Homecoming
After Daisy changed and took a quick shower, she returned to the kitchen where the delicious smell of home-cooked food filled the air. Lucy had already set the table for two, but the room suddenly felt too quiet, too empty, until the sound of the front door creaking open echoed through the hallway.
"Da….Daisy?" a voice called from the foyer.
Daisy glanced up to see a young boy standing in the doorway. He wasn't a boy anymore. He was taller now, his face a little more mature, but still holding that same mischievous grin. Her younger brother, Ken.
"Ken," Daisy said softly, almost as if she couldn't believe he was standing there. "You've gotten taller."
Ken smirked, a spark of playfulness still in his eyes. "Yeah, well, I'm not a kid anymore. You've been gone for ages, haven't you?"
Daisy didn't know how to respond. She wasn't sure how much time had passed for him, or what memories still clung to him of the older days. She hadn't been there for any of it.
Ken ran a hand through his hair and looked at their mother. "I came home early today. It's been… well, I guess you could say it's been a long day on set."
Lucy laughed, a proud smile on her face. "Ken's becoming quite the actor now. He's starring in some new series, and he's always talking about his scenes and his lines. I can hardly keep up with all the auditions and calls he's getting."
Daisy looked at her brother, taking in the news with surprise. Ken had always been a bit of a troublemaker, the one who could never sit still. But actor? That was something new. "So you're on TV now?"
Ken nodded, looking more than a little proud of himself. "Yep. Playing a bad guy in a crime show. Not too far from the real thing, right?" he added with a wink, his playful grin only making Daisy feel more distant.
"I'm proud of you," Daisy said, though her voice felt faraway. It wasn't that she wasn't happy for him, but she was struggling to connect with who he was now. He had become someone else in her absence, someone she barely recognized.
Ken didn't seem to mind her distance. Instead, he set his backpack down on the couch and made his way to the table. "Well, enough of that. I'm starving. Mom said you were back on the phone so I rushed back . It's good to see you. Really."
Daisy gave him a tight smile as she took her seat, but inside, the strange mixture of guilt and pride made her want to retreat into herself. She didn't belong here, not entirely. Not after all the years she had spent away.
As they ate, the conversation flowed easily, but there was a tension beneath the words, an unspoken gap between them that was impossible to ignore. It wasn't the same anymore. It would never be the same.
"I'm glad you're home, Daisy," Lucy said quietly as she passed the mashed potatoes. "You don't know how much I've missed you. But, please… don't disappear again, okay? Don't leave us."
Daisy nodded, but in her mind, her thoughts drifted somewhere else. Somewhere far from this dinner table, somewhere colder.
Mr. Alex…
She didn't say the words out loud. It wasn't something she would admit, not even to herself. But the thought had been with her since she stepped back onto this land. She was here, at home, but it wasn't home anymore. Not really. There was unfinished business out there, a debt to be paid, a father to avenge.
But for now, she ate her dinner, letting the silence of her thoughts remain her own.
....
The day passed in a blur of laughter and warmth as Daisy spent time with her mother, Lucy, and her younger brother, Ken. They enjoyed a simple, cozy evening together, the house filled with the scent of home-cooked meals. Ken, now a child actor, excitedly talked about his recent roles, while Lucy fussed over Daisy, happy to have her back after so long. The bond between the three of them felt natural, like no time had passed.
As the evening drew on, Lucy grew nostalgic, urging Daisy to sleep in her room, just like the old times. Daisy agreed with a smile, the familiarity of it all settling around her like a comforting blanket.
After they finished cleaning up the house , Lucy and Ken gathered around the couch, the conversation flowing easily. The laughter and teasing carried on until Lucy, her eyes soft with warmth.
As the evening wore on, they all settled into the living room, Ken snuggling up with a blanket, Lucy bustling around to get the snacks ready. It was peaceful—normal, in a way that Daisy hadn't realized she missed so much. The feeling of being home was overwhelming, but there was something else tugging at her. She knew she had to get moving, that her return was just the beginning of something bigger.
After a while, as Ken began to drift off, Lucy turned to Daisy, a hint of concern in her eyes. "Are you really going to be okay? It's been so long, and I—"
"I'm fine, Mom," Daisy reassured her, cutting her off with a warm smile. "Tomorrow, I'm going to a friend's party. Just to unwind and see some people. It's been too long."
Lucy looked surprised but nodded. "Alright, but be careful, okay? I haven't seen you in forever. Don't stay out too late."
Daisy's smile widened, a hint of excitement glinting in her eyes. "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."
With that, she kissed her mother on the cheek, then headed upstairs to her mom's room with Ken in her arms . As she lay in bed. With her brother , the house quiet except for the soft sounds of the tv. downstairs, her mind wandered. Before drafting off to sleep