Chapter 29: A Family Reunion

“Hm? Did you invite someone, Laylen?” Marco asked in surprise, it was uncommon for them to keep guests past the evening hours and it was already getting wait.

“No, I haven’t. Maybe it’s one of the neighbors”.

KNOCK!

KNOCK!

“I’ll go see”. Marco placed the knife and fork on the table and got up.

“Maybe it’s big sis Zetsa!” Liz threw a guess.

“Zetsa said that she will return tomorrow. Don’t eat and speak at the same time”.

“Mm”. Liz nodded and stuffed her mouth with a spoon for mash potatoes.

Waiting on the other side of the door, Zax could hear the discussion inside the house, the slight fatigue in his parents’ voice and the meticulous gentleness in their tone with Liz. It was why he paced himself instead of rushing in, declaring that he is alive. He feared that the tragedy he caused to his parents, coupled with his sudden rise from the grave will be a blow to their physical and mental health.

The door opened without being asked “who’s there” and he could see his father’s silhouette gradually growing. He moved his hand, extended his index finger and poked his father’s forehead before he could react.

The gap was wide enough to cross in. Zax’s figure flashed, appearing next to the dining table. Waves of longing and the urge to embrace his father, mother and little sister surged in his heart, but he restrained himself, poked the foreheads of Laylen and Liz and exited the house.

The streams of soul energy meant to pacify the imminent shock, as best as they could without imposing on the three’s souls.

Marco glanced on the person outside, his eyes and thoughts struggling to synchronize from reasons too many to mention.

“Za...” He was about to fully pronounce in uncertainty only the shut his mouth as the image of his wife and daughter sitting in the table not far behind surfaced in his mind.

“Marco?” Laylen tried to peek beyond his tall figure, yet failed to see past it. She did not question why, out of the blue, she felt calm, mildly uplifted like she had not being in a long time.

Marco did not respond, his eyes still adjusting as they observed and retraced the features of the son he thought he lost.

“Father”, Zax spoke in a soft tone, not rushing to hug him or supplying a hast clarification. “It’s me, I did not die “. His voice was not loud but neither quiet, so his mother and sister could hear him, too.

“Zax... ?” Laylen’s startlingly got up and cautiously advanced to the door.

“Zax...” Liz was the slowest to comprehend and even when the name sounded familiar she had yet to make a response, other than stop eating.

“Fa-” As Zax was about to repeat himself, Marco’s wavering hands garbed his arms and squeezed hard as if to assess that his mind was not playing tricks on him, to make sure he will not disappear, again.

At the same time, Laylen also arrived. “Zax! Zax! Zax! Zax!” Her voice resonated mournfully, disbelievingly. The person at the doorstep looked closely to how she remembered her son, only a bit less muscular and overall big as he was, though slightly maturer with a compassionate look. “Zax!” She crushed into him with an overflow of tears running down her face.

Zax hugged his mother, not sure on the words that he should say, at least not in this particular moment.

Marco stepped back. The only way that he could get to his son was obstructed by his wife, and he was afraid that he will not be able to contend with her.

Zax walked in whilst Laylen caressed his face and looked at him with glistened, red eyes. “Why did you go? Why we were told that you died?”

“Mom, dad...” He reached out for Marco, his father, perhaps was not the most filial son, nevertheless he could and wanted to hug them both. “I’m sorry for worrying you”. Inwardly he was astonished by the willpower he had to invest for his voice not to crack.

“You are back, all fine, my son is back!” Marco dropped the last shard of forbearance. Children meant to outgrow their parents and fathers are allowed to enter their sons’ embrace.

Zax’s heart trembled, his countenance, which he did not let them see, was ugly. Only after holding them both did he understand how frailly they carried themselves in comparison to his initial speculation. If he had not used soul energy prior to showing himself ... imagining the severity of what could have happened to them as a result amplified his guilt.

“Mom, dad, I’ll explain everything, I promise, I’m here and nothing can take me away, so please...”

They had their eyes on his face and they traced the gestured his chin made. It was pointing at the alone Liz in the dining table.

Reluctantly, their grip loosened as they gathered their bearing and then parted ways.

Zax breathed in. How come confronting with the tiniest of them all anxious him the most?

“Hi”, finding the words for a seven years old child happened to be a task more complicated than excusing the fact that he is not dead to adults.

Getting closer and closer, Zax stopped next to Liz’s chair. Her neck tilted up with a passive expression. She opened her mouths but whatever was about to come out was so slow, on the verge of getting stuck in her throat.

“Did you forget me?” Zax jokingly suggested with a tender smile.

Her little fingers withdrew into two hesitant fists. Her lips closed tight. She stared longer than was felt comfortable to and cut the eye contact by replying with a negative headshake.

Zax was relieved. It was one thing to leave for two years when she was five and another to reunite after she was taught and convinced that she will not see him anymore.

“I missed you”. He said, landing her a hand. “Stand up on the chair”. She stayed still and he recalled that she was not allowed. “Mom and dad won’t be mad”. He would have lifted her up himself if he was not scared that she will flinch.

“Sweaty, don’t be afraid of him, your big brother Zax returned home”. Laylen encouraged Liz as she was tacked in her husband’s arms.

Shoving her plate, Liz used the table as support and stood up all by herself. The top of her head about as high as Zax’s sternum. Either she remembered or felt tense, a gleam in her eyes indicated an impending torrent of tears. Zax hoped it was the former, and that he will be able to hold back his own.