They paused at the door, Leelo looking at Jaren expectantly. Should he knock first? Walk in and surprise them? He knew that for his family, his appearance would be like he was coming back from the dead. He didn’t want to scare them. But the thought of waiting even one more minute to see them was unbearable. Hesitantly, he knocked.

It took several moments for the door to creak open. It was Stepan, his beard several inches longer than Jaren remembered. He rubbed at his eyes as if waking from a dream.

“Hello, Father,” Jaren said, before he was engulfed in an enormous bear hug and the air was squeezed from his lungs.

“Girls!” Stepan shouted, and a moment later three familiar faces were at the door behind him, their eyes bright and shining with tears. They surrounded Jaren, exclaiming and squealing like a trio of elated squirrels.

“You’re home! I can’t believe you’re really home!”

“Saints, we’ve missed you.”

Someone pinched Jaren on the arm, hard, and his eyes shot to Tadpole’s.

“What was that for?” he demanded.

“Just making sure this isn’t a dream,” she chirped and went back to jumping in delight.

“That’s not how it works!” he shouted, but he was laughing, too.

Finally, when they had all affirmed that he was indeed alive and well, they stepped back and noticed for the first time that Jaren was not alone.

“Hello,” Leelo said shyly, and Jaren’s heart threatened to explode in his chest from happiness.

He pulled her against his side. “Father, Summer, Story, Tadpole—”

“My name isn’t Tadpole,” Sofia hissed.

Jaren ignored her. “Everyone, this is Leelo Hart. She came from Endla. She’s going to be staying with us for a while.”

Jaren’s family made a valiant effort not to react in a way that would offend Leelo, but he couldn’t help noticing the way Summer shrank back a little and Tadpole gasped in wonder.

“Like, a real Endlan?” she asked. “Not like Tate.”

Jaren was about to admonish his sister for being rude, but Leelo’s face broke out in a radiant smile.

“You know my brother?”

“Of course we do. He’s staying with Lupin.”

Now it was Jaren’s turn to gasp, but Tadpole had already grabbed Leelo’s hand and pulled her into the house.

“It’s too early to go there now,” Stepan said, following his family inside like this was how things had always been.

Jaren smiled as he closed the door behind him, marveling at how this too-small house suddenly didn’t feel crowded at all.

After stuffing Leelo and Jaren full of food, his sisters took Leelo into their bedroom to find her some clean clothing, and, he felt certain, to marvel over her hair and argue over who would get to brush it.