Thomas watched Night rummage through his bookshelves, searching for new books to read.

  “How have things been going with you and your dad?” Thomas asked.

  Night uncomfortably hummed without looking away from the books. “I don’t know. Every conversation we have feels awkward. He can talk to Moon, though.”

  Thomas frowned. “I had expected it to be easier for you, since you and Severn have so much in common.”

  Night glanced at him and shrugged. “Sure, we have similar styles, but not similar interests.” She continued her search.

  Thomas sighed. He knew Severn’s relationship with Night wasn’t going as smoothly as Severn had hoped. He had complained about it to Thomas several times; she seemed to shut him out, as if she didn’t care to be closer with him.

  “I’ve seen how you respond whenever he tries to talk to you,” Thomas began his attempt to help. “You tend to shut him out. Whenever he asks about the book you’re reading, you keep your answers short as if you don’t want to talk to him. If you keep that up, he’ll feel like you’re not interested in being closer with him and he might give up.”

  Night turned to look at him again with a frown. “I—I don’t want that.”

  Thomas leaned into her face. “Let him in, then. Talk to him, engage in conversation when he asks for it. He seems closer to Moon, because she actually talks to him about what she reads in her magazines, unlike you.”

  Night glanced away and sighed. “I’ll try.”

  Severn stood in the kitchen, watching Moon read a magazine at the dining table while he drank out of a can. She seemed quite interested in whatever she was reading.

  “Anything interesting?” he asked her.

  Moon flinched her head up with a hum, then looked down at the page again. “Oh, there’s this gossip going on about a well-known musician in Veritas. They always write the same things about her, ever since she’d been becoming more famous in the city in the last ten years or so.”

  “What things?” As a piano player himself, he was quite interested in the music scene, despite having no intention of entering it.

  “People try to find information about her private life, because she never wants to share anything about it. They often ask about her family, her love life, if she has kids.”

  “Who is it? I wonder if I’ve heard of her.” He took a sip.

  “Dael Kiers.”

  He choked. He punched his chest and coughed as he leaned on the counter.

  He saw Moon giving him a confused look. “Have you heard of her?”

  Severn cleared his throat one more time, then turned his face to her and only said, “I have.”

  “Oh, cool.”

  “Tell me more.”

  She returned her attention to the magazine again. “I know quite a lot, this magazine has been reporting on the gossip surrounding her for years. She once told an interviewer that she did have a partner at some point, but not currently. And she confirmed she does have a child. She didn’t want to share any personal information about them or their father at first, but then she accidentally let it slip that her child was a son. Since then, people seem obsessed with figuring out who they are. People spot her somewhat close to a man, and immediately assume it’s her son or her ex. It’s ridiculous.”

  “If it’s so ridiculous, why do you read it?”

  “I like watching the train wreck.”

  Severn laughed.

  The front door opened. Night came into the living room with a small bag over her shoulder.

  “Hey,” Severn greeted her. “Got any interesting books?”

  “I guess,” was all she said.

  Severn frowned. Was he not even worth a hello?

  She went on her way to the stairs, but then seemed to change her mind. She came to the kitchen instead, then got three books out of her bag and laid them on the counter in front of Severn. “I got these.”

  Severn was surprised, but delighted. He looked at the books in front of him. “Any particular reason you picked these?”

  She pointed at two of them. “These two are the next parts in a series I’ve been reading.” Then pointed at the third. “And this one seemed interesting, similar to other books I liked.”

  Severn hummed. He remembered seeing the two from the series on his dad’s shelves, he’d had them for a long time. “Sounds fun.”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  “Then why don’t you read books?”

  “Oh.” He shook his head. “I’m too impatient, I can’t sit still for that long. Believe me, my dad tried.”

  Night laughed a little. She put the books back in her bag, then frowned and bit the inside of her cheek. “I… I’m sorry for how I’ve been treating you.”

  Severn was taken aback.

  “How I’ve been avoiding you and brushing you off. It’s not that I don’t want to be close to you, but it feels weird.” She rubbed her arms. “Nearly all my life, you were gone, and I never expected you to come back. And now you’re here suddenly, and I don’t know how to process that.”

  Severn gave her a sad smile, he nodded. “I get it. It’s okay, you can take your time to process. I’ll still be here.”

  Night smiled back. She hugged him, surprising him again. She was full of surprises today, Thomas must’ve talked to her.

  She let go, Severn softly rubbed her head before she was too far away.

  “You know I love you, right?” he asked.

  She smiled. “I know.”

  He turned to Moon. “You too.”

  Moon chuckled. “Yeah, we know.”

  “How are you dealing with this so easily?” Night asked her.

  Moon thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s a big change, but a good change.” She gestured at Severn. “He’s here now, I’m just rolling with it. What else are we supposed to do, put him back in the grave?”

  Severn let a cackle out.

  Night laughed a bit, too. “Yeah, I guess.”

  Thomas sat in his little reading nook in his living room. On a big, comfy chair. A small bookshelf stood next to him against the wall, filled with books he had yet to read. A fluffy carpet sectioned off the corner. He read a book, a thriller, while drinking a can of blood from a straw. Night left a couple hours ago, so he had another quiet day for himself.

  He heard something being pushed through the letter slot in his door. He raised his eyebrow towards it, he wasn’t expecting anything. He closed his book, placed his can on top of the small shelf, and stood up.

  He went into his hallway and saw an envelope on the ground. He picked it up. Only his name and address was written on it, but he recognised Rune’s handwriting. He went back to his reading corner and sat down again. He opened the envelope and pulled two folded sheets of paper out. He guessed Rune had a lot to say. He folded it open and began to read.

  Hey Grandpa,

  I’ll keep this short, I’m not the important thing here.

  Short? It was two sheets long.

  You know how Dad came back to life, right? Of course you do. Well, he’s not the only one anymore. Hyde’s grandfather came back to life, too. After 31 years.

  Thirty-one years?

  He saw your book I was reading. The one with the message from your old friend, you know? He asked about the book, then recognised your name written in it. Then pointed at that other message and said he wrote it.

  Thomas’s heart sank.

  He claims to know you. And by the way he described you, it did seem like he does. His name is Barry Walker.

  Thomas inhaled a sharp breath as tears stung in his eyes.

  The other letter is from him. I’m sure he has a lot to say to you himself, so I’ll stop here.

  But before that, Hyde thought we could take the opportunity to have our families meet. I’m sure you’d want to come see Barry, but Dad, Night and Moon could come too. You’d have to stay at a motel or something, though.

  Anyway, I hope this doesn’t freak you out too much.

  See you soon,

  Rune

  Thomas stared at Rune’s letter, holding his breath, frozen. There was no way. After all these years. He was brought back to life? Thomas hadn’t known he had died in the first place. So he didn’t ignore him on purpose? Didn’t forget about him? Didn’t grow tired of him? He still cared?

  He pulled the letter out from behind Rune’s and now stared at this one. It was his handwriting. Thomas was afraid to read it. What would Barry say to him after all this time? Did it even feel like any time had passed for him? Judging by Severn’s experience, probably not.

  He finally breathed again and read the first line of Barry’s letter.

  Hey Thomas,

  I’m sorry I haven’t written to you in over three decades, I was a little busy being dead.

  You remember those big pack problems I talked about in my last letter? I don’t blame you if you don’t, it’s been a very long time for you. But, I was killed in that conflict.

  And now I’m back. In the same way your son is alive, now. But you didn’t know I was dead, did you? Of course Vela never bothered to tell you.

  Also, your son died? I’m so sorry, that must’ve been awful.

  Are you coming over? I’d love to see you again. It’s been way too long, even for me. I can’t imagine how long it feels to you. Fifty-six years for you? That is insane.

  And now our kids can finally meet, like we’d said.

  Also, isn’t it crazy our grandkids found each other? Damn.

  Anyway, I hope to see you soon. I miss you.

  Barry

  The letter quaked in Thomas’s hand as he intensely stared at it with tears running down his face.

  All this time, he had so much pent up anger, frustration, confusion and sadness due to this, with nothing to take it out on. He thought, if he’d ever see Barry again, he could take it out on him. But now he couldn’t, it wasn’t his fault. He didn’t do it on purpose.

  But that didn’t mean he had no reason to be angry with him. He had still left him. If he hadn’t—

  Thomas frowned.

  If Barry hadn’t left, Severn would’ve never been born. He wouldn’t have his grandkids. And Barry wouldn’t have his family, either.

  But still, he hurt him. He left him. He broke his heart. Barry deserved to know how badly he fucked his mental state all those years ago.

  Thomas went to Enath with a bag of stuff he’d need to stay in the south for a while. He had the letters in his coat pocket. His mind was racing, barely paying attention to his surroundings.

  He arrived at the house. He opened the door and walked in. “Hey,” he let his presence be known. He dropped the bag on the ground. Severn walked into the hallway with a raised brow.

  “Hi? Where are you going?”

  Thomas pulled Rune’s letter out of his pocket as he said, “To the south.” He handed Severn the letter. “Rune wants you and the girls to come, too.”

  Severn took the letter and read it. His eyes widened. “Oh, you’re not going for Rune, are you?”

  Thomas only sighed.

  “This ‘Barry’, is he that old friend you mentioned sometimes?”

  Thomas nodded.

  “You don’t seem happy.”

  Thomas tensed his shoulders. “I—a lot happened between us. It seems like he doesn’t realise most of it, but he hurt me. A lot.”

  Severn squinted, seeming to come to a realisation. “You’ve also mentioned someone you were in love with when you were younger.”

  Thomas held his breath in shock. He didn’t think Severn remembered that.

  “Is that also him?”

  Thomas stared at him for a second, then frowned and nodded.

  “So, are you only going to yell at him, or are you planning on reconnecting, too?”

  Thomas shrugged. “We’ll see.”

  Severn bit his cheek and nodded. He stepped into the living room and called, “Girls! Want to come to the south?”

  “Why?” Night called back.

  “Rune wants us to meet Hyde’s family.”

  “Oh dang, are they that serious?” Moon wondered. “Okay, I’ll come!”

  “Night?” Severn asked.

  Night sighed. “Okay, I’ll go.”

  Severn looked back at Thomas with a smile. “Guess we’re going.”