Chapter 206: Homecoming
He looked in the mirror and fixed his shirt. His hands were a little shaky, but he took a deep breath and tried to calm down.
He gave himself one last look in the mirror, then stepped away.
Niels was sitting on the couch when his phone buzzed, breaking the quiet. He reached over and answered it right away.
"Hi, Mom," he said, voice steady but gentle.
"We're all ready here," she replied, sounding cheerful, with the kind warmth of a cozy home full of family. "Are you on your way?"
Niels looked at the clock. "Yeah, I'm about to leave now. I should be there in about forty-five minutes."
"Good," she said, a smile in her voice. "Don't be late, we've been looking forward to this."
"I won't, Mom. See you soon."
He hung up and stood up, stretching his stiff shoulders.
The apartment felt too empty and too quiet.
Today was different.
