"I'm sorry," Julian said quietly. "I'm sorry for the worry I've caused. But I'm here now. I'm safe."
Augustus pulled him into a surprisingly strong embrace for such an old man, and Julian felt the grandfather's body shake with sobs of relief.
The three generations of Easvil men stood there in the doorway—Julian in the center, held by both his father and grandfather, all three crying openly without shame.
Eva stood to the side, tears streaming down her face again as she watched her family come back together. She'd been holding everything together for three months, being the strong one, the responsible one, and now she could finally let that burden go.
After several long moments, Alden finally pulled back, wiping his eyes roughly with the back of his hand.
"Come inside," he said, his voice still thick with emotion. "Sit. Rest. Tell us what happened. Where you've been. How you escaped whatever battle you took."
