It was strange to be standing upon the borders of the place he had grown up, knowing it wasn’t home anymore. Stranger still was that it had been so long since he had laid eyes upon the mangroves, a life time ago he had played among their roots; chasing lights. A life time ago he has also been attached at the hip to his brother. Now though well… Psalm was happy and Hymn would have to be content in knowing that his brother had found something Hymn couldn’t provide.

The titan of a boy missed his family, which is what had eventually brought him back all the way here. Shifting nervously from paw to paw Hymn finally tipped his head back, voice ringing out clear and strong a call for his mothers. Gods he missed them.

—  hymn

I gotta whisper
'cause I can't be too loud

She couldn't say she expected the call. For weeks now she had lingered in the den where her boys had grown up, she remembered the fear and the joy of raising them. It hurt her heart not having any idea where they were or what had happened to them. Ara seemed to be getting back to her normal routine and life, but Novel had always been the weaker of the two. She was hardly moving it seemed like. Novel had found herself out in the territory, searching for those herbs she knew so well, that she had been harvesting from for years. It was like nothing had changed on the outside, and if she thought hard enough she'd see her mother appear from nowhere.

Of course that would never happen, but the hope she felt with the voice of her son was enough to draw her forward with a quickness. With an eager smile on her face the Destruction woman would race to the border to find her, not so small anymore, son standing there waiting to greet her. She couldn't help herself s she raced to her side and embraced him, feeling much of her stress, panic, and sadness drain from her. "Hymn." She'd whisper into his coat as she held him like he'd disappear if she let go. She'd feel tears prickle at the corner of her eyes as she pushed herself closer to her son. Words were unnecessary, she'd missed him terribly.

Ara had never cared that Novel wasn't particularly strong. She'd been through a lot, more than most could admit to; and Ara loved her through it all. Her emotional fragility had never struck her as something that made her any less perfect. It was the life she had chosen, and she could ask for nothing else.

She hadn't expected to hear from either of their sons, though she certainly hoped for it. Hymn's call was quite surprising, and immediately she found a grin spreading over her lips. Where had he been, she wondered? Though she knew it was just as likely that he was wondering where they had gone for so long. Hopefully he understood. Quickly she would make her way to her son from where he had called her, eager to reunite with him.

It seemed Novel had already arrived, embracing him tightly. Ara's smiled widened as her pace quickened, nearly running over to the two of them to meet Hymn's opposite side and move to embrace him as well. "Hymn!" she exclaimed quietly, a bout of emotional laughter falling from her lips as she felt joy swelling in her chest. "We've missed you so much."

Hymn didn’t need to wait long before the tiny form of his mother burst into view and he felt an easy smile slide across his face, Novel pushed into his side and he was just about to curl around her when his other mother arrived on the scene. If his grin had been wide to begin with it was practically stretched all the way across his face now. It only took a moment and then he was flanked by both of his mothers and Hymn couldn’t help but return Ara’s chuckle.

“I missed you too.” He spoke softly, though loud enough for both women to hear him and he first curled his large form around Novel, neck craning to rest upon her shoulders, and then Ara. “Both of you!”

Then he pulled back, taking a single step away so he could look at both women at once. “You’ve been doing well?” He asked. The question was directed at both women but his gaze lingered a bit longer on Novel than Ara.

—  hymn

I gotta whisper
'cause I can't be too loud

Ara knew, without a doubt, that this would be incredible for Novel's well-being. Even if Hymn didn't decide to stay - and god, she hoped he would - maybe he knew if Psalm was well, and knowing that their sons were safe and sound would definitely bring some closure to them both. The smile that lingered on her face seemed unshakable, and only grew as she heard her son speak. They hadn't exactly been children when they'd first left, but it seemed his voice had deepened even since then - he was truly a man now, far from a child, though she knew that he'd always feel like a boy to her.

She laughed, feeling tears of joy beginning to well in her eyes, as he said he'd missed them. "I don't think we want to ever go that far away again," she admitted easily, with a gentle laugh. "I've been well. Happy to be home." And boy, was that an understatement. They'd been away for too long, and being home - safe and sound - felt perfect to her.