Nova and Mira looked at each other, confused.
"Uh… a gift? From you guys?" they both asked in unison.
"I thought my favorite dishes were the gift," Nova added.
Elaine chuckled. "That's become old now, hasn't it? It's time for a real gift."
She went into her room and returned with a small sachet, passing it to Joren.
"Your mom's right," Joren said, smiling. "Now come here, son."
Nova stepped closer, curious. Joren reached into the sachet and carefully pulled something out.
When his hand emerged, a silver pendant gleamed softly in his palm.
The pendant was crafted from polished silver, shaped into a single, elegant wing. Each feather was etched with meticulous detail, tapering gracefully toward the tip, giving it both strength and lightness. A faint gradient of shadowed silver along the feathers gave it depth—almost as if the wing had once belonged to something divine.
It hung from a fine square-link silver chain, smooth yet sturdy, catching the light with subtle glimmers at every movement.
Nova's eyes widened. "It's… it's beautiful. But is that—"
"It's real silver," Joren said, grinning, already knowing what Nova was about to ask.
Mira clasped her hands over her mouth in disbelief.
"But why…?" Nova asked softly. "It must've cost so much."
Joren scratched his neck with a modest smile. "Took a few coins more than I'd planned—but it was worth it. Don't worry about the money, son. I had the chain made by a jeweler, but the pendant…" He smiled proudly. "I made it myself. How does it look?"
Nova stared at it in awe. "It's… really beautiful."
The pendant weighed around twenty to twenty-five grams—nearly four to five silver coins' worth of metal, about five hundred coppers in total. The chain added three more, and with the jeweler's fee, the gift had cost nearly nine hundred coppers. It was, without a doubt, a heavy investment.
Joren fastened the chain around Nova's neck. The pendant rested gently against his chest.
"This pendant," Joren said softly, "will always remind you that wherever you are, you have a home—and a family—waiting for you."
Nova suddenly threw his arms around Joren, hugging him tight. "Thanks, Dad."
He looked toward Elaine. "Thanks, Mom."
Both parents smiled warmly, and then turned to Mira, who was grinning from ear to ear.
"Mira," Joren said, "come here."
"Huh?" Mira blinked but stepped forward hesitantly.
Joren reached back into the sachet and pulled out another pendant—its chain a little shorter, but the pendant itself the same design, only mirrored. If Nova's was the right wing, this was the left.
Mira froze, hands covering her mouth. "No way…"
Joren and Elaine simply smiled. "I was originally going to give it to you on your birthday," Joren said with a chuckle. "But then I thought—it's better if you both get them together."
Mira rushed forward and hugged Joren with all her strength, her eyes glistening. Even though she didn't often show it, everyone knew how much she wanted a pendant like Nova's.
"Thank you… thank you so much, Dad."
"Haha, no need to cry," Joren said gently. "It's just a pendant. Besides—no matter how much anything costs, there's nothing more valuable to us than you two."
He put the necklace around Mira's neck. She held the pendant in her hands, gazing down at it in awe.
"Now then," Joren said, stretching his back with his hands on his hips, "don't ask me for another gift until your twentieth birthday!"
Everyone laughed.
"Haha, don't worry, Dad," Nova said proudly. "When I'm twenty, I'll be the one giving you both gifts."
"And me too!" Mira added quickly.
Both Joren and Elaine chuckled. "We'll be looking forward to it," Elaine said.
"Wait," Nova said, realization dawning. "So that's why you've been so busy these past two years. You were saving for these, weren't you? You worked so hard just for us…"
Joren didn't answer, only smiled—a quiet, proud smile.
Nova and Mira hugged their parents again, gently this time.
"We don't need any gifts from you guys," Nova said. "Just keep making those tasty dishes."
"Yeah!" Mira chimed in.
Both Joren and Elaine laughed, patting their children's heads.
"Alright," Elaine said softly.
Time passed in warmth and laughter. Eventually, night settled over the quiet village.
Nova was still in his parents' room.
"Hey! Mira, you're sleeping in my room tonight."
"But—"
"No buts! You're six years old and still sleep with Mom and Dad. I started sleeping alone when I was five! And you don't even have to sleep alone."
Mira looked helplessly at Joren and Elaine.
"He's got a point," Elaine said, smiling. "Can't argue with that."
Mira sighed in defeat. "Fine…"
"Haha! I've been waiting so long for this. Now you'll face my wrath!" Nova looped his arm around her neck and dragged her toward his room.
"Hey! What—Mom, save me!" Mira yelled, clutching her wooden horse as Nova pulled her away.
Elaine and Joren burst out laughing.
"Don't laugh!" Mira protested as she vanished down the hallway.
"Don't mess around too much!" Elaine called after them.
Nova's room had a small extra bed that Joren and Elaine had built when Mira turned three. She sometimes slept there—but mostly preferred her parents' room.
"If I sleep here, it'll be my room!" Mira said proudly.
"Yeah, sure. In your dreams," Nova replied.
"Hey!"
Nova looked at the wooden horse in her hands and smirked. "I thought you'd stop playing with that by now. Guess you really are a little kid."
"What? Why would I stop? It's cool! I'm gonna buy a real horse like this when I grow up!"
"Yeah? Then make sure you buy it with your own money." Nova teased, trying to hide his grin.
"Of course I will! I'll earn more than you!"
"Bleh, more than me? Doing what? Being a doctor like Old Lady Maela? She doesn't even earn that much!"
"Hey! I'll be even better than Grandma Maela! I'll become the greatest doctor ever—and I'll earn more than you!"
"Ha! We'll see. I'll be the greatest cultivator then—and I'll still earn more!"
Their playful bickering soon turned into a pillow fight, laughter echoing through the small room until both of them finally collapsed, drifting to sleep.