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Percy could smell the cookies in the oven before he even reached the door.

He knew they were blue cookies. His mom would only make blue cookies.

Unless she wasn't. What if it wasn't her?

What if she left the house?

What if she was gone?

He pushed the worries aside and knocked on the door.

"Percy? Is that you?" Sally's voice rang out from the kitchen, like it did whenever there was a knock on the door.

"Relax, sweetheart, it's probably just the pizza delivery." Paul wrapped his arms around her neck to calm his wife down. She could get into states like this.

Like a few months ago, when Percy left. She had baked cookies for him for a week until she realized he wasn't coming home.

Then she had a mental breakdown for a month.

Now she was back to baking cookies. Trays of cookies were piling up in the kitchen with no one to eat them.

But Paul stuck with her through it all. He knew how hard it was to lose someone.

He hugged her once again and went to open the door.

Percy could hear their voices through the doorway.

He knew his mom didn't believe it was pizza delivery.

He knew she believed it was him.

He bent down to tie his shoe and the door opened.

"Percy?" Paul exclaimed incredulously.

Percy glanced up. "Surprise?" he said weakly.

"Percy, where were you? Your mom's been worried sick about you!" Paul shook his head in wonder at the kid's timing.

"I'm sorry, I just-where is she?" Percy finally realized he hadn't seen his mother in a long time.

Paul gestured to the kitchen.

Percy took a deep breath and walked through the doorway.

"Percy?" Sally cried. The tray of cookies she was holding dropped to the floor.

"Mom, I'm sorry, I love you, I'm sorry..." Percy buried his face in his mom's apron and squeezed her tightly.

"I love you too." The little family was quiet for a moment before Percy looked around.

"What's all this?" he asked, his arm around Sally.

She sighed and opened the oven door.

"Percy," Sally started, but was interrupted by her husband.

"Your mother has been waiting for you for a long time," Paul cut in. "She baked you cookies every day."

He gave a meaningful look to Percy, who shut his open mouth.

Percy's eyes filled with tears. To think his mom had almost been reduced to nothing because of him.

"I'm home now, Mom," he whispered. "I'm here to stay."

And that's what you would see if you were to walk through the Jackson's door that night.