My Precious little Diamond

I woke to the sound of my mom's voice booming from the kitchen.

"Alex! Get up, or we're leaving without you!"

That was wishful thinking. There was no way my parents would skip a "family outing," especially since it included her and the demon girl.

The door creaked open, and my wife sauntered in.

"Darling, rise and shine! It's family bonding day."

I buried my face in the pillow. "Do families usually include demons and their suspiciously enthusiastic wives?"

She laughed, tugging at my blanket. "What a silly question. You're lucky to have us."

Before I could argue, a small body launched onto my bed.

"Daddy!" My demon child latched onto my neck like a leech, giggling.

"Morning," I mumbled, patting her head.

"F—!" she started, grinning.

I bolted upright. "No! We don't say that word!"

My wife leaned against the doorframe, smirking. "You taught her well, Alex."

"Not on purpose!" I hissed.

Mom poked her head into the room, beaming. "She's so energetic! You're such a good influence, Alex."

I glared at my wife, who was doing a terrible job hiding her laughter.

We crammed into the family car, my dad behind the wheel and my mom eagerly narrating our route.

"This will be so fun! The zoo, a picnic...it's just what we need!"

Meanwhile, the demon girl pressed her face to the window.

"Zoo!" she squealed. "Weird dogs!"

"Those are cows," I corrected.

"Big weird dogs!" she insisted, her crimson eyes glowing with delight.

"Close enough," I muttered.

My wife leaned closer to me. "You know, I think she gets her imagination from you."

"Yeah, and her habit of saying the wrong words from you."

She only smiled, the picture of innocence.

Zoo Chaos

As soon as we arrived, the demon girl took off like a rocket.

"Animals!" she shouted, dashing toward the enclosures.

"Stick with us!" my mom called, but the girl was already trying to scale the fence to the wolf exhibit.

"Daddy, big dogs!"

I sprinted after her. "No, we don't climb fences!"

My wife strolled over, completely unbothered. "She's just curious."

"She's going to get us kicked out," I muttered, pulling the demon girl down.

The wolves, however, were less than thrilled. One let out a low growl, and the demon girl hissed back, her tiny fangs showing.

"Enough!" I picked her up, carrying her away as she protested.

"Big dogs are mean," she pouted.

"They're not mean; they just don't want to be hissed at."

Lunch Time

We found a shady spot for our picnic, and for a brief moment, things seemed normal. My mom unpacked sandwiches, my dad fiddled with the cooler, and the demon girl…

"Daddy, what's this?" She held up a bottle of soda, already unscrewing the cap.

"No!" I lunged, but it was too late. The fizzy explosion doused us both.

"Oops," she giggled.

My wife handed me a napkin, her expression amused. "You really should keep an eye on her."

"She's a demon, not a toddler," I grumbled, wiping my face.

My mom chuckled. "She's so lively. Alex, she's just like you when you were little."

I sighed. If only they knew.

More Chaos

After lunch, we wandered toward the reptile house. The demon girl's eyes widened as she pressed her face against the glass.

"Daddy, snakes!"

"Yes, snakes," I said warily, pulling her back before she tried to break in.

She turned to my dad. "Papa, I want a snake!"

Dad smiled. "We'll see, sweetheart."

"No, we won't," I muttered under my breath.

As we moved on, she noticed a squirrel darting across the path.

"Daddy, small dog!" she cried, chasing after it.

"It's not a dog...it's a squirrel!" I yelled, sprinting after her.

Before I could catch her, she tripped, tumbling into a puddle. She sat there, wide-eyed, before bursting into laughter.

"Wet!"

My wife crouched down, helping her up. "Careful, little one. You'll wear your daddy out."

"Too late," I muttered, drenched in sweat.

By the time we got home, the demon girl was asleep, curled up in my mom's arms.

"She's such a sweetheart," Mom whispered, carrying her inside.

Dad clapped me on the shoulder. "You've got a wonderful family, son."

I looked at my wife, who was watching me with a knowing smile.

"Yeah…wonderful," I said, my voice flat.

Later that night, I found her tucking the demon girl into bed. Her expression was softer than I'd ever seen.

"Goodnight, little one," she murmured, brushing a strand of hair from the girl's face.

She noticed me standing in the doorway. "She's a handful, isn't she?"

"Understatement of the year."

My wife chuckled, walking past me. "You'll miss these days when they're gone, darling. Even the chaos."

I didn't answer, but her words stayed with me. For all the insanity, it was hard to imagine life without them now.

Homecoming Hiccups

After a day of chaos at the zoo, we stumbled back home, exhausted but oddly content. Mom carried the demon girl, who was snoring softly, her tiny fingers clutching onto Mom's shirt.

"She's out like a light," Mom whispered, her smile brimming with affection.

"I wish I had her energy," I muttered, dragging myself inside.

Dad plopped onto the couch, groaning. "This is why we had only one kid. Alex, I don't know how you're managing."

Before I could answer, the demon girl stirred in Mom's arms and mumbled, "Daddy… f-fu—"

"NO!" I shouted, jolting everyone. "No saying that word!"

My wife smirked, leaning against the wall. "You really need to watch your language around her, darling."

"It was an accident!" I hissed.

Mom chuckled. "She's learning so much from you, Alex. Such a good role model."

I groaned, flopping onto the couch. "Yeah, a real saint."

Dinner Antics

Mom reheated some leftovers while Dad set the table. Meanwhile, my wife offered to help, though I suspected she just wanted to hover near me.

The demon girl, now wide awake and brimming with energy, was determined to "help" too. She grabbed a spoon, promptly dropped it, and declared, "Oops!" before trying to climb onto the table.

"Sit down!" I barked, catching her mid-leap.

She giggled, wriggling in my arms. "Daddy, food!"

"You'll get food when you sit like a normal person," I said, setting her down on a chair.

"Daddy!" she whined, her crimson eyes gleaming with mock tears.

"Don't give me that look. It's not working," I muttered, though my resolve wavered when she pouted.

My wife leaned in, whispering, "She's got you wrapped around her little finger."

"Don't start," I warned, earning another smirk from her.

Bedtime Chaos

After dinner, the demon girl insisted on a bedtime story.

"Dog story!" she demanded, bouncing on her tiny bed.

"You mean wolves?" I asked.

"Big dogs!" she corrected, her enthusiasm infectious.

I sighed, sitting beside her. "Alright, but just one."

My wife perched on the edge of the bed, watching with amusement as I stumbled through a hastily made-up tale about a pack of wolves.

"And then the big dog said… um… 'no hissing at me!'" I finished, feeling ridiculous.

The demon girl burst into giggles. "Silly Daddy!"

"Yeah, yeah, bedtime," I muttered, tucking her in.

As I turned to leave, she called out, "Night, Daddy! Night, Mommy!"

My wife smiled warmly, whispering, "Goodnight, little one," before shutting the door.

Night Moves

I collapsed onto our bed, ready to pass out, but my wife had other ideas. She slid in beside me, her movements deliberate.

"Darling," she purred, resting her hand on my chest.

I groaned. "Can't this wait? I'm dead."

Her lips curled into a sly smile. "But I'm alive. And I think we deserve a little… reward after today."

She leaned closer, her breath warm against my neck. My brain, which had been running on fumes, struggled to process her intentions.

"Wait," I said, sitting up. "The kid...what if she wakes up?"

"She's asleep," my wife whispered, her tone teasing.

"Mom and Dad—"

"They're in their room. Stop stalling."

I opened my mouth to argue, but her hand slid under my shirt, silencing me effectively.

"Fine," I muttered, defeated.

She smiled triumphantly, her crimson eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. But as she leaned in, the door creaked open.

"Daddy?"

We froze. The demon girl stood in the doorway, clutching her stuffed toy.

"Water," she said simply.

My wife sighed, pulling away. "I'll get it."

"No, I'll go," I said, bolting up like my life depended on it.

As I fetched the water, I could feel my wife's amused gaze following me.

"Coward," she muttered under her breath.

"Survivalist," I corrected, handing the water to the demon girl, who promptly fell asleep again.

When I returned to bed, my wife shook her head, chuckling. "One of these days, Alex."

"Not tonight," I mumbled, pulling the blanket over my head.