Two weeks passed, and on a Saturday afternoon that could very well be deemed a family-type outing, the much-awaited visit to the Science Museum finally took place, much to Aria's chagrin in trying to keep the two worlds apart. Luna had asked almost daily about the "technology man" since career day, her questions becoming more and more probing as her four-year-old mind synthesized some association that she had clearly formed but had not yet expressed.
"Will Mr. Knight explain how the dinosaur robots work?" Luna asked for the third time, holding onto Aria's hand in excitement as they were climbing the steps to the Science Centre at Singapore.
"He should be able to answer all your questions," Aria said, setting her gaze on the familiar figure of Xavier just a stone's throw from the entrance. He arrived early—doctors say it's from a systematic modus operandi—and studied the apparent museum map with the rigor of a corporate strategy session.
Upon spotting him, Luna waved at the top of her lungs in spirited enthusiasm. "Mr. Knight! We're here!"
Something in the exceedingly sincere warmth of Xavier's smile diluted away the usual stodginess of his features as he advanced towards them. "Luna! I am so happy you managed to join us. Are you ready to explore how things work?"
With that declaration, Luna rubbed her temples with new resolve. "I brought my notebook to write down any important discoveries."
She raised a small pink notebook with a butterfly on the cover, exhibiting preparation leveling with her parents' tendencies in systematic planning.
"Smart thing to do," Xavier responded, crouching down to her level. "A scientist always makes note of observations. You are already practicing what is considered good scientific research."
The findings of Luna's assertion that her childish note-taking was perhaps merely a juvenile version of scientific Method instantly propelled him to yet another level of respect in Luna's eyes. Aria, on the other hand, felt uneasy witnessing this, for she noticed the ease with which Xavier interacted with their daughter's intellectual hunger.
As they entered through the grand doors, Luna gravantly made a beeline for the robotics exhibit, revealing that her interest in mechanical learning apparently did not just extend to computer programs but to physical displays as well.
"Look, Mama! This robot can sort different colored blocks!" exclaimed Luna, eyes fixed on the demonstration. "It's learning patterns just like Mr. Knight's computer!"
"Exactly, Wolfie!" Xavier said as he came over to join Luna at the display.
Luna's eyes grew big. "I can tell it what to do?"
"With some help, yes, you can."
Over the next twenty minutes, Aria watched as Xavier patiently led Luna through the application of some simple programming ideas. He explained everything in a way she understood, in a way that was right for her age, but without talking down to her. Luna focused intensely as she followed every instruction Xavier gave, inputting blocks of code with great care while Xavier offered subtle corrections and encouragement.
"Now hit the play button," Xavier said.
Luna pushed the button with gravitas, then squealed in excitement as the robot began to sort the blocks based on her given instructions. "I made it work! Mama, look! I told the robot what to do and it totally listened!"
"That is so amazing, my baby," Aria said, although there was something more in her voice than simply Luna's accomplishment. She was witnessing Xavier with their daughter—seeing her trust in Xavier and excitement and it's changing what Aria thought about their potential family.
They methodically moved through the museum as Luna's questions became increasingly sophisticated while Xavier's idea progressions scaffolded on one another. At the physics demonstration, she quickly grasped the concepts of momentum and energy transfer.
At the biology exhibit, she was making connections, between animal adaptation and the business pattern recognition Xavier had explained during the career day.
"Butterflies figure out to find flowers to get the best nectar, similar to computers figure out which products people wish to buy," Luna said, while she was taking more notes in her pink notebook with four-year-old determination.
"That is a great connection," Xavier said. His pride could not be more obvious. "You are already thinking like a systems analyst."
"What's a systems analyst?"
"A systems analyst, studies how things work together in complex situations," Xavier explained. "Like how butterfly behavior, flower biology, and seasons all connect together to create patterns that we observe and predict".
With a serious nod, Luna added "SYSTEMS ANALYST" in careful block letters to the page in her notebook.
After the free-play museum time was up, as they explored the interactive exhibits Luna was not the only one who was observing. Aria could see that she was not just paying attention to how Luna was responding to Xavier, but how Xavier was responding to Luna. His patience was real and not just for show. He was actually interested in the questions she was asking him. The most intriguing was that he seemed to like being around her, not out of obligation to be nice to a four-year-old or an obligation to his work, but as a person whose thoughts and responses he found worthy of his attention.
"Mr. Knight," Luna said in a quiet moment during their viewing of a demonstration of magnetic fields, "how do you know so much about how things work?"
"Because by knowing how things work, allows me to make an even better decision," Xavier replied. "Is business, and in general, life."
"Do you have kids that ask you questions like I do?"
The innocent question struck both adults like a physical shove. Aria tensed, wondering how Xavier would navigate this space without revealing too much information for Luna to process.
"You are the first child I have ever spent time with that asks questions that are so much more thoughtful," Xavier replied with caution. "Most adults do not think as clearly as you do about how different systems are interrelated."
"Sometimes adults just forget to be curious," reflected Luna, with wise matter-of-factness. "My mama says being curious is important for learning something new."
"Your mama is one hundred percent right," Xavier concurred. He turned to look at Aria for a minute, and he must have admired her for instilling these qualities in their daughter.
As the afternoon shifted, Aria noticed Luna becoming more at ease with Xavier, and eventually, touching him in a casual way (taking his hand) when they shifted between exhibits—a faith in her unconscious awareness that Aria recognized only from her most trusted folks in her inner circle.
The act was significant for Xavier, that Aria could see. She watched him, looking down at Luna's little hand in his, his brows knitted in such a mix of curiosity, protection, and in runaway emotion that appeared to be controlled with such finesse.
"Mama, when we get home, can we show Mr. Knight my butterfly garden? He understands that patterns of timing are foundational, so he may take an interest in how different butterflies come to their flowers at different times," she said as they were putting their coats back on to leave the museum.
So casual, this extension of their time together, that it completely surprised Aria. Luna never extends invitations to a stranger, yet she was treating him like an old family friend.
"Mr. Knight may have other—" Aria started.
"I would love to see your butterfly," Xavier said, and he sounded genuinely enthusiastic, "If your mother doesn't mind."
Luna pivoted a pointed look at Aria with gray eyes, holding steady, patient confidence with a type of request that suggested she was unfazed by the outcome.
How could Aria articulate that inviting Xavier to their house felt precariously intimate unless she divulged the difficult feelings she grappled with due to his increasing presence in their lives?
"I guess we could make a quick stop," Aria said hesitantly.
An hour later, all three stood on her apartment balcony watching as Luna excitedly identified the plant varieties in her lovingly tended container garden and kited about which ones attracted which species of butterflies, and recorded the butterflies observed over months of diligent observation.
"This is incredible," Xavier said, studying Luna's meticulous charts accounting for butterfly visits by species, time of day, and weather conditions. "You've been involved in a real scientific study."
Luna grinned at the compliment and enthusiastically jumped into explaining her hypothesis about seasonal migration patterns affecting the local populations of butterflies. While she spoke, she waved her arms, and Xavier listened with rapt attention. Aria thought how well they seemed to connect intellectually.
There was something beyond an absent father attempting to bond awkwardly with his child. They were two analytical minds enjoying the familiar satisfaction of applying analytical intellect to a shared passion or endeavor in order to make sense of something — whether it be technological, biological, or social systems.
"Mr. Knight," said Luna, as daylight faded from Singapore's skyline, "would you like to have dinner with us? Mama makes really good stir-fry, and I could show you my other research projects."
Luna had delivered the invitation in her typically direct way, seemingly oblivious to the cluster of implications for the adults present. Xavier looked to Aria, face neutral but unable to hide the hope in his eyes.
Aria was feeling the walls of her carefully constructed life shift again. Dinner at home was close in a way that meeting in public was not. It was Luna's space, the things they did together, the domestic reality of their family. Inviting Xavier into that space felt like violation of borders she had not anticipated crossing. Luna was looking at her in a way that made it really clear that she was eager to extend her time with someone who was obviously interested in and respected her intelligence.
"I suppose we could have you over for dinner," Aria said, realizing by this point that holding the door closed was becoming more about her discomfort than about Luna's needs.
As they walked inside, Luna was chatting away about her various research projects, and Xavier was listening and asking thoughtful follow-up questions. Aria recognized the fact that Luna's relationship with her father was developing just as she hoped - slowly, and organically, based on a true bond rather than constructed emotion.
Which also meant her relationship with Xavier was about to get a lot more complicated, as co-parenting began as an abstract concept, and was now a daily activity.
The man who unwittingly had a child with her was now sitting at Aria's dining room table, helping Luna organize her research notebooks while engaging her in a discussion on advanced material- language patterns, behavioral analysis and, by all appearances, felt quite comfortable in their space.
All of the uncertainty Aria feared when Xavier became part of their lives melted away when she realized that Luna was flourishing with the engagement of her father, and he was providing the type of paternal engagement she knew her daughter would need and would come to expect.
And yet Aria felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and also terror of the implications.