At dusk, Isha came back home with Vi walking her to the door.
Staring at the pitch-dark house, the little girl pressed her lips together.
Vi noticed her expression. She crouched halfway, looking at Isha with red-rimmed eyes—she'd clearly cried a lot. Vi reached out and gently stroked Isha's cheek, then just… stayed quiet, watching her.
Vi didn't know how to comfort her.
The same way, after hearing what Silco said, Vi still couldn't comfort herself into truly letting go of Jinx.
Sometimes, you can only make peace with yourself. Only when you reconcile with your own heart can certain things actually be set down. And so—Jinx hadn't let go, Vi hadn't let go, and Isha… hadn't let go either.
But Isha, stubbornly strong and far too sensible for her age, had chosen to loosen her grip on her sister—letting Jinx chase what she wanted instead of forcibly keeping her close and clipping her wings.
Was Isha… even more sensible than Jinx?
When Jinx was little, she only knew how to blame the people around her—she never tried to understand anyone else. But Logan made her grow up. He made her change.
And suddenly, Vi wasn't sure that change was a good thing.
"Isha…" Vi said softly. "How about you come live with me? I'll take care of you. Jinx isn't here anymore, so from now on… I'll be your sister, okay?"
Isha lifted her head to look at Vi. She raised both hands beside her face, small palms pressing on the back of Vi's hand, then closed her eyes and shook her head.
Vi understood. She glanced at the house and asked, "Then what are you going to do about dinner?"
Isha lifted a tiny arm and rolled up her sleeve, proudly showing off muscles that absolutely did not exist.
Vi got it. She sighed, then nodded. "Alright. But if you need anything, you have to tell me. I'll come check on you every day. Understand?"
Isha nodded too.
Vi stood up. Isha turned and walked toward the house.
She opened the door. Inside was a black, empty hush. Isha waved at Vi, then closed the door and went in alone.
Vi lingered outside for a long time before she finally left, hands in her pockets.
Isha turned on the light, stared at the empty house, then walked straight to Jinx's bedroom door.
She pushed it open.
The room was lifeless.
Her mouth puckered, and tears welled in her eyes.
But then Isha raised her arm and wiped hard at her face. Sniffling, she closed the door and went to the kitchen by herself.
The freezer had been placed up high—because the one who used to cook at home was always their brother. Neither she nor her sister ever had to think about meals, so their tall brother had put it up there to make things easier for himself… and also to keep the two of them from sneaking desserts.
Isha dragged over a stool, climbed up, and opened the freezer.
There were still some ingredients inside—things Vi had stored earlier. Standing on tiptoe on the stool, Isha grabbed a few pieces, climbed back down, carried the stool over to the counter, found the cutting board, picked up the kitchen knife, and started preparing her own dinner.
It's okay.
I can live on my own. I can take care of myself.
I'll eat every day. I'll study hard. I'll grow up.
So, sister… you don't have to worry about me.
I can't tell you how much I love you.
But I'll prove it with what I do. I'll listen to you, sister.
Taking a deep breath, Isha patted her cheeks like she was pumping herself up, then began to cook—clumsy and unsteady.
Before she met Jinx, all she ever ate was whatever leftovers she could scavenge. Cooking… she'd never even had the chance to learn.
At last, she finished a big bowl of hot soup. Wearing oven mitts, she carried it over and set it on the table. She scooted the stool into place, climbed up, picked up her chopsticks, and lowered her head to eat.
One bite. Two bites.
Drip.
Big tears slid down her cheeks and dropped into the bowl. Isha sniffled and cried as she ate in huge mouthfuls anyway—because she had to eat well, or she wouldn't grow up.
In the letter her sister wrote her, she'd said it clearly: eat on time, listen to the adults, don't make them worry the way she did.
Isha would listen.
Then, mid-bite, Isha heard something.
She turned her head.
The front door was opening.
For a second, she thought Vi had come back—worried Isha couldn't cook for herself after all. Isha started to climb down from the stool—
—and froze.
One hand still braced on the tabletop, one foot on the floor, the other still hooked on the stool, Isha stared blankly at the person walking in.
No—two people.
One was carrying the other on his back.
A black-haired young man wore a doting smile as he reached up, took off the blue cat-ear hat on his head, and hung it on the rack. The blue-haired girl on his back was holding two bags stuffed to the brim with groceries.
Isha stared at Logan and Jinx, her mouth slowly falling open.
She couldn't understand what she was seeing—at all.
"Isha," Logan said, amused by her expression, seeing her teary-eyed stare. He casually patted Jinx's butt, signaling her to hurry up and climb down. "What—don't you recognize me anymore?"
Jinx slid off his back, set both bags at her feet, then stood primly at Logan's side with her hands on her hips. She huffed at Isha and said, "Why are you crying? I went and brought Logan back, didn't I?"
Logan really didn't want to comment on that.
The one who'd cried the hardest was her.
Isha had only had red eyes and tears. Jinx had cried until she was hoarse—full-on sobbing so hard her throat went raw.
Isha finally snapped out of it.
She bolted forward, sprinting straight at Logan—trying to latch onto his leg as hard as she could.
But Logan had already crouched down with his arms open. He caught her, hugged her tight, then lifted her up.
Chuckling at Isha's wide-open mouth, Logan poked her cheek. "A year and your teeth finally grew in, huh? Come on, smile—let me see. I need to check they didn't come in crooked. Don't end up like your sister—her mouth sticks out a little."
"Bullshit!" Jinx immediately exploded at him from the side.
Her mouth did not stick out!
Logan had said she was great to kiss!
Isha didn't smile.
She just stared at Logan's face and reached out—touching his eyebrows, his eyes, his nose, his lips, like she had to make sure he was real. Then she stretched her neck and planted a huge kiss right on his cheek, loud and messy, and started making excited little happy sounds through her tears.
And as she did, she cried.
But this time, there was a bright, delighted smile shining in her eyes even while she sobbed.
She was happy. Really happy.
Her sister was back—and her brother was back too!
Jinx watched, her eyes shifting. Then she leaned in as well, rose on her toes, and stamped an aggressive kiss onto Logan's other cheek.
Isha saw that, blinked… then kissed Logan again.
Jinx hurriedly rose up and added another kiss.
Smack—Isha's.
Smack!—Jinx's.
Logan raised a hand to his forehead, completely at a loss with one big and one small.
He set Isha down, picked up the bags from the floor, and glanced at what Isha had cooked. He smiled. "Who told you to cook?"
"The kitchen is my territory. From now on, you and your sister are not allowed to come in here whenever you feel like it."
"Do you understand?" Logan said sternly.
Isha nodded hard and made a small, obedient sound of agreement.
Then she and Jinx both crowded close, watching as Logan started cooking with easy, practiced movements.
"I know you have a lot you want to ask me," Logan said while he worked. "So, Isha—tonight, you're coming to our room. You'll sleep next to your sister, and I'll tell you everything that's happened to me."
"And from now on, this family isn't falling apart again," Logan said quietly. "Because I'm back."
He pinched Jinx's cheek, then fed her a piece of fruit. She chewed happily, swallowed, and kept chewing like she couldn't get enough.
Logan ruffled Isha's hair and handed her a piece too.
Isha accepted it with both hands, stuffed it into her mouth, and chewed and chewed and chewed.
Then she took two steps back.
Watching her sister tiptoe up, hook both arms around Logan's neck, and rest her chin on his shoulder, Isha smiled.
It felt like only when Logan was here did the house become a home.
And Logan?
Seeing that both Jinx and Isha agreed to sleep together tonight, he secretly let out a breath.
If it was just him and Jinx in bed… she absolutely wouldn't be able to stop herself from touching him.
Honestly, even before, Jinx had been addicted to him. Now after a full year apart…
It was hard to imagine just how intense Jinx would be at night.
And the moment Jinx started, Logan wasn't sure he could stop himself from doing something back.
But he had to hold it in. He really had to.
Logan… you've already waited this long. Waiting two more months won't kill you.
Once Jinx's body recovers, you'll show her what you can really do.
A big worm?
Yeah, no.
A big dragon.
Get ready to have a blue-haired little Logan, Jinx.
At the table, Logan narrowed his eyes at Jinx wolfing down food and soup, shoved the indecent thoughts aside, and smiled—pure, warm happiness.
Isha was eating in big bites too.
The two girls at home were giving him plenty of face—eating with real appetite—and Logan couldn't have been more satisfied.
Then Logan lowered his head and started eating as well.
After drifting on the sea for so long, sitting down to a proper meal with his family… it really did feel like peace.
Watching Jinx and Isha, Logan silently thanked Ahri.
I'm not dead.
That's… really good.
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