The New Light of Hope: Books I to VI.

Chapter XXXI: A Heart Felt Family Reunion.

Amethyst:

Date: August 30, 2020.

"Uncle William, Grandma Wanda, and Grandpa Walter, mind if I speak with you three for a moment?" I whispered to my grandparents and uncle that night. "We don't mind." My grandmother replied. Then we stepped outside to talk.

"What do you want to talk to us about, Amethyst?" My grandfather asked. I looked at him and then at my grandmother and uncle and I said: "Tomorrow, we will be heading home for the first time in over a month. Our families our practically worried sick about us and we must return to them like how a leal soldier returns when the war is over. And I wondering if you would like to come back with me."

They were all speechless and my grandfather asked: "Back home? To Lucella? Where Willow is?"

Amethyst: "Yes."

Walter: "You really mean it?"

Amethyst: "Of course I do. Now that you three are here, I want to do the one thing my mother wasn't able to do: Bring you home. It's what she wants more than anything in this world and I know that bringing you three home will fulfill her wish."

Wanda: "Oh my god, thank you so much!"

William: "I never thought I would be this happen to have a niece. Thank you for everything, Amethyst!"

Walter: "Yes, thank you so much!"

"You're welcome." I said with a smile as they cried tears of joy by what they heard and afterward, we went back to bed and slept as tomorrow would be filled with even more tears of joy.

***

Date: August 31, 2020.

The next morning came and we, along with the Spies began to make our way back home to our families where the Spies would start new lives of their own now that they were free from TIO's grasp and I knew that when I came home, there would be happiness.

***

"Here we are." I said as we came to a stop in front of my family's house. "You live here?" My grandmother asked.

Amethyst: "You can thank Officer Autumn; it was the least she could do for my parents. Speaking of which, I'm going to go and get them right now. Stay out here and I'll go get them, m'kay?"

William: "Okay."

And then I knocked on the door where I was then met by my father answering the door. "Amethyst!" He cried with a sense of relief and closure in his voice. "Dad…" We could not help but hug each other upon seeing one another. "Oh, where have you been?" He asked. "We were worried sick about you!"

Amethyst: "I was in the Forest. I'm sorry I didn't come home sooner, there was just so much going on. But I'm here now, I'm home!"

Rash: "That's all that… matters…"

He stopped when he saw my grandparents and my uncle outside and then asked: "Umm, Amethyst, who are these people?"

Amethyst: "It's Wanda, Walter, and William, Dad. Our maternal relatives. We reunited in the Forest and I decided to bring them back home."

Rash: "Oh my god."

Amethyst: "I meant to ask you where mom was."

Rash: "She's having another of her episodes again."

Amethyst: "In the bed?"

Rash: "Yeah, but she's awake."

Amethyst: "All right, I'll go and check on her."

Rash: "I'll bring your grandparents and uncle in while you're at it."

Amethyst: "All right."

And then I went inside went into the master bedroom and knocked. "Come in…" my mother's voice sounded as though she was tired and I went in and saw her lying down but then lit up when she saw me and exclaimed: "Oh my god, Amethyst!"

Amethyst: "Hey, mom. I missed you."

Willow: "I missed you too! Oh, god, where have you been? Do you not know how worried sick we were about you?"

Amethyst: "I know, I'm sorry for being away for so long. It's just that so much has happened and I'm sorry for not coming back home at any point to show you I'm all right. But I do have something that I think you will like."

Willow: "Y-you do?"

Amethyst: "Indeed I do. Do you think you'll be able to get up?"

Willow: "Yeah, hold on."

I stood by as she got up and I helped her out of the bed and led her to the main area where I saw Wilson and Rascal as well and when they saw me, they ran over to hug, telling me how much they missed me while I was away. But then everything fell silent and our mother looked at our uncle. "Is… is it really you guys?" She asked. "But I thought… I thought you, mom and dad… oh, what am I even saying here?"

She broke down and hugged her brother. "I missed you all so freaking much!" She cried.

William: "I missed you too, Willow!"

Wanda and Walter: "Us too!"

We watched as our mother was embraced by her family, something that she hadn't felt in decades that was filled with waterworks of happiness. "I'm so sorry for leaving you behind when I did!" William cried. "I'm so sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He kept repeating the same phrase over and over again and that was the cue for me and my brothers to head to my room.

"So those are our grandparents and uncle, eh?" Rascal asked. "Yep. It sure is." I said. "Cool seeing them for the first time, isn't it?"

Wilson: "Yeah, especially for mom."

He peeked outside of the door and we heard even more sobbing. "Mom hasn't cried this much since the day we were born." He said, pointing his thumb towards the door.

Amethyst: "Yeah, let's just let her be happy to know that her family's home after so many years."

Wilson: "Agreed."

That night as the day was coming a close, I could heard them talking about everything while our grandparents rested. God, I could tell they had so much to catch up on after twenty-four whole years apart and I was happy to see that my mother was reconnecting with the ones that she missed the most.

A mission well accomplished.

I rested that night sound asleep, knowing that my job to bring home lost relatives was now complete and could now rest soundfully every night.