Chapter 2.4-Shards of Porcelain

Please click * HERE * for background music for this chapter. Really. I did that this time. Shocking, I know. Just do it. It sets the mood and you'll make me happy. Happy darn it! It's a happy chapter!

          How is he here? How did he get here? Where has he been? How did he find me? How had he been? Where is Olivia? Why did he leave? Why didn’t he ever contact us? Does Mom know where he is? Does Phedra? Her questions all unspoken as Layla fought to find her voice. Fought to believe her own eyes. It was him. Him. Cyrus. Standing in her kitchen after all these years. 

 

          Her limbs weighed a hundred pounds apiece. She took a single slow step, then another, through the thickest air she’d ever known. Her breath was still caught, and for some reason her stomach was in her throat fighting for space with her heart which had leapt there too.

 

          Closing the physical gap between them did nothing to stop her questions from chasing each others tails in her brain. And still, she couldn’t tear her eyes off of the miracle that had appeared in her kitchen.

          Staring at him, drinking in his appearance, following the line of his jaw, wondering where the overlarge nose went, finding the same flecks of hazel in his eyes that had used to be there, Layla’s foremost thought slowly became how strange it was to see him wearing clothes she’d never seen him wearing before. Not that his face had matured, or that he was taller, more muscular. Just how odd his clothes looked on him.

She blinked rapid fire, scared to miss a moment. Scared he might disappear again. Her fingertips tingled with longing to touch him, to make certain that he was really there. But her arms wouldn't rise, she was too afraid that he would dissolve into a mist if she reached out for him.

          “Well, Ma’am? I’m sure sorry. I thought I’d entered the home of my baby sister. Seems I’ve got the wrong house. I apologize.”

 

          “There is no apology from you,” Layla whispered, not trusting her voice, shaking her head a little. “Where have you been?”

          If she thought she was fighting back a flood of tears, it was nothing to how Cyrus looked. His jaw working, Adams apple bobbing, it seemed he was struggling just as much as she was.

          “I’ve been with you for a lot longer than you’ll ever know,” he choked out, his voice low as well, a sad crooked smile twisting his lips. “I’ve missed you, Laydee. And Fay, and Galen. I’ve missed you every day, thought about you every day. Wished to see you all. Every day.”

 

          “Do-Do you know,” Layla’s voice faltered even as she whispered. “Do you know how badly we hurt? How hard it was? On all of us? Your leaving? Daddy-”

          The Daddy who had surrounded her with the ghosts of his past steps ever since her arrival here suddenly flooded her mind and clogged her throat. The memories of his laughing, his jokes, and pranks. Memories of her Daddy when his love of fishing was still strong. Feeling his pride in all four of the kids he raised, his strong arms around her making her feel safe and loved. Hearing his deep, soothing voice. She could almost smell his scent, the scent of woody cologne and soap, his presence seemed so strong in the room as she looked at the boy he loved like a son.

          “It broke him. For a long time we were all broken. But Daddy?” Stopping to regain herself again, Layla shook her head. “We loved you so much, Cyrus. And you left. And we all broke; we were all broken. And the family almost completely collapsed,” Layla paused as Cyrus toed the shards of porcelain mixed with pasta on the floor, frowning heavily, making the mess worse. “Daddy is still not the same. He’ll never be fixed. He’s never moved on. He loves you too much.”

          “I’m sorry, Layla.”

 

          Sniffing, wiping his tears with his large square thumbs, he raised his head slightly.

          “And I’ll never be able to apologize enough, or go back and fix Buck. But I’m here now,” again, his voice faltered, he closed his eyes, and he shook his head as Layla had done so much. Then he pushed his shoulders back, squaring them, head up, firm, strong. “I’m here now.”

          “And I’m so glad!” Layla sobbed and flung her arms around Cyrus, her brother.

 

          Pulling her closer, Cyrus patted his little sister's back, grinning at finding just how much he had been missed, at how good it felt to see her. His tears falling into her hair as hers soaked his jacket.

Trying to offer some comfort through the relief he felt that she had welcomed him back so easily, he shushed her gently without really meaning it. It had been too long since he’d had a hug from her. Too long since he’d seen any of his siblings. Too late for many, many things. But at least it wasn’t too late for a reunion.

          “You’re here! You’re here! You’re okay! You’re Alive! You’re here! Oh, Cyrus you’re here!” Layla sobbed, repeating her refrain over and over, as though saying it would make it all the more real.

 

          Once she had finally calmed down enough to release him, trying to wipe her snot and tears off of his shoulder and only making a bigger mess, Layla stood back, grinning from ear to ear laughing slightly in her joy, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

          “Looks like you’ve got a coffee maker,” Cyrus said. “Are you actually grown up enough now to drink that stuff?”

          She nodded and bustled about trying to make coffee, clean up the remains of her dinner from the floor, as well as the pot she’d made it in, all without taking her eyes off of her long lost brother now standing in her kitchen.

          Her heart thrilled, singing, soaring. He was here. Cyrus was here!

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That’s enough for now. I know it’s very short, but it’s a little heavy, so we’ll save his story for another chapter.

Also, I really hope you listened to Olaruf Arnalds' beautiful and haunting "Fyrsta" as you read. I dithered between "Lynn's Theme" and "Alice Enters" and "This Place is a Shelter" (really seriously almost did that one but it's just too short) and "Agust" and about 5 others by him as well on exactly which song to use but kept coming back to this one. And really, this chapter was written for this song in the end. Take a peek at some of his other stuff too if you're unfamiliar with him. His work is absolutely brilliant and amazing. And kudos to Misty for using soundtracks in her story- Ouroboros Legacy -in the first place. She's the only reason I did the muzak for this. But it really helps set a mood, imho.

Oh, one more thing. Yay! :D