was dry.
"Wait... you LIED to me?!"
Robin giggled uncontrollably as Kavi rubbed her head with exaggerated frustration.
"You little rascal! Trying to scare your uncle so early in the morning! You gonna try that again?"
"I won't! I won't! I promise!" she squealed, still laughing.
Kavi sighed. 'So much for sleeping in.'
After breakfast, the two began the day's new challenge.
Kavi had decided to expand the house. One bedroom just wouldn't cut it anymore.
He headed into the forest, chopped down a few trees, and began the careful process of cutting, shaping, and fitting them together.
Robin watched him with wide eyes, clearly eager to help.
But Kavi stopped her. "You just sit there and look cute. This is dangerous work."
Robin puffed out her cheeks in frustration, obviously annoyed.
Kavi chuckled. "Alright, alright. When you grow up a little, you can help me out."
"Okay..." she muttered, a little defeated.
Still, she tried to be useful in her own way—fetching water, handing him tools, and wiping the sweat off his brow.
And though she was small, Kavi could already see the same determination in her eyes that Olivia once had.