A Song to Come Home to

Chapter Thirty-Three

A mug filled with amber liquid sits on the desk next to the computer. Rei watches the white steam lofts lazily upwards and an old memory manages to rise from the confines where it was locked away.

It was a memory that left a physical scar on her youngest and a rift with her entire family.

Rei had thought that she had buried that particular memory away for good. Yet, as the tea's steam continues to swirl up from the mug, she can't keep herself from biting her lip. It's only when she rubs at her tired eyes that Rei realizes that she's crying.

Cold tears dribble down her cheeks and fall onto her desk. Rei dully watches as those tears form into small crystalline drops of frost.

Behind her, the clock on the wall continues to tick silently.

Wiping away at the last of her tears, Rei tells herself that she will be with her children soon enough. When that time comes, she vows that she will explain her actions to them. Rei knows that it won't ever mend what she had broken but she needs to properly apologize. To fully talk about everything so all of them can finally move past the pain and gain the closure that all of them have been yearning for.

She had been wanting to do this for so long, yet, it was her own debilitating fear that would constantly hold her back. Rei had been terrified at the idea that if she brought it up, her children would disappear from her life much like what had happened with Touya.

Small fire sprites are fickle like that. The most minor inconveniences can snuff out those flames so easily and they'll be gone with only a trail of smoke to mark where they had once been. Thankfully, all of her children are stubborn and refuse to be snuffed. Realization finally dawns on Rei, she should give her children far more credit. They are all strong, they're fighters and survivors.

What's going on now isn't the worst that they've all gone through. Rei and her children will prevail. They will all continue to do what they do best, survive. There will be a day where all of them will be reunited and Rei can feel that that day will come very soon. When that day comes, she will never let them go ever again.

A soft purple light filters through her sheer curtains and makes the drops of frost glimmer. Looking up, Rei smiles at being greeted with the pale purples and golds of the beginning of a sunrise. Lined up on a telephone wire, four birds are perched. She watches them for a while as they hop around on the wire. After a few moments, they're joined by another bird. Though slightly muted from being on the other side of the window, Rei can still hear them happily warbling away.

It's a new day, one step closer to a new society. Just then, her computer lets out a soft ping. She had finally gotten what she had been waiting for. An e-mail from Shigaraki. In it, it contains a file for her to upload everywhere. Giran had halfway explained it to her, skipping over the more mundane expectations of her job. Which, to her silent exasperation included whatever was on the file. All he had said is that if she's interested, she can watch it.

Rei had always been a little too curious for her own good.

A couple of clicks and an unzipped file later, a black window pops up and Rei looks at the small play button on the center of the screen. She clicks play.

"What? You want my story?" The familiar mask of Twice takes up the screen. Rei smiles when he tilts his head and crosses his arms, looking into the camera as if he's waiting for it to jump at him or something. From behind the camera, Rei hears Natsuo telling him that he does want to hear the story. Twice scratches the top of his head as if he's mulling over his options. After a second, he straightens up and gives the camera a thumbs up.