When the train pulled into Harper Valley Station, Wil breathed a sigh of relief. Things were getting embarrassing.

“I’ve always wanted to be a wizard too! Can you tell me how to be one?” one young kid asked, getting entirely too close and making Wil back up against the window.

“I’m afraid it’s something you’re born with,” said Wil. “But that doesn’t mean you don’t have a bit of magic to you. I believe everyone’s got something special they can do, something magical.”

The boy nodded slowly, in awe at the very idea. The last half hour of the train ride had been an exercise in patience and graciousness. Wil almost immediately regretted being splashy when everyone tried to talk to him as he ate his snack, and several came up to shake his hand and thank him for averting the train robbery. At a certain point, it stopped feeling good and started being weird.

“Look, I’ve got to go,” he said, standing up. “You might have magic, so don’t be afraid to test it out. You’ll be able to feel if you do. But be careful, okay?”

“Okay!”

Wil smiled and went back to his compartment to get his luggage. The four suitcases were linked together by a length of rope. He tugged on the length of rope and focused. His luggage floated into the air like a half-deflated balloon, rising a couple of feet off the floor and staying there. He pulled it behind as he left the train and met with the ultimate embarrassment of all.

Some of the passengers were already waiting for him on the polished wooden platform and, when they saw him, they broke out into applause. Wil froze mid-step, eyes darting around wildly. His cheeks burst into flames. He raised one hand and gave a half wave, turning away from them with a stricken look. To make it even worse, it all happened in front of his family.

His little sister Sarah wasn’t little anymore. She’d been just a preteen gremlin, now a mischievous-looking woman with her blonde hair pulled back in a loose braid. She carried a sign that said “Welcome Home Butthead” along with a fairly decent hand drawn picture of what he used to look like.

Behind her was his brother Jeb, looking at him and the other passengers incredulously. Seeing him was like looking into a funhouse mirror. Jeb had the same messy brown hair, horse face, and green eyes. Jeb was just bigger and had a perpetual scowl on his face. That may have been new.

Just to the side stood their father, Bob McKenzie. He was a strong looking man in his mid-forties, tanned from extensive work in the sun, and had more lines around his face than Wil remembered. Still very much the same burly farmer who seemed like a giant at 16. He remained bigger than him now, but his shadow was bigger still.

“Well, look who it is,” Bob said, stepping forward and holding his arms out. Six years later and his father had tears in his eyes. Still welcome home. Wil threw himself into his father’s arms and squeezed him as tight as he could, and Bob did the same until it felt like his bones creaked. Almost as one they slapped the other on the back and parted. “Welcome home Wilbur!”

Wil winced. “Actually, nobody calls me Wilbur anymore. I’m just Wil now.”

“Two syllables too much for you, college kid?” Jeb said, scoffing.

“I don’t need a reason to change my name, JEBIDIAH,” said Wil, grinning so hard it hurt. It was his family again, and nothing important had changed. “You got old,” he said to Sarah. “You’re older than I was when I left home. Isn’t that weird to think about?”

“I guess,” said Sarah, shrugging. She gave him a hug that ended as soon as it began.

“Would’ve been less weird if you’d come home to visit,” Jeb said, smile dropping from his face.

It was a punch to the gut. Judging from the expressions on their faces, they’d talked about it before and probably warned Jeb not to bring it up. That wouldn’t stop him. Wil lost count of how many arguments he and Jeb had before he left for school. This was exactly what he was afraid of. Luckily, Bob came to the rescue.

“So what’s all this about?” he asked, gesturing to the other passengers who had largely moved on by now, but some still waited there watching him.

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“Oh,” said Wil. “It’s not a big deal. Some bandits tried to ambush the train and I drove them off.”

“Right,” said Sarah. “No big deal. Happens all the time. I beat off a bunch of bandits last week.” She laughed and Wil joined her.

Bob, on the other hand, looked impressed. “How on earth did you manage that?”

Wil tried to fight the dumb grin on his face. He raised his hands and wiggled his fingers. “With magic!”

“You’re still such a dork,” said Sarah, rolling her eyes. “That much hasn’t changed.”

“So what’d you do, fight off an entire gang by yourself?” Jeb said.

Wil shook his head. “No, what happened was this…”

On the way to the cart, Wil went over the brief stop and the illusion he summoned to scare them off. It really hadn’t seemed like such a big deal to him, just the easiest way of avoiding a fight. Some wizards lived for battle and showing off their capabilities. Will would never be one of them. Together they loaded up his four suitcases as Wil released the spell keeping them afloat.

“Jeeze,” Jeb grunted, shoving one suitcase into place. “I don’t remember you leaving home with this much stuff. Nice to see you spent the money we sent you well.”

Bob shot him a warning look, but Jeb stared Wil down. Clearly he wanted a fight, but Wil didn’t. This stung, but he expected it. Maybe he even deserved it. Still, he wasn’t going to rise to the bait. “Books, mostly. And some tools I’ll need for the job. I bought most of it with money I made working between classes, actually.”

“I can’t wait to hear all about it,” said Bob. “You’ve probably got a million stories about the Academy, but you should save those for dinner. Your ma’s been cooking up a storm all day to celebrate. She’s missed you so much. We all have.”

“I haven’t!” Sarah sang.

“Even Sarah has,” Bob insisted, grinning at his kids. “Let’s get a move on. I know you’ve been traveling for a bit, and are probably eager to get home and rest up.”

“Yeah,” said Wil, “I really am. But I’ve had nothing to do for three days. Walking home will be nice. I missed…everything about the place.”

That hit him hard as they walked down the road, their ancient horse Percival pulling his luggage and several crates full of supplies. It felt right being home again. A full quarter of his life passed before coming home again, and it made him want to cry. It was hard not to fall into memories as they passed by old haunts and landmarks. Town Hall still had that goofy statue of a man on a rearing horse, but no one had put underwear on its head. Surely they had to still be doing that.

“...And the Jones’ oldest got involved with Mitch’s boy, and you know how Mitch can be,” Bob said, pointing at a house. Wil listened as closely as he could, but couldn’t follow gossip when drowning in memories.

There was the shop Bob would take his family to get ice cream whenever they went into town. Here was the wall Sarah fell off of and lost a tooth. Memory after memory after memory. The Academy may have been his life for the last six years, but this was home. On a hunch, Wil opened himself up to the feeling of the land.

Harper Valley thrummed peacefully all around him, like a song he could feel but not hear. He felt the richness of the soil, and the sweet summer breeze keeping it from being too hot and sticky. Miles and miles around him the sense of the land washed over him like it did as a kid, but at least ten times more potent. It struck him then, that home would have never felt this way if he hadn’t left. That alone made it all worth it.

“You alright?” Sarah asked, screwing up her face. “You’ve got this weird look like you’re about to cry or something. You gonna cry, Wilbur?”

“Shut up,” said Wil good-naturedly. “I’m doing fine. Just tired and glad to be home.”

“And we’re so glad to have you back,” said Bob, throwing an arm around his shoulders and giving him an affectionate shake.

The rest of the walk home was uneventful, but nevertheless impactful. Wil kept his senses open the entire time, drinking in the land of Harper Valley as he walked it. All of this effort, all of this loneliness had been to make him worthy enough to serve the valley and its residents and to be a custodian of the land. It was nice to walk through, like it belonged to him in a way no one else in the valley could ever truly understand.

Finally, their home came into view. Well, the fences did at least, starting at the road and stretching on as far as the eye could see. Their farm, far from the largest in the valley, was enough for their needs. They weren’t rich, but they were comfortable and loved what they had. Wil’s heart rose the moment the large, sprawling, ramshackle house came into sight. They didn’t have a mansion but as the family grew Bob built onto it, resulting in an uneven house as ugly as it was wonderful.

Will opened his senses wider. Home. He sighed, breathing it all in.

“You’re acting funny,” Sarah said, poking him in the side.

“She’s right, it’s getting weird,” Jeb said.

Bob put his arms around the both of them and got them in a playful headlock. “Hush you two. It’s a big moment. Welcome home, Wilbur! I mean, Wil.”

Home.

“Let’s go, I’m starving,” said Wil. Together they made their way up the driveway.