2024-06-25 - 4.2- Homecoming

Diath doesn't know what a sevenday is. It hasn't figured out numbers yet, and units of time will need plenty more work and maybe access to an actual clock to understand. For it, the time Mother has spent pining feel like an eternity, like maybe her fears were true, that Pertemarth truly would never return. A horrifying thought to linger in the back of one's young mind.

The wave of relief and joy that crashed over it was a small mirror of Mother's once it realized what had caused her change in mood.

It's aware of Mother's movement, the feel of Pertemarth's mind drifting over them, and pushes back with all it can. It's happiness at his return, at Mother's happiness, relief at his safety. There's no acknowledgement, rarely if every is there acknowledgement no matter how it and the others try, but this time ease overwhelms the longing. He came back, just like it promised he would, he was not and would not be away forever. (Any doubts as to that were quickly cast to the back of Diath's mind. He had gone away, he can come back, the cycle was unbroken and would stay as such.) Mother was joyous, Pertemarth was joyous, and it let itself be carried along on their pleasure, drifting with aimless happiness as they settled in and began to talk.

Pertemath had so much to say, on what Away was like, of the people he had known there. New words like 'cousins' and 'siblings' come to light, 'aunt', 'uncle' and more. 'Barn', 'trees', 'weyr'. But it's the talk of the people that catches Diath's attention.

Playing with children. Meals together. Funny stories of arguments had, situations it doesn't understand but logs away as humorous. Talk of rides, whatever those are. Love, affection, jokes, chatter, things slowly growing among the smaller Someones that also, it now knows, exist in the nebulous place that is Away. There are more and more Someones out there, delightful, tiresome, loud, wonderful Someones than even were already known to Diath.

It can't help but hope, as it listens with rapt attention to each word, its meaning, its emotion, that drifts from Pertemarth's mind, that it will get to meet them soon too.