### The Sweetest Defeat
Suddenly, both of them grew serious again.
Draven's mother looked at him, her eyes narrowing with playful intensity.
"Ready, honey?"
Draven nodded, his expression calm and focused.
"Yeah… always."
They stared each other down like two seasoned rivals, locked in an age-old battle that neither was willing to lose.
Their right hands hovered above their open left palms, steady and poised.
For a moment, everything went still.
Even the wind seemed to quiet down.
Draven glanced at his mother, his thoughts racing.
*This is it. A fifty-fifty chance.*
*Win, and I'm free.*
*Lose… and I have to do everything she said.*
He considered the situation for a moment.
*I mean, I could say it's not all that bad, but come on. I'm a man. I've got my pride.*
His expression hardened.
*And my pride won't let me walk away from this without winning.*
Both of them moved at the same time.
Their right arms swept forward in perfect synchronization.
"ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS!"
Their hands shot out.
Then—
They froze.
For a brief moment, neither said anything.
Draven looked down.
His lips slowly curled into a smile.
Across from him, his mother was already grinning, her expression smug but undeniably sweet.
"Aww… looks like you lose, honey."
Draven had thrown rock.
His mother had thrown paper.
He stared at their hands for another moment before letting out a dramatic sigh.
"Yeah… I guess so."
A small chuckle escaped him.
His mother giggled, clearly enjoying her victory.
"Since Mommy won, that means Mommy gets ALL the hugs and kisses now!"
Draven's shoulders slumped.
"Ugh… Mom, just don't go overboard, okay? I just got a haircut. I don't want you messing up my hair."
His mother burst into laughter.
Draven tried to maintain a straight face, but the corners of his mouth betrayed him.
He held it for another second.
Then he broke.
A moment later, both of them were laughing so hard that they could barely stand straight.
It wasn't a polite giggle or a quiet chuckle.
It was the kind of laughter that came from somewhere deep, loud and completely unrestrained.
His mother laughed along with him, her eyes crinkling as she tried—and failed—to catch her breath.
Draven eventually managed to calm down, though a smile remained on his face.
*I lost.*
He glanced at his mother.
*But weirdly… I don't feel bad.*
Not even close.
Instead, he felt something else.
Something warm.
Something he couldn't quite put into words.
*I'm happy.*
*Like, really, really happy.*
Before he could say anything, his mother stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.
It was a warm, tight hug, the kind that made it difficult to imagine ever wanting to pull away.
She gently pressed a kiss against his forehead.
Draven didn't resist.
For once, he simply let her hold him.
And they stayed like that for a little while longer, surrounded by the gentle breeze and the flowers in the garden.
The ridiculous duel was over.
His mother had won.
And somehow, Draven didn't mind losing at all.