"Sophie! I'm home!" Keefe's loud shout rang throughout the house, otherwise known as Opalgrand. "Daddy's home!" was the small response, and Urena Sencen came running up and tackled her dad in a bear hug. Sophie came next, holding the hand of an elven toddler, named Youet Sencen. He looked up at Keefe and smiled, collapsing on the floor and crawling over to his dad.
"So, what's for dinner?" Keefe asked Sophie, and she grinned. "We're inviting over Dex, Fitz, Biana, Tam, Linh… The whole lot! We haven't seen them for so long!"
Keefe grinned, thinking of everyone (but Tam) that he hadn't seen in over 10 years. Fitz, his best friend, Biana, who he had KISSED, Dex, his rival for Sophie… They were all fragments of the past, coming back to resurface once mo-
"Hey, you coming to cook?" Sophie said, her grin lighting up her face.
Keefe grinned back, saying, "Yeah. But first: How much mallowmelt?"
A knock on the front door sounded, and Sophie rushed over to open it. She grabbed door handle (some things HAD to be human), to find Fitz standing there, grinning, standing next to a beautiful girl, their arms hooked. "Sophie, meet Emrey. Emrey, Sophie."
"Nice to meet you!" They both said, before Sophie moved in to hug Fitz.
Just as she pulled away and invited them inside, Dex walked up, standing next to Linh, a boy child between them. "Sophie!" Dex and Linh yelled, and ran at her. They tackled her with hugs, and the boy walked up at stared in awe at her.
"Hi little guy!" Sophie said. "His name's Berev," Dex said gleefully. Just then, Sophie felt a slight tug on her skirt. She looked down and saw Urena looking questionably at Berev.
"Go inside and play with Berev, Urena!" Sophie said, and they rushed inside, Urena in the lead.
Dex grinned, and he and Linh walked inside.
The last one to arrive was Tam, with Biana beside him.
"Hi Sophie!" Tam and Biana said at the same time, and Sophie laughed and herded them inside.
Two hours later, they sat outside in chairs around a fire, laughing and talking about past events; the Neverseen, their epic defeat, the assistance of the Black Swan, Silveny and Greyfell's child, Silfell (Silveny insisted). Empty plates once full of delicious and exotic foods lay on the ground, crumbs scattered. Urena and Youet were already in bed, and Berev was asleep in Linh's lap, drooling.
Eventually, it was time to leave. Everybody packed up and leapt home, saying good-byes, giving and receiving hugs.
30 minutes later, Keefe and Sophie sat in the living room, Sophie's head in Keefe's lap, Keefe stroking her hair.
"So now we know where Fitz has been," Keefe said, "Finding three more alicorns." Sophie smiled, sitting up slowly. "We need to do that more often," Sophie said quietly. "I agree," Keefe whispered, and they leaned in and kissed.
