It was a lovely day in Portia. A gentle breeze rustled the grass, the temperature was perfect for napping, and the sun sparkled on the pond’s waters. A couple was curled up under a tree overlooking Duck Pond. They met there regularly to chat and relax, Aadit was leaning against the tree and Ayla curled up between his legs.They talked about anything and everything when they came here, and today the topic was on families.

“I don’t remember Ma too much”, Ayla said as she leaned against Aadit’s chest. “Just bits and pieces. Warmth....comfort....a kind smile, that’s about it. We didn’t have a camera after all. And Pa...he was in and out a lot before just straight up leaving when I was younger. Aunt Kendra said that when Ma died he acted as though he’d lost everything and traveled to try and find it again...I wasn’t enough.”

Aadit wrapped his arms around the small builder, enveloping her completely. “You know you mean everything to me. My love, my heart, my home.”

“I know,” she smiled, leaning against his arm. “I feel at home whenever I’m with you. Besides. Despite everything with Ma and Pa, I had a good childhood with Aunt Kendra. She didn’t put her building life on hold to raise me, so I basically grew up in her workshop and the local builder’s guild. All the local builders were like my second family. I miss Barnarock sometimes, but Portia seems like a good place to live. I don’t need the hustle and bustle of a place like Vega 5. All I really want is a nice, quiet life.”

He settled his chin on her shoulder. “I remember where I grew up clearly, although I was still young. The entire village was like one big family. All the kids called the adults ‘Aunt’ and ‘Uncle’, so I don’t even remember who I was and wasn’t related to. I remember playing with the other children, enjoying the little treats that people would slip me when I ran errands for my family. You could feel the love people had for life and each other.”

He chuckled. “One time I’d gotten a toothache, but it was around the same time one of the uncles had came back with treats and candies for souvenirs. I remember watching sadly as everyone ran around, munching on their candies. Then I was handed the biggest cookie I’d ever seen in my life, with a wink that said ‘Don’t tell my mother’.”

“We were...a peaceful village. We had some relics, but there was nothing that could’ve been used for war.” Ayla felt Aadit tense up as he continued. “That didn’t keep us from getting caught in the war. It was horrible, it just started out like any other day... Then there were the flames. The soldiers. The violence. The death.”

He began to shake. “All I could do was run. I didn’t want to, but all the adults screamed for us to flee as they held the soldiers off. So I ran...I ran as far and hard as could before I collapsed. I--I tried to find my way back after I came to. There was nothing. Everything was burned to the ground. Everyone was dead or gone. There was no way to find out if anyone had survived. I was alone.”

Ayla felt something wet on her shoulder and turned to face him. Silent tears streamed down his face, but his entire body shook. It was the way someone used to crying alone grieved.

“Aadit, shhh...” she said as she wiped away tears and cradled his face. “You’re not alone anymore...I’m here.”

He finally let out a sob, full of pain and the sound of something that’d been kept within for too long. “I’ve seen too many people pass from my life...they weren’t the only ones. Just the beginning.”

“Aadit...hey, look at me.” She looked straight into his eyes, voice determined. “I promise you that I’ll do everything in my power to keep anything like that from happening again. I can’t change the past, but Portia is a peaceful place. I can do my best to make sure it stays that way.”

Her voice softened. “And maybe...Portia is where we can find the quiet life we always wanted. You don’t have to be alone anymore. We could settle down one day...have a family. You, me, some ducks and chickens. We’ll have Scraps...Pinky...and maybe even some kids. We’ll them all the love we missed growing up, and then some.”

“Angel,” Aadit smiled and pulled her close. “Thank you so much. I hope that one day I’ll get to see the future you described. I love you.”

“I love you too. Now, always, and forever.”