Keely was right. It rained all night long. Fortunately, the fight Yazoo and Father supposedly were in didn't last that long. It was probably about two hours before I figured the coast was clear, and I could sneak into the living room and retrieve the phone, so Keely could call someone to pick her up. I had one problem though.

Keely was snoring lightly on my lap. She even drooled a bit, but it was in a cute way. However, I needed to get up, I was getting a cramp in my leg, and after all didn't Keely want to go home? I didn't want a girl staying in my room all night.

"Keely," I whispered for the tenth time, trying to wake her up. Her head was very heavy. "Keely!" I said a bit louder, shaking her slightly. Keely just mumbled in her sleep and shifted, but didn't wake up or roll off my lap. I got annoyed.

"Fine."

I abruptly stood up, and I heard her head hit the ground hard. "Ow!" She cried and sat up, rubbing her head.

"That sure woke you up."

"Kadaj! What was that for?" Keely demanded angrily.

"For giving my leg a cramp. Now wait here, I'll go get you a phone," I replied, and left the room quietly. I sneaked into the living room and spotted the phone on our coffee table. I hid behind the sofa, peeked out to look around, and made sure the area was clear. I then ran for it; jumping over the sofa, grabbing the phone. I was charging my way back when suddenly someone said my name.

"Kadaj." I turned around. Father was standing there. Just my luck.

"Father," I replied, shifting my eyes. I hid the phone behind my leg. "What is it?"

"I'm going out, and I'm not sure when I'll be back. I leave Mother in your care. Farewell," Father said, and left. Just like that.

"What?" I said to no one in particular, because he was out of the house. What just happened here? Why was Father leaving so often? I hoped he wasn't doing any evil deeds, such is his manner. But there is a high chance he is; Yazoo, having a girl in the house. Loz, failing a school test, getting kicked out. It was too much on him. That's probably why he chose me, me, to protect Mother. He...trusted me. I was the only one left.

Guilt spread through my mind like a virus. I'm not innocent, I thought. I can't be trusted. I have a girl in my room...

But! I haven't done anything. She was there due to the circumstances, and those circumstances I couldn't control. It wasn't my fault. "Mother!" I cried, running to our dining table and facing her. "You understand! Don't you?" I pleaded.

She stared back at me with her empty eyes.

"It's not my fault! I can't control it! I can't control anything anymore!" I sobbed. I lay my head against the table, crying. "What happened to everyone? Why is Loz suddenly backstabbing the family? He's going to end up like Cloud. Cloud...who doesn't follow our ideals! Yazoo is being careless! Dear, sweet Yazoo, the cunning one, the role model. He no longer lives up to what he used to be. And I, myself, am turning into something else...but I never chose! It just happened," I explained to Mother. I felt a chill run down my back. I took that as Mother's message.

"She's...she's beautiful you see," I whispered, caressing Mother's face. Just like Father does. I wanted Mother to understand me, just like she understood Father. It wasn't fair, he was the only one...But I'll make her understand. I'll explain it all! I'll pour my feelings out. Mother knows all; she sits here, and listens to everything that happens in our house. But she doesn't know what happens everywhere else...

"She reminds me of you so much," I continued to Mother, "She's not like the other girls. Not at all. She's all I have left, her and you, both of you; my loves. Everyone else I care for no more!" I declared, for it was the truth. I pounded my fist into my palm. "I don't care if Father thinks it's wrong! He doesn't make up the rules. You do. And I know you'll allow it. You won't regret it, Mother, you won't," I kissed Mother's cheek, so cold against my lips.

"You don't speak, but I know you're listening. That's all I need. To know that you're listening," I said quietly. "Now I must go back to her. She's been held captive in my room long enough, and should leave this mad house...," I started to turn away when something interrupted me.

"You fool," Came Yazoo's voice.

I turned. "Yazoo?" I piped up meekly. The sight of the brilliant Yazoo; bruises and cuts on his face and elegant arms. Father's work.

"You talk like a mad man. You and Father. You're both so stupid," Yazoo continued, in this strange voice I've never heard come from him. He was angry...so angry. He's never been this angry.

"W-What are you talking about?" I stammered.

"I'm talking about Mother. That worthless piece of junk we keep in our house. That piece of tin we talk to as if it were real."

I dropped the phone. My mouth dropped open in stunned silence.

"Go ahead. Freak out, just like everyone else. Why are you staring at me like that, Kadaj? What have I done? Demolished your god? Please. You're so brain washed it's not even funny," Yazoo glared at me, something I've never experienced. He let out a sigh and passed his fingers over a cut on his face that had started bleeding again.

"What...what happened to you...?" I was so shocked, I'm surprised I could still make out words.

"What happened? I'll tell you what happened. I got a reality check," Yazoo spat, walking over to Mother. I quickly ran to her first, blocking her from his path. Something in my gut told me he was about to do something horrible.

"Don't! Don't come near her!" I screamed.

"Why are you protecting that thing?"

I trembled something terrible and began crying silently. I was so scared. I wanted Yazoo to leave and never come back.

"Move aside little brother; I have to remove her," Yazoo demanded.

"No!" I shoved Yazoo. I shoved him.

He was just as shocked as I was. He had fallen back and landed on the ground. I stared at him in stunned silence, not believing what I did either. Suddenly Yazoo gave out a hollow chuckle.

"I see now. I see how it is," He slowly got up and glared at me.

"I-I-I'm sorry...," I sputtered but he shook his head.

"You're not. But that's ok. Soon you will be," Yazoo replied, and walked away to his room. I didn't wait for him to come back, or anything else. I began to frantically think of a way to get Mother out of here, to safety, away from Yazoo.

But then he came out of his room with luggage and bags. My heart stopped beating.

"I'm leaving," He announced, not looking at me.

"Where are you going?" I screamed, crying.

"None of your business. But I'm going where I belong." Yazoo left then.

I cried out his name but he didn't come back. I fell to my knees and didn't get up.

But I hadn't know we had an audience. I heard my name pass through someone else's lips, and I looked up to see Keely standing over me. She was crying too.

"Kadaj," She repeated. "I'm so sorry."

"Why?" I cried out at her. "Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything..." I replied. Or so I thought. But I'll get to that later.

Keely didn't reply, but placed her arms around me. "Don't worry. It'll be alright, ok?" She said.

"No it won't," I replied, staring at Mother.

"Yes it will."

"I love Mother. So much," I said, not really knowing why. This was Keely I was talking too.

"I know," Keely replied, her tone different but sympathetic all the same.

"So much...," I repeated, and this time it was my turn to lay my head against Keely. I closed my eyes and wished none of this was happening. I wish Loz was back, apologizing about the hole in my wall, throwing his football around so much it has broken a number of vases. I wish Yazoo was back too, giving me advice on girls I didn't need, bragging about this and that, flourishing the cool clothes he wore and flipping his hair that way he did. I wish Father was here, yelling at me to turn my music off, asking what I got on a school test, and forcing me to eat prune cereal. But none of those wishes will come true. For so long I had wished I was alone...I hated my family, my school, my life. But now that I truly was alone, I wanted all those things back.

♡♡

Even though Keely consoled me throughout the next few days, she still didn't understand. You see, Keely and her sisters are different than my family. We look the same. But she's so much different...

Around three years ago we all lived in the same town. I was friends with Keely, and her sisters friends with my brothers. We had a lot in common, both in ideals and looks. People often saw us and called us "The Brady Bunch" because we were a group of six, that all had silver hair and green eyes. My brothers and I really considered Keely and her sisters, our sisters. I had thought Keely and I had so much in common. I had thought I could relate to her.

But then, Keely and her sisters disappeared for awhile. I was sad, and wondered where my play mate had gone. Father however had never liked our Sisters. He let us get away with it at first, but when they left, he expressed his feelings for them for the first time. I never knew he hated them so, and I wondered if there was something wrong with them that I should know about. Back then Father controlled our lives more than he did now; he said someone was bad, they were bad. He thought someone good, then we believed them good. We were naive, and believed everything he said. That way, we were nice and controlled. We behaved.

But when he heard a rumor about their disappearance, he automatically declared that rumor to be true, and he explained it. He made us believe it was true. At first I doubted it, and thought it silly. What does Father mean? I had thought. How can someone not believe in Mother...?

It was rumored that Keely and her sisters had been taken away for brain washing. Bad people took them away, and erased their belief of Mother. Now this was before we even had Mother with us, so other people believing in her was common and no one was suspicious. But there were getting to be less and less people...soon, people laughed at us and declared us crazy, bad, sometimes even evil. Some of my friends who shared my ideals even changed when they came back from a "sudden vacation". Their hair color wasn't the same; sometimes not even their eyes. And they completely forgot who Mother even was.

"What is wrong with everyone? They're against us," I asked Father one day, when I was very little.

"They don't understand," He replied, an angry scowl on his face. Father was very stressful at those times too; people were after him.

"Why not?" I wondered.

"Because people are stupid. At least these ones are. But hopefully our world will get renewed...," Then Father went on about this crazy plan of his that I never paid attention too.

This was when Cloud began leaving us more and more. You see, Cloud was often ridiculed when in our family. He was different. He wasn't like us. His hair and eyes were different and people picked on him for it. He felt miserable, and alone, and wouldn't talk anymore. He was the oldest one so we couldn't understand him and his pains. So one day he left to explore the world, and he'd sometimes come back. Until this day that's what I think he's doing; merely exploring the world. Because he's been the same ever since, always coming and going...

Keely and her sisters came back one day and my brothers and I were overjoyed. However, their coming back didn't do any of us any good. Father banned us from ever seeing them again. We obeyed...well, the best we could. Loz was caught with Lucy one day, and Father blew his top. He "accidentally" burned our house down, Loz barely escaping. Lucy got the message and her sisters never talked to us again. Before our official departure, because we were moving away obviously, Keely told me that they weren't talking to us because they were afraid of Father; and not because they didn't like us. When we moved out of our old town to this one, I was happy knowing that. But not for long. Father forced more things in our head, and soon we grew to hate the Sisters. That explains why, when Keely and her sisters just so happened to move here too after a few years, I didn't answer when she called. I didn't talk to her when she asked me too. I avoided her, ignored her, hated her.

But now everything has changed.

Keely had made her way into my life once again, but I'm still not sure if that's a good thing or bad. Father would obviously think it was bad; you know what happened between him and Yazoo when Yazoo was found out. But when I'm around Keely, it feels right. It turns into a good thing.

But Father didn't have control of our lives anymore. Slowly, one by one, everyone left, now I'm all alone.

That was all I thought about, day and night. How my life suddenly turned more miserable than it ever was. My only comfort was Keely and Mother. And Father still hasn't come back from wherever he went. Yazoo I've only seen at school. But even there, I haven't seen him much. Sometimes, not at all.

♡♡

"Come over tonight. I have a surprise for you," Keely said to me one day at school.

I frowned, and ran a hand through my hair. "I'm not sure if I can," I replied quietly. I have been going straight home everyday, staying by Mother's side day and night. I was so afraid for her. Father has yet to come home, and I wished he'd hurry up.

"Please?" Keely pleaded, looking up at me. She was so close...I could have kissed her right then and there. But I didn't. It was something that happened only in my thoughts, and shouldn't happen in real life.

"Alright. I'll try," I promised, just to get her to stop asking. I was more miserable than I've ever been lately, and felt as if nothing could fully satisfy me; not even Keely's surprise. Whatever it was.

"You better. I know you'll like it. But you need to pinky swear you'll come," Keely stuck her pinky up, and awaited for me to conjoin my pinky with hers, swearing that I'd come. I don't know who invented this mode of swearing an oath; gripping someone else's pinky with yours doesn't make a different whatsoever.

I sighed. I wasn't sure I was coming so I couldn't swear I could. "What kind of surprise is this anyway?" I wondered as we walked down the hallway.

"I can't tell you, it's a surprise," Keely laughed. "But I know it's something you've been wanting for a long time now."

That got my mind whirling, trying to figure out what it was. However I couldn't think of anything that wasn't perverted.

"I won't come if I don't know what it is," I finally said.

"Kadaj!" Keely replied sternly. "That's not fair."

"Life isn't fair," I pointed out miserably, and she gave me a worried look.

"I can't stand seeing you like this. Trust me, you'll like this surprise! It's for your own good!" Keely insisted. "Please come!"

"Ok, ok, sheesh woman."

"That's more like it." She held up her pinky again. "Pinky swear!"

I reluctantly raised my pinky too and conjoined it with hers. She smiled and instead of letting go, she swung our hands together. "I'll see you later. Don't forget!"

I watched her let go then walk to class.

♡♡

I walked to Keely's house around dinner time. It was tempting to come earlier, but she specifically said when it started to get dark out, or around dinner time, whichever. Was I having dinner at her house? Was that the surprise? That wasn't something I've been wanting for a long time. Food didn't interest me.

When I was at her door she opened before I even had the chance to knock. "Come on in!" She called, pulling me inside by the arm and quickly kissing my cheek. I placed a hand on the spot and looked around, but not really seeing anything. I was suddenly bewildered.

"Hey, don't worry, it's going to ok. You'll see!" Keely said, but to me it sounded far away. She lead me into her dining room, which was next to the kitchen. I saw Yazmin cooking something in there. Next to her...was Yazoo.

My hand fell from my cheek, and swung at my side. I stared at Yazoo's back, and watched as he and Yazmin talked and cooked together.

"Surprise," Keely whispered in my ear. I turned to her. She was smiling really big. I guess she thought she had done something good for me. Was it good? Is this what I really did want for a long time? To see Yazoo again, being days since we last saw each other, after he parted so heartlessly? Yes. I guess it was.

I almost started crying with relief to see that Yazoo was safe and sound, even though he hurt me badly. And even though he was with Yazmin (again) I still felt happy to see him. I looked at Keely again who was still smiling at me.

"I...," I hesitated. Telling her I loved her would seem too sudden, wouldn't it? "...I mean, thanks," I said instead, and she nodded, smiling even wider. Then she nudged me to say something, so I turned my attention back to Yazoo.

"Yazoo," I called finally. He turned around slowly, then stared at me in surprise. Was he not expecting this some time or later? I mean obviously, one day, I'd figure out he was with Yazmin. It was too obvious.

"...Kadaj!" Yazoo suddenly ran to me and hugged me tightly. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

It was as if what happened between us those nights ago never happened. When I walked in here to find Yazoo, I half expected him to chase me away and tell me never to come back. Or I even expected him to tell me he hated me. I was expecting all those things.

"Keely brought me here. She brought me back to you," I replied.

"Well, good. I'm glad to see you little brother," Yazoo let go of me and ruffled my hair.

"Why are you so happy? I thought you hated me now. The way you left...," I trailed off.

Yazoo kept smiling. "I'm sorry about that. I was too harsh. I scared you, didn't I?" He replied.

I nodded.

"Yes, I'm sorry for that. But I had to leave that house. You don't understand yet...," Yazoo turned to Yazmin then and she smiled at him. "However, here, I can devote all my love to anyone I want. That includes you," Yazoo turned to me again.

"You're right. I don't understand. You could've have loved me at home too, like you always have. You have no idea how miserable I was...still am...since you left. Father left that same night, just before you did. Loz is long since gone. I'm all alone," I replied.

Yazoo's smile dropped and he placed a hand on my shoulder. "I didn't know. I thought Father would have at least stayed, so you would have him. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. I'm glad you're happy and well. You like it here?"

"Yes. It's better then our house. I'm free here. I'm even doing better at school. Kadaj, I have a job!" Yazoo threw his head back and laughed.

I couldn't help smiling, even if for a bit. My mouth wasn't really used to smiling, but if it was, I would have been smiling through and through now. Yazoo, working? It definitely was something to laugh about.

"Dinner's ready," Yazmin suddenly announced.

"Come on, little brother. Now you'll finally see what it's like to really have a family dinner," Yazoo told me, and steered me into the dining room. I didn't like how he said that; we had perfectly fine family dinners at our house.

While we were eating, Yazmin suddenly asked me, "So you're really staying at your house all alone?"

She looked worried. I looked away from her and nodded.

"Yazoo, you should do something," Yazmin said to Yazoo, taking his hand.

"There aren't many options. Either Kadaj moves in here too, or I move back," Yazoo replied.

"Well, actually, there's only one option. Either you move back Yazoo or I'm alone because I'm not moving in here," I said sternly. I know Keely was hearing this and I hoped she didn't get the wrong message. If it were up to me, I'd move in here in an instant just so we could all be together, just like old times. Like sisters and brothers. Well, with a few benefits.

"How come Kadaj?" Yazmin asked.

"Because. I can't disobey my father..."

"Oh, come off it Kadaj!" Yazoo suddenly cried out. "You're not going to end up following that lunatic all your life, are you?"

"Father may have different ideals then everyone else but he is by no means crazy," I fired back at Yazoo. "He's Father. Why are you betraying him?"

"Because it was for the best. Best for me anyway. I don't know why I wasn't the first to go; Loz I guess is definitely smarter than me." Yazoo leaned back in his chair, all sure of himself.

"Well I'm sorry. I'm all he has left. He may come out cruel, obnoxious, and intimidating, but Father has feelings too," I said quietly.

"I can't believe I'm hearing this from the same person whom a few weeks ago hated the man. It's as if you've forgotten all the punishments he's bestowed on you," Yazoo replied, draining his wine glass.

"Please, just stop," Keely suddenly piped up. We all turned to her. "If Kadaj wants to stay at his own house, let him. I mean it's his house. I don't blame him," Keely added, looking at me. She gave me a small smile.

I was about to smile back (it takes me awhile to finally do it, I'm not used to it) when Yazoo sighs and I turn back to him instead.

"Fine. Let's not quarrel. I think we did enough of that the day I left," Yazoo said, giving me the good ole' Yazoo smile he used to always give me. Then, I looked around, and everyone was smiling. How come it was so easy for them? Well, the first thing I'm going to do when I go home is smile. I'm going to practice smiling.

"Well, Keely and I will clear the plates. You two can go watch tv or something," Yazmin spoke up, and got up. Keely got up too. I looked at Yazoo and he nodded to me, so I stood up with him and follow him out of the dining room.

We took a seat on their couch. Yazoo sighed happily, sinking back on his chair and closing his eyes for a moment. I stared at him. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked at me.

"So. How's school?" He asked me.

"Alright."

"That's good."

"How come I never see you?" I asked.

Yazoo sighed. "I'm there. It's just that I don't really play around anymore. I'm taking school seriously now."

"Wow. All this change...it's all Yazmin's work, isn't it?" I wondered, out loud by accident. I meant for it to be a thought.

Yazoo didn't answer for awhile. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, she kind of took over your life."

"That's usually what happens when you fall in love."

"You're really in love with her?"

"Of course. I wouldn't be here, cooking, if I wasn't in love with her. Capiche?" Yazoo replied.

"But I thought even though you were bisexual, you were more on the homo side..."

Yazoo didn't answer for awhile on that one either. Then, so abruptly it scared me, he threw his head back again and laughed really hard.

"What? It's true. You had more boyfriends than girlfriends. You talked about your boyfriends more admiringly. Now all of a sudden, you fall in love with one of the girls you're dating?" I wondered.

"Sure, I was playing around for a bit. But I grew bored of playing in general. When I reunited with Yazmin after all these years, I realized I've loved her all along. Even when we were back in our old town. Even though Father banned me from ever seeing her again...twice, now," Yazoo replied, laughing. "And she's not one of the girls I'm dating. She's the only one now."

I didn't ask any more questions on that. What could I say? Yazoo was in love. And he wasn't just saying that either. If he really did cancel all of his relationships for one person, then yes, he was definitely in love. I've heard scary stories about people who fell in love. They did all sorts of crazy things. I hoped Yazoo didn't end up doing anything drastic. I haven't experienced Yazoo in love. Wait...or have I? Were the things he said, back the night he left, were those really his words? Or just what Yazmin said?

"Yazoo...," I called.

"Yes?"

"How come you don't believe in Mother anymore?" I asked. I patiently waited his answer. Sometimes people in love didn't even have a reason for doing something. They just did it.

After a silence, longer than the others that happened in this conversation, Yazoo averted his eyes away from me. "I guess I thought she was the reason," He finally answered.

"The reason for what?"

"The reason for Loz going away, but not coming back. Loz himself probably thought Mother was punishing him so he never came back. The reason Father is so harsh with us. Father is so obsessed with Mother he doesn't truly care about our feelings. And finally...because if I don't believe in Mother, then I can love Yazmin," Yazoo explained quietly.

"What does loving Yazmin have to do with Mother?" I wondered, even though I knew the answer.

"Don't act stupid. Father himself said Mother wished us not to love any other woman other than her. I couldn't do that. I was sick of sneaking around, going overboard just so I wouldn't get caught by Father. And for what? Because he believed Mother 'said so'? I just couldn't believe it. Don't you think if Mother truly understood us, she would let us do what we desired, and have who we desired?"

I didn't answer.

"Besides, I actually still believe in Mother. I just had to say all those things because I needed to take Mother away," Yazoo finished.

I turned to him, shocked. "Away? Away where?" I cried, for I remember when Yazoo told me to move away from Mother, because he was going to "remove her".

"Yazmin says there's a better place for her. That she was better off here."

"Here? But why? Keely and her sisters don't believe in Mother, remember?" I asked shrilly. Why the sudden interest in Mother? Was this why Yazoo didn't let Yazmin see the dining room, the first day the Sisters came to our house? Because back then he believed they shouldn't see her, or where she was, in fear that they'd take her away?

"They don't. And I do remember; Yazmin and her two sisters did get brainwashed. But they need Mother for something. I understood, so I decided to help them out," Yazoo replied.

"Are you crazy?" I cried. "You can't go around moving Mother around! She'll fall apart! And remember what Father said? Anyone who wants Mother is just lying, because they really just want her for themselves!"

"Our Sisters don't want Mother for themselves. They don't believe in her, you said it yourself. So I saw that it was perfectly safe to help out," Yazoo replied, a confused look on his face as if all of a sudden it didn't matter who placed their dirty paws on Mother.

"You didn't see anything. You just saw another way to help your little girlfriend out," I hissed, getting up.

"Kadaj, stop. You sound just like Father..." Yazoo suddenly looked scared. I was very angry, and didn't want to look at him anymore. Actually, I did sound like Father, and all this anger towards Yazoo I was feeling, was probably what Father felt when we disobeyed him.

In any case, I didn't care who I was acting like, I just knew I had to get home as soon as I could and figure out a way to move Mother to another place. Somewhere Yazoo and the others don't know, so she'll be hidden and safe.

I made my way to the front door. I heard Keely come back from the kitchen, notice me leaving, and calling out my name. I stopped out of instinct, but for only a second. I threw open their door and continued on going outside.

"Kadaj, wait!"

I stopped but didn't turn around.

"Kadaj..." Keely came up behind me and threw her arms around me.

"Please, Keely. I have to go," I said bluntly.

"Don't go. What did Yazoo say to anger you like this?" Keely wondered, turning me around so I faced her.

"Nothing."

"It couldn't of have been nothing," Keely insisted sternly. She was frowning, but looked as beautiful as ever. I reached up to her and tilted her chin upward, so I could see her face better.

"I'm sorry I stormed out. But it isn't something I can discuss with you," I explained calmly.

She looked up at me and asked, "Why are you tilting my face up towards you?"

"I-I don't know...," I replied, taken aback by her sudden change of subject.

"Are you going to kiss me?"

"I-I don't know...," I replied, turning red. How can she be so forward about something like that?

"Then why don't you do it already?" She asked me.

"Um..."

But I didn't, and couldn't, say anything else. Keely stood on tip toe, flung her arms around my neck, and pressed her lips against mine. She was kissing me. I was kissing her? We were kissing. My eyes were still open in shock and embarrassment even after she backed away and smiled at me gently.

"It was about time I did that. You don't know how long I've waited for the right moment," Keely said.

"Is there really a right moment?" I wondered.

"No. Not really. I guess I just felt like getting it over with," Keely replied. I didn't know what to do next. I mean, here was Keely; smiling, beautiful Keely, standing there looking at me. Was she waiting for something? Another kiss? A confession? A bravo?

"I...like y—cereal," I said. What? I like cereal? That's not what I wanted to say! I slapped my forehead.

"What? You like cereal?" Keely asked, confused.

"Yes."

"Oh..."

"Never mind about that. I like you, Keely."

"Oh. I like you too Kadaj."

"Alright. That's good. Or else that kiss would've been for nothing," I replied.

"Maybe it was for nothing. I just like getting your hopes up," Keely joked. Well, I hoped she was joking.

"I like you getting my hopes up," I replied and Keely laughed. I smiled. I actually smiled. And I really do like cereal. But I like Keely even more.

♡♡

When I opened my front door, still abit dumfounded you can say about the recent events, something even more unexpected surprised me that night.

Father was home.

"Father?" I called, walking towards him. He had been sitting on our sofa.

He looked behind him, and seeing me, he got up. Then he made his way over to me and looked down upon me with his stern look that always seemed plastered on his face.

"Welcome back Father. I took good care of Mother," I told him proudly.

"I see that. I half expected to find her in pieces," He replied gruffly.

"Oh, Father. After all the work we did to piece her together?" I chuckled. I chuckled at Father. Even while I was doing it, I couldn't believe I was. Why was it that I was in such high spirits when just twenty minutes ago I was searing with rage at Yazoo? I felt Keely's lips against mine again. They weren't cold like Mother's cheek. They were a lot different.

Father did something unexpected again. He smiled at me. Suddenly my own smile from chuckling dropped, and my eyes watered. "I missed you," I mumbled to Father.

"I understand why. You've been living here all alone haven't you? That idiot Yazoo moved out."

"Yes. But both him and Loz are doing well where they are now. They've told me so at school," I lied. I missed Father, and was glad for his return, but I couldn't afford to tell him the whole truth.

"That's alright Kadaj. I'm home and we can protect Mother together," Father replied, and placed an arm around me. I looked up at him bewildered, and for the first time since I've ever remembered, I hugged him. And he placed a hand on my head.

I didn't understand why we needed to protect Mother. I mean, we've always had to protect her, but not specifically against anything. Father knew something I didn't, perhaps, but I didn't care. I was more than happy to do anything for Mother.

I was promised a surprise that night. Instead, I got many. All of which, I was glad to experience. I do hope I get surprised again.