Tommy sat looking longingly out the window, waiting for Techno to get back. Wilbur had gone out for yet another walk, leaving Philza and Tommy together. He hadn't done that when they were first living with Phil, Wil simply hadn't trusted him. Wilbur would take the boy on walks with him whenever he felt like he needed to, but Tommy didn't really enjoy them, though he never told Wil that directly. After seeing Phil generously care for them all, his trust built up until he felt comfortable leaving Tommy with him.

Back in the cabin, Phil observed the young boy affectionately, then pulled a chair up next to him, "It might be a while before he's back. You could go sit on the couch and wait," he recommended to the boy.

"No thank you, Phil," Tommy replied, turning his head to look at the man. Tommy grinned when he saw him, happy to have someone who cared about him. He wished he had met him sooner, but he was glad that he had met Wilbur before. Phil studied the boy before drawing him into a hug, "I'm glad you're here, buddy." Tommy, though he was surprised, thankfully hugged back, "I"m glad you're here."

A movement from outside caught the young boy's blue eyes, "He's back!" Tommy leaped to the door with Phil laughing behind him. Tommy waved, "Hi, Techno!" Techno looked up, his face brightening just the tiniest bit, "Hey, nerd." Philza chuckled at that; he always found Techno's nicknames funny. He watched as Tommy embraced him, and Techno happily accepted it. It was great to have a family.

-

Before Philza had met the boys, he lived a lonely life in his cabin. He always felt he was missing something, and he was. Phil took hikes to distract himself from those haunting thoughts, exploring and observing the things around him. It always soothed his mind listening to the sounds of nature.

When Phil had first met Techno, he found that it was enjoyable to chat with the pink-haired boy about things, and he had plenty of stories to tell. Techno just listened mostly, but he seemed to enjoy talking to Phil too. Even when they had only known each other for three or four hours, it felt like they had known each other for three or four years.

Phil knew it was all just a coincidence when all of them bumped into each other, but he was glad they did. The void he had was filled with having a family, and his loneliness vanished. He wanted to do everything for them. He found that Wilbur was musically talented when he picked up an old ukulele and started playing and singing. He asked a guy from the lumber mill to make a beautiful guitar for Wil, which they did. Phil also got several books showing different chords on the guitar and gave them all to Wil. Phil still remembered the beaming on Wilbur's face when he had received the gifts.

Techno was a tough kid, quiet too. He found that Techno was also very competitive, wanting to be the best at everything. It was kind of sad to Phil because he knew that striving to always be the best can drain your energy. Philza made it his mission to find something Techno would like. Phil and Techno were walking into town together one day when they stopped at the lumber mill. Apparently, someone recognized him from wherever the pink-haired boy was from originally. Their name was Dream, and they had done many competitions together, all of them Techno had won with Dream tailing behind. Dream had shown Techno all the different types of wood they had and how to identify them from the trees. Dream had also invited him to work for them sometime, and Techno simply said he'd think about it. Philza had smiled to himself, knowing the perfect gift. An ax with a firm haft and sharp steel head. Techno had looked at Phil in grateful disbelief before hugging him, thanking him for the gift.

Then there was Tommy. Wonderful Tommy. Wilbur would never let Phil talk to him at first because of his trust issues, but as Phil gained his trust, Wilbur gradually allowed them to interact with each other. Tommy could usually talk non-stop, and it was so amusing seeing him ramble on about every sort of thing. Of course, the boy had his not-so-great thoughts, but he seldom talked about them, pushing them off like they weren't significant. He remembered one evening after dinner when Tommy was just sitting on the couch with a tear rolling down his face. Techno had taken immediate action, grabbing the boy's hand and taking him for a walk. They had both come back bonded even closer to each other. Tommy reminded Phil of himself when he was younger, and every time he saw the boy, it was like looking in a mirror. Philza didn't want to pick any favorites, but Tommy was probably up there a bit...

Phil planned to make a feast for them all in three days- the anniversary of them all being together for a year. He couldn't wait for that day to arrive.

~~~~~

Thank you for reading this chapter. It's a bit short, but not my shortest chapter. I've realized that my writing is getting better from writing every single day. I've been getting better with punctuation, grammar, and just overall how engaging the stories are. I've received a lot of very kind comments and I appreciate them all <3    :)