“That seems reasonable.” While that kind of life is not for me, there are several communities around the world that are safe, open spaces for not only cryptids, but a multitude of other beings in this world.
“Does it?”
“Yes.”
A pause follows, and I hear Dan’s hard swallow before he says, “My grandad never left.”
There it is. The real concern.
“He spent his whole life protecting Dover,” Dan continues quietly. “This place mattered to him. Sometimes I think if I leave, even for a while, I’m letting him down.”
I close my eyes briefly.
Poor kid.
“Dan.”
“Yeah?”
“Your grandfather loved Dover.”
“Exactly.”
“No,” I say gently. “He loved you.”
The line goes quiet.
I continue before he can argue. “Steve cared about the town because it was his home. He cared about protecting people because that was who he was. But if you think for one moment he valued a place more than his grandson, then you did not know the same Steve I did.”
A shaky breath comes through the speaker. “I just keep hearing what he would say.”
“Are you hearing Steve,” I ask, “or are you hearing your fear of disappointing him?”
The silence answers for him.
“When I spoke with your grandfather during his final years, do you know what he worried about most?”
“No.”
“You.”
Dan laughs softly. “That sounds about right.”
“He worried whether you were happy. Whether you had support. Whether you were carrying too much responsibility.” I smile at the memory. “He was very proud of you, by the way.”
Another quiet laugh. “He never actually said that.”
“Steve was from a generation that preferred showing things rather than saying them.”
“That is painfully accurate.”
I chuckle. “Dan, listen to your heart. Listen to your Daemon. They exist for a reason.”
“My Daemon says we should be safe.”
“Then perhaps moving away will provide you with that.”
“And if it turns out that’s a mistake?”
