Chapter Text
A Second Chance
Chapter 80
If ever there was a day in which Colm was thankful to go to therapy, it was this day.
There were certain times in his life when he fully realized that he had more children than his own boys to take care of. Their friends had often come to him for help over the years, and nothing had changed except for the severity of the help needed. There was never a time when he would refuse as he knew just how valuable a reliable and safe adult could be to a child, whether they were under his direct care or not.
After getting in touch with the school and helping Wylan set everything to rights with his accommodations, he was concerned that Jan Van Eck would cause more trouble and go through with his threats to send Wylan to Belendt. To Colm, it made no sense, but he knew a bully when he saw one. While he said nothing, Jan made sure to stand out on the veranda when Colm was dropping Wylan off, but his little staring game did little to intimidate Colm. It also didn’t stop him from staring right back with a fake smile and a “good afternoon, Mr. Van Eck.” It rubbed Jan the wrong way to not be called “Councilman.”
Soon afterward that incident, he found out about what had happened to Matthias. Kaz had come to him to talk about it as his guilt had settled like a spiked, heavy pit in his gut. He wanted to do something to help him that didn’t involve hurting someone else by luring them to that church, but there was nothing that could be done. It was days like that when Colm remembered he couldn’t fix everything when he just wanted to vent or talk to another adult about anything.
At least Kaz’s conscience seemed to ease after an “unfortunate” end to their protest of a women’s health clinic on International Women’s Day. Colm was then informed that a friend of his, Anika, had a family whose “business” included ruining the Church of Djel’s plans. Apparently the sight of a massive motorcycle gang rolling up to their “event” was enough to frighten most away, with one or two brave idiots being bold enough to directly challenge them. Two of Anika’s uncles were more than happy to escort them to the inside of a dumpster.
Despite his easier heart, Kaz was still staring down the barrel of another meeting with Nikolai and Zoya. He’d been seeing Genya, and Colm knew he was making progress with her despite the overwhelming stress of it. The way he seemed to be processing things was taking… an interesting turn. Colm was sure he’d speak of it within the next hour with his therapist, Marit Laverman. In fact, she seemed eager to jump right into the topic of his children as soon as he’d sat down.
“How are things with the boys?”
“Well, I can’t say they’re bad.”
“But?”
“But… They’re strange. In a good way. For the most part. Jesper and Kaz are getting along great. A little too great for my sanity sometimes, which I love. Don’t get me wrong. I would much rather be driven insane if it meant I get to keep hearing both of them laugh and play around as much as they do now. The difference in Kaz is night and day from when he first arrived.”
“That sounds wonderful. What are they doing that’s making you pull that face, though?” she asked, not able to resist a chuckle.
“A couple weeks ago, they discovered some PBS period drama after dinner. They ended up creating alter egos for themselves and me, and now they both won’t stop calling me ‘Puhpah’ like some ancient Kerch aristocrat on the Geldstraat of Ketterdam with a ridiculous accent. It’s their new, almost nightly game.”
“Do you participate?”
“I do, to an extent. I’ve also been dubbed ‘Lord Fahey’. I can’t deny that it’s funny, and it’s actually good for Kaz. His vocabulary has been exploding lately. When he’s really comfortable and playing, he shines. Oh, we did have one incident with this game…”
…
“Our puhpah is not allowing us to attend the ball,” Kaz lamented.
“It is most unfortunate, but what can we do? We cannot defy Puhpah,” Jesper stated.
“Can't we?”
“It is how we have found ourselves in this terrible predicament to begin with.”
Kaz gave him a leveled look, his nose turned up slightly. “Well, Lady Llewellyn, perhaps if you had behaved accordingly toward my things, this would not have occurred.”
“Well, I dare say, Lady Lieven, that I have treated your things with the respect owed to them.”
“You got tomato sauce on my historical tome.”
“‘Twas but an unfortunate miscalculation of the trajectory of my fork.”
“Which ended up on the pages of my book which you borrowed. Do you remember why that is, Lady Llewellyn?”
Jesper sighed. “Because I misplaced mine.”
“And now you have defiled mine. Her maidenly pages are stained by your carelessness.”
“It still did not necessitate the flinging of your own pasta cuisine toward me. Your own poor trajectory caused it to land upon Puhpah, hence our banishment.”
Colm chimed in, “I swear to all the Saints that I'll actually banish you to debutant training if you don't go to your rooms.”
The boys then cackled, trying in vain to hide the sound and smiles behind their hands. They scurried up to their rooms then, but their laughter did not abate as they'd taken to sending each other stupid memes they'd collected. Jesper was introducing Kaz to a realm of internet lore that made Colm nervous, but Kaz seemed happy with it. Colm still made a point to remind Jesper to be careful about the content and to make sure to not mess with any of the child safety measures he’d put on Kaz’s phone. For now, all was well, but it almost wasn’t due to the aforementioned pasta incident.
While the wayward pasta that triggered the episode had surprised Colm when it landed on his chest, he hadn't been angry. Poor Kaz had looked afraid, shrinking back and covering his own chest protectively. Before he sunk too far into fear, Colm had picked the noodle off of his shirt and promptly ate it. Kaz perked up then, looking amused at Colm’s actions.
“Puhpah has acted a fool, Lady Lieven,” Jesper declared, positively aghast.
Not angry but still sighing in tired exasperation, “Your Puhpah must now wash his shirt before it is stained. No ball for you young ladies.”
“But Puhpah!” Jesper cried out before pretending to faint. “However will Countess Van Eck court me properly?!”
“Not my concern. Lady Lieven, there will be no more lobbing sauce covered pasta, please.”
“Yes, Puhpah,” he said with a giggle. “I'm sorry.”
“Thank you.”
…
“That was a good way to handle Kaz’s fear then.”
“I was more surprised than upset. The stain washed out easily and he didn’t do it maliciously. It was a teachable moment for him. It's good to see him playing and taking chances and learning which of those are and aren't appropriate. I was happy that they kept up their period piece drama afterward and kept playing. Kaz needs to play so badly even considering how strange his behavior has started to become.”
“I think you’re right about how good it is for his linguistic development.”
“It really is. I'm kind of shocked at how much he's picking up and how quickly from what he reads and watches. His brain is a sponge. There are times where he reverts and uses language that is very simplistic like a little boy might, especially when he's extremely stressed or afraid. But lately he's been joking and talking like this, so it's good to see. I’ve even initiated it when I see that they’re in a mood.”
…
“Lord Puhpah Fahey requests your help with the evening meal as you doth be a pain in my ass.”
Kaz placed a hand on his chest in mock shock. "Goodness, are we that destitute already? Where have the kitchen staff gone?"
“You are the kitchen staff. Your dowry was squandered for crow feed.”
"Necessities for every lady of the manor. Goodness, Puhpah, had I known your fortune was dwindling into such a state I might not have made plans to abscond with the rest of the chocolate chips."
“Dear, sweet lady! Not all of the chocolate chips!” Jesper wailed with fake anguish.
Colm just shook his head and said, “Get your sweet teeth into the damn kitchen and help me with dinner, you menaces.”
…
“We even have a group chat dedicated to this nonsense! This is the latest one I got,” laughed Colm, pulling out his phone to show Marit who immediately burst into her own laughter.
Fahey Manor
11:34 am
Kaz: Puhpah, Lady Llewellyn will not cease with her callous and inappropriate "witticisms" at the dining table of our academy.
Colm: Indeed, Lady Lieven. It seems the Lady Llewellyn is in need of a reminder that such tawdry words earn no dessert.
Jesper: Lady Llewellyn would like to protest your cruel suggestion as you know damn well that it is ice cream night and so help me I will riot if I do not get my sherbert
Kaz: See her lewd and low manner of the written word? Positively disgraceful.
Colm: Truly.
Jesper: DADDY, ICE CREAM!!
Colm: YOU’LL GET YOUR ICE CREAM
Kaz: Favoritism.
Colm: Lady Lieven of Kazlington.
Kaz: Yes, Puhpah?
Colm: I’ll give your portion to her.
Kaz: TO THE TRANSGRESSOR?! I may just faint.
Jesper: 😝😝😝 We shall escort you back to the manor in the wheelchair
“How do you feel about Kaz calling you that? ‘Puhpah’?” she asked after composing herself.
Colm thought about it, unsure at that moment exactly how he felt. It was a cute name he was called by both of his sons when they were playful, but Jesper, of course, called him “Da” otherwise. Kaz, however, reverted back to calling him “Colm”. He didn’t expect anything else regardless of how he felt toward him. He’d never expect for a single moment that Kaz might call him something other than “Colm” and have it truly mean anything related to fatherhood, but…
“I’m not sure if it has a meaning, and I don’t expect him to look at me as a true parent unless he wants to. I just need him to know that I’m safe and will do whatever I can to make his life the best it can be. I can’t deny that thinking about it now warms my heart a little. Regardless, I just want him to be happy.”
“I think that’s a wonderful outlook.”
Colm looked at his phone for a moment, sighed, and slipped it back into his pocket. “Yeah. I try. I just want him to be happy. I know I already said that, but it’s true.”
She nodded toward his pocket. “Someone trying to get a hold of you that you don’t want to speak with?”
“That obvious?” He sighed again. “Just my father. Again. A man who wouldn’t know a boundary if it hit him in the face with a pick axe. I can’t have him coming here with my mother who also sees boundaries as optional. Not now. Jesper is finally back on track in school and Kaz is… well. It’s delicate with him. Yes, he’s playing and goofing around and starting to be just a little bit of a shite, Saints love him. But… He’s having trouble with what’s happening to his friends, like I said. And he wants nothing to do with the lawyers. He knows he needs to, but he’s being forced to deal with things a little sooner than we’d otherwise want him to. That might be reflecting in how he’s been behaving lately.”
“What is he doing other than portraying a Kerch debutant?” she asked with a chuckle, though she was genuinely curious, hoping she could help Colm with whatever was happening.
“Well, he’s taking on other… personas. Plays pretend beyond the stuff he does with me and Jesper. He gets in these moods which have been happening more often and with more intensity now. He went from being silly with Jesper or lying on his floor quoting the Lord of the Rings to being a bit more… off? Intense. Anyway, the night after one of his appointments with his therapist, he came to me and asked if he could buy something with his money and how much he could use. We had a little discussion about budgeting, and he seemed content with it.
…
"Okay, so with this budget, may I have 30 kruge?"
"You may. For?"
"... Reasons."
"Are they illegal reasons?" Colm asked as a joke, curious as to what on earth he was planning.
"No."
Colm eyed his positively angelic face, wondering if he should believe him. He hadn’t been given a reason not to yet, so he hesitantly said, "... Fine?"
"Thank you."
…
He didn’t tell me what he bought, but a couple days later, a crow onesie showed up at the door. He lived in that thing every night and morning for the rest of the week which wasn’t exactly unlike what a four year old might do with a favorite outfit.” Colm adjusted himself in his chair, crossing one knee over the other while rubbing his eyes. “If he’s not cuddling his crow toy while wearing it, he’s sitting out on the awning now trying to feed the crows. The first time I saw him doing that I nearly had a heart attack. He just asked me if we could get him his own wheelchair, and now he’s climbing out the window to convene with the crows?”
“What does he say when he does this?”
“Nonsense like ‘I’m one of them now’ while his dog watches from the window. I’m surprised she hasn’t physically dragged him back in by the beaked hood of that thing. It looks ridiculous, but he’s enjoying himself, so who am I to stop it? So long as he doesn’t fall and break his other leg. And this crow thing? Not even the strangest thing he’s done, bless him…”
…
On another particularly cold night, Kaz put on his crow onesie and his beloved poncho that Jesper got him and crawled under a blanket fort that he’d made by draping blankets over his own desk chair and another he’d dragged upstairs from the kitchen. Nova joined him, and together they snuggled while Kaz balanced Colm’s ledgers in preparation for quarterly taxes by the light of flashlight attached to his head.
Colm knocked on the door, warning him that dinner was going to be a little bit late.
“Are you in there?” Colm asked, wondering what he was looking at when he realized Nova’s butt was sticking out from under the blankets, her tail wagging at the sound of his voice. Kaz peeked his face out, revealing the light attached to his head which made Colm burst out laughing.
"Uuuuuh, son?" Colm asked between giggles.
"I am the blanket. The blanket is me."
“Alright, a chuilein. Noted.”
Jesper walked in then, hearing what Kaz had said. "Dude?? Are you okay?"
Kaz, being in an extremely silly mood, repeated himself. “I am the blanket. The blanket is me!”
"Maybe I enabled him with that poncho,” Jesper said.
Kaz, hearing this, peeked his head out again and looked at Jesper like he’d just said the most offensive thing in the world. “Do not speak to me or my son ever again.”
"Da, I think I broke him with meme lore!” Jesper said, laughing like a maniac.
Colm, wondering about the strange things he was saying, figured he was repeating things he’d seen from Jesper. He knew how to make him laugh and get a reaction for sure.
“Okay, boyo. Dinner in thirty. Try to grace us with your presence, if you please. It’s warm in the kitchen.” Colm pulled Jesper along and said, “Leave your brother alone, he’s in his cocoon.”
“He’ll emerge an untraumatized butterfly?”
“No, Jes. He’ll emerge a nocturnal moth but we’ll love him regardless.”
…
“And do you know what he bought next? A moth onesie. He heard what I said to Jesper. Now he flits around the house in that thing or the crow onesie. So now I’m left wondering what version of Kaz I’m going to get. Am I getting the period drama or the inquisitive crow or the deranged moth that wanders through the house at night and out to the roof of the barn? At least he stuck to his budget. Hopefully that continues.”
“He wanders at night?”
“He can’t sleep well, and he hesitates to take more medication than absolutely necessary, which I respect and agree with for the most part. He often asks me if I can read to him, but if he’s up in the middle of the night, then he’s more hesitant to wake me up. I can’t help but worry even if he is acting like a goofball for the most part with these things, especially with these newer behaviors.”
“From what you’ve told me, this is a form of therapeutic play for him. It’s an easy fantasy where he can be somebody or something else and disconnect from what’s happening. It looks strange because he’s acting like a little boy in a way, but that would make sense to me. He wasn’t able to continue his normal development of play into young adulthood. He was rescued at sixteen and has been trying to fit into the life and role of a sixteen- and now seventeen-year-old, but there was so much that he missed.”
“Do you think I should be concerned? It’s just escalated a lot lately, but there has been a lot happening.”
“No, I don’t think so. As long as his therapist hasn’t brought anything to your attention. This is how he’s capable of processing a lot of scary, complex emotions right now. The things that he went through have deeper traumatic impacts that aren’t readily apparent on the surface like his panic attacks are. His brain was rewired to anticipate constant terror. Now, he’s settled and understands that he’s safe, so his mind is free to experiment and do things that someone his age might not typically do.”
“He does have so much to learn and catch up on. I’m glad that Jesper is an oddball like my parents and I are. Quite frankly, so are all of their friends. Inej is a sweetheart, but she has a goofy side that fits right in with him. He adores her so much. I am a little worried about how their relationship will progress because nothing about it is what anyone would deem as typical. I don’t know how much he’s told her about what happened to him, but that’s his business.”
Colm’s phone vibrated multiple times, so he pulled it out to make sure there wasn’t an emergency with Jesper or Kaz. Of course, it was a name he didn’t want to see again.
“Your father?”
“I can’t deal with him,” he said, irritated by the interruption.
“Have you tried going no contact with him?”
“I might have to. I’ve been thinking about it. I don’t like the way he or my mother still treat me or the way he talks about my kids. I don’t need either of them around him or my mother. Jesper doesn’t like my mother, but he hates my father. I’m not sure there was ever a time he ever liked him at all. Cathal Fahey has always had opinions, and Jesper has even stronger ones.”
“That’s something we can work on together if you’d like. We can make a plan for what you want to say and when. The health of your boys and yourself are priorities, not his feelings. He should respect that.”
“You’re right. Nothing matters more to me than the happiness of my kids. I know I need to be tougher about my boundaries but…I just wish it were that easy.”
***
When Colm arrived home, the house was eerily quiet. Jesper had gone out with Wylan, and Kaz would have been with Inej had she not had plans with her family. Colm figured he must be upstairs reading in his bed. He was surprised to find that he was actually in his room in the corner armchair, curled up in his crow onesie with Nova on the large footstool that was pushed against the chair.
“Kaz? Are you okay?” Kaz shrugged, the shift causing the crow hood to fall further over his eyes. Something was on his mind, but he wasn’t crying. Just quiet. “Do you want to talk?”
He shrugged again, but said, “I was just lonely. Even with Nova. I don’t know why.”
“Ah. That happens to me sometimes if everyone is busy and I have stuff on my mind that I might want to talk about. Nova is excellent company, but she lacks the ability to speak Kerch back to you, unfortunately. Tell you what, let’s go downstairs? It’s actually warmer out today if you’d like to go for a walk. Winter is on its way out, and I’ve seen a few early blooms. How about it?”
“I’m tired…”
“Hmm. Hot chocolate on the porch? Get some air?”
“... Okay.”
Colm managed to get Kaz downstairs then and they both worked on making the hot chocolate. Colm added more whipped cream and sprinkles to his own, but Kaz elected for only a little bit. He wasn’t in the mood for the Tower of Joy that Jesper had taught him to make before, and Colm didn’t push him.
They sat in relative quiet on the porch swing, Colm asking a few questions while Kaz gave short, simple answers. To Colm’s eyes, he perked up a bit more after having about half of his drink, but he wondered if the lift in his mood was more from having company.
Unfortunately, their little peace was broken when Colm’s phone vibrated again. He sighed, stopping it by pressing the button through his pants. He didn’t bother removing it to look. He already knew.
“Something wrong?” Kaz asked.
Colm chewed his lip, spinning his mug slowly. “My father is trying to contact me and he won’t drop it.”
“You don’t want to talk to him?”
“No,” he said simply. “No.”
“Why not? Please don’t say ‘it’s complicated’ again,” pleaded Kaz.
Considering the emotional rollercoaster they’d all been on recently with the grounding, the first meeting, Hari, the euphoria of the dance, the problems with Wylan and Matthias, yet another meeting… Well. Colm couldn’t blame him for the request. Kaz wanted honesty and clarity, and he didn’t like being kept in the dark when something was wrong.
He took another sip of his drink, mulling over his words, hoping to find the right balance of information.
“My mother and father are trying to arrange a visit here. It’s been a number of years and I suppose it got around town that they weren’t here for Jesper’s sixteenth and hadn’t met you, yet. The town where I’m from is small, only about two thousand people, maybe close to three these days. A sizable portion of my family still lives there, so it doesn’t help with all the talking. When the town gets to talking, that’s when they want to get in touch again.”
“You don’t want them to, though.”
Colm hesitated before nodding. “Not right now. I will preface this by saying that they have their moments. My father, when he was in a good mood, taught me some practical things. I learned how to drive and shave from him, and I know he learned how to parent from his father who was also tough on him. Both military men. Old-fashioned. My mother taught me how to find some store deals and probably introduced me to my appreciation for some daytime dramas. We spent bonding time together actually saving a lot of money while learning whose possessed twin was in a coma with whose baby. Anyway… They just don’t respect my boundaries and, well, there are certain things I can relate to some of your friends about. It has improved through the decades, but it’s not something that I want you to have to worry about, plus Jesper isn’t their biggest fan.”
Kaz tilted his head, attempting to read between the lines. He remembered the little bit Jesper had said during Nachtspel and how his bibi and babu reacted to their calling. Between that and Colm’s wording, he wondered how much his foster father had dealt with thanks to them.
I don’t think I’m their biggest fan, either.
“Thank you for telling me,” he offered instead. “Is…”
“It’s okay to ask a question. If I can’t answer it or feel uncomfortable for any reason, I’ll explain why the best I can.”
“The town talks and that’s when they get involved. You said you stopped living with your mam and da full-time…” said Kaz, his tongue almost tripping on his use of the Kaelish titles as he’d almost said “pa” and “mama”.
“Good memory,” said Colm, and while he gave a small smile, there was a sadness that lingered in his eyes. “Same reasons. Mam and Da were at least able to have me during weekends, holidays, and summers once other family members got involved.”
“Why though? Why were you with them and then taken back? I don’t understand.”
“Well…” Colm had to choose his words very carefully. “My mother wasn’t actually interested in being a parent. Not really. Neither was my father. My da, Eoghan, immediately wanted me. My mother and father were more than happy to let me go until the town started talking. The one thing they couldn’t stand was anyone saying a bad thing about them, so they tried to take me again. My grandparents, Mam, and Da fought to keep me, but there was only so much they could do. Kaelish law also has its problems. My mother and father at least let me go back home for parts of the week and year, like I said.”
“Can I ask why they… Why they didn’t want you? Why get you just to give you away?”
Colm took in a deep breath, wishing he’d poured a little whiskey into his drink. “That’s something I’ll never really understand, Kaz. I know a few things here and there, and sometimes parents don’t immediately bond with their babies, but this was different. I’ve tried to reason it out fully, but I can’t do it. What I do know is that my real parents are Eoghan and Aoife. They’re my mam and da and they love me. I might not have always shown them that I understood that because I was sometimes an angry and confused child, and I had a lot of pent up energy after being trapped with my biological parents. Saints, you should have seen how much trouble I could get into the first week or two of those summers as I tried to adjust. I promise you, lad, I could be a right menace during those times”
“I still can’t imagine you being in trouble,” Kaz chuckled.
“Trust me, boyo, I could be a wild one. The amount of places I got into that I shouldn’t have should be studied.”
“And,” Kaz hesitated briefly before pushing through his nerves. “Even with all of your trouble, they never stopped loving you? Even if you weren’t…”
“Theirs?”
Kaz hesitated, but he nodded. Colm wished he could read his thoughts, but he wondered if they had anything to do with Colm himself. No matter what it was, he needed to assure Kaz that he was wanted, loved, and cared for even if he wasn’t his biological child just as the case was for his own real parents.
“Not for one moment. Some of our conflicts even made us closer because we learned more about each other. I knew I was safe with them, so I would test them when trying to get used to being in their care again. There is a difference between the testing of rules and boundaries by a child who is learning and when someone, especially an adult, is purposefully crossing lines. They never once stopped loving me, and they never once made me doubt that they did. It meant fuck all that I wasn’t born from them. I was theirs from the moment I was born, and that was that. And Kaz?” Kaz looked up at him, holding his mug to his chest to feel the warmth against his heart. Colm had so many words to say, so many feelings, but he needed to be careful and not cause Kaz to misunderstand or feel pushed. “The same goes here, okay? This is your home. We love you and care about you here so much more than you could know. It doesn’t matter that you’re not our blood. You’re ours regardless. Alright?”
He could only nod again in response, but he accepted his answer.
“So... Crow today?” Colm asked.
“Yeah.”
“Does that mean Moth is tomorrow?”
“Maybe.”
“Is there anything I can do when you... When you're wearing these things for more than warmth?”
“... I don't know.”
“You just like to play with them?”
“Does that make me sound like a baby?”
“Nah. I play along when you and Jesper are being silly, right? We're not babies then. Also who is to define play?” Kaz looks at Colm quizzically. “I ‘play’ the drums when I need an outlet. Just because it’s not outfitted with a costume doesn’t mean it’s much different. When I need to get out my feelings, I have a form of play. Get me upset enough and I turn into Animal from The Muppets.” Another quizzical look at Colm gave him a mild chuckle. “I’ll show you when you’d like.”
“And show me the drums?”
“Sure.”
After some quiet, Kaz said, “I do like to play with them. My crow and moth suits. It's fun. It distracts me.”
“Crow I understand. Why a moth? Was it really the comment I made about the cocoon?”
“... They’re cool and they like light.”
They like light.
“I liked looking at them at the zoo.”
“I see. Is anything else happening now that you want to talk about? Or is today more of a quiet day?”
“Quiet, I think.”
“That's okay, but... there is one thing we should talk about if you're up for it. How about we get a pizza tonight instead of cooking? We have important things to discuss regarding a certain fur ball's birthday.”
Kaz immediately perked up again, a little bit of that coveted light returning to his eyes. “And your birthday. Both of them are soon. I already picked out what I want to get you both.”
“Well then, you can keep mine a surprise while we talk about Nova's. She wont understand enough Kerch to have it spoiled.”
“I'm not so sure,” Kaz laughed, then turned to study Colm. “You really like surprises, don't you?”
“I do. Only if they're the good kind.”
***
On March 16th, the day of Nova’s birthday, Kaz had shaken off the last of the fog he’d been in for the last week, excited about the fact that it was his dog’s turn to have a birthday. He wished that he’d been there for the first one or seen her as a puppy, but he was thankful he was at least there for her second and would be for every one of them from then on.
It was as if Nova sensed that it was her day. She was already crawling on Kaz and switching between cobbing his hair and chewing on his arms. He tried to fight her off as a game, but the crow onesie he’d fallen asleep in made him look like a giant, inviting chew toy. He was doomed.
“Hey. Hey! That’s mine! I need that arm! No!” he shouted, laughing as she growled and sneezed and chomped down on him.
He rolled out of the bed head first, catching himself on his hands and slowly but gracelessly lowering himself to the floor which made her target his sock, and she ended up pulling right off of his foot. For a brief moment, the sensation of someone other than him removing a piece of clothing made his blood run cold, but when he saw her shake it around like a toy before tossing it and zooming from the floor back onto his bed, he forgot. Watching her be a maniac made him too happy to dwell on it, though his foot was getting colder by the second.
She barely let him grab his sock back and put it on before he managed to open his bedroom door, allowing her to fly downstairs. He could barely manage to close the door again and change into actual clothes before she ran back up to whine at the door, demanding to be let out.
“I’m coming!”
And that was their morning: pure, unadulterated chaos. Colm and Jesper joined in between setting up the house for the arrival of Inej, Wylan, Matthias, Nina, and, of course, Trassel. Kaz was a little disappointed that Astrid could not come, but with Matthias still in his shunning, there was no way the two of them could leave the house together. Nova, again, was enough to distract him for the most part.
There was a part of him that felt guilty for feeling lonely sometimes even when she was there. He chalked it up to needing to hear another person’s voice even if it was difficult for him to speak. Those moments were rare as she remained his best friend and caregiver, leaving him wanting for nothing in terms of affection. Mostly.
I still wish she could hug me like a person sometimes.
The living room was decked out with blue and yellow balloons at Jesper’s suggestion after seeing a TikTok about how dogs could see those colors. He’d shown Kaz and he’d readily agreed. As to whether she was fascinated by those visible colors or the massive amount of balls stuck to the walls was a mystery, albeit one that was easy enough to solve when one fell and she promptly attacked it.
The pop from the balloon had made Kaz jump, but he quickly recovered and took the rubber out of her mouth, chiding her for trying to eat everything that wasn’t actually edible.
“If you weren’t so good at your job, I’d question the number of brain cells you have in there, Madam.”
The chaos only escalated when Matthias and Wylan arrived with Trassel who was more than ready to play with Nova. While they ran amok outside, Binsa pulled up with Inej and Nina, though she stayed far enough down the drive as soon as she saw the two masses of fur barreling by. Both dogs came back when the girls got out to go say hello.
They behaved when Binsa got out with a tray of treats she couldn't resist making for the dogs. Kaz was glad to see her and have her there and even more surprised when Hari got out of the passenger side holding another tray. He was surprised to see that he had come, and he couldn’t deny that he was still a little nervous around him, but they’d kept their interactions short and pleasant since the dance. Even Nova was willing to say hello to him. Kaz had forgiven him, but he wouldn’t let go of caution before he was ready.
At least Inej was right and he didn’t kill me after we started dating. Not sure he’s exactly thrilled to be at a birthday party for a dog. He came, though. Maybe he and Colm will talk more. Colm did say it was normal for parents of people who dated to get to know each other. He knows Wylan’s mama, but she’s sick so they don’t see each other often. He doesn’t like his father, of course. Oh, I should… I should stop thinking about all of that and go say hi. Inej is here.
Of course, the dogs really couldn’t care less about a birthday party and the meaning as it was really for their humans to have an excuse to spoil them. The dogs only cared about being lavished with attention which everyone was clearly willing to do. Nova, of course, still came over to Kaz to play or whenever she sensed he was anxious. Those moments of anxiety were rare as he was far too preoccupied with taking photos and videos, wondering what she must have looked like when she was a puppy.
His feelings intensified when, during their calmer moments, Jesper put birthday hats on them. Everyone was taking photos then and sending them all to Kaz who couldn’t stop smiling. He was happy Nova and Trassel were considerate enough to wait two minutes before shaking them off and eating them so he could get enough pictures.
Colm suggested that they let Nova open her presents soon so both dogs would still have enough energy to play. He’d gotten her something rather special that Kaz was looking forward to trying. He’d also asked Colm if they could get Trassel a few things to open since Nova wouldn’t know the difference, and he was very sure that Trassel didn’t get presents like it at home.
Matthias had been touched by Kaz’s generosity, and he nearly teared up when Trassel got to open up a few stuffed toys of his own and immediately squeaked them with his ears folded back. He’d have to keep most of them hidden in his car. Trassel was allowed to play and destroy certain toys as it was in a dog’s nature to do so, but excess was never allowed when all Matthias wanted to do was spoil him rotten just like Nova.
Meanwhile, Nova opened her own new array of toys to replace more of the ones she’d shredded or chewed into oblivion. There were a few favorites of hers that had survived as she was more prone to grab them to run with or cuddle like her giant bear, her bat, and her snake. Saints help the rope toys and the tennis balls as she had a vendetta against their very existence.
Knowing this, Colm got her a special contraption that launched tennis balls which he figured would be perfect. Kaz was only mortal compared to her, so when he was too tired to toss the ball, she could try out the ball launcher.
Nova watched as Colm loaded the first ball into the machine, curious about what was about to happen. When the ball fired across the yard, she stood up with her ears standing at attention. Kaz told her to go ahead, and she zoomed across the yard to get the ball and immediately brought it back. Kaz then pointed to the drop slot for the ball, and she quickly let go of the ball right into the center. She backed up, watching the machine again, her front paws tapping the ground and ready to take off.
She spent the next thirty minutes straight doing this with Trassel, who despite being a bit older, managed to keep up with her just fine.
“Where do they get all the energy?!” Binsa asked, laughing.
“I don’t know, but I miss having half of it,” Colm answered while Hari hummed and nodded in agreement.
Kaz wondered the same, wishing he also had a fraction of it.
After some coaxing with treats to stop for a while and go back into the house, it was time for the birthday cake. Colm had baked one special for Nova and Trassel to share that wast topped with bone biscuits and made with pumpkin and peanut butter which Kaz immediately wrinkled his nose at. Nova looked at it with bulging eyes when she realized it was for her, but she stayed perfectly behaved and waited for Kaz and others to take a “few” pictures as everyone sang her happy birthday.
They skipped the candles just in case one of them lapsed in training from excitement, but again, Kaz knew they wouldn’t care. They just wanted the food which he understood. Who could resist Colm’s baking?
The party had been a success, and by the end of it, both dogs finally flopped down together on Nova’s bed to nap. Kaz had one more present for her which was her very own fluffy blanket to cuddle so she’d stop stealing his. Inej laughed and said, “That’s optimistic”. He’d find out soon enough that she was right and they’d always war over them, but he didn’t mind. It was cute.
When it was time for Matthias to leave, he had to carry a snoozy Trassel out to his car while Nina and Wylan followed with containers of dog treats, Astrid treats, and some for her and Matthias to share. He wished he could stay longer, but he could only keep up an excuse of taking Trassel out for needed exercise for so long and it had already been four hours. He was pushing it, but he took another minute to allow Colm to hug him, melting into the warmth of the man who’d shown him so much kindness yet again.
At least Trassel is exhausted so it’s believable.
Inej stayed a little longer while their parents talked, sitting by and petting Nova who was still passed out.
“She might be the most spoiled and happy dog I’ve ever seen,” said Inej.
“Yeah. She deserves it. She does so much for me and I just want her to feel like a normal dog, too.”
Inej looked around and said, “I think you’ve gone above and beyond normal dogs.”
Worried, he asked, “Was it too much?”
“No, not at all,” she assured him. “Look how tired she is. That is the ultimate sign of a happy dog. Oh, she’s dreaming…”
Nova yipped quietly as her paws twitched.
“Probably dreaming of the ball launcher.”
“Colm is a genius,” she said, trying not to laugh too loud to wake her up.
“Yeah. I’m glad he got it and did all this for her. It was his idea. I didn’t know dogs could have birthday parties.”
“Dogs can have whatever they want, and whatever you want to spoil them with. It’s the law,” she said solemnly.
“Just not chocolate.”
“Poor thing. Such a tragedy,” she deadpanned, making Kaz bust up laughing and immediately cover his mouth to silence himself.
Nova stirred a little at the sound of Kaz’s laughter, but a gentle pet soothed her back to sleep and into dreams of one of her favorite days ever. Though, every day she was with him was a favorite day.
***
Colm, Jesper, and Kaz sat on the porch, watching as Nova obsessed over her ball launcher that evening. She’d gotten her second wind, and her gusto hadn’t seemed to dwindle at all. Kaz’s arm ached just thinking about having to go that long and was even more thankful that Colm had found that contraption.
“Thank you for all of this,” said Kaz, looking at Colm and hoping he knew that his appreciation was genuine.
“Anything for the queen of our house,” Colm answered, which made Jesper turn around and look at him in surprise.
“Puhaph, has dear Muhmah been dethroned?” Jesper asked, thinking of Aditi’s reaction to the declaration.
“She told me she’s willing to share status.” Both boys giggled, and Colm pulled out his phone. “I actually have something for you, Kaz. I got a text message during the party, but I didn’t want to distract from anything. I have a feeling you’re going to want to have a good look at these.”
Kaz’s phone pinged, and he pulled it out to see a new message from Colm. Confused, he opened it up to see a folder of photographs and videos. He nearly dropped the phone in excitement when he sat up quickly, realizing what it was.
“What? Really?!”
“Her trainer Orsa found them all on her harddrive and cloud and sent them to me for you. She figured you’d want to keep them.”
Kaz now had hundreds of photos and videos of Nova as a puppy, from hours after birth all the way through her puppyhood, training, and graduation. She was just as adorable as he’d imagined, and just as menacing as she was now albeit more of a little demon with too many teeth.
“Seems like she’s always been a bit on the wild side, a chuilein.”
“I’m surprised they decided to train her. I thought most dogs like that wouldn’t be chosen.”
“They saw her potential. She’s a clever thing, just like you. Clever, wild, goofy, and determined. They needed her for someone like you, and I’d say it worked out perfectly.”
Kaz blushed at the comment while continuing to burst at the seams as he looked through every photo. He wished he could have held her when she was as small as his forearms, but he’d settle for getting to see her. It was better than he’d ever hoped for.
“Lemme see!!” Jesper squealed when he realized what was happening, and Colm handed his phone over so Kaz wouldn’t be interrupted. “Shut up! She’s so cute, what the hell?! Some of these need to be framed. Kaz, hurry up and send a few to the group chat as is your right as a dog puhpah or so help me I’ll explode.”
Colm chuckled and rolled his eyes, thinking, “So much for not interrupting Kaz.”
Jesper sent himself the folder so he could give Colm his phone back, and then he and Kaz descended on the group chat which promptly exploded with oohing and awing with declarations regarding the need to squeeze baby Nova. Kaz agreed wholeheartedly, knowing just how nice it was to squeeze grown-up Nova.
Nova put her ball into the launcher yet again, but she stopped chasing it. Kaz noticed her pause and stare down the driveway, ears turning to better hear.
“Colm, is someone coming?” Kaz asked, noticing dust rising in the distance and an unfamiliar car coming into view. “That’s not Nadia’s car.”
Jesper looked up, squinting ahead until the squint turned into a glare. Colm rose from his seat, staring ahead with increasing disbelief. Kaz immediately called Nova to him who instantly listened as usual. She stood beside him, watching the car pull right up, blocking the exit.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Jesper muttered.
“Jes, what’s wrong?” Kaz asked, backing away in fear.
Before anyone could speak, the car doors opened, revealing an older couple who looked like they’d eaten nothing but sour lemons for their entire lives. They stood there, staring at a silent Colm whose arms dropped limply to his sides.
“Well? Aren’t you going to greet your father?” the old man said, disdain in every word.
Cathal and Bronagh Fahey had come to Kerch.