glassb

Also... this! It's a present for them.

Cookie molds...? What shapes are these supposed to be...?

Hehe, they're all my dearest friends! This one reading is you, Istina, and this one with the headphones is Zima, and the one with the wonky hat is Rosa...

Er, and this horned one...? It can't be Rosalind, can it?

No, that one's Uncle Matterhorn... He spent forever teaching me when I was learning how to make molds, so I put him into the set too!

Leto's is this one with the honey pot!

All quite detailed, too. You've put a lot of care into these, Lada... Er, don't you have a design for yourself?

Hm? If Mama and Papa get to see me and everything... then would they need a mold for me?

They'll have the real Gummy with them in the flesh, so they won't mind!

Oh, yeah... Istina, what presents are you giving your Mama and Papa?

Ah... me?

I... haven't been through the process yet.

You see, suddenly learning they're still alive, and that we can <i>meet again</i> on top of that... It just strikes me as slightly unreal.

Unreal...? I don't get it...

When I heard they found my parents, I got so happy I couldn't sleep for days, you know!

I'm very happy too... and very excited, and I'd love to take to them right this instant. But...

Our fraught flight from Chernobog, all the things we went through... then our coming to Rhodes Island, and all after that—we've spent so long living life together.

What news we had of them before never, in the end, went anywhere. If... just if, this time is the same...

*sigh*.

Never mind that. We've found them, so... no overthinking it. Let's just sort ourselves out.

Lada.

Lada! Open the damn door!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, keep it down, wait... Come on, what's this about? Are you just gonna go until you smash the thing open?

Sonya...

Sonya!

Allow me.

Lada, would you kindly open the door? Everyone's very worried about you.

You've gone almost two days without eating anything... If you keep depriving yourself of sleep like this until your mother and father do come to visit you, you won't even have the energy to greet them. That's no way to...

The dormitory door remains shut. Not a whisper comes. Not a sound answers.

Enough, Natalya.

The HR guys said they double-checked and everything. The word on Lada's parents was just another bust. This isn't even the first time they've screwed her hopes up.

All of us know how goddamned lucky <i>we</i> were to survive Chernobog. Finding our parents and crap... I just think the sooner we get real, the better.

No more giving Lada false hope like that.

Uh...

Lada's 'rents were off in some other city doing research, right? So we haven't pinned them down yet, whatever. Sooner or later we're gonna find them!

And anyway, didn't you get word on your folks too, Anna?

...Yes.

But given Lada's circumstances, I'm supposing the information about my parents was just as inaccurate.

...Anna.

It's fine. Even if they <i>are</i> mistaken, it's not as if it means much to me... I suppose.

Enough, no need to give me those looks. I can tell you're worried I'll take it as badly as Lada has.

But look how long we've kept ourselves going already. Even a guarantee that we'd never see our parents again wouldn't turn our lives upside down, would it?

*breathes*... Lada, it's okay.

If you want to stay inside, then please, rest well, and get a good night's sleep.

If you feel restless, come find me. We can take some more pictures... If your album is all full up, we'll buy a new one.

Or maybe we could draw together? We'll draw those gingerbread monsters we read about, or maybe that huge house the likes of which we'd never imagined, to fit all five of us...

With a boxing ring, so Sonya and Rosalind can fight to their hearts' content. And a kitchen with an extra-large oven, so Natalya and I can bake cakes with you, and decorate them all in brand new ways.

And remember when you told me, you'd build me a room to fit mountains and mountains of books—

*huff*... *huff*... Finally. Here you are...

Istina, letter for you...

For me?

Yep, it just arrived. And the Messenger specifically asked us to get it to you, ASAP...

(The envelope seems fresh; I can still discern traces of overapplied glue on the seal. The inscribed Ursine seems somewhat familiar...)

(The flourish and elegance on this Ursine hand. Something tells me I've seen this before, on the papers of my father's desk, and the annotations in the books by my mother's pillow.)

(Strange. My heart's suddenly pounding...)

(Can it be? It can't, can it...?)

Is this letter... from my parents?

We've inspected, audited and scrutinized, and we can absolutely, positively guarantee. This time, it all lines up.

Rhodes Island's established contact with your parents at a Leithanian branch office... This letter was mailed by them, firsthand.

Ah... ah—

What follows is my 65th recording of self-diagnosis and treatment of trauma via in vivo exposure therapy.

*exhale*—

I'm not dreaming after all.

My parents—are still alive. They're in Leithanien.

They wrote to me that whenever I'm ready, I can go back to living with them anytime.

Hm...

I'd honestly... never given much thought to the question. Of whether they were alive or dead...

Every time the notion came to me, I'd divert my attention as fast as I could.

I was so sure that they were working at the Government House, and central Chernobog had taken the worst of the damage...

What happened to them had always been plain as day, to me. Frittering energy on getting to the bottom of it would've been meaningless.

But...

(Deep breath)

Under the supposition that I could never reunite with my parents again, I stayed aboard Rhodes Island, together with Sonya's group.

We took Rhodes Island as a new beginning.

I even drew up a thorough daily schedule for the long-term, so that we could accustom ourselves to our new lives quicker, and so that we could break ourselves free from that nightmare sooner.

We've been studying here, working here, taking part in what missions we can here, and we've been doing well for ourselves.

We've finally been able to... dream a little, about our future...

But... now I've gotten word from my parents out of nowhere. And they're suddenly telling me, I can leave everything behind right now and go back to them, be back with them, just like how it used to be.

What should I do? Should I leave? Leave Rhodes Island, and my USSG comrades...?

If perhaps Lada, or Sonya had been the first to find their families again... what would they have done?

Lada's always missed her own Mama and Papa so much, and Sonya may not seem to care, but she, too...

Right... a letter. I can write back to them for now.

Tell them I'm not ready to go, for the time being... that I want to stay here.

Come in—

Anna, you in for dinner? Rosalind says she's treating—

...You writing a letter?

Mm.

To your parents?

Yes.

*sigh*...

Sonya, does this part sound right to you? I'll read it out loud...

I don't wanna hear it.

I don't get it is the thing, Anna. If you've got something to tell 'em, just say it to their faces.

Me, all I'd write is—'Got it. Wait till I get back.'

There, done! Wasn't that easy?!

I don't have plans to go to Leithanien at the moment. That's <i>what I'm mulling over</i> how to phrase.

Huh?

You're not going?

Blyat! Are you kidding me!?!

Er...