We've lost, utterly totally lost.
It really wasn't a competition in the first place, not if it's against grampa. He doesn't play fair or by common sense. Doesn't matter who you are, how old you are, or what the challenge is. If you're playing with grampa you're gonna have a bad time.
But Lukas is a little fool that does not follow common sense, he's just turned 6 after all.
"No fair, we were set up! Cheated!"
Grampa pats his wet little butt, making an unpleasant squishy sound, as he inspects the boy hanging from his fishing line.
"Good to go here too! I knew you kiddos would make it out before you were digested- ow Gabe that's a good thing!"
It's not just Lukas that's soaked in water and fish saliva. Wait do fish even have saliva? Either way, whatever it secretes, we have all been lovingly soaked in it. I feel like we've been but through an automatic car wash but the results are obviously far from clean. No one is cute like this, no one.
Yes drenched, drenched and dripping.
Kind of hard to escape that when you've been swallowed whole.
Is it mental recap time? About the loooooovely day I had? No traumatic memories here!
I honestly thought we were doing alright for ourselves in out shallow little fishing zone. I really did. Food number and variety, and they were all easy catches. If I was a bit bigger I would certainly be out there myself trying my hand at this fishing contest. I mean all you have to do is hold the darn bag open and the fish come right in, dumb things. I hope they spawn quickly otherwise their population will suffer
See the real trouble apparently someone got in trouble for 'losing' us. How does someone lose sleeping kids that they kidnapped themselves? Huh? How does that even happen?
How is my mother not dead from the infant mortality rate that is grampa?
Perhaps Gable? Our butler Alfonso? Uncle Geoff? Probably a big part Gable, our family's savior. Ah, I really wish we could trade grampa out for him. Lucky Lukas, though realistically I know he can't have it easy either.
But that's an issue for the future, it's important to enjoy one's childhood when you still have it no? Or well, try to.
In grampa's rush to find us 'lost' children he enlisted the help of the local wildlife. Like some fairy tale corporate princess. Yes , he got animals to find us. This isn't what I was talking about when I said 'childhood'.
Couldn't he have just followed the river?! I mean it's only going in one direction? Where else would we be?
It would have been fine if they just located us and told grampa where we were. Like some nice little Cinderella Snow-white sorta friendly animal companions.
But noooooooooooooooo.
Grampa apparently never specified what he wanted to find us for!
And his anxious tone made all his little woodland friends very upset and concerned....
...Squirrels.
We were attacked by hundreds, possibly thousands of squirrels. They're kinda like rats with the big teeth and long tails but are considered cuter due to fluff. I, however, have seen a shaved squirrel at least once in my life and have since considered them rats essentially. They're like rat cousins who live in trees.
So fluffy rats. I, a small mochi soft little toddler with tiny legs was chased down by a hoard of fluffy rats!
I didn't even get to finish my precious sashimi! The fluffy rat army came out of nowhere! Sure the boys sensed something and had a quick conversation that went something like :
"Do you hear that?"
"What? Oh it's just the squirrels."
"Squirrels? This many?"
"Maybe they smell the fire and fish Amar. Don't tell me you're scared of squirrels?"
Yes Lukas, I at the very least am very afraid of the squirrels now. Thank you for asking. From the way we all screamed I think it's safe to say we should all be afraid of the damn squirrels of this world. No one told me they assembled like a hoard from the black plague.
Even if I was older or faster, you can't outrun them. This is their territory! They're everywhere!!!
Trust me, we tried and I got motion sickness from the almost comedic attempt. Not that I'm not grateful for not leaving me behind but please don't treat me like a sack of flour. Please especially do not throw me back and forth mid-high-speed chase like a doomed pumpkin. A normal toddler would have passed out in shock, possibly even die! Ah but it can't be helped in this case
If a tree exists, so does a family of squirrels. And we are in a forest, do the math.
There's no point in fighting a number of rats this high either. Everyone knows that even Lukas and he supposedly shares DNA with the stupid prince. That's saying something.
He does still think the fluffy rats are cute so that's another mental point deducted. Refused to just freeze the darn things. I bet he thinks a wild beast trying to eat us is still cute as long as it's fluffy.
It was very tragic abandoning our big catches but it was either the fish or us. Damn what is it with me and getting surrounded by hoards of small annoying possibly deadly creatures?
Luckily the hair tailed rats had a great weakness! They can't swim. Thus we booked it back to the raft and even further downstream. Good plan right?
They had to stop chasing us eventually, all they could do was line the river bed. So long as they were there we stayed on the bed raft floating our merry way. The water got deeper and there were still fluffy ruts on land. The water got faster and they were still there. The water eventually turned into a rapids ride that was honestly pretty fun to sit through I admit, but the fluffy rats with their threatening buck teeth were still there!
Cursed creatures, I think they ate one of my shoes.
Mental note to requests the chefs for roast squirrels when I get back home. Actually the troop's kitchens, let's have a squirrel stew day. Who knew there were so many living here?
I can't say for how long or how far we rode down the river. Far enough to reach a basin sort of lake.
Not yet to the ocean, perhaps there was a dam or drain in place. Surely damns must exist here right? I don't know enough about the structures outside the capital or major cities, it's hard to say.
While riding the amusement park rocky rapids down to the lake basin wasn't so bad, even if I did go flying at one point before I was caught and tied down by the boys, we just couldn't approach land. Those fluffy rats were lurking on the tree tops, scoping us out and ready to attack. It was a very strange and rather hopeless situation.
I did the only thing a girl in my shoes, or well just one shoe, could do.
I took a nap.
It makes sense!
I mean, if the raft is already a comfortable bed, and one is literally stranded in the middle of nowhere, it's a rather reasonable course of action. That and I was exhausted from just screaming in general and being carried like a little sack of potatoes.
It wasn't even me who started it. Sometimes the brats have good ideas. They're how old? Kindergarten age? Nap times are the best times. Everything agrees on nap time.
Though I am 38% sure they initially faked falling asleep to get out of eating sashimi.
Cowards.
Didn't you two say you were hungry earlier? If we add oil or other condiments it becomes crudo rather than sashimi! That's probably more fitting for this vaguely European like land. The possibilities are endless with all these freshwater catches! Do you know how much salad dressed I have? We're set for a crudo buffet as long as someone cuts up the fish.
No wait, make it 50%. I'm 50% sure they faked it since Amar was the first one to start yawning and actually dozing. Brats, both of them, but that one is especially tricky sometimes. I wasn't asking for much, just take out those butcher skills of yours and slice up some crudo. Come on guys, it's really tasty.
But who am I to ruin nap time?
We all didn't sleep that much the previous night and it was a chilly autumn day. Perfect sort of day to huddle under layers of blankets. The sunshine gently peeking in and out from the clouds as the light waves on the lake rocked the floating bed along.
If anything were to happen during nap time I think the kindergartners beside me would be enough to handle it. So I felt it perfectly fit to fall asleep for the afternoon.
Children have it so good with their daily naps. I almost envy Lilyanne for how many times I come back from sneaking out or tinkering only to find her off in sleepy time. I think it evens out. I eat more, she sleeps more. Right?
Just for a little bit, just for these few years. I think I can afford to have something of childhood for once.
Up to this point, it doesn't sound so bad, fluffy rat chase and all. I got some sashimi, a free water rapid ride, and a nice nap with some free kindergarten sized heaters. Definitely not as sticky as Lilyanne. Certainly, I've been through worse. This was actually almost childishly enjoyable.
Till grampa showed up.
Now by all reason that should have been fine, good even. Grampa's here, he could call of his hoards of squirrels which to this point I had no idea he could do. The great hero was so damn loved by woodland animals to the point they'll ferally attack kids for him, wow. Worst capitalist corporation princess ever, he doesn't even come with a pretty dress.
For now. This gives me an idea for petty revenge and a way to recycle some of mother's overflowing closet. They have about the same bust size right? No, perhaps grampa is overall bigger hmmm.
Wait what was I saying?
"You were still storytelling about what happened after we woke up." piped up Amar as he was getting magically heat and towel dried by the camp fire.
Gable was obviously doing a much better job than grampa in the clean up department. In the not so far background, Lukas screams something that almost resembles profanity at my grampa
I'm glad the world's worse car wash comes with a nice dryer afterward. A slightly irritated Gable nodded towards me before going back to mildly glaring death rays at grampa while dry roasting us back into proper cute children.
Nearby Lilyanne's head pops in and out of from her bassinet swing that's been tied between two close trees, occasionally giggling out at me. It's her afternoon nap time but she's trying so hard since she hasn't seen me all day.
Ah yes my audience!
"Oh yeah. Ok now stop interrupting me."
"But you asked first?"
"Shussssh, I'm telling Gable the very worst part!"
"Oh okay."
There I was, content enough to play along to catch up on sleep and recharge myself. What was a perfectly fine nap was ruined by a certain crazy old man's loudspeaker voice. From the shore, he boomed and waved like a lunatic. But it's not like anything he said was comprehensible.
At least the furry tailed rats were called off, that much I could see.
But of course, things would only get worse. As always I was the last the sense anything was wrong and by the time I got my bearing, the mostly still water was oddly rocking in increasingly violent waves.
"Oh poop, we should paddle." sputtered Lukas as he shook himself out of his sleep burrito.
"I don't think we have time for that?" warned Amar, holding us both down from getting up and getting a better look at our surroundings.
"We'll paddle, or kick really really fast!"
"I don't think you'll want to soon?"
The water was beginning to bubble at that point but it certainly wasn't heating up or boiling so....
"What's going on?" I gulped in my seat, because really what is someone like me supposed to do?
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It's pretty good I wasn't not screaming anymore at that point. Aren't I a well behaved child?
What worse? A classic ominous jaws moment of getting chased down by feral fluffy rats? I say the damn squirrels but this was still bad, very very bad.
"Lukas? Some cover?!" Amar's sleepy voice got a lot more urgent as a dark shadow below seemed to grow larger and larger in the water.
"What cover!?!"
The other boy panicked, quickly looking north east south and west for something. Grampa's yelling of 'heeeeeey' providing the worst background noise as we plead at the only magic user to make said something.
"Ice! Shield?! Make it thick! Cover us now!"
"Your ice magic you dolt!!!"
Lukas dared to give us a lost and a little insulting look before it finally hit him.
"Ice? What? How is ice going to help right now- ooooooooh that ice."
"Yes yes that ice! Go!"
I wanted to smack him at that moment but child abuse is bad and I don't dare to distract or push the kid overboard right at the moment. Also, I'm pretty sure Amar had a good enough grip on the both of us to stop any infighting.
"Now Lukas!" he shouted, pressing us low so w were all on our stomaches to cling down the raft
I couldn't see how he did it when my vision was just rocking and then darkness. A spark and a icy white blue glow from Luka's direction was my only relief before we were sent flying upwards.
I wish I could have seen what grampa saw, I really do. What type of marine creature was it? Exactly how big this thing? What color was it? Was it entertaining to watch?
Because it sure wasn't fun getting punted into the air and swallowed whole by a giant gaping set of jaws! Back to being a football, Lukas had created a cover alright. One that turned our raft into an intimate little snowglobe with thick icy walls. So instead of being separated into the air, water and possibly giant teeth, we rolled around somewhat painfully in a partial human hamster ball.
Never go hamster balling with other people in your ball, even if they're small soft and squishy. It's very dangerous and potentially bone cracking to roll with others. Thank goodness we were very cushioned in there from the bedding.
"What's hamster balling? What did I miss?"
"I don't know but I think you have to make your ice shield like earlier but into a big ball? With someone inside? And then you roll around?
"What? That sounds awesome!"
"That actually does sound fun. Can we try that later?"
Child abuse is bad but as I smaller child I take a damp towel to twist and snap at the talkative brats interrupting my story.
"Shush! No more talking until I'm done!...But can we make a big ice ball later? It just needs little airholes because that earlier thing sucked to breathe in- and ack sorry Gable! Where was I?"
Straight down into crunching cracking darkness we went. Our descent was as smooth as can be in the snowglobe as we slid down its dark pink throat and deeper into its inner cavity. We were eaten alive, but we were still safe.
It was complete darkness until Lukas pulled out a familiar glowing jar of moss. The ice truly forming a barrier between us and the icky gooey substances secreting from the living walls that now surrounded us. It was terrifying and honestly pretty wickedly fascinating how the walls were made of muscle and blood vessels. They were squirming around all gross and stuff and something disgustingly yellow that I assumed was stomach acid or bile dripped like stalagmites in some flesh cave. Like ew but cool!
Ah... I sounded like the boys for a moment there. I must be hanging out with them too long. Moving on.
With some light and time to calm down we could examine our situation and plan our escape. The sealed ice limiting our remaining air was definitely an issue. Still, it was precious time and we put our head together. Not literally, that's painful.
"I keep telling you there two ways, in or out."
"We're not getting pooped out Lukas."
"In or out Rosalia! The enter or the exit!"
"Then let's make it barf us out! We're too big to get pooped out in here, wait no I don't want to be pooped out at all."
"Entrance it is! Now how? Should I punch it a lot or something?"
"No you dolt that would break the ice keeping up from touch...all this."
"But if we can't hit it, then it won't get sick and bleeeack us out! And then we have to wait a super long time for it to-"
"We are not getting pooped out!"
Caught in the middle of our very serious discussion plan, Amar raised a hand.
"Can't you just freeze the fish? Maybe it will spit us back out that way? If not, keep freezing and we can just, pick and break our way through? Lukas can freeze and Rosa probably has some tools in her baggie. If we hit the water then Lukas can just freeze enough of something to get out? I mean we could swim but it's cold and Rosa's really small."
"...."
"...."
"Guys?"
"...."
"...."
"Was it that bad a plan?"
"...no, yeah that works." I nodded with a shrug.
"Obviously it's like my idea to make this thing sick but with my ice, but you just said it a little better," exclaimed Lukas, patting the other boy on the back.
" Not bad, best idea we got so far." I agreed.
Just as I was about to look into my space bag for something we could use, a strong force knocked us all off to one side. Then another! It felt like an earthquake, a bomb, a horrible attack. But it was something much worse than an earthquake, than any of that! Something far more terrifying than any beast big enough to eat us alive. It was...
"Me!!!"
"Grampa! You ruined it! Actually wait yes it was you!!! Gable, it was all gramps, he beat us up inside the giant fish belly till it spat us out and swam away! We were nice and safe in there but he cracked and smashed us silly!"
Complaining and tattling are all I can do now.
Gable please punish him! Gable please keep me and adopt me too! Please! Grampa shouldn't be left with small children, ever!
Somehow Lilyanne is fine, because of course, no one does stupid crazy things with Lilyanne. I bet no one would throw Lilyanne like a pumpkin. Noooooo, it's just me that's put in ridiculous heart stopping near-death experiences.
I'm not really magically inclined nor am I a monster like the boys or troops, I can't survive this kind of shit. Please have mercy on me!
Like the magical otherworldly being that he is, a few comforting pats from Gable seeps the frustration and anger away from me little by little. It's so nice staying in his embrace that I don't even notice that I've been fully changed into clean new clothes or get my hair brushed up. I'm still very indignant on many things from today, especially the fluffy rats, but somehow Gable seems to make me feel that it's going to be alright. Or at the very least he'll punish grampa in the most effective and personalized way. Which is honestly good enough for me.
"There there, you did well today. You all did very well today."
Ah praise from Gable is the best, lightens the heart and soul. It's even more effective and powerful than Lilyanne's famous smile in the future. That or it doesn't work on the same sexes or sisters...No Gable is the best and prettiest, that much is clear to anyone with eyes.
"But we didn't pass the test" sulks Lukas, which gets Gable frowning again.
No bad Lukas, you stop that! I don't know what you did in 2 seconds but fix it!
"What test Lukas?"
"I don't know, the secret test. There's always some secret tests and Cap gives contests and I was gonna catch the biggest fish today and!!! But I got ate by the biggest fish...so I couldn't have won anything this time...."
"Lukas, look at me, there is no test. There was never any test nor anything to win." sighed Gable a little too softly.
"There's always something being tested."
The normally loud boy drawled out in a dejected tone that didn't fit his age or personality at all. It's unnerving. I don't think he's just upset at losing a fishing contest. I don't think it's as simple as it sounds, ever.
But then he started pouting cutely and ow oh ow. The uncomfortable thoughts piecing together in my brain makes way for the uncomfortableness of cuteness. Cuteness rules the world and oh boy Lukas definitely got something from the same genetic pool Gable came from because ow. It's like looking at an adorable mistreated little kitten. Even if it's a mischievous and troublesome thing, the moment it gets quiet or looks so pathetically sad you have no control over yourself anymore.
Ow ow ow, ok fine, what do we do to fix it?
I look around me, briefly shrugging at Amar before following Gable's line of sight when he finally stops staring concernedly at Lukas. Then we both know exactly what's going to happen. Let's just blame grampa.
"Ronald fix this." growls Gable, tone hardening immediately.
"Gable what is there to fix? I mea-"
"Fix it!"
"But-"
"Now!"
Somehow even more affected than I am, Gable forcefully cradled Lukas like a slightly overgrown pet as if to shield him from the world. Is it the paternal instinct? Cuteness really does rule everything.
"Hey, uh, look kiddo...Lukas. There's no test, really. We...we're not looking to test you on anything, you don't have to prove anything to us. I just make too many contests because it's fun and there are people to actually do those things with and wow but- oh crap I'm not good at this."
"Ronald."
"Yes Gabe, I mean, Lukas there's nothing to worry about. There's no test to pass except when Gable makes you memorize stuff out of books because wow does he love that but its good for you and he wants the best for you so"
"Ron."
"Sorry sorry where was I going with this again? It's....well this was supposed to be fun, just fun. A break and all that. Because it's your birthday and you been doing good lately. Since you came here you're been giving it your all and...no..."
Something about grampa's fumbling demeanor seems to change, shifting from my usual old man to the person I don't really know all that well. Is it the hero? The Lord commander? Someone else in there? I don't know, but it's gentle when it reaches out to the now oddly quiet boy.
"Since I've first accepted your tiny ass into the troops, you have always been giving it your all. You try so hard at everything and you make sure people notice, notice you. And it's good, it's really good to have drive, to want. There's nothing wrong with wanting...but you don't have to try so hard with us. WIth me, with Gable. WIth any of us, that genuinely cares about you. Not just when it's your birthday but every day. Do you understand kiddo? There will never be a test with us, nothing to prove because you are enough and worth so much more than any test, no matter the results. "
"That...that's not what I-"
Lukas tries squirming his way out of Gramp's ruffling hand, out of Gable's hold but it's futile. The boy doesn't look physically hurt but there's something wet and leaking from his eyes. He's overwhelmed and clawing like a cornered animal.
It's something that hits a lot too close to home for me. I don't even know why I'm still here, watching this. I feel like I've intruded into something though I've been here the whole time. I hear no peep of Lilyanne in her bassinet except for her soft breathing, my eyes flickering to confirm she's fallen asleep again.
I don't get more than two steps backward when I bump into something, or someone stopping my tracks.
As if he were always there in the first place, Amar is suddenly behind me. With a shushing motion, his finger to a slightly smiling mouth, whatever question or concerns I have dies on my tongue. I comply and continue to keep silent, not daring to interrupt whatever is going on.
But we don't leave. Quietly with his hands on my shoulders, the older child easily leads me slightly out of the way of this obviously intimate moment but still remaining very much a part of it.
It was Gable's turn to speak up, as soft as his voice was.
"Whatever you were led to believe before, about yourself or your place in the world, it doesn't matter. There are no tests. This is not that place, this is not what you've only known before. You will always be welcome here and with me. What Ronald said was right. You are home, this can be home if you want it to be. You don't have to do anything or be anything more, you can just stay."
For such a normally louder than life child, Lukas is staying shockingly quiet as he cries. I fear he'll break skin with the way he bites his lip white, at how he claws in an escape, losing strength at each word from the adults.
"You're wanted, you're seen, you exist. I'm sorry I didn't see you before when you needed it, couldn't get to you sooner. But I do want you very much now. So thank you Lukas. Thank you for being born."
It's like a dam breaking. The first cry a baby makes when it comes out into the world. Slow, leaking and then and full burst.
Lukas wails something ugly and a little feral, full-on crying with everything he has. Just like he always apparently done, gives his 100%. It's loud, messy and extremely unpleasant to hear but it's so much more relieving than that weirdly silent child trying to escape.
I can't see the expression Gable's making, his face full pressed into Luka's mussed up hair, far paler than his own light blonde. He must be crying too, from how his shoulders tremble and shake. Still, he doesn't show any sign of letting go of the snotty bawling brat in his arms.
"Thank you for being born and finding us. Thank you for staying so bright through it all."
Grampa lets out a kind of tired sigh that sounds far better suited on Gable usually. His face I can actually see and it suits him so well that I don't like it.
I want my weird useless grampa back. Not this man whose wet brown eyes remind me of mysterious secrets hidden in dark drawers, the warm wood unassuming yet carefully built and locked. Whose rough steady hands, skin tanned almost golden, reach out to hold and support the two sobbing people as if he were a protective and nurturing blanket. I don't like how solid he looks, stable as the ground below me, back broad and stronger than any shield.
I don't want to confront this intrusive feeling from within me. This thing I've long identified as wanting, even before grampa's out of character speech earlier. Ah, these are the remnants of the original good's heart huh?
Silly girl, did you want to be comforted like that? Held like that? By that crazy old man?
Can't be helped, he was your very much admired grandfather once. But did you have to be so selfish oh ghost of Rosalia? This moment, these tears and grievances have nothing to do with you and yet you immediately make them about you. It's a very ugly feeling and realization. Geez this is why everyone but that foolish Lilyanne detested you, don't you know?
Little ghost girl, please rest for real, please find peace elsewhere. I don't need your still bleeding heart beating in this tiny body ok?
I'm the one breathing life in it and I got more than enough to carry.
There's a secret story unknown to the past Rosalia right in front of me. It stars a very beautiful and powerful man with a past he's been running away from and a fairytale boy who must hide the fact that he's the unwanted bastard son of a queen. These are tragic stories that deserve better, these are main character potential.
I breathe evenly, careful not to make any unnecessary sound or movements that may disturb this moment. It must have been a long time coming for these two. A very very long time for Gable, but a terribly prominent burden on someone as young as Lukas. There's a tragic story in that brat despite all his antics and innocence.
The Lukas in the original timeline, what was he like? I don't know enough, all I can remember is the tall man who blocked my way to freedom. Maybe for a moment, his eyes wavered, when he saw my blood and wounds. He didn't lay a hand let alone a weapon on me, but he just...stood there.
But for the most part, didn't people just stand and watch me fall? Watch me die passively?
I wonder what will change in this boy? I trust Gable but that doesn't necessarily extend to Lukas, though it is clear to me now just how much importance he has in Gable's heart. Ah the lives of main characters are just so complicated.
It's fine to sit back and let things be for now right? I'm still very much a child and without worries for the time being. So shut up little ghost, I'm going to live my best life I can and that starts with having a childhood.
"Happy Birthday kiddo, maybe we said it a lot already but you'll hear it even more. This year and the next. The year after that and after that and so it goes." whispers the man who is supposed to be my grampa.
He actually looks very tender right now, and dare I say it, handsome? As buffoonish as he is, I can see how he naturally draws attention, just as Lilyanne will. A hero, a man like him, seems to glow to us regular people.
As if gracing me with his attention those deceptively warm brown eyes lands on me. Right now they're something dazzling in a way Lilyanne's shining amber could never seem to imitate. As always I can't read him. He's too confusing too eccentric of a character to crack.
"What are you two being strangers for, get over here!"
"...Ron."
"What? I'm fixing him? Group hug!"
And he's back, weird gross grampa is back and the tension is greatly eased. It's both relieving and disappointing.
"We should get over there before Cap' grabs us." comes the other childish voice behind me.
Even though I knew he was there earlier, it still surprised me. For several moments it felt like he wasn't even here. I heard nor felt no trace of him, as if he had disappeared. For all I know he could have popped in and out in these few moments. Amar is sneaky like that.
There's something else suspicious about the other boy. He looks to be smiling genuinely at the emotional scene in front of me, happy for Lukas. Lukas is tragic and Amar has already known the whole drama.
But normal kids don't react that way. They don't stay so calm and composed in something that should be awkward or at least initially confusing. This reaction, isn't it a little too perfect? Ah this one is actually really really scary behind it all, isn't he?
Of course not that any of us here can be considered normal for whatever reason. Not my place to pry.
"Ugh, fine. Before Grampa tries grabbing me again."
"Lukas! Happy Birthday, even though this is kinda a weird place to say it. If we're saying thanks for you being born then ok, thank you for existing and making everything a lot more fun!"
"It's super weird, ack gramps my lung! Happy Birthday... thanks for ...wanting to be my friend in the first place. You're....cool I guess. Hey wait why are you crying even more again?!"
"I think we broke him more?"
"Oh...well then, grampa fix it!"
"I'm trying! Should I hug even harder?"
"No!"
From behind a very overwhelmed crying boy, Gable trembles and shakes something even worse. But that's okay, that's his happy shake, Ronald can tell he's smiling down there where no one can see. Shame, he loves it when Gable lets himself giggle and smile stupid. But this isn't so bad either, holding so many precious things in his own arms, even if only for a moment.
Because an unknown amount of time later, they're disturbed by a different kind of astonishingly loud crying.
"Hungwy! Waaaaaah huggy huggy! Lilwii too! Huggy! Yaaaaay!"
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