Arrival
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3rd Pov
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The morning passed in a blur. The sun had risen higher, casting soft golden rays through the trees as Cosmo and Jami sat near the front of the merchant wagon. The steady clatter of hooves against the dirt road filled the silence between them.
Inside the wagon, Scraps and Goob slept soundly, curled into the piles of soft fabrics and supplies Jami had stored in the back. Their slow, even breaths mixed with the rhythmic creaking of the wooden cart.
Jami leaned slightly against the wagon’s edge, one hand resting lazily on the reins as his golden eye flicked toward Cosmo.
“So,” he mused, his tone casual, “how long have you guys been traveling to this village?”
Cosmo stiffened slightly, his fingers curling against the wooden seat beneath him.
“U-Uh! Around three weeks ago,” he said, forcing a smile.
It was a lie.
Jami’s expression didn’t change, but Cosmo saw the way his grip on the reins tightened, the small, almost imperceptible twitch in his jaw.
“Three weeks?” Jami repeated, dragging out the words as if tasting them. “That’s quite a while on foot. Must’ve been exhausting.”
Cosmo swallowed, nodding quickly. “Y-Yeah! It was, uh… tough.”
Jami hummed, his tail lazily flicking behind him.
Cosmo shifted under the weight of his gaze. Why had he lied? It wasn’t like Jami would know the difference. But something about the way Jami asked so smooth, so easy, like he was testing him made his stomach twist.
There was something about him that didn’t sit right.
Or maybe…
Something that sat too right.
“Must’ve been rough,” Jami continued, his voice light, but Cosmo didn’t miss the sharp edge beneath it. “Especially since you don’t smell like you’ve been traveling for that long.”
Cosmo’s breath caught.
Jami smiled, slow and knowing, and Cosmo felt his stomach drop.
“You’re lying,” Jami said, almost playfully. “Aren’t you?”
Cosmo felt cold.
His hands tightened against his lap as his mind scrambled for an excuse, a reason, anything, but he couldn’t find one.
Jami tilted his head, watching him carefully, before letting out a small chuckle. “Relax. I’m not gonna bite.”
His voice was light, reassuring. Yet it did nothing to ease the tension curling inside Cosmo’s chest.
Jami turned his attention back to the path ahead, his golden eye gleaming under the sunlight. “You don’t have to tell me the truth if you don’t want to,” he said. “But lies have a way of unraveling.”
Cosmo exhaled shakily, gripping his knees.
He didn’t know what was more terrifying, the fact that Jami saw through him so easily…
Cosmo’s hands clenched against his lap, his fingers digging into the fabric of his pants. He didn’t know what unsettled him more the way Jami effortlessly picked apart his lies or the way he simply let them slide, as if it amused him.
Like he expected them.
Jami’s golden eye flicked to him briefly before returning to the road ahead. His smile remained, unreadable.
“So,” Jami mused, adjusting the reins slightly, “do you guys have Paper Sigils?”
Cosmo blinked, his breath catching. “U-Uh! What’s those?” His voice shook slightly, and he hated how obvious it was.
Jami gave him a knowing look before chuckling. “You don’t know?” His tone was teasing, but there was something else beneath it, something sharp. “Paper Sigils are like entry tickets for the Northern Village. You can’t get in without one.”
Cosmo stiffened.
He knew what sigils were, of course. They were enchantments, often drawn on paper, to verify someone’s right to enter a protected area. They weren’t common in the South, but the North…?
Why would this village need them?
Jami tilted his head. “Why don’t you guys have any?”
Cosmo’s mind raced.
“Oh! Uh, w-we kind of… lost them!” he blurted out, forcing a shaky smile.
Jami stared at him.
For a long, unbearable second, Cosmo felt like the world had gone too quiet, like the sound of the wagon wheels and the clatter of hooves had dimmed into something distant.
Then..
“Hm.” Jami hummed, a thoughtful little noise, before nodding. “Unlucky. But I suppose it happens.”
He believed him.
Or rather, he accepted the lie.
Cosmo swallowed hard, unsure whether to feel relieved or even more nervous.
“Well,” Jami continued smoothly, “just stay close to me until we reach the village. I’ll vouch for you at the gates and drop you off at the Merchant Area. Then, you three are free to go.”
Cosmo’s head snapped up. “R-Really?”
“Mmhm.” Jami nodded, his smile softening. “Wouldn’t want you getting turned away after such a long journey, now would we?”
Cosmo hesitated.
Something about the way he said it so easy, so gentle, made the pit in his stomach twist.
But what choice did he have?
“That’s… really nice of you. Thanks,” Cosmo mumbled, forcing himself to relax.
The wagon wheels creaked along the dirt road, the steady rhythm of the horse’s hooves filling the silence between them. Cosmo tried to focus on the passing scenery the towering trees, the golden streaks of morning light filtering through the canopy but his thoughts kept circling back to the stranger beside him.
Something about Jami gnawed at him, something deep and buried, like a memory just out of reach.
“Of course,” Jami had said, voice smooth as silk.
Then, quieter, almost too soft to hear
“Anything to help anyone out.”
Cosmo glanced at him, brows furrowing. “Huh?”
Jami just smiled, his gaze fixed firmly on the road ahead. His golden eye gleamed under the light, unreadable, distant.
Cosmo swallowed and forced himself to speak. “Soo… what do you sell, Jami?”
Jami perked up at the question, his expression lightening. “Ah, well, I sell a variety of goods, travel equipment, herbs, enchanted trinkets. But my best-selling product?” He let out a low chuckle, voice dipping into something almost fond. “That would be my jams. Particularly my prized grape jam.”
Cosmo’s breath hitched.
The words hit him in the chest like a punch, and he had no idea why.
His fingers curled against his lap, gripping the fabric of his pants as a strange warmth bloomed inside him. It wasn’t just nostalgia it was something older, something important.
The name grape jam meant something.
And it made him want to cry.
Jami must have noticed the change in his expression because he tilted his head slightly, watching him with quiet curiosity. “You okay, Cosmo?”
Cosmo blinked, snapping himself out of his daze. “Y-Yeah! Yeah, just uh…” He scrambled for a distraction, something to steer the conversation away from whatever just happened. “What about you? How long have you been traveling?”
Jami hummed, tapping his fingers against the reins. “Longer than I can remember.”
Cosmo blinked. “You don’t remember?”
Jami gave a lopsided smile. “Well, I do. Just… feels like I’ve been doing this forever, you know?” He sighed, rolling his shoulders. “Wandering from village to village, selling what I can, meeting all sorts of folks. Some faces you forget. Some stick with you.”
His gaze flickered toward Cosmo for just a second.
Cosmo felt his stomach drop.
Why did it feel like those words had weight to them?
“…That sounds lonely,” he found himself saying.
Jami chuckled, but it wasn’t quite amusement. “I suppose it can be.”
Cosmo hesitated before forcing a smile. “Well, if you ever stop by the northern Village I might set up shop, so you can visit me! I bake all sorts of stuff breads, cakes, pastries. Maybe I could buy some of your jam and use it for something?”
Jami’s expression shifted. For the first time, he looked genuinely surprised. Then, something softer something tender flickered across his face before disappearing just as fast.
“That’s a kind offer, Cosmo,” Jami murmured. “I’d like that.”
Cosmo felt something inside him ache.
He didn’t know why.
He didn’t know why Jami felt so familiar.
But for now, he forced himself to push the thought away, to ignore the way his chest tightened.
For now, he just let the wagon roll forward, toward whatever lay ahead.
Cosmo tapped his fingers against his knee, glancing at Jami. He wasn’t sure why he had even said it offering an invitation like that to someone he had just met. But something about Jami made him feel like…
Like he should.
Jami’s hands rested loosely on the reins, but his grip seemed just a little tighter now, his thumb brushing absently against the leather. He was quiet for a beat too long.
Then
“That would be nice,” Jami finally said, voice softer than before. “I can’t remember the last time I sat down for a warm meal that wasn’t just something I threw together myself.”
Cosmo’s ears twitched...no, wait. His ears weren’t there anymore. The thought sent a painful pang through his chest, but he pushed it away.
“Well, I’d make sure it’s a good one,” Cosmo said, offering a grin. “And maybe I could finally see if your prized grape jam is as good as you claim.”
Jami let out a short chuckle. “Oh, it is. I wouldn’t lie about something as important as jam.”
Cosmo found himself laughing too, shaking his head. “Then it better live up to my expectations.”
Jami smirked, something playful in his expression. “I have a feeling it might even exceed them.”
Cosmo felt his cheeks warm at the confidence in his voice. He looked down, fidgeting with the fabric of his sleeve. The conversation felt too easy. Too natural. It shouldn’t. It couldn’t.
And yet
“So…” Jami said after a moment, voice dipping lower, thoughtful. “Why a baker?”
Cosmo blinked up at him.
Jami kept his gaze forward, but his expression was unreadable. “You said you bake all sorts of things. What made you want to do that?”
Cosmo hesitated, feeling his heart stutter. No one had ever really asked him that.
“Well… I guess…” He exhaled, staring at his hands. “Because baking makes people happy.”
Jami hummed in quiet acknowledgment. Cosmo continued, almost surprising himself with his own honesty.
“When I was little, I didn’t have much. I was alone a lot. But then-” He swallowed, forcing a breath. “Then I got taken in by my big sister, and she showed me warmth. She showed me that even if life was hard, there were still things to enjoy. Baking… it reminds me of that. The warmth of fresh bread, the sweetness of sugar...it reminds me of love.”
Jami was silent for a long time.
When Cosmo finally looked at him, he found Jami staring at him not just with curiosity, but with something deeper, something knowing.
Cosmo felt his chest tighten.
“…That’s a good reason,” Jami finally murmured.
Cosmo nodded, trying to shake off the strange weight pressing down on him. “Yeah. I think so too.”
Jami tilted his head, as if considering something. Then, with a small, knowing smile, he said, “I think you’d like my jam, then.”
Cosmo let out a breathy laugh. “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
Jami’s smile lingered, but his eye held something unreadable.
“Yes,” he murmured. “I suppose we will.”
The wagon came to a slow stop in front of the towering gates of the Northern Village. The sun had fully risen now, casting long shadows against the high stone walls. The air was crisp, holding the scent of morning dew and distant woodsmoke.
Cosmo swallowed, forcing himself to sit up straighter as the guard approached.
“Good morning. May I see the Paper Sigils?” the guard, a broad-shouldered man with graying fur along his arms, asked. His sharp eye flicked between Jami and Cosmo, his tone neutral but firm.
Jami leaned back casually, offering an easy smile as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the folded sigil. “Good morning, Rodger,” he greeted smoothly, handing it over.
Rodger took it, his gaze lingering on Cosmo before he quirked a brow. “And them?” he asked, nodding toward the three figures in the wagon. “Acquaintances? Or perhaps a relative?”
Cosmo stiffened. He felt a bead of sweat form at his temple.
Jami chuckled, running a hand through his icing as if considering the question. “Oh, just some lost travelers I picked up along the way,” he said lightly. “Poor things didn’t have their sigils, so I figured I’d bring them along. Didn’t seem right to leave them wandering.”
Rodger exhaled through his nose, eyeing them again. “You know the rules, Jami. No sigils, no entry.”
Cosmo’s heart stuttered. He opened his mouth to speak, to come up with something, anything..
“Ah, but I was hoping for a little leniency, Rodger,” Jami interrupted smoothly, his voice lowering just a fraction. “You know me, I wouldn’t bring in trouble. Just a couple of lost souls looking for a place to rest.”
Rodger hesitated, his expression unreadable. He turned his gaze back to Cosmo, his eye narrowing slightly. “You look familiar, boy,” he said.
Cosmo felt his stomach drop.
Jami’s expression remained unchanged, but Cosmo swore he saw a flicker of something in his eye something calculating.
“Do I?” Cosmo forced a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. “Guess I just have one of those faces.”
Rodger didn’t look convinced.
Jami leaned in slightly, his voice dropping just enough for only the guard to hear. “Come now, Rodger,” he murmured, his tone velvety smooth. “I’m sure we can come to a little… understanding, can’t we?”
Rodger stiffened for just a second. Then, with a quiet sigh, he stepped back and waved them through. “You owe me for this one, Jami,” he muttered.
Jami grinned. “Of course. Drinks on me next time.”
As the wagon rolled forward through the gates, Cosmo let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He turned to Jami, his voice barely above a whisper. “What was that?”
Jami’s smile didn’t waver. “That,” he said, “was me making sure you got in without trouble.”
Cosmo frowned. “He seemed like he knew me.”
Jami tilted his head slightly. “And do you know him?”
Cosmo shook his head. “No. At least, I don’t think so.”
Jami continued guiding the wagon deeper into the village, his expression unreadable as he maneuvered the reins with practiced ease. The steady rhythm of the wheels rolling over the cobbled streets was the only sound for a moment, until Goob let out a long yawn and flopped dramatically against Scraps.
"Frater, sentio quasi somnum adhuc me vocet." (Brother, I feel like sleep is still calling me.)
Scraps huffed, nudging him off. "Non es pullus, surge." (You’re not a baby, get up.)
Goob pouted, rubbing his face. "But I feel like one," he muttered.
Scraps rolled his eyes but softened slightly. "We're in the village now. That means we need to be alert. Num oblitus es ubi sumus?" (Did you forget where we are?)
Goob blinked, looking around with curiosity now that his tiredness was fading. "Oh… vere sumus." (Oh… we really are here.)
The village was unlike anything they had seen in weeks towering stone buildings with intricate carvings lined the streets, lanterns hanging from iron posts casting a warm glow over the morning bustle. Merchants were setting up their stalls, voices calling out their wares, the scent of freshly baked bread mixing with the crisp air. It was overwhelming, but oddly welcoming.
Cosmo, however, barely took in the details.
Because the moment they passed through the town square, his gaze caught on something or rather, someone.
Sprout.
Standing by a wooden post, arms crossed, exhaustion weighing down his features.
For a heartbeat, time slowed.
Their eyes locked.
Cosmo barely had time to process it before heat crept up his neck, a faint blush dusting his cheeks.
Sprout, looking equally stunned, blinked rapidly, as if trying to convince himself that he wasn’t imagining things. His fingers twitched, his grip on his own arm tightening as he took a half-step forward
And then, the wagon rolled past.
Cosmo turned in his seat, watching as Sprout slowly disappeared from view, his form swallowed by the crowd.
His heart pounded against his ribs.
He had looked tired, Cosmo realized. Stressed. Overworked. Why?
“…Who was that?” Goob asked, tilting his head.
“Nemo,” Cosmo muttered, still staring at where Sprout had been. (Nobody.)
Scraps, watching him closely, raised a brow. "Nemo? Sic certe non spectabas." (Nobody? You sure didn’t look at him like he was nobody.)
Cosmo shot him a glare, but Scraps only smirked.
Jami, silent through the entire interaction, merely hummed again, his fingers tapping idly against the reins.
While Sprout stood frozen in place, his pulse hammering against his ribs. His fingers twitched, gripping the strap of his satchel as if grounding himself.
Sprout’s feet felt like they were rooted to the ground, unable to move, unable to breathe.
His mind whirled, grasping at memories he hadn’t touched in years.
Amber eyes.
No ...golden.
He knew those eyes. He remembered them as clearly as the sky above. The soft glow they held under the moonlight, the way they widened in excitement over something as simple as a freshly baked cake.
Sprout had memorized every detail of that face, from the delicate swirl of frosting-like hair to the way his nose crinkled when he laughed.
It had to be him.
And yet… why did his eyes look different?
“Sprout.”
The voice barely reached him, distant against the roaring in his head.
He didn’t blink.
Didn’t breathe.
Didn’t dare move, as if doing so would shatter the fragile moment that had just slipped through his fingers.
Then
A firm hand gripped his shoulder.
“Sprout.”
He jolted, gasping as if surfacing from deep water.
His head snapped toward the voice.
Astro.
The older hunter’s brows were furrowed, his dark eyes sharp with concern. Beside him, Dandy stood with arms crossed, his usual playful smirk replaced with something unreadable.
“You good?” Hale asked, studying him closely. “You look like you saw a ghost.”
A ghost.
Sprout almost laughed.
Wasn’t that exactly what had just happened?
The past. Something long buried had risen before him, taunting him with a glimpse of something almost familiar.
Something almost lost.
“I…” His voice cracked. He swallowed hard, forcing the lump in his throat down. “I just thought I saw someone I used to know.”
Astro gaze didn’t waver. “And?”
Sprout hesitated.
And what?
And he wanted to run after that wagon?
And he wanted to grab Cosmo…if it was Cosmo…by the shoulders and demand to know why he was here, why he looked so different, why it felt like looking at a stranger and yet something so painfully known at the same time?
And he wanted to shake him and ask..’Do you remember me, too?’
But he didn’t say any of that.
Instead, he clenched his jaw, forcing his expression into something neutral.
“…Nothing. It doesn’t matter.”
Astro exhaled through his nose, unconvinced. “Really?”
Sprout nodded, though his hands still clenched tightly around the strap of his satchel. “Really. Let’s go. We’ve got work to do.”
Dandy tilted his head, studying him with quiet amusement before giving a dramatic sigh. “Well, whatever it was, if you suddenly decide to run off and chase mystery CakeRolls through the village, at least let us know first, yeah?”
Sprout shot him a glare, but the teasing edge in Dandy’s tone didn’t quite mask the curiosity in his eyes.
He didn’t respond.
Instead, he turned on his heel and walked away, his heartbeat still echoing in his ears.
Even as he forced himself to move forward, to push the moment behind him
Even as the conversation faded..
One thought remained, gnawing at the back of his mind.
That was him… wasn’t it?
Or it is someone else..
The market square was alive with movement, voices blending together in a chorus of merchants calling out their wares, travelers exchanging coin, and the distant clatter of carts rolling over cobblestone.
Jami’s wagon came to a slow halt near the merchant stalls, the horse snorting as it adjusted its footing.
Cosmo let out a small breath as he climbed down, stretching his limbs after the long ride. Scraps and Goob hopped down after him, yawning and rubbing the sleep from their eyes.
Then, turning back, Cosmo smiled.
“Thank you, Jami. For everything. I really mean it,” he said, voice full of sincerity as he gave a polite bow.
Jami chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. “Ah, it’s no trouble at all. Just a traveler helping some lost souls, right?”
Cosmo straightened, still smiling. “Still, I hope we can repay you someday.”
Jami hummed in thought before tapping a finger against his chin. “Well, if you really want to, there is one thing.”
“Anything,” Cosmo said without hesitation.
Jami grinned. “When you open your bakery here, make sure to invite me. I usually pass through this village before autumn and stay until the end of winter.”
Cosmo’s eyes lit up at the idea, warmth spreading through his chest.
“I will,” he promised.
Jami gave a satisfied nod, then turned back to his wagon, rummaging through something behind the driver’s seat. After a moment, he returned, holding a small glass jar.
Cosmo blinked as Jami extended it toward him.
“For you,” Jami said, his voice softer this time. “A token… from a friend.”
Cosmo hesitated, then gently took the jar into his hands.
It was a jar of grape jam.
The glass was polished, the deep purple jam inside catching the light in a way that almost made it glow. The label was handwritten, the calligraphy elegant yet slightly imperfect, as if done by someone who had taken great care but wasn’t used to writing like this.
Cosmo traced the edge of the lid with his thumb, something tight forming in his chest.
The scent of grapes filled his nose.
It was warm. Comforting.
Familiar.
He didn’t understand why, but looking at that jar made something ache inside him.
Something long buried.
He swallowed, glancing back up at Jami, who watched him with an unreadable expression.
“…Thank you,” Cosmo finally said, voice quieter than before.
Jami simply smiled. “Don’t mention it.”
Before Cosmo could say anything else, Scraps and Goob’s voices rang out from nearby.
“Cosmo! You coming or what?”
Cosmo turned his head, watching as his companions waited for him near the entrance to the main street.
He looked back at Jami, hesitating for a brief moment.
Something about this felt important like there was something just at the edge of his understanding, something he was missing.
But for now…
For now, he clutched the jar of grape jam a little closer to his chest, nodded once more to Jami, then turned and walked away.
Even as they moved forward, Cosmo couldn’t shake the lingering sensation of Jami’s gaze. It was like a shadow at the back of his mind, a whisper of something long forgotten, just out of reach.
He glanced down at the jar of grape jam still clutched in his hands, tracing the label absentmindedly with his thumb. It shouldn’t have meant anything. It was just jam.
And yet…
The scent. The color. The way Jami had said his name.
It felt like something he should remember.
But before he could get lost in those thoughts again, Scraps’ voice snapped him back to reality.
“Alright, first thing’s first! we need to find Poppy and let her know we’re here,” Scraps declared, hands on his hips as he surveyed the bustling streets.
The Northern Village was alive with movement. Merchants called out from their stalls, advertising everything from fresh produce to handmade trinkets. Children wove through the crowd, laughing as they played a game of tag. The smell of roasted meats and fresh bread lingered in the air, mixing with the crisp scent of the morning frost.
It was a stark contrast to the cold, empty streets of nightfall.
Cosmo exhaled, pushing his unease aside.
“Do you think she’ll even recognize us?” Goob asked, tilting his head as he peered up at Scraps.
“Maybe.” Scraps shrugged. “It has been a long time, but Poppy’s got a good memory.”
“She might be mad we didn’t send word ahead,” Cosmo added, his voice tinged with worry. “We sort of just… showed up.”
Scraps waved a hand. “She’ll live. And besides, once she sees us, I bet she’ll be thrilled.”
Goob giggled. “Si non irascatur!” (If she’s not mad!)
Scraps smirked. “Non solliciti esse, frater!” (Don’t worry, brother!)
Cosmo chuckled softly as he watched them banter. It was moments like these that kept him grounded, reminding him that no matter how much uncertainty lingered in his mind, he wasn’t alone.
“Alright,” he said, adjusting his grip on the jam jar before tucking it securely into his satchel. “Let’s go, Scraps. Lead the way.”
Scraps nodded, reaching out to grab Goob’s hand. Goob, in turn, reached back for Cosmo’s, and together, the trio wove through the bustling streets, navigating through the maze of people and stalls.
The Chief’s house was near the heart of the village, though it’s covered by some other houses, and the town hall where a grand structure made of dark stone and sturdy wood, with banners displaying the village’s crest hanging proudly near the entrance. It was a place of leadership, decisions, and history
As they neared the steps to the Chiefs home, Scrap felt her stomach twist with nerves.
Would Poppy be happy to see them?
Would she remember them at all?
She took a deep breath, steeling herself.
No turning back now.
Scraps stepped forward and knocked firmly on the heavy wooden door.
A moment of silence passed.
Then, the sound of footsteps.
Then
The door creaked open.
The moment the door swung open, Poppy’s expression shifted from shock to something softer something almost disbelieving.
She didn’t speak.
Didn’t hesitate.
She just moved.
In a flash, she grabbed Scraps, pulling her into a tight embrace, burying her face against her shoulder.
“Scraps,” Poppy whispered, voice trembling. “Oh, gods!! Scraps.”
Then, she kissed her.
It was desperate, messy, weeks of longing and lost time packed into that single moment. Scraps barely had a second to react before she melted into it, gripping Poppy’s cloak like she might disappear if she let go.
Goob let out a loud, exaggerated groan. “Ugh, estne vere necesse?” (Ugh, is this really necessary?)
Cosmo chuckled beside him. “Da illis momentum.” (Give them a moment.)
Scraps barely heard them.
Her heart was racing.
They had been apart for week's. She had written, of course, but traveling here? Seeing Poppy in person? That had never been an option until now.
And yet, here she was.
Alive. Warm. Real.
Poppy finally pulled back, cupping Scraps’ face between her hands, brushing a few strands of windblown hair away from her eyes.
“You’re here,” she whispered, still as if she couldn’t believe it. “I thought! I was scared you’d never come back.”
Scraps swallowed hard. “I told you I would. I just… it took longer than I wanted.”
Poppy shook her head, a watery laugh escaping her lips. “Idiot. You could’ve sent word ahead. I would’ve prepared something!”
“Poppy.” Scraps pressed their foreheads together, letting out a deep sigh. “You being here is enough, You act like we’ve been apart for years.”
Poppy gave her a look. “It felt like years.”
Scraps’ heart clenched at that, and she gave Poppy’s hands a small squeeze. “I’m here now.”
Goob cleared his throat loudly. “Duo haec obliviscuntur nos hic esse.” (These two are forgetting we’re here.)
Cosmo, who had been standing back respectfully, finally spoke up. “Poppy.”
She turned, blinking as if just realizing the other two were there.
“Cosmo?” Her eyes widened. “You’re here too?”
Cosmo offered a small smile. “It’s good to see you again.”
Poppy let out a disbelieving laugh, shaking her head. “This is insane. You guys just...show up out of nowhere? No warning?”
“That was the plan,” Scraps teased, though her voice was still unsteady with emotion.
Poppy sighed but couldn’t fight the smile tugging at her lips.
“You’re lucky I love you,” she muttered.
“I am lucky.” Scraps grinned. “And you’re stuck with me now.”
Poppy rolled her eyes but pulled Scraps in for another hug.
Then, she turned to Cosmo and Goob, her expression softening.
“Come in,” she said. “All of you. You have so much to tell me.”
Poppy huffed, shaking her head. “What is this, some grand reunion no one told me about?”
Scraps smirked. “Surprise?”
Poppy rolled her eyes but stepped forward to pull Cosmo into a quick hug.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said, before stepping back and crossing her arms. “Now, are you going to stand outside all day, or are you actually coming in?”
“Finally!” Goob sighed, stomping inside first. “It’s cold out here!”
Cosmo followed with a quiet chuckle, but as he stepped past Poppy, she gave him a curious glance.
“You okay?” she asked, lowering her voice.
Cosmo hesitated before nodding. “Yeah. Just… a lot on my mind.”
Poppy didn’t seem convinced but didn’t push. “Well, you can tell me about it later. For now, let’s get you all warmed up.”
Scraps grinned, reaching for Poppy’s hand again. “Sounds perfect to me.”
And with that, the door shut behind them, and the house was once again filled with familiar voices, warmth, and something that had been missing for weeks.