In the early morning grey light of All Soul's Day, Magda lights candles on her balcony, sheltering them with glass hurricanes. Loki feels odd about asking just what they mean. They seem to be some sort of sacred remembrance. And then he remembers the significance of flames in the memorial ceremony for his mother. There is one candle sitting on her kitchen counter unlit. He knows who that one will be for and he hopes they do not have to light it.
He eats breakfast with her, then returns to his own house to dress and get ready for work. He is tired, but he tries to keep his spirits up as he walks. He had a lovely evening with Alexi. Magda helped him find his footing in an emotional storm. And there is a persistent thought in his mind that they will hear something about Wanda very soon.
Ralph has tea for him when he arrives at the bookshop. He usually does. And there are usually new receipts to file, and Loki does so quickly, organizing their monthly ledgers and reports as well as keeping the notes for taxes up to date. He likes the order of it all.
During lunch, his phone chimes. A message he is not expecting, and it is from Steve Rogers. He opens it.
"We found her. And you were right, they had him, too. We got them both. I will let you know when we can bring her home."
Loki nearly drops the phone, "Everything OK, son?" Ralph asks.
"They found her. She's alive. And she will be coming home, though he does not say when."
"That's wonderful news! First your boy's back, then your girl's coming home. Things sure are shaping up."
"I...I wonder if he's told Magda."
The phone chimes again and he looks down at the next message.
"AAAAAAAAAAA! Did he text you? They found her! And she is alive! I have been staring at my phone for the past few minutes trying to convince myself this is real. It is. Come to my home after work. We will celebrate."
"Magda knows."
"Do you want to take the rest of the afternoon off?"
"No. Magda will not be able to leave work early. I will stay until the the end of our day. Then we will celebrate."
Ralph disappears into the office and comes back with a bottle of wine, "Let's start now." Loki shrugs, smiling, and Ralph pours it into their tea mugs. He raises his, "To good news!"
"Yes, to good news. I hope she is well, all things considered."
"Yeah. Me too. You folks need a break."
"They found her brother as well. He is supposed to be dead, but apparently he is not. I do not know what happened."
"They bringing him home to you with her?"
"Likely not. I would imagine they have some questions to ask. If he has been in the clutches of HYDRA all this time, who knows what he has endured or what he thinks of his sister?"
"HYDRA's that wicked group that came out of SHIELD, right? They've got an office downtown. Big fancy building. Even looks evil."
"I have not seen their building, but I assume that they do, given their visibility."
"Here's to freedom from crazy bastards in evil buildings, then," Ralph says as he raises his glass again. Loki clinks his mug to Ralph's and they drink, refilling their mugs after.
The few customers who wander into the bookshop that evening are met by an unusual sight. Behind the register, a cheerful young man sits with his legs propped up on the corner of the desk across from a slightly drunk old man who laughs freely as he tells jovial stories of his youth, misadventures in libraries, hijinks at literary gatherings, and theories about the origins of literary masterpieces. Everyone who enters is offered a mug of either coffee or wine. By the end of the day, the bottle is empty and they are on their third pot of coffee.
When they close the shop, Ralph sends Loki home with another bottle, "Have a great time with your friend. I'll see you in the morning. Just call if you're up too late tonight."
"Thank you." He puts the bottle in his bag, "Magda will appreciate this."
"Bring her by sometime. And your boyfriend. And Wanda. And her brother, when he gets here. We'll have a party in the bookshop. It'll be a great time."
"We will, once everyone is settled. Have a good night."
"You too, son. You too."
On his walk home, Loki frequently has to resist the urge to run. He wants to get to Magda as soon as he can so he has another someone to celebrate the good news with. When he knocks on her door, she flings it open and grabs him in a huge hug, laughing, kissing his cheeks enthusiastically, and then tugging him into the house.
"She is coming home! Thank god, we will all be together again soon!"
"Did he say when?"
"No. She appears unharmed, but they want to do a medical check and to debrief her."
"So in a few days."
"Possibly as soon as tomorrow evening, if all goes well. I am so excited!" Magda twirls, her layers of skirts floating around her, hair flying as she laughs, her eyes glowing with joy, "Did they tell you Pietro was with her?"
"Yes. I have to wonder what state he is in and who it was who held them. Did they find the stone yet?"
"I do not know. All I know is my beloved is coming home to us. Eventually, we will make space in out lives for Pietro. And we will love on." She grabs him and hugs him again, "Oh, Loki, we are so lucky to have found each other, every one of us."
He smiles and squeezes back, "Yes, yes we are."