Alain blinked a few times before he sat up and looked around the room. Why was he in the living room?

He looked at the blanket, covering his legs. Where did that come from? Did his mama drape it over him?

The sun hung over the mountains. There was no point in returning to sleep.

"You're finally awake!"

Finally? How long had he been asleep?

Tea poked her head out of a nearby doorway. "Would you like a glass of water or some ginger ale?"

"Has anyone made any coffee?"

"Coffee or tea? We have fresh pots of both."

"Tea would be great. Thanks," Alain said. "Is Kei-chan awake yet?"

"No, not yet."

"How long until Mama leaves?"

"Think about half an hour. Why do you ask?"

"I'm going to see if she woke up!" He didn't want his sister to miss saying goodbye to their mama.

When Alain stepped into the hallway, his parents were kissing. They could have their fun, but that didn't mean he wanted to watch. He said nothing as he ran to his sister's room.

He slowly creaked the door open.

Kei-chan smiled when she saw him. She used the bars of her crib to pull herself up. "Lala!"

Aw. Alain smiled as he entered the room. He pulled his sister into his arms. "Let's go say bye-bye to Mama."

The baby blinked. "Bye-bye? Work?"

That was when their parents came in.

Sarah kissed Kei-chan. "Mommy is going to miss her baby."

Kei-chan cried as she held her arms out to their mama. "Mama!"

"Aw." Sarah ruffled her daughter's hair. "Wish I could take you, baby, but you would be bored." She looked at Masahiko. "Plus, your papa won't be there."

Kei-chan continued to cry. "Papa!"

Masahiko took his daughter, rocking her as he looked at his son. "Your grandma's friend is going to come over today. She wants to talk to you."

Alain wanted to face palm. Why was he just now mentioning that?

Sarah adjusted her shirt before taking hold of her daughter. "Are you grumpy cuz you're hungry?"

Seeing that as his cue to leave, Alain went downstairs.

When he came into the dining room, Tea set his toast and tea on the table. "Let me know if you want anything."

Anna joined him at the table. "Why the long face?"

"I'm worried about Kei-chan."

"How come?"

"She was crying when I left her room."

"About what?"

"She didn't seem to want Mama to leave."

"Aw." Anna frowned. "Kimmy reminds me of Noah."

That comment made his sister's behavior that much more worrisome. Noah acted out while Atty was gone. It couldn't have been easy for En to deal with that when he himself felt lousy. Although, Noah was ten. So, it wasn't like she'd run off or try to go see their mama.

His parents come downstairs with Kei-chan.

Alain jumped up and ran over to join them.

Sarah squeezed her daughter. "Be a good girl, Kimmy. Mommy will be back soon."

Kei-chan sniffed and rubbed her eyes with her baby hands.

Sarah handed Kei-chan over to her husband.

Alain hugged his mom too. His mama had been on other trips before, but something about this one filled him with dread.

Masahiko and his children followed Sarah to her car.

Masahiko smiled at Kei-chan. "Can you wave bye-bye to Mommy?"

"Bye-bye."

"I'm going to miss you all so much."

Sarah got in her car and drove away.

The trio then went back inside.

Masahiko kissed his daughter before passing her to his son. "Sorry to leave you kids, but I should start getting ready for work myself."

Alain furrowed his eyebrows as he took his baby sister. "But it's past noon."

"I took a late shift to see your mom off."

Kei-chan said, "Aw!"

Anna tickled the baby. "You're so cute!"

"Ahem..." Masahiko rushed out of the room.

The baby frowned.

Anna smiled. "Hey, Kimmy. Wanna play?"

"Play!"

Anna covered her eyes with her hands.

"Anna?" Kei-chan looked around.

"Peekaboo!"

Babies really were easy to distract. Then again, so was his cousin despite being almost twenty years old.

Anna offered Kei-chan a toy.

Kei-chan smiled. "Rafey!"

Anna smiled. "That's right. Rafey is a giraffe."

Should Alain go get her favorite stuffy?

Kei-chan held her arms out to him.

"I guess she wants you," Anna said.

He took his sister. "Does baby want her dolphin?"

"Rafey."

"Okay."

Tea led a girl with long hair into the room.

Dill was a step behind with a plate of steaming cookies. "Would you like any cookies?"

The girl took some. "I'll take mine to go."

Alain and Anna exchanged glances.

"This is Noelle," Tea said. "She is a friend of my mom's."

What? This girl was like twelve.

"Did I miss Se?" she asked.

"Yeah, she already left."

Kei-chan held her arms out. "No-no!"

"Aw!" She snuggled the baby. "You were only a few days old when I met you. You've gotten so big."

Alain furrowed his eyebrows. "Where was I when that happened?"

"Sarah said you fall asleep reading a book. I wanted to talk to you, but given that you were fast asleep, I decided to leave a massage in your dreams."

Alain gasped. Wait, she's...

***

A little girl in a lace dress appeared in front of him.

She had a graceful smile on her face. "The time you've yearned for has come at long last."

"Time for what?"

"To save them."

Alain folded his arms. "Who?"

"The ones you love."

"But I don't know where they are. Even when we're together, I don't know where 'here' is."

She met his gaze. "I can help you find it."

The young man was close to shoving her out of the room if there was one. "How?"

"Come to me."

"But where are you?"

She set a hand mirror on the ground. "You know how to find me."

***

"I would have contacted you again earlier, but... Things happened." The girl's nose twitched. "I think the baby could use a diaper change."

Tea smelled her niece and scrunched her face. "Didn't you used to change my diapers?"

"I did change a few."

What? Just how old was this girl?

"Would you like to go to the garden?" Tea asked.

"That sounds nice..." Alain replied.

Tea took the baby out of his arms.

Alain and Noelle stepped out into the backyard.

"Do you know what your cousins were doing until a couple of months ago?"

"They're like me." His gaze drifted skyward. "They've been to another world."

Noelle smiled. "That makes my job easier. You are a KK, too, but for a world different from the one the twins went to."

Was that the world he used to dream about? He hadn't been there in so long.

"Hold out your key."

After he opened the gate, Noelle gave Alain a brown backpack. "Your grandma asked me to give you this. I have a surprise you can read later."

"Grandma knows about this?"

"Your father's mother isn't normal."

"Dad is."

Noelle smiled.

Tea came out with her daughter and niece.

Alain gasped. "What do I do with the gate?"

Noelle laughed. "It's fine. They already know about you."

Kei-chan said, "Lala?"'

Alain sighed. "Sorry, Kei-chan. Your big brother has to go on a trip too. Uh, tell Dad that I'll be back soon."

Kei-chan waved her arms toward him, so Tea brought her over.

Alain hugged his sister.

Light filled her big brown eyes. "Save kids."

His eyes widened. Did Kei-chan know?

Alain gave his sister back to his aunt before the two passed through the gate.

***

Thoughts? Theories? Predictions?

~Shino out!