Chapter 56 #2
Her father. His bright red hair was gone.
His head was completely shaved with just a bit of shadow to show where it would be if he let it grow.
He also had a lot of tattoos, all of them plucked into his skin from other prisoners – not one from before his time there.
He was both skinnier and more muscular than when she had been young, a result of a hard life and a lack of food.
He was wearing plain jeans and a white shirt that didn’t fully cover the scar on his arm and thick, brown boots as he stepped down, looking around cautiously. Like he was expecting a fight.
“Daddy!” Chee yelled, breaking into a sprint.
He caught sight of her and she saw something break on his face. He ran towards her too.
The crash in the middle was so hard it hurt. But that wasn’t why Chee was crying as, for the first time in almost two decades, she hugged her father as tight, as long, as close as she wanted.
“Baby girl,” he whispered into her ear. And he didn’t seem any smaller, any less powerful, than he had when she was just a gangly pre-teen that clung to him as he carried her into a hospital.
He broke the hug first so he could hold her face. He was smiling, but there were shadows in his eyes. A new darkness that hadn’t been there before he went to prison. He kissed her forehead and hugged her again. And not a single person interrupted.
But a dog did.
Justice, Chee’s big, fluffy, golden retriever didn’t care that this was the first time Chee had seen her dad free in years. It was the first time he’d seen his own mom since she left Earth – which might as well have been an eternity in his little doggy brain.
Barking, jumping, whining, their hug was finally broken apart by Justice trying his best to climb Chee and lick her face.
She obliged by kneeling down, throwing her arms around him.
Crying and laughing as she greeted her dog.
She had left him with her mom when she wasn’t sure that this venture was going to work, but that choice had been such a hard one.
His bright red collar was attached to a retractable leash held by her mother.
Chee’s mom had more than a few gray hairs through her black hair that hadn’t been there before. There were deeper lines around her eyes now. But there was a new lightness to her eyes, to her smile, that Chee hadn’t seen since her father was put away.
“Hey, sweetie,” she beamed, going down to hug her. Chee held onto her mom and her dog at the same time. Then looked back when her dad came down, holding all three of them. They were all laughing and crying and Justice was slobbering and trying to lick everyone at the same time.
It was the culmination of years of separation and loneliness. Weeks of worry and disbelief. A huge risk that Chee had no guarantee would work. And the faith of a family that remained bonded through the worst the universe could throw at them.
It was only missing one thing.
Turning, she looked back to see Trove standing there. He was hanging back, looking slightly awkward, as he waited for them to finish reuniting. He caught sight of her and offered a smile, but he didn’t try to approach.
He didn’t know the love of a family.
But she was eager to introduce them.
Turning back, she smiled at her parents as she stood.
She had to keep a hand down so Justice, who was weaving around them, could bump against her fingers.
Her parents stood as well, and both of them looked past her.
Her dad’s hand tightened on her arm as he glared suspiciously, but her mom’s expression was carefully controlled and neutral.
Both of them must know who he was. Chee had told her mother about Hyde’s deal. She knew that Chee was coming out here to find her mate for him. And, doubtlessly, she would have told her father. There wasn’t anyone else that Chee would have brought with her like this.
Still, she introduced them-
“Mom, dad, this is Trove. Trove, this is my mom Eliza and my dad Blake.”
Trove took a step closer, his tail whipping. The only sign of his agitation. His face was still set in its usual, careless grin.
“So,” Blake started simply. Judgmentally. “You’re the one.”
“I do believe that’s what humans call it,” Trove agreed. “An honor to meet both of you.”
Her dad continued to glower. Trove smiled back at him. Chee’s eyes darted between them, waiting to see what would break. She loved her dad’s protectiveness, but she loved Trove as well. She wanted them to get along.
Her mom was the one who broke the moment. Stepping up, she looked Trove up and down once before breaking into a wide, genuine smile.
“Hello. It’s so nice to meet you!” She declared.
Then, before Chee could stop her, she threw her arms around Trove and embraced him. Like a mother welcoming her child home after a long time. She laughed and squeezed him in the kind of hug that Chee absolutely loved.
Trove stood there, eyes wide. Then something broke on his face. Something hard shattered and a full body shudder went through him. Chee grimaced and reached out for her.
“Er, mom. Trove doesn’t like it when-”
He embraced her back. His face crumpling like he was on the verge of tears. He didn’t look like he hated it at all. He looked like he was stunned but not unwilling.
Trove had never been given a mother’s hug before. And he clung to it as tightly as Chee had to her own father.
Chee’s hand dropped as she relaxed. He was okay. Devasted, probably, but okay.
A hand on her shoulder made her turn back to her father as he smiled at her.
“He seems interesting,” he said simply.
Chee chuckled as Trove stepped back, looking at his own body like he expected something about it to be changed after that hug.
“I think you’ll like him. Oh, but he wants to fight you. By the way.” She looked back at her dad who appeared confused. And she laughed. “Probably later. Don’t worry about it.”
Trove looked at her. Still confused and struck. She gave him a smile as she reached for him. He went willingly. Putting his arms around her. Holding her next as Chee’s dad put his own arm around her mom’s shoulders. All the while Justice jumped and licked and barked.
And finally, Chee’s family was complete.