The Dweller’s face twisted in confusion. “Why?”
“Because you like it when I yell at you.”
Severo blinked, and then his face suddenly flushed, causing Seri to laugh.
“Yeah, I’m not going to yell at all. I’m just going to show my disapproval by looking disappointed. I feel that will hit you harder than yelling.”
Severo groaned. “Ugh, I'd rather you yell.”
“Exactly,” Seri chimed. “Now shh, let me read.”
The tears that had dried up came like a flood the more he read. “She kept looking,” he rasped. “She kept…” He let out a shuddered breath. “Growing up…I thought that not a single person in the world cared about where I was… But every year, she filed a report. Every year, she pushed to keep the case open. She kept looking…” He sobbed harder, leaning into Severo’s hold as the man pulled him onto his lap. “I want…I want to meet her. I want to meet my mother…”
Severo heldSeri tight while he cried, slowly rocking him, not voicing his worries. Something was odd about the reports filed… Seri’s father’s name never appeared on any of the filing. Not even the first one. Yet, it did say she was married. Why hadn’t he put his name down?
Cyrus sat there, waiting for Bennie to call him. The man was supposed to tell him the minute he had Avery Lowen secured.
“You know it’s going to become a habit if we find ourselves part of any more of their family’s first meetings,” Killian mused, leaning back in his chair.
Cyrus snorted. “Do you really think we are going to manage to decline the invite when Severo’s mother sets up a family reunion? Which she likely will do, considering how many of their family is on Earth still.”
The Siren winced. “Poor Seri. She will no doubt make it a joint one with your family. Have you seen him in crowds? I made the mistake of taking him to the third floor, intending to get coffee, not realizing they were having a going away party. I have never seen him move so fast.”
“That bad?”
“Mmh,” Killian grunted. “Wait…he isn’t coming here now, is he?”
Cyrus frowned. “I think…I didn’t warn him about how long it would take for her to get here.”
“Oh, my Gods, Cyrus. She won’t be here until at least tomorrow, maybe not even then!”
Cyrus’ vision flickered, the threads in the room showing themselves. His head tilted as he followed them. Some were twisting, others looking close to breaking, yet a few who he knew belonged to Seri looked to be righting themselves, untwisting into their proper place. “Things are as they should be.”
“You know…whenever you say shit like that, I have this brief urge to just smack you.”
Cyrus chuckled. “Love you too.”
“Bleh.” Killian stuck his tongue out, before softly muttering, “Love you too.”
He smirked when the man’s face reddened.
Cyrus pulled his phone from his pocket on it ringing, opening it and answering right away.
“Cyrus, we have a problem,” Bennie said, voice grim.
He frowned. “Was she not there?”
“She was there alright. I got there, and before I even got out of the car, I could hear screaming, which all the neighbors were ignoring. I broke the door down and found the woman’s husband attacking her.”
“What?!” he growled.
“She’s…injured. I’m at the hospital with her now, which is why I took so long to call.”
“And the husband?”
“Arrested, but also in the hospital. Though he will likely be released and taken to jail within the hour. I had to shoot him to get him off her. He was trying to kill her.”
“What hospital?”
