At this point, the Flower Dances were no big deal. I don't know when Sam and I established we were going together every year, but we just... did. We just got in our fancy getup, showed up, and did the choreography facing each other, without fail. As the years went by, this unfailing tradition made me happier and happier. Made me feel like I was a genuine part of something.
After this year's, I'd changed back into my usual clothes and headed to my usual fishing spot to do my usual fishing. Sam had said he'd joined me after he went home and changed.
He still wasn't there, though, when the sun was grazing the horizon. I was initially a little concerned, but I shrugged it off as the possibility that his mom needed help with dinner or something.
It seemed like I'd just come to this conclusion, actually, when Sam finally came around the corner. He arrived in a bit of a sprint, actually.
"Well, hey," I smiled.
"Hi," he replied, sitting down beside me, still a bit winded. "Sorry that took so long. We... received some good news."
We? As in... his family?
"Oh yeah?" I said.
"Yeah," he said, with a smile on his face. "My old man, he's... he's coming back next year. Next Spring. We just got the confirmation letter. He's... 100% coming home this time..." He very clearly was still in disbelief.
"Oh, wow, that's... that's amazing news!" I reacted. "I can't imagine what you all must be feeling right now."
"...Actually, it's weird," said Sam. "Of course, I'm relieved and happy and all that. I'm excited for him to see how Vincent and I have grown, especially Vincent. But... I'm just... not numb, but... I'm not frantically excited. It's almost like a part of me had been expecting that everything would be alright all along."
"That can happen," I nodded.
"Heh, I wish it hadn't been just a part, though," he said. "Would've saved me a lot of hassle. Well, we can't change the past, and everything's turning out alright in the end, so I'm happy. I'm just... happy."
"I'm glad to hear it," I smiled.
"Maybe I still haven't processed it's real," said Sam.
"Oh, maybe," I replied. "You guys have missed him for how long? And now, all of a sudden, you're told he's coming home? That's a bit of a sudden transition for the mind to handle, even if it's good news."
"Yeah, that's true," Sam agreed. "...He's fought a long fucking fight, but now, he's finally coming home. Next year. Weird."
He said it was weird, but he didn't sound confused at all.
Author's note: Fairly sure I butchered this one, too. I based the mood for this moment off Sam's in-game quote of "I think my Dad might be coming back next year. I guess that's kind of soon. Weird."