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Allie had no spouse. She stayed single her entire life, all she needed was her and her son, now. She likes having others, like Ms. Leila, and the other parents in town. But she never found herself wanting romance, never found herself needing more than friends and her little son. She was a devoted mother. A spouse would force her to split her focus away from her child. She wouldn't do that to Oliver.
And then she died. She didn't mean to. She didn't want to. She didn't want to leave her son alone.
Oliver found Mr. Drippy. He wasn't alone. Allie was glad he was there to take care of her boy, even with Drippys irresponsibility.
Oliver found so many people to take care of him.
(He was still alone.)
Swaine knew he was in trouble. He knew taking these kids to Hamelin was a calculated risk. That bringing them to his brother was a necessary risk. He just didn't expect it to backfire this bad. He didn't expect to care about them like his brother. He didn't expect to love these children and this rat of a fairy. But he does. And it terrifies him.
He knows that Esther's parents are powerful. That they care about her. That they are devoted to her. That they love her more than the emperor could stand to love him.
He knows that Oliver's mom is dead. That he probably feels very alone right now, even though he is surrounded by people who care for him. That he loves his mom more than the moon and she loved him more than that. That she's probably watching over him. Watching him become a hero for her.
Swaine hopes he can fill the void until they get reunited. These kids need someone right now, even if they don't know it. Swaine knows what it's like to have that hole in his life. He doesn't want them to have to. He will take care of them. For as long as he has too.
(He learned to care from its absence.)
Esther is scared. She hasn't seen her parents in so long. She feels like she barely knows them, with her having been heartbroken. She loves them, she does, but she doesn't know what they're like. She went off to save the world before giving them the chance to show her.
(It is worth it to see what she couldn't even try to before.)
Oliver tries not to feel alone. He does. But he doesn't know how to. He never learned how. He only knew how to be safe with her. She was his everything. It was her and him. Yeah he had Phil, and Leila, but she was everything. He tries not to feel alone. He is surrounded. He has Drippy and Esther and Swaine. Drippy is like an uncle. Esther is the sister he always asked his Mom for. Swaine… he's like her. In so many ways but so different too. He cares like her. He acts like the type of people she scorned. He acts like a dad to Oliver. To Esther. Oliver doesn't know what to think of that. Swaine isn't mom. He doesn't need to be.
(Oliver doesn't know that he needs him now. Oliver doesn't want to need anyone except her. Oliver loves her. And him. They’re his parents.)