It was the day after Sera found out about Nick's scars when she sat on the edge of Nick's bed, gently stroking his hair, and Eterna opened the door. Sera looked over, then got up and exited the room.

"He's doing worse.”

Eterna let out a breath. "I was afraid of that."

"Afraid of what?" Sera asked. "What's wrong with him?"

Eterna gestured for Sera to follow her downstairs, and then she started to talk.

"Altering a person's memories, whether through magic or innate abilities, is incredibly dangerous," Eterna said quietly as she leaned against the wall while Ashley drew at the table. "One mistake and you can break a person. But even if you do it perfectly right, you can do some serious damage if you do it more than once."

Sera furrowed her brow. "How?"

"The first time a person's memories are changed, they'll be a little confused, but otherwise fine," Eterna said. "The second time, they often get soul sickness. Basically they lose their strength, and just have to tough it out until it lifts. The third time, they go into a month long coma a few days after the incident. The fourth time..."

Sera stared at her expectantly.

"The fourth time their soul tears itself apart."

"This is his second time, right?" Sera asked.

Eterna nodded. "Yes. Thankfully, due to his... Well, circumstances, only those with innate ability can affect him."

"I know about the runes," Sera said.

Eterna blinked. "You do?"

She nodded. "He showed me yesterday."

"Huh," Eterna muttered. "Then you now know why he can't use his magic without Nereus."

"Yeah," Sera said. "They were all unfamiliar, though. Like, they were reminiscent of runes I've seen, but different."

"His whole situation is different," Eterna said.

"Is the soul sickness contagious?"

"No," Eterna said. "Not at all." She took in a breath. "In any case, Ashley had something she wanted to ask you."

Sera raised an eyebrow, then joined Ashley. "Hey, whatcha drawing?"

"A sunset," Ashley said matter of factly. "Daddy really likes sunsets."

Sera smiled. "Are you planning to give it to him?"

She nodded. "I don't know if I'll finish it before he wakes up, though. I want to give him the bracelet at the same time."

"Well," Sera said as she looked back at the stairs. "He may just sleep through today."

Ashley frowned, and looked up at her. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Sera said. "He is. He just needs to rest."

"You said that yesterday," Ashley said.

"I know," Sera said. "It turns out he's sicker than I thought, so it'll take a little longer."

"Can I see him?"

Sera thought for a moment. "Sure. But, you have to be really quiet, and don't wake him up."

"Okay," Ashley said quietly as she hopped down from her chair. Sera followed her upstairs and opened the door to Nick's room. Ashley quietly walked in, Sera behind her. Ashley stared at Nick's pained expression, then grabbed Sera's hand. She continued to watch him until Sera gently pulled her away. Ashley followed her out of the room, and they went downstairs.

"What can I do to help him?" Ashley asked.

Eterna quietly watched the conversation from the side as she did busywork.

"Go to school, eat all your meals, brush your teeth," Sera said. "Take good care of yourself."

Ashley looked up at her. "That'll make him better?"

Sera smiled and sat down on the couch, and Ashley joined her. "It'll help."

"Okay.”

They sat quietly for a moment, and Ashley looked over the couch to Eterna, who simply nodded. She turned back to Sera.

"Fina?"

Sera looked down at Ashley. "What's up?"

"Could you be my mom tomorrow?"

Sera slowly nodded, then froze. "Pardon?"

"Tomorrow's bring your parent to school day," Ashley said. "And... I don't want to do it alone."

Sera felt her heart sink as she remembered her own bring your mother to school day, and she smiled. "I'd love to."

Ashley smiled wide enough Sera thought her face might break. "Really?"

"Yeah," Sera said. She pulled out her phone. "Just let me arrange for someone to be here for Nick while we're out." She sent off a quick text, and got an immediate reply. She smiled, then put away her phone.

"We're all set, then."

"Thank you!" Ashley said as she hugged Sera. Sera returned the embrace, then Ashley hopped off the couch and went back to her drawing, humming to herself.

Eterna made her way over to Sera. "So you're staying another night?"

"Yeah," Sera said. "I'll just pop by my place for some fresh clothes tonight."

"You're not going to pack for the week?"

Sera blinked. "The week?"

"I think I remember you telling Nick you were going to be here for as long as he needed you," Eterna said with a smile.

Sera looked down, a blush touching her cheeks. "I guess I did say that, didn't I?"

"You're welcome to stay as long as you like," Eterna said. "And feel free to use our laundry machine. Our home is yours, remember?

"Thanks," Sera said as she stood up. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Alright," Eterna said. "See you soon."

Sera grabbed her bag of clothes and left for home. She walked in the waning October sun. November starts tomorrow. she thought as she watched the sun set. Three and a half weeks. She shook her head. I need to focus on the present.

She made it home and entered to find Sterling sitting in the living room, a variety of files splayed out on the coffee table. He looked up as she came in.

"Hey, pup!" He said as he stood up.

"Hey dad," she replied as they embraced.

"How's he doing?" He asked as he pulled back.

She shook her head. "Not too well. Eterna says it's soul sickness."

"Oh, that's rough," Sterling said as he sat down. "I remember getting soul sick once. I was bedridden for three, four days. Could barely eat or drink. Your mother had to force feed me." He shook his head. "I do not envy Nick right now. Though I'm sure he appreciates having you there."

"Yeah..." Sera said as she rubbed her arm.

He raised an eyebrow. "You can talk to me."

She sat down across from him. "I ended up... Being a little hard on him."

Sterling closed his files and leaned forward. "How so?"

"Nayeli told me about... When he'd helped her."

"I'm familiar with the incident," Sterling said as he tapped a file.

She nodded. "And, I understood the context, but..."

"You didn't like that he'd done something as intimate as that with someone else?" Sterling asked.

"I know it wasn't romantic in any way," Sera said quickly.

"Intimacy isn't necessarily romantic," Sterling said. "Just... Being vulnerable with someone else. So, what did you do?"

She let out a breath. "At first, nothing. But, then I had a dream about it, and it was in a much different context, and I..."

"You..?" He asked.

"I sort of tackled him."

"Sort of?" Sterling asked.

"I didn't realize he was soul sick yet," Sera said.

Sterling frowned. "I think acting based on a dream is the bigger issue at the moment."

"I know," she said. "It was so stupid, and... I mean, we worked through it, and he ended up opening up to me more after, but I..." She buried her face in her hands. "I'm such an idiot!"

"Feelings, regardless of how they match up with reality, are valid," Sterling said. "To think the person you love is having an affair with someone close to you... the feelings with that are natural. But choosing how we act on those feelings is paramount."

She wordlessly nodded.

"Can you think of a way to help restrain yourself next time?"

She let out a breath. "I-I don't..."

"Perhaps," Sterling started. "Whenever you start to feel something like that again, think about how much you love him, and then think about how much he loves you. Then act on those feelings instead."

She nodded again.

"And, at least you didn't bite him this time," Sterling quipped.

"Dad!" She exclaimed as she lifted her gaze to meet his.

"I'm just saying," Sterling said with a smile. "It's progress."

She scowled at him for a moment, then let out a breath and stood up. "Well, I'm going to get some fresh clothes, and then I'm headed back."

"You're not sleeping here tonight?"

"No," Sera said as she walked into her room and gathered clothes. "I've got plans with Ashley tomorrow."

"Isn't tomorrow a school day for her?" He asked.

"It is," Sera replied. She finished packing and came back out. "It's bring your mother to school day, and she asked me to go with her."

"Really?" Sterling asked.

Sera nodded. "Yeah."

"That's a bit of a step," he replied.

"Well..." Sera trailed off. "She called me mom by accident once, and she says she wants me and Nick to..." She smiled. "Anyways, I want her to have a better bring your mother to school day than I did."

Sterling slowly nodded. "Alright. How does Nick feel about it?"

"He doesn't know about this particular thing," Sera said. "But when I told him about her calling me mom, he said he'd leave it up to Ashley and wouldn't encourage or discourage it."

"Hmm..." Sterling muttered. "If you get the chance to, it might be a good idea to tell him. I doubt he'd say no, but as a courtesy thing."

Sera slowly nodded. "Okay. I will."

Sterling wrote something down on a note and smiled, then stood up again and hugged her, and kissed her on her forehead. "I love you, and I am so, so proud of you."

"I love you too, dad," she said as she hugged him back.

"Here." He handed her the note. "Make this for Nick: it'll help with the soul sickness."

She kissed his cheek. "Thanks dad." She then picked up her bag and left.

He let out a breath, then sat back down. After a moment, he picked up his briefcase and took out his own file on Nick, then placed it down on the coffee table and started to write.

It had long since gone dark by the time Sera had made it halfway to Nick's place. She had a bag of groceries in her other hand. Her ears suddenly perked up, and she looked to the side to see Hillard approach.

"I thought I wasn't supposed to see you around.”

"You aren't," he replied. "However, you were being followed."

She gave him a flat look. "Yeah: by you guys."

"Yes, but these were malefactors," Hillard said. "One claims to have been following a woman he suspects to be Sirene Winters. He has been dealt with."

"You killed him?" Sera exclaimed.

"No, of course not," Hillard said. "We destroyed his recording devices, and any pictures he's taken of you, the boss, and the boss' daughter, then ensured he'd leave you three alone."

"Okay, thank you," Sera said slowly. "But why do I need to know?"

"Because he was put on to you by someone named Delilah," Hillard said. "Does that name mean anything to you?"

Sera grit her teeth. "Yeah."

"Tell me everything you know about her, and we will take care of the issue."

"Don't," Sera said. "She's the student president at Marcellus Academy, my cousin, and a Galen."

He paused. "I see. Then we will have a hard time handling that one." He looked up. "But this has told me that we are severely lacking in information to do with the academy. I will seek to rectify this issue immediately. Thank you for your time."

Hillard disappeared into the darkness, and Sera shook her head as she continued on her way. I'd almost forgotten about Delilah.

She made it to Nick's place and walked in to find Ashley had already gone to bed. She went into the kitchen and prepared something, put it into the fridge, then went upstairs and put her bag of clothes in the spare room, then exited.

"Fina?"

Sera looked into Ashley's room. She was sitting up in her bed, clearly drowsy. Sera entered and knelt next to her bed. "Hey, Ash. Did I wake you?"

She shook her head as she rubbed one of her eyes. "I wanted to wait for you to come home, but grandma said I had to wait in bed."

Sera smiled as she pat her knee. "Alright. Well, I'm back." Ashley nodded, and Sera tucked her in. "Goodnight."

Ashley hugged her neck. "Goodnight, Fina."

Sera smiled and returned the embrace, then let go and walked out of the room. She closed the door, then walked over to Nick's room. She opened the door and went in, and carefully sat on the edge of his bed.

She gently moved some of his hair out of his face, and noticed his pained expression. She lay down on the bed and held him, her hands intertwining with his.

"I'm here," she whispered in his ear. His grip tightened on her hands, and his expression softened.

He's always so strong, She thought as she gazed at his face in the darkness. But now... He's so vulnerable, I just want to hold him and take his pain away.

She closed her eyes, and fell into the realm of dreams. She was shaken awake the next morning, and she looked up to see Eterna. Sera glanced at the clock, then carefully extricated herself from Nick's grasp. Eterna left the room, and Sera kissed Nick's cheek before following her out. She quickly showered, got dressed, and joined Ashley for breakfast.

"Are you excited for today?" Sera asked.

Ashley nodded furiously as she chewed.

"Good, cause I am too."

They ate, and Sera and Ashley made their way to the door.

"See you two later!" Eterna said.

"See you!" Ashley said as she put on her shoes.

Ashley skipped along beside Sera as they went. They arrived at her school, and Ashley led her to her classroom. There were extra fold out chairs at the back of the class, so Sera grabbed one and set up next to Ashley.

"So this is your class?" Sera asked.

Ashley nodded. "Yeah. Sasha's here too. But Jati is in a different class."

Slowly other parents and their children started coming in, and Sera furrowed her brow as she saw some of them were fathers. Her eyes then widened. Ashley said 'bring your parent to school day’. Nick should be the one here, not me. But, he wouldn't be able to come even if he wanted to. This is better than Ashley going alone, though, right?

Sasha came in with Saul and sat down.

"Hi Ashley!" Sasha said. He looked up at Sera, then back to her. "Where's Nikky?"

"Sick," Ashley replied.

"Sera," Saul said tiredly with a nod.

"Saul," she responded. "How's training going?"

"Well," he said. "It's been going well."

"You look like you got hit by a bus," Sera remarked.

He weakly smiled. "Fernanda was... Adamant, that she come today. She didn't sleep all weekend just to ensure she got the letters done for today, but... Well, not only did she not finish the letters, she's sleep deprived and sick, and I had to wrestle her back into bed. She was not happy."

"Ah," Sera intoned. "That'd do it."

"Excuse me everybody," Ms. Deter said from the front of the class. "As many of you know, I am Ms. Deter, your children's teacher. I would like to personally welcome you all to Holcane Elementary School's bring your parent to school day. I'm going to cover what's planned for today, then take any questions, and we can get right to it."

Meanwhile, Nick stirred in his bed, one eye cracking open. He groped blindly in the dark, and his hand found purchase on something incredibly solid. He recoiled as it moved, and he tried to make out what it was.

"Good morning," a deep, stony voice said.

"Magnus?" Nick asked. "W-what are you..?"

"Sera asked me to watch over you today," Magnus said as he turned on the lamp on the dimmest setting. Nick blinked rapidly, and saw Magnus was sitting in a meditative pose.

"I need to go," Nick said as he tried to get up, but he fell to the floor. Magnus slowly stood up and walked around the bed, then lifted Nick back into it.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Where?" Magnus asked. "I can go for you."

Nick shook his head. "No. It's... It's bring your parent to school day. Ashley... She'll be alone..."

"She isn't alone," Magnus said as he picked up a glass of water from the dresser and held it out to Nick.

Nick took it, but didn't drink. "Eterna?"

Magnus shook his head. "No."

"Then who?"

"Sera went," Magnus said. "Which is why I'm here instead of her."

Nick's gaze fell to the glass. "Oh."

"Should I have stopped her?" Magnus asked.

"No," Nick said quickly. "No. Ashley's not alone, and... And it'll be good for them."

Nick tried to drink the water, but his hands were shaking. Magnus held it for him, and Nick just opted to stick his finger into it. The water absorbed through his skin, and he lay back down.

"Sera also made this for you," Magnus said as he grabbed a bowl from the dresser. He held it out to Nick, and he grimaced.

"I thought she was a good cook."

"She is," Magnus said. "The ingredients for this happen to be unpleasant, but good for your affliction."

Nick held his hand over it, and the tendrils reached out and pulled it in. "Do not tell Sera I ate it this way."

Magnus nodded. "Understood."

Nick sighed and leaned back. Magnus set the bowl aside and returned to his position.

After a while, Nick let out a breath. "You're just going to sit there?"

"Is there something you'd like me to do?"

"No," Nick said. "I mean, are you just going to sit there until someone comes back?"

Magnus blinked slowly. "I have been charged with caring for you until I am relieved, and I wouldn't be a good servant, or friend, if I were to leave your side before Sera or Eterna returned."

Nick shook his head. He closed his eyes, but sleep eluded him.

"What did you do with the Cureson girl?"

Magnus remained silent.

"Magnus?"

"She was a problem," he replied. "She has been taken care of."

"Did you kill her?" Nick asked.

"I made it clear to her that she was not welcome at the academy, then had Nayeli demonstrate what she could do in her place while she was locked in the room."

"Then why did she completely disappear?" Nick asked.

"She was physically healthy when she left the academy grounds," Magnus said.

"Huh," Nick muttered. "Maybe... Was she working for Delilah?"

"I don't know," Magnus said. "From what Nayeli said, she seems to have been acting on her own. Which isn't to say Delilah didn't help her get into the academy. In any case, I think we should consider it resolved."

Nick slowly nodded. "Alright." They stayed in silence for a time, then Nick shook his head. "Would you mind sitting outside the room, or something? It's hard to sleep with someone watching me like that."

"My apologies," Magnus said as he stood up. He grabbed the cup and bowl. "I will wake you when it is next time to eat."

"Thanks," Nick mumbled as Magnus closed the door. He knelt in the hallway, facing the door as he returned to his meditation, and Nick reached into his bedside table drawer. He pulled out a calendar, and looked down at it, a morose air about him as he crossed out the day. He gripped the calendar tightly, and slowly fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Eterna was in the agency office, tapping away on her keyboard. She eventually let out a frustrated growl. "I can't take it anymore!"

Various agents around glanced her way, and Payter approached and sat beside her. "If you think the desk job is hard, just wait till you're retired."

She scowled at him, then crossed her arms on the desk and laid her head on it. "I won't just be sitting around doing nothing. But even doing nothing would be better than reviewing reports."

"It would eat away at me," Payter said. "To be purposeless."

"I won't be purposeless!" Eterna said petulantly.

"You'll be a stay at home mom to an independent, nineteen year old man?" Payter asked.

She paused. "I'll be a stay at home grandma to a wonderful six year old girl. And if things keep going the way they are, there may be more in the future."

"And you'd be content with that?"

"I've paid my dues," Eterna said as she sat back up. "I should've retired when I first took him in."

"And when your grandchildren are all grown?"

She smiled. "I'll have great grandchildren. And if that's not enough, there is always work to do in Sunspeak."

He nodded. "Then I have many good years to look forward to."

She raised an eyebrow. "You do realize you can have a life outside of serving me, right?"

He stared at her blankly.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't statue me. I can read you better than this report." She paused. "Ashley can write better than this report..."

"I promised to always be by your side," Payter said. "Would you rather I not be a terraia of my word?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Do not pull the race card on me."

The slightest of smiles touched his lips.

She shook her head, then stood up. "Fine. But this is on my terms."

He looked up at her and waited for her to continue.

"I need a role model."

He blinked. "I can't be your role model, Eterna. You are one of mine."

She rolled her eyes, then paused. "First of all, 'one of'? Second, it's not for me, but for Nick. I think it'd be good for him to have an older man he can easily access to bond with."

"I'm still quite young," Payter remarked. “Compared to-”

"And that's as far as you're taking that train of thought," Eterna warned.

A spark of amusement twinkled in his eyes, and she rubbed her temples. "Maybe I shouldn't let you rub off on him."

Payter rose to his feet. "I accept."

She looked up at him. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "I am. I'll bring my stuff over after Sera's moved out of the spare room."

She smiled. "Sharing's an option."

He paused. "She and Nick have shared a bed before. We can just move her things into his room."

Eterna raised an eyebrow, and noted the spark was gone. She nodded. "Yeah, we can. You should give your notice, by the way."

"I already did last week," he replied.

"You were going to follow me no matter what, huh?" Eterna asked. "Feels like I've got a stalker."

"I could start taking unwanted pictures and stealing your intimates," Payter said. "If that's what you want."

"My word," Eterna said as she sat back down at her desk. "You just go and sit your butt back down at your own desk before I change my mind."

He smiled and walked off. She glanced up as he left, smiled as well, then returned to her work.

At Holcane Elementary school, Sera and Ashley were sitting outside having lunch. There were a few arts and crafts on the table that she and Ashley had made together. Sera's ears twitched at the conversations going on around them.

"Isn't she a little young to have a child so old?"

"Especially for a canis-type," the other mother remarked.

"Isn't that the Bren girl she's with?"

"Young, gorgeous. She's probably a trophy wife."

"She's probably just her babysitter," one said.

"Then why is the girl calling her mom?"

"She's definitely a trophy wife."

Sera's grip on her fork tightened.

"Hello again, Sera."

Sera let go of her fork and smiled up at Ms. Deter. "Good afternoon."

"Nick couldn't make it?"

Sera shook her head. "Soul sick."

Ms. Deter grimaced and her ear twitched. She shook herself out of it and turned her attention to Ashley. "It's great Sera could make it, isn't it?"

Ashley nodded and grabbed Sera's hand. "Mhmm!"

"Well, I'm glad you could come," Ms. Deter said. She glanced down at the bent metal of the fork handle. "Don't let the gossip get to you; there's always one or two targets every year."

Sera followed her gaze to the fork, then nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, the sports events are going to start up again soon," Ms. Deter said. "Why don't you show those old hens a thing or two?" She winked and walked away.

Sera smiled, then finished her food and handed Ashley a napkin. "Ready to play hard?"

She wiped her face and nodded. Sera dabbed another napkin on her tongue, then wiped away what Ashley missed. They stood up as Ms. Deter stood at the side of the relay track.

"Can I have your attention, everyone!"

The parents and their children gathered around.

"We're going to have a relay for those that want to," she said. "Parents, you will start the run, and pass the baton off to your child. Then they'll run, and hand it back to you to finish. Feel free to run alongside them, just be ready to have the baton passed off once they reach the point. Miss Orion will mark the first pass off point, and Mister Quincy will mark the second. I will be the start, and move to the finish. Are there any questions?"

Many 'nos' came up from the crowd.

"Alright. In the middle of the field you'll find the water balloon toss. To the side we’re going to set up some face painting, bobbing for apples, and even a dunk tank where you'll get to try to dunk Principal Olynn!"

"Your dad would really like that one," Sera remarked.

"I think so too," Ashley said.

Sera smiled. "Maybe you and I should give it a try for him, huh?"

Ashley nodded. "After the relay."

"Alright," Sera said. "Then let's go get ready for it, shall we?"

Ashley nodded and took her hand as they walked over to the starting line. Saul and Sasha were already there, as was a tall, ridiculously fit man with his son. A few other parents trickled over with their children.

The man sized Sera up for a moment, then turned back to his son.

"Make sure you stretch right, Colm."

So he's the little... she paused as the thought entered her mind. He's just a kid, kids do stupid things.

She looked to Saul. "I didn't realize you were a runner."

Saul half smiled. "Had plenty of practice, though track was more Fernanda's thing. Besides, Sasha wouldn't let me go home without giving it a go."

Sasha offered quite the toothy grin. "Mom says you spend too much time inside."

"Oh, don't you start," Saul said as he ruffled Sasha's hair. He looked at Ashley. "But we'll give it our all, so you should too."

Ashley nodded.

"Alright!" Ms. Deter said as she stood at the start line. "Parents start here, children head over to Miss Orion and line up."

"Be ready for me," Sera said to Ashley.

"I will!" Ashley said as she walked off with Sasha. Sera and Saul watched them go as they took their places, and Ms. Deter handed each of them a baton. Sera kept an eye on Colm, who kept his distance from Ashley and Sasha.

Good.

They got ready to run, and Ms. Deter held up a gun shaped device with a crystal on it. "Get ready! Set!" A gunshot rang out, and the parents took off. Sera kept her eyes on Ashley as she ran, keeping pace just ahead of the other parents until she reached her. She handed off the baton, and Ashley ran as fast as she could. Colm was just behind her, and then Saul reached Sasha, out of breath.

"You go get ready, I'll cheer enough for both of them," Sera said to him as she jogged ahead. Saul breathlessly tried to say thank you, but she was gone, and he made his way to the next handoff. Sera cheered on Sasha and Ashley as they ran. Colm watched the interaction, then pushed himself harder. He started to outpace the other kids, and they all pushed harder. The next handoff point was coming up fast, so Sera ran ahead and got ready.

"Come on, Ashley! You're almost there! Sasha! You got this buddy!"

Colm's father silently watched the children running towards them, and then Ashley tripped. She fell flat on her face, and Sera was about to run over to her when Sasha stopped, turned around, and then helped her to her feet. Tears in her eyes, Ashley pushed through it, though slower than before.

"I'm okay!" She insisted to Sasha, who stayed at her pace. Colm passed off his baton to his father, and the man took off. The other children passed Ashley and Sasha, and their parents ran as well.

"Get him, mom!" Ashley shouted as she reached Sera. Sera's expression turned serious the moment the baton touched her fingers, and she took off at the same speeds as when she had hunted Nick in the woods. Saul was left in shock for a moment until Sasha hit his hand with the baton. "Go dad!"

He followed the rest, but was still quite far behind. Sera passed the other parents, and started to catch up to Colm's father. He noticed her over his shoulder, then sped up. Sera growled, and pushed harder. As they neared the finish line, Sera saw Ashley there, her eyes wide as Colm's father and Sera ran. They bore down on the ribbon that marked the end, and though Sera was catching up to him, Colm's father ran through it a few steps ahead of her. Sera slowed after passing the finish line, and stepped off to the side as she placed her hands on her knees.

"Oh man... I wasn't ready for that."

Ashley walked up to her. "I'm sorry."

Sera tilted her head. "For what?"

"We didn't win because I fell."

She smiled and sat down on the grass. "Even I fall sometimes. It's about getting back up, which you did, and I'm proud of you for it."

"Honest?" She asked.

Sera pulled her into a hug. "Honest."

"Ew, you're all sweaty!" She exclaimed.

Sera laughed, then stood up. "Alright. Let's take you to get some bandaids on those cuts, then I'll get a towel, and we can have some fun."

Ashley nodded and took her hand.

"By the way, did you thank Sasha for helping?"

Ashley's gaze fell. "I could do it myself."

"Even so," Sera said. "He cared about you enough to stop running and help, whether you needed it or not. That's the kind of thing your dad does all the time."

Ashley paused, then nodded. She let go of Sera's hand and walked over to Sasha and a nearly dead Saul.

Sera watched, and Ashley then came back and retook her hand.

"You have my sincerest apologies, Mrs. Bren."

Sera blinked and turned to see Colm's father, bowing to them while holding the back of Colm's head down. Ashley hid behind Sera's leg.

"For what?"

"I thought I'd raised my son to help his fellow man when they go down, but apparently the lesson didn't stick. Not to mention him starting a fight with your daughter and her friends."

Sera watched him for a moment. Can I accept that? I'm not a Bren. But if I say I'm not, then...

"Apology accepted, mister..?" Sera said.

He straightened and held out his hand. "Frederick Brakken."

Holy shi- Brakken? Ashley broke the face of a Brakken! But... She is a Bren...

"I'm Sera," she said as pleasantly as she could while shaking his hand, suddenly aware of their difference in station and strength. He could snap me like a twig.

"It is too bad your husband couldn't make it today," Frederick said. "I had hoped to speak to him as well."

"Nick's sick, unfortunately," Sera said.

Frederick bowed his head. "Then I hope for a speedy recovery.”

"I'll be sure to let him know you want to talk. Is there a number I should give him..?"

Frederick produced a contact card and handed it to her. "Thank you, Mrs. Bren. Now, we shall take our leave. Thank you for your time."

Sera watched him walk away, then went with Ashley to the nurse's tent.

"Stay right here," Sera said. "I'm going to see about cleaning up a bit."

Ashley nodded as the nurse looked her over. Sera jogged off to the bathrooms and entered a stall, then pulled out the letters.

"Come on, say something about the Brakkens..."

She read through until she'd reached last week.

‘Hey me. I hope things are going well. For me they-’

"I get it, your timeline sucks. Right now I need to know about the Brakkens..."

'Also, Colesdale Elementary's bring your parent to school day is coming up. It was the only day Nick had circled in his calendar. It was one of the few times I remember seeing Nick glow when he talked about it.'

"He went... And it's Colesdale?"

'Do everything you can to make sure he makes it. It shouldn't be hard though; you'd have to knock him out to keep him from going.'

She gripped the letters. "Every time..." She shook her head and put away the letter, grabbed a towel and cleaned off her sweat then went back out. She got Ashley from the nurse's tent.

"What do you want to do first?"

"Dunk Miss Olynn!"

Sera smiled. "You got it." She spotted Saul and approached him.

"Would you mind taking some pictures and recordings for me?"

He paused. "The school should send some pictures back."

"There are a couple things I want for Nick."

He slowly nodded. "Alright."

They walked over to the dunk tank to find miss Olynn was sitting pretty with her phone, completely dry.

The teacher in charge of it handed three balls to Ashley. Sera handed Saul her phone, and he started to record. The first two balls missed, but Ashley hit the target with the third. Nothing happened, and Sera frowned.

"But I hit it!" Ashley exclaimed.

Miss Olynn didn't even look up from her phone.

"I'll give it a go," Sera said to the teacher.

Miss Olynn's ear twitched at the sound of Sera's voice.

Sera wound up and threw the first ball. It struck the target hard enough to get miss Olynn's attention. Her eyes widened as she saw Sera's expression. Sera bounced the ball on the ground, and round house kicked it at the target.

"Wai-" miss Olynn didn't get to finish her plea before the target was struck hard enough to bend back the metal. The ball rebounded off of it, and Sera caught it as it came straight back at her. She handed them back to the teacher as Ashley jumped up and down.

"That was so cool!"

Miss Olynn sputtered as she surfaced, and she looked at Sera and was about to speak when she saw the look in Sera's eyes that dared her to say something.

She forced a smile. "Looks like you got me!" She looked to the teacher. "Give Mrs. Bren the prize."

The teacher picked up a bucket of water and dumped it on her. The teacher then froze, horror manifesting as he realized what he'd done. Other parents around all watched and waited, Frederick seemingly the most keen.

"Mrs. Bren, I-"

Sera parted her hair, smiled and laughed. "Fair is fair! Besides, after that run I probably needed it."

The teacher relaxed, then put the bucket down and opened up the bin behind him. He pulled out a towel and a large stuffed bear.

"And this is the real prize."

Sera accepted the towel, and gestured to Ashley. She took the bear, almost as big as she was. "Wow..." She looked up at Sera, her smile so wide. "Thank you!"

"Get in for a picture," Saul said.

Sera knelt next to Ashley, and Saul took a picture.

Later that day, Nick woke to the sounds of Ashley, Sera, and Magnus.

"How is he?"

"He ate and drank," Magnus said.

"Did you have to force feed him?"

"No," Magnus replied.

The door opened, and he heard small footsteps running over to his bed.

"Are you awake, daddy?"

He rolled over and smiled as he looked down at Ashley. Her face was painted to look like a wolf's, and she held a massive bear stuffy in her hand. "Yeah. How'd today go?"

"It was so much fun!" She replied. "We made things, and mom was super fast, and she hit the ball, and-"

"Slow down," Nick said with a chuckle. "One thing at a time."

Ashley blinked, then let out a short sigh and climbed up onto his bed. "We made some pictures and did a building competition with marshmallows and toothpicks."

"Oh yeah?" He asked. "How'd you do?"

"First place," Ashley said. "We built it right and fast!"

"What'd you make?"

Sera walked in and he raised an eyebrow as she sat on the edge of the bed. She had the same facepaint as Ashley, and she took out her phone, and Nick patted beside him. Sera moved next to him and Ashley sat on her lap as she held up her phone. It bore the picture of a crown made from toothpicks and marshmallows.

"Fit for a queen," Nick remarked.

"No, if the marshmallows got hot, they'd melt and get sticky and get stuck in your hair," Ashley said, her tone one of caution.

Nick smiled. "I suppose so. What else did you do?"

"We watched a movie until lunch time when it'd be warmer, then ran a really!"

"A relay?" Nick offered.

She nodded. "Re-lay." She looked up at Nick. "Mom ran so fast! Even though I tripped, she came in second to Colm's dad, and then he apologized to us!"

He glanced at Sera.

"I'll tell you later," she said.

"What happened after that?"

"I got my owies taken care of, and then me and mom tried to dunk miss Olynn."

"She willingly went into a dunk tank?" Nick asked.

"Uh huh!" Ashley said. "Saul took video for us."

Sera flipped to the video, and Nick watched. He scowled as Ashley's last throw hit, and then Sera's first throw.

"She-"

Sera lightly touched his hand, and he watched as she kicked the ball that knocked miss Olynn in. Nick smiled, then saw Sera get drenched, through to the end. Sera then flipped through the pictures of her and Ashley getting their faces painted, the water balloon toss, and a few other activities.

"I'll make sure these get to you," Sera whispered.

He nodded his thanks, then Sera looked to Ashley. "Could I have a minute with your dad?"

Ashley frowned, but nodded and climbed down from the bed. Sera followed her to the door and closed it, then slowly turned back to Nick.

"So you two had a great time, then?" He asked, his smile weak, but present.

"Yeah," she said as she walked around his bed to the other side of it. She knelt down and rested her chin on her arms.

"I'm glad you were there. I'd feel terrible if she had to do it alone."

"I'm sorry," she said.

Nick raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"It should've been you there."

He smiled. "It's hardly your fault."

"It is!" She exclaimed. "If I hadn't asked you to help me with my parent's stupid secret, you wouldn't be sick right now."

"Sera-"

"Nick!" He paused at the volume of her voice. "For the love of god, just say how you feel! Tell me you're mad at me! Get angry! Shout! Get pissed off, something!"

He watched her for a while, observing her expression change from exasperation to uncertainty.

"I am angry," Nick finally said, and she flinched. "I am angry that I wasn't strong enough to be able to attend. I am angry that my daughter didn't get to spend a memorable event with her father. I feel like I failed, and it makes me want to scream, and shout, and rip my room apart." He sighed. "But I just don't have it in me. Because it was my decisions that led me here. And," he took her hand. "She got to spend the day with a wonderful, amazing woman who cares about her almost as much as I do, who ensured that she doesn't have to remember that her father couldn't attend, but that you could."

Her lips trembled. "I-How?"

He tilted his head. "How what?"

She shook her head, and he gently pulled her hand. She resisted at first, but he persisted.

"I can't hug you if you don't come here."

She shook her head, and he took in a breath. "I'm not going to let go, then."

After a while, she climbed up onto the bed with him and lay next to him as he held her.

"So," he said after a moment. "You're not only mom now, but Mrs. Bren."

She tensed up. "Yeah, it... I mean... I got a fair few remarks about how young I was for a mother, especially being a canis-type."

"Especially in your particular case," Nick added.

She nodded. "A fair few of them were calling me a trophy wife. I guess they don't know who you are yet. Either way, I never really got the chance to correct them, and Ashley was calling me mom, so it would have been a huge hassle to try and explain every time, and..." She sighed and shook her head.

"Well," Nick said. "No harm no foul."

She was quiet for a moment. "At first it was a little strange, but at the same time, whenever they called me her mother, I felt a sense of..."

"Pride?" Nick asked.

She nodded. "And then whenever Ashley called me mom, it made my heart feel so warm. It felt right. Is that... Weird?"

"I don't think I'm the right person to ask about what's normal," Nick said as he shifted slightly. She rested her head on his shoulder. "But if it feels right, maybe it is."

"Being called Mrs. Bren made me think about the future," Sera said, and she looked up into his eyes. "And that felt right, too."

"Mm," he muttered as he looked ahead.

She watched him for a moment, then let out a breath and moved off of him. "You should rest."

"I've been resting for two to three days now," Nick said.

"Too bad," she replied. She moved to the foot of his bed and grabbed his ankles and pulled enough to get him to scramble and lay down. She started to walk around the bed again.

"What are you-"

She pressed a finger to his lips and stared directly into his eyes. "You aren't the only one with things they want to do when you get better."

He blinked, and then she knelt next to his bed. "So... How am I supposed to sleep with that on my mind?"

She smiled, then rested her chin on her arms on the bed. "The same way a child waits for Santa: you go to sleep so morning comes sooner."

He shook his head, and watched her until she started to go red and look away. He smiled, then closed his eyes. She waited for his breathing to slow, then looked down at the calendar on the floor. He must've dropped it when he looked at it earlier.

She picked it up, glanced at him, then flipped it open. Each day had an 'x' through it from January on, no days circled. Her heart sank the further she got, and once she reached August she almost closed it, but she looked at him again, then flipped to September. She blinked, and checked October, then November. She smiled, and looked through the many circled days, starting with the day after they'd first met.

At that time, Frederick sat at the dining table with his wife, Teresa, and son, Colm.

"Did you have fun today, Colm?" Teresa asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. We won the relay, and it was fun making things with dad."

"That's great to hear," she replied. "I can't wait to see the pictures." She looked to her husband. "I bet there are some fun ones!"

Frederick sat silently for a while, until Teresa gently took his hand. "Honey?"

He blinked, then nodded. "I'm sure. We did get our faces painted and hit by water balloons a few times." He turned his attention to Colm. "Son, I want you to befriend the Bren girl."

Both Teresa and Colm looked up at him in surprise.

"But dad, she-"

"Is a Bren," Frederick said. "It is not often that anyone outside of Sunspeak can say they are childhood friends with a Bren, and fostering good inter-noble connections is your responsibility as a Brakken."

Colm shook his head. "I like my friends."

"The Bren girl and her friends are more desirable friends to have."

"Harn and Renni aren't bad!"

"Then it was you who thought it a fine idea to hurt another boy just because he was different?"

Colm went silent, then shook his head.

"Colm," Frederick said. "I will not force you to do anything, but I do want you to try. How about this: tell Harn and Renni that you're going to hang out with the Bren girl and her friends for a bit, tell them you won't stop hanging out with them, and even tell them it was because I said so, and see how they react. Treat it like a sort of test to prove me wrong, if you want. Then ask the Bren girl and her friends what they'd do in the same situation. Can you at least do that for me?"

Colm looked up at his father for a moment, matching his gaze, until he finally looked away and nodded.

Frederick smiled. "Thank you, son."