"Ayanami, I'm home!"
Shinji Ikari had barely opened the front door before he eagerly called into the house.
Rei Ayanami came downstairs with Riko in her arms. Her smile at the foot of the stairs filled Shinji Ikari with warmth and happiness.
"Shh, Riko's still asleep. Keep your voice down."
Rei Ayanami carefully cradled Riko against her chest, gently swaying to keep her sound asleep.
Looking at his adorable daughter, Shinji Ikari felt affection and joy well up inside him.
Nothing made a man happier than having a loving wife and an adorable child at home.
After a hard day at work, no matter how tired he was or how much he had struggled, he forgot his exhaustion the moment he came home.
All that remained was the comfort and warmth of his family, waiting for him to return.
What was home? Home was a place where someone was willing to wait for you.
Shinji Ikari took off his coat and sat on the sofa, drawing Rei Ayanami and Riko into his arms and letting his wife rest her head against his neck.
Little Orange Cat jumped onto Shinji Ikari's lap and curled up into a chubby ball.
"Ikari-kun, I... I'm back. All the memories in my mind feel as though they happened yesterday."
"That's right, you're back. Think of it as a dream you woke from. The past is a mixture of truth and illusion. From now on, we'll always be together, spending every day by each other's side."
"A dream? An illusory reality, or a real dream? I don't think it's either..."
"Then what do you think it is, Ayanami?"
"I think... I'm only now truly a living, breathing person."
"Yes. You're not living in someone else's place, or following someone else's arrangements."
Shinji Ikari walked to the