Redhawk Caldera call me a spaceman

She worried that reuniting with her loved ones would make her emotional, that they would then realize she was so very different now. They would want to know why. Frolic would just have to put on a brave face, like she had with Seal. Nobody could know what she’d done, what she was capable of. Otherwise, they might never let her come home.

Frolic hoped @Ceridwen would be the first to come. She could feed off her older sister’s cavalier attitude toward the world. But it was actually her father who appeared, bustling slowly toward her. Tears sprung to her eyes at the sight of him. Part of her wanted to run into his arms, while another shrank from him. If anyone might smell the blood on her, it would be the wise, old healer.

Brave face, remember? she said, grounding her teeth and forcing her lips into a smile. It wasn’t entirely forced—she truly was happy to see her papa—but it took every ounce of Frolic’s willpower not to bury her face in his neck and begin crying when his strong arms wrapped around her. She hugged him tightly in return, trying to ignore the guilt that welled up inside her. She was just glad that such a display was entirely appropriate for a reunion.

Papa, she said, sliding out of his hold only after she trusted herself to keep her composure. I’ve missed you! How are you? How’s everyone? And everything?

Inevitably, Eljay would ask her about her adventures. Frolic had a lot of stories she could tell him and the rest of the family, all the tales from before she’d gone to the dark side. Before she’d done the unthinkable, particularly in the eyes of a man who’d dedicated his life to healing others. A lump formed in Frolic’s throat at the thought, though she swallowed it, shining eyes clinging to her dad’s face.