Family Reunion

Return

     There it was, visible now before the two mumriks.
A familiar house, a house that brought back both good and bad memories.

Mymble's house.

     "...yep, I can't do this. Cheerio!" Joxter swiveled around to make a break for it, but Snufkin grabbed his father by the back of his scarf before he could get far at all.

     "C'mon papa, we've come this far. It'll be alright." Snufkin tried to reassure the frazzled older man.

     "What am I supposed to say to her? 'Hey, sorry I made you think I was dead for over a decade when I promised to help you raise our son?' She'll kick me to the curb!"

     "Well, that's exactly what you say." Snufkin shrugged. "Although, I recommend wording it a little more lightly. Look...I can knock first, and give you a moment to catch your breath, okay? It'll be easier if we get this over with." Snufkin got closer to the house, but as he did, he could hear the stumbling of children from inside. Yikes.

     Though Snufkin practically had to drag him, he managed to get Joxter and himself to the front door. Joxter leapt behind one of Mymble's bushes.

     "Come on, papa. Do you really have to be this dramatic?"

"Yes." Joxter hissed in a hushed voice. Snufkin sighed, turning to the door and knocked gently a few times.
He could hear lots of 'mama!'s and 'mama the door!'s from inside the house.

     "Coming! Just give me a moment!" An older woman's voice rang from inside. The door suddenly swung open, revealing the woman. Mymble. Her eyes grew wide when she recognized who knocked on the door. Before Snufkin could even get out a 'hullo', he was crushed in a massive bear hug and smothered in kisses.

     "Oh my Snufkin! My dear Snuffy-wuffy!" Mymble exclaimed while simultaneously crushing every bone in her son's body. "Oh, it's been far too long since I've seen you hunny! How have you been, Snuffy?!"

     "G-good, mother..." Snufkin croaked lifelessly. Mymble realized she was crushing her son, so she let go of him. She held his hands however. Snufkin spoke again after filling his lungs with the air that was squeezed our of him. "It's...it's really good to see you again, mother."

     "It's good to see you too! Oh, but what are you doing back here so early? It isn't spring quite yet! Don't you always return on the first day of spring?" Mymble exclaimed. Snufkin turned to the bush that was keeping his panicked father hidden.

     "Well, I ran into somebody...somebody I thought you would want to see." Snufkin motioned for Joxter to come out.
Joxter felt like he was going to vomit, his stomach was tied in knots.
His chest felt heavy. Heavy with fear.
His heart was beating so fast, he could hear every beat ringing in his ears.

He hesitated for a few seconds.
But emerged from the bush.
His large hat hid his sweat-coated face. Mymble was stunned to silence. Snufkin could feel his mother's grasp on his hand grow tense and tighter, which worried him quite a lot. Was bringing his father back... a bad idea after all...?

"...H...H-Hello, Mymble. You... you look as remarkable as ever."