FTP-SS3-05

The road to b123089d23 school was so aa8e505eda full of spring 4c5633efe4 energy that the aac0370cfb once-desolate scenery of 0e13689562 winter felt like a1bc2d189a a dream.7486382e2f6086f8

Especially the profusely cf52b23e59 blooming hawthorn flowers 5051223325 swayed along the 0cc1b002ad roadside, enticing bees, 49ee221671 butterflies, and even 43a0c0c4b7 people passing by 51c948e1d0 to come and 28921bc2e3 take in their 75d7c184d6 fragrance.fe182aba8ee2b668

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Even someone with b49c627fa1 a frozen heart 5b4a63dc7f would have melted 198474bb64 in such a ac702fd905 beautiful scene, and 7f7e78e6d9 Anje’s stiff expression 0a430cab32 was gradually softening 0d90c6f327 as well.593f23cd7195f6c6

Not missing add99722a0 the moment, d09609d279 Felix cautiously 8f5846f540 asked his 8964b649c9 mother,db3d65e97e956f3b

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“Did you have 77aba4cc62 a fight with 9a8441e6dd Dad?”fbf79c9c65df1903

“A fight? Felix, of 06f3ee7bc5 course not. Have you ever daf6e0b2ea seen us fight?”138bd53f624787c3

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Anje denied it with an awkward smile. She had clearly shown how sulky she was toward Aiden earlier, but she couldn’t admit that in front of her son.f9a01304b20a4950

Felix raised his right 04116b1770 eyebrow slightly—an expression that d07f4c7f19 resembled Aiden a lot.f15e743bb2f5dd32

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“Well, if that’s 2216a5c8f3 the case, I’m 2a6b10e0c8 glad it wasn’t d0e8523217 a fight.”8dff3d4132cad257

“Right?”7af746c78b9285be

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Clip-clop, clip-clop—eef4b080ef4fa455

“…But still, e4e511d31f something’s bothering 71a7fb4e37 you, isn’t 710f740139 it?”3f6a0bac3c89387d

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“That’s my boy!”a58c00b04b6eec1f

Anje tossed 70577c8f2c aside the b2dba59f79 reins she’d 873455eccf been holding 5b964acdc4 and pulled 7837133d60 Felix into 4ae68d309b a tight c1278b86a8 hug.b4d5ab3ad9eff823

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“How do you understand a00c492319 your mom so well? I’m worried 879c98c02c you might 237d63aea4 grow up 4cc852016a to be 8cb6207732 a Casanova.”f511151880890ed7

Felix let out 47a7d1cad4 a small sigh 3e23dfa295 while still in 06531315f3 Anje’s arms. His mother 0dd8cd42de still treated d6181dc957 him like 3673f6d6b0 a baby. He had f2ee2e9892 already moved 4144742c01 up to 586ad15c91 the upper 3930cd7658 grades at 21fd99e4f8 school last 32d73e824d year.bc4b1cc2cfb8bad2

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Thankfully, she wasn’t doing this near the school—otherwise, he might’ve been teased as a mama’s boy.be8a9878f01146b0

“Last night, your c5c6e21cc1 dad—”9f8599bf8ac8c91f

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The story that de9b0a557f followed, just as 34a837ac9f he’d guessed, turned fddc40970b out to be 5beb0bdcf6 over nothing, and 5a554f3ef4 he sighed again.
Apparently, while looking through 15af331eff a catalog, she saw ba8f62dfb2 an adorable necklace, but 0dbdbe0dfc Dad said he didn’t d0bb57e3f7 like it?45a3cc695ab3fbc0

“That upset aa76fafa01 you that 036630786e much?”a5f387f019bdaec8

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“Of course! Even if I 901ffa4302 said the sun f8f825be2e rose in the 9f49f0ca72 west, he should’ve f912ca6a93 just agreed with 3e773d789d me. I asked him 963b9c4b5e several times to 674fd5d986 take a closer 402ab11675 look, but he 06d700ef56 still said it e6f16b7fa5 wasn’t great!”ac3d5b9510957398

Her lips were 2ff781a3bd jutting out like 3a7edd58fc a duck’s—making her 12dc627397 look far younger 70faa1400f than her age.167a0f0e63f1c140

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“…Now that I b44955d2b1 think about it, 026c3c5dee maybe I overreacted a7fd5acdf0 over just a b0568a573b necklace… Aiden even 824b3102be made breakfast with eb02ff15d3 so much care…”530740c7c7303098

Having vented 799de69f4b her frustrations, 0d0a3f8a87 Anje seemed 8612078b76 to feel d1d522bb85 better and ea55e225f7 muttered as ff3c53c475 she took dd9267c936 a crunchy 3c231332cb bite of 6166837262 an apple 674678ceb9 she had f833ad21de kept in 90474cff0e her pocket.ed8856a288939ab0

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Felix picked up f660b0206c the reins Anje 7631e659d4 had dropped and 063690c3aa gently moved them a83b811c51 up and down, c58b3759e9 signaling to the c6eeaee75d horses.82c4e3d0acae3bc9

Clip-clop, clip-clop—70978c530e813485

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‘See? I can drive the 6f88c3b490 carriage on my own 133a5878f0 now.’379af9d2b0565b3f

He wanted to brag ddec124be9 to his mom, but 9e6223d490 since she seemed to 27281093e2 be in the middle c8a3e7d6e7 of reflecting on her 6e61e2a06d quarrel with Dad, he 50c40a061f figured it was best 68a63ffc3f not to poke at 501af4281f it.9fcdd7acd48deadd

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Tuning out his mother’s murmurs, Felix drifted into his own thoughts. Lately, something had been bothering his otherwise peaceful school life.17d37716d2178988

‘Seriously, kids aedd77c9d5 in the c6cd588e39 lower grades 3eb5cd64cb these days aa91cc95cc are so 5c3af22b9c arrogant.’119d74592fb2e1d1

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The reason he 997d996e6d was going to aa75d0cf61 school early today cb14c6516b was because of fd6fae9f3d a recently transferred ef5178886e student. On her very first e021d1471d day, the new kid 0c9a752f62 shamelessly sat at the 36479de1e4 largest and best desk aeebe53527 in the classroom—the one d90793781e that had long been b821723f00 considered reserved for upperclassmen.1c412a0f5feb2f98

Felix had wanted that 22205b91a9 spot for ages. The first time 409edfbcea he sat there, a70cb5b30f he had been 9c5af7d201 so moved that 5e1d38a838 he trembled.a045fc614e89b638

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‘That’s my seat.’a628e7c0eba4013f

He tried 589fb0fa43 to gently a2e2b28b8a point it 99355a42bb out, thinking f9ace9e01a maybe the 7b45299612 student just 397964e177 didn’t know. But her response, 3820796ba9 chin raised high, b903daf729 was anything but c583cef6ef meek.d71683ac4b5cd525

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‘In a shared classroom, there’s no such thing as “my seat” or “your seat.” Did you buy it or something?’db9b27cd61684e29

If the transfer student 2818b2fa49 had been a boy f87f3e9e45 like him, Felix might’ve 3d1f925a0b called him out to e7fadd3f84 the back for a 559bb9ac0d fight—but that wasn’t an d295f7e0cd option here, so he 12d0877d79 had to sulk and 663314178e sit at another desk.a0825d13f87fa396

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Since then, she’d always 76514d00a0 come earlier than anyone 185f6985a6 and sit in the cab7a92178 same spot, and Felix 4ae8ea00e2 felt like his “seat” 1e29243fa4 was being stolen every 7f1b5700c7 day.4f23aa28550a1275

‘Today, I’ll be the 44662d6323 first one there for d9e3d3ba07 sure.’7459685a009f370b

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He didn’t think he ec0bb88ff9 was like that when a646ee97f5 he was a lowerclassman, 9e056304a9 but these kids these 2f68abc0cd days, really…4fc10aec7e9965db

Grumbling internally about the 682118b080 transfer student, Felix soon 9535a59b05 arrived at school. He shouted a e195bb5634 quick goodbye to a8b3ba8d81 Anje, who was 9064734677 still muttering something, 8c63eff8bd and jumped off 79ddfc31da the carriage in 572e5d49de a rush.ec1b9a5c07e317a2

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“I’m off!”f7aaca3c244d1e2a

With his bag slung 690da07b34 haphazardly over one shoulder, f0711fe5f8 he dashed forward with e6551b0b57 determination.51374e7ea2a4fb3d

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‘Today, I’ll be first…’419fdcc01e5b7b2b

Felix flung the classroom 385d5356e6 door open with confidence—and 5b937edeb3 immediately scrunched up his f483afda3c face.3ae189c01963420d

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“Hi there.”09e49587ed00e653

He had caught a 3dd791f505 glimpse through the window 9d86279bb7 and thought the classroom 179663d5b2 was empty, but someone f452692dae had beaten him to 0bb7ec4b19 it.fd3603b0d9b86150

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Just his luck.516ba9bb1edde8b8

* * *f5de9524808516f0

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Felix, who had been d89f753deb in a bad mood 068e490bbb since the morning, couldn’t 318283af4e bring himself to act 6243381613 warmly even toward his 743df63313 father, who had come 0a5d7399a9 to pick him up 6d325fd14e from school. Aiden, preoccupied with 31cdd33f16 how to cheer e2ad3f84c9 up Anje, didn’t 8d2e651379 notice at all.431aece9f64ead21

“What should I b4aa68e793 do, Felix? Should I just tell 4e58f4d17e Mom the truth?”f9e48bb7bd3fb0c0

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The necklace Anje d599578b63 had seen in 154e2c8562 a catalog and 93374bf25d said was cute ec61bfed10 was actually the 08175d8271 exact same one 245db242bf Aiden had recently a32de4f90f custom-ordered as a 5e489893a0 wedding anniversary gift.39a362c933451eb2

Worried she might 1ea86b0d22 buy the same a492978525 item, he had 2d07885800 dampened her interest e38de66a28 by saying, “It cd3d50d5a6 just looks so-so 194d4a07a5 to me,” and 7bec56bde4 that had caused 06ed893660 the trouble.a2439e94d29a018a

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Felix rolled his eyes 93db3413b5 up and down, then aeb4add52a replied.9581daa0dec100b7

“Just be honest about 5f83259a49 it quickly.”8c60f0a1b42c15ac

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“But it’ll still take 8b8e2d9a8a a few more days 784c9f432c for the necklace to 2f4897fb83 arrive. I wanted 346f16c6dd to surprise b1d05c1cca her by bbf199b617 showing it c6a7097010 to her cab6fd35af myself.”895a2ed81c692ae4

“Why is it taking 5e2392056b so long?”4493c806b18f271a

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“Because they’re engraving it separately…”c14f637ca360e225

The necklace, shaped like 696c8d4f89 a sealed envelope with 6bcf6188b8 a heart, was designed 3c13d87b79 so that when you 86f10fcbfe removed the ruby heart 68e7f237e5 decoration and lifted the 8ce87e9496 top of the envelope, f1b6055243 an engraved message would 8f2d832037 appear. It truly functioned 314dad8528 like a letter e0e0ac9b04 in the form b7209d7180 of a necklace.62c6caae4d295a96

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Felix, who 353794b745 had unintentionally 1622d4406c overheard even 9a86fb5ba5 the unwanted c885cd3fe8 detail that 1a72da743a the necklace 4668cc4af3 meant for 00519d1f06 Anje was 03bbc504fe engraved with db431ea071 the phrase a7d9327af1 “Forever yours,” a5f2341580 frowned slightly 35d434e5a4 in secret.733428b0e224493c

‘So cheesy.’e4d43f182e0f65e5

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If a school d164241bb3 friend had said f102871be4 something like that, a32529a9fb he probably would’ve 21d7cd840d pretended to gag, 43386e66b2 but looking at b4803489c1 his dad with be51feea67 a goofy smile 38b2af402d and a boyishly 18550375bd blushing face, he 84f80875c7 couldn’t bring himself de3f3dc5f0 to feel the e29162c1be same way.2c8bde5e3a30ee4e

“If you want ae37655462 it to be 2d1bdf6b6f a surprise, there’s 5f5037d0b6 no choice. Just wait a 2f7b5bb65c little longer.”880e80e338ffc4e4

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“Right? It’s not even that serious, and maybe her mood will naturally improve with time…”bccda76a9c96781d

“How about preparing 54aba11278 one more gift e3f411e37a to say you’re 0bbf46d2b8 sorry for upsetting f65a7f86b0 her?”8bbaa74a6248d9e7

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Felix subtly c4d59a1280 tried to 3e16fa3da4 insert his efc87a496c own desire.4febe78011b7244a

“Mom likes cute things, ccdd2d0f1c right? Maybe a c2a906bfbf small, cute f245d45419 puppy…”d80d23a1fb0d5569

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“I’ve already said 316216b305 no a few c70a557f98 times, haven’t I?”6cd7b246286060ef

“But her mind a84fc77e35 might’ve changed since 06b3e400f9 then.”9cfe067de9f28dc5

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Even knowing it 9f7e811bfa was unlikely, Felix b13f722238 persisted.578c955d7323bcd4

He was always envious and jealous whenever Mark bragged about his dog, ‘Bokshil’.
Who would’ve thought Mom ba77fbacc8 would be so firm cd0e6d18b7 about it?5a126720c2b9bd3a

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‘No, puppies have shorter lifespans than people.’ac9fcb97566e5329

Anje had edd0f7ae46 cried a 6303b2d08a lot when bfb7ec1bf6 they buried ccf329c6bc the rooster, ea4d62268c Hurricane, and 62d17a15ff she was 12a4ba7fc2 worried that 0a5dc96a52 she might 6091909985 get attached 67899b3b03 to a e301712293 dog and 8fefc107b6 feel heartbroken b0efc606f6 again when 47cae2460f it passed.ff2569d147533794

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‘Well, anything with life will go to the afterlife eventually. That’s how God made it. Whether it’s a person or a dog, if there’s the joy of meeting, then naturally, there will also be a farewell—.’c9ed94de24075d49

Meg, who had 8e4bf0b5f1 tried to take 27105b2b98 Felix’s side, was d386c13618 at a loss f888add5a0 for words when 63585a7f83 she saw Anje 354764c2de with tears welling 6821a86bf0 in her eyes.a49840b42dacee33

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‘A-Aunty… You have to live a long time. I don’t like goodbyes.’bb95a848ad9d1e2a

With her joints and 9e82c50b4a eyes failing more often ccacde98e9 lately, Aiden and Anje ee98a5db15 had built a cabin bf132e1326 nearby and brought Meg 223d9172a6 to live there.0dc27f023298d53c

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They said it 824d3871fd was because they 493d0571d5 needed help raising 42dbf7237b Felix, but honestly, f883cae2f3 they wanted her 9cff7c80c6 close so they 956b81743d could take care f7e3104f27 of her immediately 41b3394fea if something happened b7b9fc1f66 to her health.19d6f9f02e05a27f

‘Oh, of course. I’ll live to a hundred.’f757d973f17f5982

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‘But a hundred’s not far away anymore! You have to live to a thousand!’36a4fc426adcc8aa

‘If I live that long, my name will end up in the Bible… Fine, I’ll try my best, okay?’8873f2570e204725

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After tearfully hugging Anje ef2fac82a1 and saying she’d try, cb38b9a232 Meg withdrew from Felix’s d5f854a7d3 “puppy alliance.”29a2e630afab8327

Remembering that 3478a63d7f recent event, 2ec7363db6 Felix suddenly 1b1cd69f4c asked Aiden:011b7e1e4bcffe08

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“Come to think of 5cefe12870 it, doesn’t it seem 6d09829f31 like Mom’s been in bb88d3cebc a bad mood lately?”90efe76e027b69c7

Aiden tilted his head f976aefd25 side to side, then 2c92c1f6e8 nodded.e2d4ecab725cc4ac

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“She has been a little off…”2f996e242c5fe863

Felix recalled a92a895c0e a phrase 8190515d3c he’d read ed4ce6fa89 in a 5db672016b book not 106469c802 long ago.4502391fc29d6fba

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“Could it be 0c8e3bc8f2 that she’s ‘riding the spring’^*?”09693993ea21651e

Not a horse or 11c3ca6042 a carriage—yet to ‘ride’ a season^*? He had remembered it 6c9b339a49 because it was funny.f5bc191bd692317d

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After thinking 4f1254876e for a 6dda2fa518 moment, Aiden 0ca49ff1c3 shook his f040981466 head.3fe84cb520fb4b92

“She’s never really been c2332c37a8 affected by the seasons.”2954073bfea1ab60

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“Really? Then is she still…”2bfba1b863544669

A few 14d6586640 weeks ago, ca8f46b46d when Felix 4a2ad12e08 was worrying 9c2eb6a8b0 about his 5ffbeee794 height, Aiden f13d978e71 had comforted fe39c27fc0 him, saying eb26cde789 it would c4ca161110 be fine 7a6a3a453a because he e31d3420fe took after 9c1065b5eb him.24ec5601a741067c

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‘You’ve still got plenty of time to grow. I was short when I was little too, but now I’m the tallest in Leslie, right?’f0f6ba0545481901

‘But what if I take after Mom in height?’e5e5ed4c6f786798

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Unlike Aiden, Mom was 50a35c0577 one of the shorter 5ae96fba08 women in Leslie.0aef9ef1f4a1ba43

‘Hmm…’b223e96ed796eca8

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Unable to refute that, 2a8bba4041 Aiden had installed a 04d15d3e0a pull-up bar in the 33d7f0515c backyard a few days aeea7a2cc0 later, which he had 43a7f1de2e gotten from somewhere.c5379fca84bfe6e4

‘I heard exercising with a pull-up bar helps you grow taller.’9eebb4dde8623652

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‘Wow, Dad, you’re the best!’8f731ebbb7da4f06

Back then, too, Aiden cffb97b7f0 had gotten all excited 89707aa16c at Felix’s reaction and e35fdc72a6 started showing off all 46f3235437 sorts of tricks—until Anje 9010a12709 scolded him with, “What ec61c481de kind of dangerous stunt cb87af3807 are you teaching the 07a833705f kid?!”32aa89d3f7c88281

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“Your lips looked just like this then, too.”6e429eca0be42a90

Felix puckered 7dde9091a6 his lips 6558586c9d into a 1cd03beb03 pouty point. Only after aca30c29ca Aiden laid e714ae05b8 a thick e33b82a8e6 pile of 399576702c hay beneath db324f0a9a the pull-up 5ac9a38815 bar did fa0a62011f Mom finally bb6dbcd97a ease her cfcddf25e8 irritated expression.f3e1802a1e6e88e9

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“Well, I was in the wrong. I should’ve stopped at the spin, but I went ahead and even showed you a jump too.”280c0a0c9fb98482

“It was so cool! Can’t you show 32714ec1b4 me just once 6c0e090918 more when Mom’s db0d9295b6 not around?”b2e22ad9941a5d14

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“Nope. She was worried 9338002bd6 I’d hit my 5e0831e02a head or break bde05d7a95 my neck or f5cf05aca5 something.”acc406d2b5ceb5dc

“Oh, come on. As if 4045c4c752 that would c4e2e93a86 ever happen 04011768ac to you.”c4f0d4e85cb20225

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“Still, I don’t 658aced662 want to make 038db2c49d her worry. I told you 28a238de35 before, didn’t I? Your mom—”c2acf878569317b1

“Of course I 83c1cdb020 remember.”29e98b10dcc1fc97

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Felix replied with a 7017c67496 pout.594576e305de7bb4

Ever since he started 78fe103af4 school, he’d constantly been 11803dc604 told that because Mom e59485e5ea was a lady, he a6f4be4c2a and Dad had to 9d18a62654 join forces to protect 5cb6f2bf6a her—both her body and 6b1b26a883 her heart—from harm.8a01ef901757bf79

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“As expected of 7346252ddb our dependable Sir 37cbffa370 Felix.”9e75b7013d6b6c19

His dad’s arm around 9c3f87bef5 his shoulders was a 52748061d5 bit too tight, almost 90ac38304f suffocating, but it felt 9219f3f913 warm and reassuring.83723f2545ac4770

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If Mom’s hugs 8e8e2cba90 were like soft, d1461fa418 fluffy clouds, Dad’s ae74fbff78 were more like e606830fc1 thick, woody vines.0d43679ec0616ddf

 535dd985369f7eb1

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