A few hours later, the family gathered for dinner as the sun dipped below the horizon, bathing the world in the soft glow of twilight. The warmth and acceptance outshone the modest food Alex felt, making him feel part of the family. He looked around the table at his new family, a gentle smile on his face.
After dinner, Jeb invited Alex to walk down the street with him to discuss the critical details of the arrangement between Alex and Lydia. Alex agreed, leaving Lydia and Linda in the house.
As they strolled, the weight of Jeb's unspoken words hung in the air, a palpable tension that seemed to thicken with each step. It was understandable; Alex had only recently found his way into their lives and was now a part of the family as Jeb's grandson-in-law. Alex, hands in his pockets, stole furtive glances at Jeb, the air loaded with anticipation, waiting for the words to shatter the silence as they walked side by side, their footsteps echoing in the quiet street. Alex took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever was coming.
Then, Jeb finally broke the silence. "Alex, I know this has all been... sudden," he began, his voice tinged with hesitation.
Alex nodded, glancing at Jeb. "I understand, Jeb. It's certainly a lot for everyone to take in. Especially for you, I would think." He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease his tension.
Jeb stopped and turned to face Alex, his face unreadable. "Can I ask you something, Alex?"
Alex's body instinctively tensed, but he swiftly regained his poise, sensing the weight of the impending conversation. "Of course, Jeb. What is it?" He straightened his posture, mentally fortifying himself for the forthcoming interrogation.
Jeb eased into the question, "I don't want you to take this the wrong way, and I know you didn't lie to us, but…do you perhaps have something you didn't tell us about? Something about your past that you remember?"
Alex recoiled a bit, shocked by the astute guess. "How…did you know?" He took a step back, his eyes wide with surprise.
Jeb smiled. "Just a guess, I suppose. Lydia mentioned you asking about a date, so I figured you might have some memories." He placed a reassuring hand on Alex's shoulder.
Alex stayed silent for a moment before he decided to speak. "I didn't mean to hide from you guys. It's just that I was afraid of getting myself into the wrong hands again." He clenched his fists, the memories clearly painful.
"The wrong hands?" Jeb asked curiously, leaning in closer.
"Yeah. I don't know if you'll believe me, but I think I'm not from this time. I'm not saying I'm a time traveller, but I'm sure I've been trapped somewhere for many years and only woke up recently." Alex looked down, his voice trembling slightly.
"I see. You mean when you woke up in the treasure cove?" Jeb asked, trying to piece together Alex's story.
"No, way before that. I woke up in a lab. I'm unsure where that lab is, but I know it's destroyed. Some people… that I thought were friends… they destroyed everything there. And I remember them… killing me. Shot me in the head. But the next thing I knew after that was waking up in the dump…uh, I mean the treasure cove." Alex's voice wavered as he relived the traumatic memory, nearly blurting out his thoughts as it is again. Thankfully, Jeb didn't seem to notice.
"That… must have been rough. Do you remember anything else?" Jeb asked gently, his brow furrowing with concern.
"A-ah. Yes, but it's vague. I remember when I was attending school, and a government official came and asked us to participate in an experiment to let them inject a serum of some sort. It was meant to make us smarter. I volunteered for the experiment. But the next thing I knew, after I was injected, I blacked out and woke up in the lab. I don't remember anything else." Alex rubbed his temples, trying to summon more details from his fragmented memory.
Jeb stayed silent, unable to find the words to describe what Alex told him. He looked out into the distance, processing the burden of Alex's confession.
Alex approached Jeb, looking into his eyes with determination. "Jeb, I know my past is unclear, and I'm aware that I could implicate everyone in the district, but… could I ask you to trust me? And if possible, could you tell me more about this world? I really want to learn more about what possibly happened to me." He placed a hand on Jeb's arm, pleading for understanding.
Jeb stared back into Alex's eyes and smiled. "Of course, Alex. You're my family now. I can't say I'm not worried, but the fact remains that you're already my granddaughter's partner."
Alex sighed at Jeb's reassurance, relieved that his confession of his past didn't change Jeb's opinion of him.
"Though I'm not sure how much I can help in that other regard. I can barely make sense of it." Jeb scratched his chin, deep in thought. "Although, I think I know someone that we can ask."
"Who might that be?" Alex asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"The oldest elder of all Flawed, Elder Yan. She can see and trace a person's past from the moment they were born. Maybe she will be able to see something." Jeb said, his tone reassuring.
"I see. When can we meet her then?" Alex asked eagerly, his heart racing with anticipation.
"Hmm, tomorrow, probably. After today's events, we should probably visit the elders anyway." Jeb replied, nodding to himself.
"Ah, you mean the fight I had with Scarface? Am I… going to get in trouble with them?" Alex asked, his worry evident.
"No, no. Fights like that happen all the time. It's about your union with Lydia. We do need to formally introduce you to them as our new family member, after all." Jeb explained, waving off Alex's concerns.
"Oh. Right. That." Alex said, a bit embarrassed.
"Haha! You don't need to be nervous about it. It's just a formality, after all." Jeb laughed as he headed back to the house. "Come on, let's get back home and get some rest. It's probably going to be a big day tomorrow." He clapped Alex on the back, leading him towards the house.
Before entering the house, he stopped. "Oh, and Alex?"
"Yes?" Alex replied, pausing at the door behind Jeb.
"You can call me Grandpa, too, if you want to," Jeb said with a soft smile.
"Oh." Alex swallowed hard, nervous. "G-Grandpa?"
"Hahaha! That sounds better than I expected!" Jeb laughed heartily, opening the door and ushering Alex inside.
The family chatted for a while back inside before heading to bed, knowing they had a big event the next day. Alex felt a sense of peace as he settled into his new home, ready to face whatever came next with his new family.