If I don't update again before the new year, enter 2019 with a smile. This is our year. Let's make it a good one! ;)

- Sian

Morlen and Koda waited in the hospital for almost an hour before they heard any news about Alfie Willow. In that time, they had demolished the pizza and Morlen visited the vending machine three times for cheap coffee and chocolate.

"Want to get another pizza on the way home?" Morlen asked, bored of counting how many tiles were placed from his chair to the door.

Koda didn't hesitate to nod. It was no secret that Morlen and himself were bottomless pits. "There's Molly!" Koda saw Molly's smile as a good sign.

"He's quite concussed but absolutely fine in terms of his health. His back is sore and he needed a few stitches in his head, but they'll all heal on their own," Molly said with bright eyes. She moved her shoulders. They had been tense since she got a phone call from the college.

"That's great," Koda said and Morlen watched him exhale a breath of relief. "Where is he?"

"He's a little wobbly on his feet, so we were waiting for someone to help him to the car. My back isn't as young as it used to be."

"He's not staying the night?" Morlen asked.

"No, but we have been instructed not to leave him alone for 48 hours, and wake him up often through the night to make sure he's still okay."

"I can help him to the car," Koda said, trying to get a peek through the double doors that only members of staff could open.

Molly smiled and squeezed Koda's hand. "He'd like that." The nurse that was waiting by the door for Molly opened it when he approached. The corridor was long and white and busy. On each side, multiple cubicles lined up next to each other. Most of them were concealing the patients with a blue curtain that railed along the ceiling.

Koda stepped around an elderly man in a wheelchair and out of the way of a rushing nurse. The man who had guided him to Alfie pulled open the blue curtain on cubicle 17, revealing a small person curled up on the bed. Alfie lay on his side with a frown and closed eyes.

"You're free to go whenever you're ready," the man said.

Koda stood in the corridor until the nurse disappeared around a corner. Alfie didn't look well enough to be discharged, but Koda was sure the doctors knew what was best for him.

"Hey," Koda said and neared the bed.

Alfie's eyes partially opened and he smiled. His gaze traced down Koda's body and he sighed with content. "A sight for sore eyes," he mumbled.

Koda chuckled and reached down to move some hair from Alfie's eyes. "Are you ready to go home?"

Alfie lifted his arms like a child and Koda treated him like a delicate flower, scooping him up in his arms. Alfie wrapped legs around his waist and let his arms hang by his side. Alfie's cheek rested against Koda's shoulder and he felt very safe, safe enough to close his eyes and not worry about getting home.

Morlen and Molly stood awkwardly together when Koda slipped back through the double doors.

"Mum," Alfie mumbled. His head pounded and his spine ached. He was also in the type of mood to be very grumpy if he didn't get what he wanted. The two didn't blend well together. "Can Koda stay over?"

Koda squeezes him a little tighter. Alfie hadn't even asked, though Koda would be ripping apart his true feelings if he denied the chance to spend the night with Alfie. His personality drew him in like a million moths to a house fire.

Molly stared up at Morlen. He stood still with his arms crossed, oblivious to the fact that she wanted his consent.

"What?" Morlen grumbled.

"Is your son-"

"He's eighteen. He can do whatever he wants." Morlen turned and stomped towards the exit.

"Alright then." Molly tried not to look too sympathetic when Koda eyed her for a reaction. "How about you go home and get some things, then meet us back at the house?"

Koda agreed and followed his father with Alfie still in his arms. Luckily, Molly hadn't parked too far from his dad's car when he made sure Alfie was safely in the passenger seat.

"You don't need to knock love. Just come in when you get to ours."

Koda said thank you to Molly and waved them off before hurrying back through the car park. Morlen waited in the driver's seat with a face like an angry lion. Koda knew his frowns didn't mean that Morlen was angry, but he did wonder what his dad would look like if he knew how to smile properly. Koda shuddered at the thought.

"We can still get the pizza on the way back if you want? Take half of it to Alfie's house?" Morlen suggested and started reversing.

"Okay." Koda turned his head away to smile into the window. One day he'd move out and live on his own or with a partner, and he thought that the day he left his family home would be the last time he saw his father. They had gone through some rough patches that didn't feel mendable. Koda couldn't fix it by himself. His dad had to make most of the effort. "Thanks, dad."

Morlen nodded and felt the corners of his lips twitch. He cleared his throat and forced himself to frown to cancel out any approaching happiness. It felt wrong to feel okay when his wife's body lay in the ground, and the people who took her life were still roaming free.

* * * * *

"Hello?" Koda yelled into the Willow household. Molly had told him to enter, but he still felt like an intruder. The scent of lavender lingered and Koda was learning to associate the smell with Alfie and his mediumship. Everything about the short kid in his art class was intriguing and new. Koda couldn't wait to spend the night with him again.

"Koda?" Tom made his way down the corridor with an apron on. He eyed the pizza box in the teenager's grip. "What are you doing here?"

"Molly said I could walk in. Sorry if that wasn't the case," Koda said politely, not wanting to take off his shoes yet. Tom gave him the impression that he wasn't welcome.

"It's fine. It's not my house." Tom's heterochromia eyes zoned in on Koda's bruised knuckles. "You punched a guy in the face for my kid. I appreciate that."

Koda tried not to smile too wide. Punching someone wasn't exactly something to be proud of.

"I was just about to start cooking something for Alfie. I guess I don't need to do that anymore," Tom sighed, reaching behind him to untie his dark blue apron.

Koda noticed that Tom was a guy who's eyes didn't smile with his mouth. "Um, is Alfie upstairs?"

Tom nodded and turned back towards the kitchen. "He'll appreciate the pizza."

Koda waited until Tom had gone before taking off his shoes and jacket. The way Tom looked at him was odd. Koda wondered if Tom knew much about him being a sidekick of the Grim Reaper. It must be a weird thing to know about someone, especially if you're not that involved in the world of the paranormal.

Koda hurried up the stairs, preferring Molly's company over Alfie's father's. The bedroom had a soft yellow glow, lighting up the area around Alfie's bed, but making the rest of the room rather dark. It was almost 7 in the evening and the sun was making its way to the other side of the world.

"Hey." Koda's tone matched the gentle atmosphere. Alfie's smile was tired, almost as if he struggled to move. "I brought some food." Molly kissed Alfie's head and left the boys by themselves. Koda put his bag by the door and climbed onto the bed. Alfie's eyes followed him. "You hungry?"

Alfie sat up and grimaced from the pulsing in the back of his head. "Can you check to make sure there are no tiny people smashing me on the head with a hammer?"

Koda gently held the side of Alfie's face and pretended to look. He caught a glimpse of his stitched up wound. "I can't believe Chris did that to you."

"Neither can I."

Koda forced pizza into Alfie's grip. "He was expelled."

Alfie raised a brow and his eyes glistened with satisfaction, though Chris never acted alone. "I don't know if that's a good thing."

Koda opened his mouth to ask why, but he quickly understood. "Katherine."

"And the rest of your group. They'll see this as my fault."

Koda sat back against the cushions and watched Alfie nibble the end of the pizza. The silence was nice. Koda's little bungalow was next to a busy road. Alfie's house was in a nice, quiet, and expensive part of their town. He imagined most of the residents going to bed at 9 pm.

"If they even dare touch you, we'll get them kicked out. The principal seemed to understand."

"Yeah, about him..." Alfie squinted his eyes, but he couldn't see anything on his chalkboard wall. "Switch the other lamp on, please." Alfie reached into his drawer and put his glasses on as Koda brightened up the room. "Ronnie Birch," Alfie read. The name was big and had been on his wall for weeks.

"Birch," Koda whispered, "That's- wait, what's the principals first name?"

"I don't know how I'd feel if it was Ronnie. Did he look like a Ronnie?"

"I don't know. Do I look like a Koda?" Koda smiled.

"No, you look like a Morlen."

"Oh don't," Koda chuckled and grabbed a slice of pizza. "What if he is the Ronnie Birch you need to look for?"

"I'll summon the ghost who told me to look for him." Alfie tried to climb out of bed but strong arms wrapped around him.

"Not now. You need to rest." Koda tenderly pulled him close.

"Rest? What's that?" Alfie asked and pushed his glasses back up his nose. His headache was less severe when he could see more clearly. The back of his head rested on Koda's shoulder. He cringed at the thought of anything touching his wound.

"Do you ever give yourself a day off? Or is at always your parents forcing you to take a break?" Koda felt Alfie's heartbeat against his forearm.

"I have people to help and ghosts that don't like to wait."

"Well, you better look forwards to the next few days off."

"I can't-"

"I'm sure your mum wouldn't mind you skipping college tomorrow, and clients will understand."

Alfie almost forgot about his arrangement with Morlen to summon Enya behind Koda's back. His chest flooded with guilt. "I guess I can tell the ghosts to go to Connor."

"You'll be back helping them in no time."

Alfie slowly moved his head to look at Koda. His hazel eyes were like honey oozing around his pupils. "You have a job now too." Koda tensed underneath him.

"I'm not thinking about that right now. This soul stuff will happen whether I think about it or not anyway. Plus, you've stolen all of my worries."

"I'm fine."

"If you're fine, then so am I," Koda scoffed. They both knew he wasn't okay, but mending himself piece by piece.

"Shut up and eat your pizza." Alfie sighed and settled into him. "Also, put a film on. I like background noise."

"Bossy."

"Get used to it."

Koda chuckled and slid out from underneath him. "I have a feeling I have no choice." As he headed towards Alfie's large collection of DVDs, he felt the medium's eyes following him again. Koda imagined them tracing down his back and Koda's smile cracked into a goofy grin, knowing that the way Alfie looked at him would be something he would not only learn to cherish but learn to love.