e p i l o g u e .

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Five years later.

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“Trevor sweetie, come here and hold mama’s hand.”

                The handsome, nearly five year-old boy with dark hair, dark eyes, and a decidedly cat-like expression hopped over cracks in the sidewalk to reunite with his mother and his sister at the street corner.

                Wendy crouched down to meet her son’s height and proceeded to fix his necktie, which had gone askew while the boy had been wandering about during their walk downtown. Running her fingers through his bangs, she touched his chin with the forefinger of her other hand.

                “Are you excited for your first day of preschool?” she asked him.

                “Yes, mama!” he returned, “I really wonder if the teacher will be a ninja. Or a pirate.”

                “Or maybe a mermaid.” said Wendy, smiling as she looked at her daughter, who had moved to stand beside her brother. “Wouldn’t that be something, Ellen?” Trevor’s elegant, petite twin sister smiled brightly.

                “I wonder if she likes coffee? We should bring her some.” Ellen suggested, with her usual mature air that extended far beyond her years.

                “Yeah! Let’s go see papa!” conceded Trevor, stomping his feet.

                Their mother laughed. “Yes, I was planning on stopping by the café to see him first, anyway. Let’s go! We have to cross the street here.” She took Ellen’s hand on her left and Trevor’s on her right, and after ‘looking both ways’ twice, the three crossed the street and followed the sidewalk down to the place that was still and always would be Wendy’s second home.

                The Roost.

                The bell ringed when they walked in. Business seemed to be extraordinarily slow that morning, which happened on rare occasion. Only an older couple and a man with his laptop and bright blue headphones were seated in the lower level.

                “Papa!” said Trevor, immediately letting go of Wendy’s hand when he noticed his father standing at the register. Ellen skipped over after him, her curls bouncing in the air as she did so.

                “Good morning, my son.” Chen said, bending down and grunting as he picked up the boy, “...Don’t you look stylish.”

                “We’re going to preschool today!” said Trevor, his eyes crinkling at the corners just like his father’s as he grinned.

                “I know. Are you excited?”

                “Yeah!”

                “He’s convinced that the teacher must be ninja or a pirate.” informed Wendy, finally catching up. She placed her hand on top of Ellen (who was patiently waiting for her turn to be picked up by daddy)’s head.

                Her husband thought for a brief moment. “Well, I don’t see why not. Teachers are incredibly able people.” he said, carefully bending down to pick up Ellen with his other arm. The girl adjusted her father’s glasses━which had slipped on his nose as he bent down to pick her up━before placing her little hands on either side of his face.

                “Daddy, I think that we should bring our teacher some coffee. You said that adults need coffee to work good. Since today is the first day of school, teacher will need to work extra good.”

                Chen chuckled, a bit bewildered by his daughter’s wisdom. There was definite