"I really thought we were going to die!" Livia sobs into Raylen's shoulders as she lets go of her luggage.
"Calm down," he murmurs as he rests his head lightly on hers. "The kids are watching.
Indeed they are. Cornelia, trapped between her parents, is already squirming. Cornelius, holding Raylen's hand, is looking up at his parents, wide-eyed.
Livia suddenly feels self-conscious. She steels herself and pulls away from her ex-husband.
"You're safe now," he adds, almost as an afterthought.
Livia has no time to take issue with that because her son is tugging her clothes.
"Lius," she says as she wipes her tears away subtly, "Mama has been thinking non-stop about you. You're always in my thoughts."
"Then why aren't you carrying me?"
"Because," Livia lies lyingly, "I need to hug Papa first."
It is not really a need and she knows it. Raylen knows it too. And she knows that he knows she knows.
