Before Viljar tried to lead him anywhere, however, Erik stopped him with an anxious expression. "Wait, Uncle! Before we do anything else… I noticed my mother's grave is missing…"
Erik's heart pounded in his throat as he awaited his uncle's response. He realized he may have inadvertently gotten his hopes up a little too quickly and was now afraid of getting that hope stomped on.
Hearing Erik's words and seeing his expression, Viljar quickly felt incredibly guilty as he slapped his own forehead. "Shit! I'm so sorry, Erik. In my excitement, I completely neglected how you must have felt coming back here after seven years."
He quickly collected himself and smiled. "Your mother is alive!" Then his expression turned to uncertainty, "Or at least… she was when I last saw her… which was actually a few years ago now."
