Alper's sleeping habits had only worsened over the weeks. Many nights were spent awake with Ayden in his arms, tired eyes alternating between watching his angelic little boy sleep peacefully in his arms, and his beautiful wife sleep on in bed. It was even more difficult to sleep when he was off-world, between worries back at home and the business itself. Deep bags had begun to sink below his eyes, and his beard and long mane of hair did little to hide it.

He knew he had been a failure in all aspects of his life: a lousy father, an awful husband, a horrible friend, a shoddy business man, and an even worse family member. He wasn't sure how to fix it, either. The only person he could send off-world in his place would be Bashir, but his brother had his own fish to fry- yet another concern on his long list of worries along with Tumay. Foliage hues rose from Ayden's slumbering form to his wife, tracing her outline in a sweeping look. He loved her more than life and wanted to make her as happy as possible, and then maybe it'd be enough. A muscle twitched in his jaw as he thought back to his meeting with Chyrie, and he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Shifting Ayden's weight, he looked down at his son tenderly. "I wonder sometimes if you even know who I am," Alper murmured morosely.

Glancing away to the sliver of light threatening to illuminate the room as the sun rose higher, he sighed heavily, unprepared to face another day.