Before his sister-in-law could remind him, the man realized that he had spoken too loudly.
He took a deep breath and told himself to take it slow and not frighten the child...
"Qiqi."
He deliberately slowed his speech. "Could you call me Daddy one more time?"
His face was full of barely suppressed anticipation.
"...Dad-dy."
The girl pressed her lips together, a little annoyed at how clumsy she was with words.
She'd said "strawberry" so smoothly just a moment ago...
The man didn't notice the girl's frustration. By then, he was nearly overwhelmed by the joy in his heart.
It was true! It really was!
His daughter was talking!
After two years, he had finally heard his daughter call him Daddy again!
The man's grin grew wider and wider, his smile almost foolish.
He looked utterly thrilled.
"Qiqi. Say it one more time."
"Dad-dy."
This time, the girl said it more smoothly.
"One more time!"
"Daddy."
"One more time!"
"Daddy."
The man's excitement was contagious, and the girl began to grin, too.
Her voice grew louder and clearer with every repetition.
"One mo—"
"Are you ever going to stop?"
The woman, who had been quietly watching from the side, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and interrupted the man's childish antics with an amused laugh.
It wasn't that she didn't understand how excited he was. She was excited, too.
Two years had passed, and the child had finally made a sound again.
What could be more wonderful?
But... he was asking her to say it too many times.
She worried that if no one stopped him, the man would keep asking for "one more time" forever.
He wasn't tired of asking, but the child was getting tired of answering.
The man gave an embarrassed smile.