Chirp Chirp
"Ina, wake up! The girls just left," Amalia's voice came from the doorway, her presence warm and comforting.
I stretched with a wide yawn.
"Morning, Amalia. Sorry, I overslept a bit," I mumbled, wiping away the last bit of drool.
"It happens. Let's head to the kitchen and start on the food. The ingredients are already laid out on the table."
"Okay! Let's do this! Today is an extraordinary day, after all!" I declared, a wide, energetic grin lighting up my face.
If you're wondering what makes today so special, it's Fae's birthday. She just turned eleven. We asked Rein and Astrid to take her deep into the forest for a "plant and herb study" to buy us enough time to prepare a truly spectacular celebration.
After quickly tidying my bed, Amalia and I moved to the kitchen to start cooking. Amalia took charge of the main dishes while I happily volunteered for the birthday cake. I wanted to make it extra special.
I have to be honest here. In my past life, I never learned how to cook, especially how to bake. I was always too busy working to afford Ella's education, which meant takeout was basically our staple. I know it was irresponsible. This time, I'm determined to change. I'm striving to be a better mother for the girls, and that starts with learning the basics.
I'd been practicing cooking and chores for the past few weeks as part of my "mom training," guided patiently by Amalia. She's a mother, too, and her help has been invaluable. I'm incredibly grateful for her patience in teaching me things I never got the chance to do before.
While we were engrossed in our culinary tasks, everyone else was busy with their own chores. Miguel and the orphans were sweetly decorating the house. Komraad, however, was supposed to be helping Miguel, but he was nowhere to be found.
"Ugh… Where in the world is that dog?! We need all hands on deck, and he's off gallivanting somewhere!" I shouted, banging my ladle against the counter in sheer frustration.
Inhale Exhale
"Okay, Ina, calm down. Ranting won't solve anything. Just finish the cake, then deal with the dog," I coached myself, trying to regain my focus.
My obvious frustration drew Amalia's attention, and I could feel a lecture looming, sending a familiar chill down my back. She approached slowly, barely concealing her displeasure.
Amalia placed a hand on my shoulder, applying a deliberate, weighty pressure that made it clear she was serious. I turned around to find her smiling: a polite, gentle smile that somehow meant she was deeply, irrevocably upset.
"Hey there, Ina. Enough with the ranting, and just focus on finishing that cake on time, understood? We can't afford you messing up again. After all, this is your fifth time redoing the cake."
"Y-Yes, Ma'am!" I squeaked, shivering under her pleasant but iron-clad gaze.
Note to self: Never upset Amalia again. She is terrifying.
After hours of intense effort, dedication, and one terrifying oversight from Amalia, I finally finished baking and decorating the cake. Amalia finished the main dishes almost at the exact same moment.
"Phew, I'm finally done!"
I took a moment to admire my creation, completely satisfied with the result. It felt good to pour effort into something that truly mattered.
I took a quick break, then went outside to find Komraad and deliver the scolding he richly deserved. I searched the grounds but didn't find him until I reached the backyard. There he was: sprawled out on a large tree branch, sleeping without a single care in the world. I stomped up to the tree and let loose.
"Komraad! I've been looking all over for you! Get your lazy butt down here and start helping out!"
He groaned, shifting slightly. "Ugh… stop with the yelling, Cat! You're hurting my ears," he complained, still half-asleep.
Grr! The sheer audacity of this dog!
"I don't have time for this nonsense. Just come inside and help prepare for Fae's birthday," I instructed, keeping my temper in check.
Komraad dropped down from the tree in one smooth motion, then immediately started walking away from the house.
"H-Hey! Where do you think you're going? I just said I need you inside! Why are you leaving?!" I demanded, my patience snapping.
"Gah! Just leave me alone, Cat. I don't wanna get involved in whatever party you people are doing."
"What? Are you serious right now? We're talking about Fae. It's her special day, and you're saying it's none of your business and that you don't care?"
He shrugged dismissively. "Yeah, what you said."
That's it! No more being nice! This dog is getting on my nerves!
"What is with this attitude today? You've never acted like this before. Of all the times to be childish, you choose today of all day! What is your problem, anyway? Do you have issues with birthdays?" I pressed, channeling my anger.
The moment I said the word "birthday," Komraad visibly flinched and stopped dead in his tracks.
"Grr… What if I said yes? Will you finally shut up?!" He snarled, turning his head away.
I was instantly speechless. Our conversation had escalated way beyond the simple scolding I intended. I hadn't expected this kind of serious emotional response. Komraad quickly walked away, clearly upset. I didn't know what to say or do, so I simply let him leave without us resolving anything.
Once he was out of sight, I turned and headed back inside the house to continue helping with the preparations.
Tsk, what's his deal? Making me feel this way on a special day! Damn him and his ego! Ugh, never mind him, Ina, just focus on what's important. Today is about Fae, not him. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling. This was the first serious argument we'd ever had.
I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice I was already inside the house until Amalia's voice broke the silence.
(Amalia snapped her fingers.)
"Hello? Earth to Ina! Did you find him?"
"O-Oh, Amalia, sorry for spacing out." I shook my head, refocusing.
"Never mind that. Have you located Komraad?"
"I did find him and we talked, but it didn't end well. We ended up arguing and getting on each other's nerves. He left, and I don't know where he went," I answered, releasing a heavy sigh.
"Is that so? Oh well, we are talking about Komraad. He's probably just letting off some steam. Give it time and he'll eventually come back like nothing happened."
"I hope you're right, but I have a feeling that this time, it's different," I admitted, biting my lip.
"Enough about him. Come here and help me set up the table and the utensils," Amalia instructed, moving on.
"O-Okay."
Just as Amalia and I finished setting up, a knock echoed at the door. It was Keith and the others, arriving from the palace with wrapped gifts in their hands.
Raya spotted me and immediately rushed over for a hug.
"Ms. Ina! I missed you so much," she said with genuine affection, squeezing me tightly.
"I missed you too," I responded, returning the warm embrace.
"I know you all are probably tired, but the girls are about to return any minute now," Amalia reminded us, her tone urgent.
While we waited, I chatted with Keith and May, catching up on palace gossip and general life. I also talked extensively with Raya, asking her about her activities over the past few months. Our conversation was fun and relaxing, but it was cut short when the orphans spotted the girls returning to the house.
"They're here!" The orphans shouted excitedly.
"Okay, places everyone!" Amalia urgently instructed.
Miguel swiftly turned off the lights, and all of us scattered to hide so we could surprise Fae. The moment the girls opened the door, Miguel flicked the lights back on, and we jumped out from our hiding spots together.
"Happy birthday!" We all shouted in unison.
Fae was stunned motionless. She knew we were planning a celebration, but she clearly hadn't expected anything this grand.
"E-Everyone, thank you," she whispered, her eyes already welling up and a massive, genuine smile stretching across her face.
While everyone greeted her, I lit the candle on the cake and brought it forward.
"Here's your cake, Fae. I made this special, just for you. Now, make your wish, sweetie," I encouraged her.
Fae closed her eyes, made her secret wish, and then blew out the candle with a puff.
(Everyone clapped and cheered.)
Fae rushed toward me and wrapped me in a tight hug.
"Thanks for everything, Mom," she whispered into my ear.
"Anything for you," I answered, gently kissing the top of her head.
After the formalities, the party officially began. We all ate to our heart's content, and afterwards, the children played together while the adults relaxed and drank wine in the kitchen. Fae opened her presents one by one, and the look of pure joy on her face as she browsed her new things was priceless.
We continued celebrating until night fully descended. Keith and May eventually departed to return to their duties serving the King and the kingdom. Raya stayed behind for a sleepover to hang out with the other kids. As most of the children eventually drifted off to sleep, Amalia, Miguel, and I stayed busy cleaning up the mess from the celebration.
I excused myself for a moment to sit down and rest. My mind was heavy with worry because Komraad hadn't returned yet, and it was already very late.
Fae noticed my strained expression and approached me.
"Mom, are you okay?" She asked, her voice laced with worry.
"Y-Yes, I'm fine. I'm just worried about Komraad, that's all."
"Oh… now that you mention it, I didn't see him all day. Did something happen to Mr. Komraad?"
"About that, nothing terrible happened. It's just that we had a serious argument this morning, and we didn't resolve it," I admitted, looking down.
Fae looked sad when she realized I had fought with Komraad.
"Mom, fighting is bad, especially between families."
"Family?" I repeated, surprised by her choice of words.
"Yeah. Mr. Komraad has always been part of the family, hasn't he?" She asked earnestly.
"N-No, of course, he's family."
Fae was absolutely right. Why hadn't that fully clicked before? Komraad had been with us from the very beginning, protecting us and fighting alongside us. He was, without a doubt, family.
I patted Fae on the head and thanked her for making me realize such an important truth.
"You know what, Fae? You're right. Family shouldn't be fighting, and certainly not for this long. I'm going to go find him and make up with him."
"Tee-hee. I'll be waiting for you both to come back."
I left the house to go look for Komraad, bringing a large slice of the birthday cake as my peace offering.
The forest was blanketed in darkness. Thankfully, my night vision remained perfect, even in my human form.
I looked all over the usual spots. I thought the search would take hours, but surprisingly, I found him relatively quickly. It was the moonlight that gave him away. In the middle of a forest clearing where the canopy opened wide to the night sky, he was standing alone, simply staring upward. The gentle chorus of crickets and the soft glow of fireflies were his only companions.
The atmosphere around him was so calm and heavy that I didn't realize I'd been staring for a full minute. I slowly approached him, deciding to start the conversation to break the mood.
"Phew, I finally found you. Don't tell me you've been standing here all night."
Komraad didn't respond at all. At that point, my worry escalated. My earlier suspicions that something was truly wrong were quickly being confirmed.
"H-Hey, I brought you a cake. I made it myself," I offered, trying a different angle after minutes of silence.
Even offering him food, something he could never usually resist, failed to elicit a response.
"Are you still upset about earlier? Look, if it's about that, then I'm s-"
He abruptly cut me off before I could finish the apology.
"Hey, Ina, the moon tonight is beautiful, isn't it?" He observed quietly.
It wasn't the response I expected, but at least he had finally spoken, and he called me by my name rather than the usual 'cat'.
"Y-Yeah, it's exceptionally big and bright today," I answered, relief washing over me.
I noticed he was holding a piece of paper in his right hand, covered in writing. I wanted to read it, but I couldn't understand the strange language.
My curiosity piqued.
"What's with the paper you're holding? Is that a love letter?" I asked playfully, aiming to dissolve the lingering tension.
"It came from my hometown."
"Hometown? I thought you grew up in the forest, ha-ha," I said sarcastically, expecting him to laugh it off.
"I left my hometown at a very young age and started living in the forest."
"Wait, why would you do that?"
"The reason doesn't matter. I ran away, that's all."
I didn't know why, but I could sense Komraad wasn't telling the whole truth.
Komraad smirked, a rare, vulnerable expression crossing his face.
"Hey, Ina, traveling with you and the girls has been the most fun I've ever had in my entire life. I wouldn't change it for anything."
"The feeling's mutual, tee-hee," I responded, a small smile touching my lips.
"What's with you today? You're being very sentimental. That's so unlike you," I pointed out, curious about his change in demeanor.
"It's nothing. I just felt like sharing my feelings once in a while."
After he spoke, neither of us said anything for a full minute. We simply stood in the middle of the forest, admiring the moon while the night breeze gently tousled our hair. The moment was incredibly relaxing. I mistakenly believed this peaceful feeling was going to last, but I was wrong. This was just the calm before the storm.
"Ina, I'm going back to my hometown."
The statement was startlingly sudden.
"Oh, that's nice. I'll tell the girls later so they can prepare to depart," I said casually, thinking he meant we were all going.
"No, you don't understand," he said, his voice dropping.
"I don't understand what?" I pressed.
I looked at Komraad, and his face was etched with raw frustration. His voice also sounded incredibly lonely.
"I'm never coming back. And I'm never joining your adventures again."
My world suddenly seemed to freeze. It took a long moment for the words to sink in, but when they did, everything clicked into place.
"You're leaving? You're just going back to your hometown, right? Why does it have to be forever? You said you ran away from there, and I'm sure you have a reason why. But what I don't understand is you suddenly deciding to go back. Do you mind explaining why?" I pleaded, confusion clouding my mind.
"It's complicated. You won't understand."
"Damn it, Komraad! How am I supposed to understand when you're not explaining anything at all?!"
Komraad still wouldn't meet my gaze. He was obviously struggling, but his resolve was rock-solid.
"Enough of this. I don't have to explain myself any further. I'm cutting ties with you," he announced, his voice flat.
"Seriously? There's no way I'm just accepting this! Let's talk this out first. This doesn't feel right! We're family, remember?" I insisted, my voice cracking.
"Family? Those girls are your family, not me. I'm just a random guy you met in the forest. I just tagged along so I could have fun fighting strong opponents. I never planned on getting attached to any of you, so get over it," he finished with cruel indifference.
My heart began to ache intensely, and tears blurred my vision.
"Are you telling me that everything we've done together means nothing to you?" I choked out.
Komraad offered no response.
I was completely overwhelmed, it was a sudden decision I never expected. I hadn't been prepared for this emotional blow. The thought of losing him forever after everything we had shared was simply too much to bear.
"Tell the girls goodbye for me. And also, don't even think of following me," he ordered, his face hardening into a serious, cold mask.
"W-Wait," I whispered, desperate.
"Goodbye, Ina."
Those were the last words I heard from him. After that, he simply vanished without a trace, his disappearance was so swift and silent I could do nothing to stop him. His decision was so firm and sudden that it paralyzed me. I stood there for a full hour, rooted to the spot, as the painful truth finally settled: We would never be able to see him again.