The second Sophie's feet touched the ground, she ran toward Havenfield. She hurtled down the beautiful stony path like her life depended on it, even managing to not trip, which was very out of character for her.
Sophie had insisted they visit Grady and Edaline, despite the early hour. She'd dragged him out of bed only seconds after Ace and Ember had left for school, and Keefe was still exhausted from the loss of sleep.
He didn't know how Sophie survived, as sleep deprived as she always was.
He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and tucked the leaping crystal into his pocket.
Keefe ran after his wife, who was now nearing the front steps of the glittering mansion. By the time he reached her he was breathing heavily, bending over to catch his breath.
Sophie, on the other hand, didn't look tired at all. She simply knocked on the pristine door and tugged out an eyelash nervously as she waited for the crystal knob to turn.
As the seconds dragged on Sophie grabbed his arm, clutching it with a white knuckled grip. She was biting down on her lip so hard Keefe worried she would draw blood.
"Scared to see your parents?" He teased her.
"No," she said shakily. "I just can't wait to see them."
It couldn't have been more than a month since they'd last seen Grady and Edaline, yet Sophie's emotions indicated she hadn't seen them in years.
After a minute the knob finally turned and Edaline appeared in the doorway, her hand resting on the handle loosely.
Sophie's face lit up. "Mom!"
Edaline ran onto the porch and strangled her daughter with a hug, nearly knocking them both over in the process.
Keefe steadied them both before they could fall over, smiling at them. No matter how many times they visited, it was always the same scene.
And it was always beautiful.
After Edaline pulled back she smothered Keefe with a hug, embracing him so tightly that he struggled to breathe for a few seconds.
"Missed you too, Eda."
When Keefe pulled back he found tears pooling in his eyes, making it hard to see.
But he didn't miss Sophie running into the house, straight into Grady's arms. Her father twirled her around and kissed her on the top of the head, gently setting her down.
He hugged Keefe as well, but much less enthusiastically. It was still a hug though, and that was all that mattered to Keefe.
They'd come to terms years ago, and Keefe could now easily call Grady a second father. But he still clearly loved Sophie much more than he would ever love him.
She was his daughter after all.
Edaline was a different story. She loved Keefe like he was her own son, and her affection was just as strong for him as it was for Sophie.
It made even more tears spring to his eyes.
Grady and Edaline were the amazing parents he never had. They'd been there for him more than his own parents had, even before he'd married Sophie.
"Keefe?" Sophie whispered, staring up at him with her big brown eyes, "Are you okay?"
Keefe leaned down to her height and gently rubbed his nose back and forth against hers, giving her an Eskimo kiss. "I'm fine, Foster."
Sophie laced her fingers together around the back of his neck, blushing bashfully as she leaned her forehead against his.
Edaline cooed a few feet away, watching them flirt with a sappy expression plastered across her face. Her turquoise eyes glittered with the warmth that always made Keefe feel at home. It was the kindness in her features that made Keefe's heart ache; it was the expression he'd wished his mother had once given to him, but never had.
He was grateful Sophie had wonderful parents.
She deserved them.
Grady was smiling too, though it looked more like he was trying not to laugh. He watched them with amusement flickering across his face.
Sophie tugged on his arm. "Let's go see Iggy."
Grady and Edaline moved to let them pass, watching them go up the stairs together.
Keefe linked his arm through Sophie's, making sure she wouldn't fall down the stairs on accident, which thankfully, she didn't.
Sophie breathed deeply as she entered her old bedroom, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers woven throughout the carpet. She crossed the room and ran her hand along her bedspread, sinking into the massive mess of pillows and sheets.
She flopped down on the bed and stretched her arms out, examining the thousands of tiny crystals in the chandelier that hung from the ceiling.
Keefe walked across the soft floor and over to her old desk, where Iggy lay in his cage. He carefully opened it, letting the imp out.
He had grown over the years, but not much. His fur was long and dyed bright pink, the tufts of hair flying as the imp flitted to Keefe's shoulder.
He stroked its fur, making Iggy purr like a cat. Sophie rose from the bed and went to Keefe's side, sighing pleasantly as she reached up and stroked her pet's fur.
She grinned cheekily as Iggy flew into her outstretched hands, letting her pet him. Sophie held him in her palms as she lifted him to her face. Iggy nuzzled her cheek, making her smile.
But after Iggy let out a ground breaking fart, Sophie lowered the imp as far as possible from her. She shoved him into Keefe's arms. "You can have him."
Keefe smirked as he plugged his nose and took the imp from his wife. "Kind of you."
He placed Iggy back in his cage and shut it closed tight, waiting for the awful smell to dissipate.
He backed away from the cage, pulling Sophie with him out the door. But even after they were halfway down the stairs, the smell was still strong.They both had to plug their nose with both hands to keep from choking on the air.
They ran down the stairs laughing and coughing, almost stumbling into Grady and Edaline as they reached the landing.
Grady swatted at the air. "Not again," he grumbled.
Sophie hugged her parents. "Sorry, mom, dad. We're leaving."
Grady sighed. "Iggy is chasing you away, huh?"
Sophie smiled sheepishly.
Keefe hugged Edaline tightly. When Sophie's mother whispered, "We love you" into ear, Keefe felt a tug in his gut.
"Bye . . . mom."
Keefe pulled back and watched Edaline's expression cautiously, wondering if he'd gone to far.
But a smile spread across Edaline's face. "I've waited years for you to call me that."
Keefe swallowed back the lump forming in his throat. "You don't mind?"
"Of course not." Edaline's smile was so genuine and kind that Keefe couldn't stop himself from grinning back.
Keefe hugged Grady next, and hesitantly said, "Bye, dad."
He'd almost expected Grady to reprimand him, but he only smiled sadly. "I always wanted a son," he whispered.
Keefe smiled. "Now you've got one."
Grady pulled them all into a group hug, seeming too choked up to talk. He and Edaline hugged them tightly, like they never planned to let them go.
And that was completely fine with Keefe.
Because he'd finally found his parents.