We love you (so please don't go)

Chapter 10: My heart will go on

TW: Talk of d3@th, v!0l3nc3, and gvn$.

The Maximova sisters (Essie, Affie, and Rasazy) and the Maximova cousins (Melody and Penelope) walked over to the doorway of Krus and Rsch's new house.

It wasn't exactly their house and just a property their mother bought for homeless and jobless people, especially those with families, but they're living in it now, so...

Anyways, Melody knocked, and after a couple seconds, Krus opened the door.

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Affie's POV

While dedushka tried to seem like he was calm and uncaring about this, we could sense the genuine anguish and remorse he was feeling, and that made me feel so sad, I'm genuinely surprised tears haven't formed in my eyes yet.

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"Hi, dedushka/praded." Essie, Affie, their younger sister, and their daughters greeted in unison.

"We and Athena wanted to say that we're sorry about how father acted." Essie apologized. "He...has a bit of a bad temper."

"Yeah, he does." Affie agreed. "But we hope you know that we don't think of you the same way he does."

"Me and Essie made you Pirozhkis for breakfast." Rasazy said, holding out a gray plate with two, bun-looking, foods on it.

Tears formed in Krus' eyes and a gold owl insignia (a symbol of Athena communicating with someone via telepathy) appeared on Essie's neck as a flashback of her grandfather's childhood flashed before her eyes.

Flashback...

An 8-year-old Krus and a girl with taupe skin and long, wavy hair that matched her skin tone with golden streaks and matching freckles on her face who looked to be about 8 years older than him were sitting on the dining table and munching on Pirozhkis with a middle-aged woman with lavender skin and short, wavy hair that matched her skin tone with golden streaks and matching freckles and a middle-aged man with white and taupe hair and skin.

"What do you think?" The woman with lavender and golden hair asked.

"It's really good, mama." The girl with taupe and golden hair answered.

"Da." The young Krus agreed. "You make this every year on our birthday, so why do you keep asking us how it tastes when we've already answered many times?"

"I don't cook much, so I'm a bit insecure about my cooking skills, and I don't want to mess it up." The lavender-skinned woman answered. "I want to make sure every single one of your birthdays, such as today, are filled with joy and that nobody gets food p0!$0n!ng."

"You being here and taking two weeks off of work to spend time with us and join us in celebrating our birthday is enough to make me and sestra the happiest children in the world." Krus stated.

"Mmhm!" The 16-year-old girl agreed. "Even if we did get food p0!$0n!ng today, we'd still be happy because the both of you are here!"

The middle-aged woman teared up and smiled. "C'mere."

She pulled in Krus and the 16-year-old girl into a hug and was joined by the white and taupe haired man.

"Happy birthday, you two." The man greeted.

Flashback ends...

"Thank you very much for the food." Krus said, wiping the tears that threatened to spill out of his eyes. "But you shouldn't be here. Your father and, in Melody and Penelope's case; grandfather, wouldn't approve."