Reunion

The fog hung silently as Verre walked across the lawn. He looked from side to side as his steps carried him forward, towards the large building that grew out of the misty shadows.

Verre sighed with relief as he approached the massive oak door. Fog could make anyone nervous. He raised his hand to the brass ring nailed to the door to knock, but before he could do so the door swung open in silence.

In the doorway stood a child wrapped in a blanket and with a happy grin on her face. She jumped up into his arms, saying that she’d missed him. Verre chuckled, spun around with the child hanging in his arms and exclaimed that he’d also missed her greatly. After the child was put onto solid ground again, he asked her where mother was. The child pointed into the house and said that mother was making dads favourite food. In response Verres' stomach growled loudly, it had been a long day of travels.

The child dragged Verre into the house, saying that dads should not be standing hungry in the cold outside when there was a warm inside with food. When they entered the familiar smell of oak and lavender washed over Verre and he could not resist the urge to take a deep breath. Home at last, he thought as he slowly exhaled.

Following his child, Verre quickly ended up in the kitchen where oak and lavender was replaced by the strong smell of boiled potatoes and fried ham. Both were being put onto plates when Verro entered with his daughter. When the plates were filled to the brim, the woman looked up, somehow smiling even wider than the child. Finally, the woman exclaimed and gave Verro both a hug and a long kiss. The child rolled her eyes and said that they should stop kissing, dad was hungry.

Still in a warm embrace Verro laughed, saying that children should be patient, or else they also receive kisses, but he also acknowledged that she was right, he was very hungry. The woman loosened her grip and said that they’ll continue in the evening, then she gently pulled him onto a chair.

Already chewing loudly the child tried to say something, but the food got in the way. Verro and the woman both simultaneously told her to swallow before talking. The child begrudgingly chewed some more and swallowed before she told Verro to tell what happened. His smile faded slightly, but Verro took a deep breath and started talking.