Autumn is a second spring

109. Home again

Hello Tillies,

I am back!!! 

A little mass update for you all. P' Fluke's b'day special

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Ohm stepped out of the car and stared at the grand white villa sprawled out before him, a place he had been told was Kao's but somehow felt too familiar, too inviting. He clutched his side instinctively, feeling the ache in his healing ribs. 

The sun was warm, the air crisp with the scent of gardenias that lined the driveway. It was strange—being discharged from the hospital felt like freedom, but the heavy fog of fragmented memories still lingered.

Kao and Earth stood beside him, ready to walk him in. Linlalin, Atom, and Poom had taken time off to accompany him, all of them eager to make sure he had a soft landing back into daily life.

 Ohm glanced around, a bit disappointed Fluke hadn't come along. But then again, he would be seeing Fluke at home, wouldn't he?

A deep bark broke through the moment, loud and commanding, echoing off the villa's tall columns. A golden retriever bounded out of the house, its fur glinting in the sun like honey. Its tail whipped side to side in such quick strokes that its entire back end wagged along with it. It stopped just a foot away from Ohm, paws tapping the ground rhythmically, eyes alert and sparkling with joy.

Ohm blinked in surprise. "Is that your dog?" he asked Kao.

Kao shook his head, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Nope. That one's yours."

Ohm blinked again, looking from Kao to the dog, who whined softly and sat down on command, though the excitement still trembled through his body.

"Why is he not jumping on me then?"

A middle-aged woman, graceful and calm, stepped up from behind the dog. "Because he was told not to. N' Fluke gave strict instructions," she said warmly. "Said your wounds aren't fully healed, and this goofball might rip them open again by tackling you like usual."

Ohm looked at the woman, puzzled, but polite. He gave her a wai. She smiled gently and wrapped him in a warm hug.

"I am Pin. You used to call me J' Pin," she said, cupping his face. "I have taken care of you for nine years. I am sorry I didn't come back earlier. My daughter—she had a bad fall, needed surgery around the same time you got into the accident. She is recovering now, so I came as soon as I could. N' Kao and N' Earth told me about your memory. Don't worry, I will help you remember."

"Thank you, Jie" Ohm said, his eyes turning to the dog. "And this is...?"

"Oatmeal," she answered fondly. "You named him that."

Ohm chuckled. He squatted down slowly, grimacing a little as he extended his hand. Oatmeal gently sniffed his fingers before letting out a soft, grumbling bark, nudging his snout under Ohm's palm. The moment Ohm scratched behind his ears, Oatmeal whimpered in happiness, letting out a series of pleased grunts.

Pin laughed. "He missed you. This was the longest you have been away from each other. He was restless the entire time. He even dragged your shirt out of the laundry and slept on it."

"Smart boy," Ohm whispered, patting the dog.

As if understanding the praise, Oatmeal sat upright and extended his paw. Ohm instinctively shook it. The dog wagged his tail, then trotted over to the front door and barked loudly, looking back at them, almost urging them to come in.

At that moment, Fluke emerged from the villa, a phone pressed to one ear and his other hand trying to block out Oatmeal's barking. He said something to the person on the call before hanging up and slipping the phone into his pocket.

"Why is everyone standing around out here?" Fluke called.

"We were just about to come in," Kao replied.

Oatmeal, however, had other plans. He ran straight back to Ohm, tail in full swing again. Ohm laughed as the dog pushed its head into his chest, clearly wanting to be picked up or coddled.

Fluke sighed, exasperated but affectionate. "Oatmeal, we talked about this. P' Ohm can't carry you."

The dog let out a dramatic whine and pawed at Ohm's leg softly.

"He does this thing now," Pin added with amusement, "where he pretends to be a puppy when he wants something. He will even crawl on his belly or pretend to limp."

"Manipulative little furball," Fluke muttered, walking over. He bent down and scooped the large dog into his arms with a grunt. Oatmeal immediately looked smug.

"You spoiled him," Fluke said to Ohm. "Now I have to suffer."

Ohm grinned. "He is perfect."

"He knows," Fluke grumbled.

As they walked in, Linlalin hesitated at the door. Her eyes followed the dog with clear disdain. Once inside, she turned to Fluke.

"You should lock the dog up."

Fluke blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"Dogs are disgusting. Unhygienic. You shouldn't let them near patients," she said sharply, wrinkling her nose. "Creatures like that shouldn't be inside houses. Nobody knows what diseases these creatures carry on them."

The air in the room shifted. Atom looked taken aback, and Poom furrowed his brows. Even Pin raised a brow.

Fluke stared at her for a moment. Up until now, he had viewed Linlalin as a potential person to be by Ohm's side, especially since he himself had no plans of staying. She was composed, kind, always nearby. But this—this display of revulsion toward something Ohm clearly loved?

Oatmeal was no ordinary pet. He was a part of Ohm's life. A companion. Family.

And now, that family member was being called a creature.

Fluke gave a small nod, turned, and without a word, walked further into the house with Oatmeal still in his arms. The dog licked his cheek as if sensing his human needed comfort.

"You okay?" Earth asked under his breath, trailing Fluke.

"I will be," Fluke murmured. "Oatmeal is the only one making sense right now."

Back in the living room, Oatmeal leapt from Fluke's arms the moment he was placed down and returned to Ohm's side like a magnet. He flopped dramatically onto his back, demanding belly rubs.

Ohm laughed and obliged. The dog wagged his tail, paws curling like a baby as Ohm scratched gently.

Oatmeal barked once, then nudged his nose toward a drawer nearby. Ohm frowned.

"He wants his toy," Pin said, walking over and opening the drawer. Sure enough, a half-chewed plush duck was inside. Oatmeal took it gingerly and pranced back, dropping it in front of Ohm.

"See what I mean? He remembers where everything is," Pin said with pride.

Ohm hugged the plush toy and pet the dog again, feeling warmth spread through his chest. There were gaps in his mind still. But in that moment, with Oatmeal by his side, and Fluke watching quietly from across the room, something about home began to settle back into place.

Even if he didn't remember everything, he remembered this feeling. 

Love.

Unspoken, constant, loyal.

Just like Oatmeal.