Keifer crouched to Kaisan's level, gentle eyes locking with the boy's.
"Hey, baby," he said softly, the same way Jay always did.
Kaisan froze. That word… that tone… it wrapped around him like a warm blanket.
"You know your father's name, right?" Keifer asked quietly.
Kaisan's small hands clenched the pen tighter.
He thought maybe Keifer would forget, but he didn't. He knew.
The teacher's voice broke the moment:
"Kaisan, please write your father's name here on the form."
Kaisan's hands trembled. The pen hovered, but he couldn't bring himself to write it.
Keifer leaned in, voice soft, careful, like handling something fragile.
"If you write his name… will there be any problem, baby?"
Kaisan swallowed hard, small lips quivering.
He shook his head slightly. "I… I just… I don't want to."
Keifer nodded slowly, understanding the weight behind the words.
"That's okay," he whispered. "You don't have to. You get to choose. No one can force you."
Kaisan's small chest heaved. The fear and confusion mixed with a strange relief.
He looked up at Keifer, eyes wide.
"You… you understand?" he whispered.
Keifer smiled gently. "I do, baby. I understand more than you know."
Kaisan nodded, finally letting his small hands relax.
The pen fell lightly to the paper, untouched.
For the first time, someone listened.
Someone understood.
And for a five-year-old who had seen so much pain, that… was everything.
Keifer crouched beside Kaisan again, calm and gentle.
"Hey, baby," he said softly, that same warm tone Jay always used. "If you don't have any problem… you can write my name here instead of your father's."
Kaisan blinked, small fingers frozen on the pen.
He didn't understand.
"Yours…?" he whispered. "Why… why your name?"
Keifer gave him a reassuring smile, brushing a stray hair from his forehead.
"Sometimes… the person who protects you, who cares for you… that's the one whose name belongs here. Only if you want, baby. It's your choice."
Kaisan's tiny hands trembled, confusion and curiosity swirling together.
He had never been asked to choose like this.
"Mom… she…" Kaisan tried to explain in his small voice, but he couldn't find the words.
Keifer leaned in closer, voice gentle, patient.
"It's okay, baby. You don't have to explain. You just decide what feels right for you."
Kaisan's chest heaved. He looked down at the form.
His pen hovered… and slowly, almost instinctively, he wrote:
Keifer Watson
Keifer smiled softly, eyes full of warmth.
"That's perfect, baby. You did exactly what you felt was right."
Kaisan stared at the name on the paper, still unsure why he wrote it—but a strange sense of safety filled him, something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Keifer ruffled his hair gently.
"You see? You can make your own choices, baby. And they can feel… safe. Even if it's confusing at first."
Kaisan looked up at him, small eyes wide, a tiny smile breaking through.
For the first time in years, he felt… protected.
And though he didn't fully understand why, he knew one thing:
Being near Keifer… made him feel like someone was finally on his side.
That afternoon, Jay and Kaisan walked home from school.
Kaisan's small hand swung loosely in hers, his steps lighter than usual.
"Mom… can we stop for ice cream?" he asked, voice bright.
Jay smiled, surprised by his sudden cheerfulness. "Of course, baby. Why not?"
But Jay noticed something different.
His eyes sparkled in a way they hadn't for a long time.
His laughter bubbled out naturally when he saw a puppy running across the street.
"Mom… look!" he shouted, pointing at the dog.
Jay laughed, scooping him up in her arms. "You're really happy today, aren't you, baby?"
Kaisan hugged her tightly, small arms around her neck.
"I… I guess so," he said softly, a shy smile playing on his lips.
Jay tilted her head, noticing the way he seemed lighter, freer.
"What happened at school today, baby? Did something nice happen?" she asked gently.
Kaisan hesitated, small fingers fidgeting.
"Nothing… really," he murmured, avoiding her eyes.
Jay frowned slightly but didn't press.
Sometimes, she thought, it was better to let him come to her in his own time.
Still, inside, she felt a warmth she hadn't in years.
Kaisan hadn't smiled like this in a long time—hadn't looked this… at peace.
As they reached home, Jay whispered softly, brushing his hair back.
"I'm glad you're happy, baby. That's all I want."
Kaisan hugged her tighter, tiny heart swelling with a mixture of joy and secrecy.
He hadn't told her about Keifer at school today.
But for the first time in a long time… he had felt safe, seen, and cared for in a way he couldn't explain.
And that… was enough for now.