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Qifrey brought food back from the kitchen, Olruggio quickly scribbling away. He sets the bowl on the barely there desk, carefully tapping his husband’s shoulders, hunched over much more than they should be at twenty. Olruggio looks at him for a moment before he turns back to his test spells.
“Olly, there’s a guest here for you,” he says over the frantic return to the spell.
“Tell them to go away or come back tomorrow.” Olruggio’s pen controls his will as he goes along. A spark or two fly from the spell and burn Olruggio’s wrist, but he barely notices.
“It’s Agott and Adina,” Qifrey whispers to him. Olruggio slowly looks up, dropping his pen, splattering ink everywhere. He turns to Qifrey for a moment before Qifrey nods. “She’s really here.”
Olruggio bolts past his husband into the main house from his tower office. His feet burn and spark with each step, tingling with excitement, joy, and anxiety. His hands swing him around every corner, smoothly gliding on his socks. Qifrey’s feet echo far behind him, until he can’t hear them.
Adina stands back from a child. The little 3-year-old sparks up at the man in the doorway. Her thick black curls, the lavender eyes, sparking with curiosity, it all brought Olruggio into a time when his daughter was safe in his arms. He wipes the beginning of tears from his eyes.
“Mama, mama! Who’s that?” she asks as she points at Olruggio. He waves awkwardly at his ex. She nods back. Her hands stay firmly folded in front of her, cloak pristinely unwrinkled and deep red dress perfectly fitted to her. Adina’s makeup hasn’t changed one bit from how she did it when they were young. Yet, something is off. Olruggio knows it.
“That is your father, Agott. You’ll be living with him for a little bit,” Adina coldly says, stifling a cough. Her body looks frail, like she's ill. Her makeup barely hides the fatigue in her face. She motions to someone who brings in a few small bags.
“Adina?” Olruggio asks. “Adina, what is going on? Are you ill? Is Agott okay?” She narrows her eyes at him, that little thing she would do to tell him to not ask further.
“I'll take her back when it looks like your genius rubbed off on her. Hopefully your homosexual tendencies won't. Goodbye,” she declares. Her matching red heels echo on the way out the door.
Agott looks around, unsure what her mother was talking about. Her hands wring her purple dress.
“Where did mama go? I don’t think she liked my spell very much,” Agott whispers. Olruggio goes to his daughter’s side, hugging her tightly. Agott squirms out of the hug. “Don’t touch me, please.”
“Well, of course, Agott. Your mama left to take care of– of some business. She won’t be back for a while, so you’ll be living with me,” Olruggio explained.
“Mama called me Agathe,” Agott corrects. “Said that my real name was ree–dic–you–los.”
“Ah–” Olruggio stops for a moment, “She never told you your real name. I named you Agott. Is it okay?”
“Yes,” Agott responds. Her hands fold in front of her after she brushes her hair out of her face. “Agott is nicer than Agathe. I like it gooder.”
“That’s good!” he responds in a soft voice. She tugs on his shirt. “Yes, Agott?”
“Mama told me to stay, but I met you now. I'm supposed to stay but– but you’re not my mama or papa,” she questions through welling tears.
“Your mama didn’t tell you?” Olruggio questioned for a second, pain bubbling inside. “Agott, I am your papa. I’m your dad,” he told her. Olruggio carefully wipes the tears from his face before wiping hers. She pushes his hands away.
“But mama said my daddy was a bad man who never loved me and never loved her,” she says as she begins to cry. Qifrey snuck across the room to them. He puts his hand on his husband’s back, running circles. Agott buries her face in her long sleeves.
“Your mama’s wrong, sweetheart. I loved you more than anything in this world, just like I loved her. I didn’t love her in the way she wanted me to. I still love you more than anything,” he admits, tears unable to stop from his face.
Rain begins to drizzle.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry she left. I’m so sorry, Agott.”