Kevin tried to tie his tie ten times in front of the bathroom mirror. After failing the tenth, he pulled out his phone. He’d find a video about it on YouView.

"Dad said it would be easy," Kevin muttered, staring at himself in the mirror. "Yeah right."

A knock on the door caught his attention.

Before he could answer, his mother peeked her head in. Upon seeing him, she let out a squeal. Her eyes sparkled. He was wearing an outfit that all moms love: crisp black slacks and a white dress shirt.

"Look at my baby! My oldest boy. Kevin, you look so handsome!"

He blushed in embarrassment and looked down at his shoes. She rushed in and fixed his collar, before running her fingers through his hair. She really knew how to disrupt the getting ready process.

"Mom, really? Come on." He glanced back into the mirror and tried to fix his hair again.

She eyed Kevin's lopsided tie. "Looks like you need some help with that."

Kevin opened his mouth to protest, but she had already started adjusting it. She pulled on his tie to bring him closer, and he had to lean down in order to match her height. He rolled his eyes with a small smile.

She moved quickly and smoothly, as though she’d tied a thousand ties in her lifetime. "Honestly, I can't believe how tall you've gotten. You're almost as tall as your father."

Kevin remained silent. Resisting his mother was futile.

She paused for a moment and looked up at him with a serious expression. "How are you feeling after last night?"

He wanted to tell her the truth, but he wasn’t as confident this morning as he’d been before.

"It was just a nightmare," he said with a small smile. “I'll be fine."

She smiled back, though Kevin could see that her smile wasn’t completely honest.

"You know,” she said, “you can always talk to us. Especially your father. He’s a guidance counselor. He’s used to helping out kids your age.”

Kevin said nothing. Even though his father was trained in psychology and mental health jargon, their conversations never really felt like father-son talks. They felt more like answering survey questions. He forgave his dad for this—clearly, the man was trying—but that didn’t mean Kevin wanted to talk to him about anything serious.

“There.” She stepped back and gestured to the tie.

Kevin looked in the mirror to examine the tie. It was perfect. All the proportions were exact. It was even better than the video.

"Hey, that's pretty good," he said.

She smiled and, for some reason, started tearing up. "You better get going. Brandon still needs to get ready, and it won't take long for your father and I to get dressed, okay? But we’ll be there soon.”

Kevin put a hand on his mom’s shoulder. "Mom, I haven't even graduated yet. How about you save the waterworks till then, so you don’t run out?"

She nodded and patted him on the back. "I know. I'm just so proud of you. I hope you know that."

Kevin leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. Then, he walked to his bedroom, grabbed his backpack, and began to make his way downstairs. His mother watched him go, with care and concern in her expression, then went to Brandon’s room.

When Kevin reached the bottom of the stairs, he nearly bumped into his father. David was already dressed, and they exchanged a silent, uneasy gaze. Kevin knew they looked a bit silly, both in their suits and serious expressions.

His father cleared his throat. "Morning, Kevin. You cleaned up nice."

Kevin smiled and gave an awkward nod. “Thanks, I-"

"After graduation today, I want to sit down and talk to you about the events at school yesterday," his father said, clearly just wanting to get the words out. "I'm sure that must have been quite the ordeal for you."

Kevin's smile faded. He knew his dad meant well. Still, this proposal was for a therapy session, not a conversation. He remembered how his dad used to ask him about his day when he was younger. Those discussions had always felt like interrogations also. He’d been avoiding those types of talks since he’d become a teenager, but clearly, he couldn’t avoid his dad on this one.

"Yeah, maybe," Kevin said. "I gotta head to the auditorium. I'll catch ya later."

"Sure thing," his father said, his voice distant. "We'll see you there."

As Kevin headed for the garage, David walked into his office. He glanced around to make sure Kevin hadn’t paused or turned back. Then, he closed his office door behind him. Once he was sure he was alone, he opened up a folder on his desk. There was one word in red ink across weeks and weeks: “stable.” This week, last week, and all the weeks before that, his son had been stable. Still, David sometimes found himself like this, alone in his office, just looking at the folder in order to make sure.

Meanwhile, Kevin put on his helmet, started up his motorcycle, and opened the garage door with his remote. The fresh air was nice. He needed a break from talking to people. Some time to process his own thoughts would do him well. As he pulled out of the driveway and onto the street, he didn’t know he wasn’t alone. He was being watched closely, even now.

Agent Reynolds, sat in an unmarked vehicle parked nearby. Yet, when Kevin passed him, he didn’t turn to follow. Instead, he stepped out of the car and walked toward the Riley residence.

Back inside, Kevin's mother knocked on her husband's office door. After he allowed her to come in, she closed the door behind her. David looked up from the folder he was looking at, and Alexcia could see that the folder was Kevin’s. They were both worried. That made her feel a little less alone.

"David, we need to talk," she said.

He nodded quietly, and she approached him. They locked eyes, sharing their mutual distress without words.

"I spoke with Kevin last night,” she said in a low whisper. “He told me he dreamed about…that night."

David's curiosity turned to extreme concern. "What did he say?"

"The same as before, about the Advent Guard attacking us.”

David immediately started to sweat.

"He’s older now. If he's starting to remember again, maybe it's time."

David remained silent, contemplating her suggestion. It was possible. Honestly, he’d been wondering the same thing himself. But then, he glanced at the bookshelf across from him. Nestled between his alphabetized books was a dusty black box the size of his palm. He remembered the other option. He rose from his chair and walked over to the bookshelf in deep thought. There, he grabbed the box, dusted it off, and turned to show her.

Her eyes widened. "Why? Maybe he should know. I mean, he seems really scared.”

"We can't take the risk, Lexci,” David said. “The less he knows, the safer he'll be."

The doorbell rang. Both of them jumped. They weren’t expecting anyone.

"I'll get it," Alexcia said.

With that, she left the office, before David could even respond. When she was gone, David exhaled, brushed away the dust from the box.

I’m sorry Lexci, there is no other option. This is the only way he will be safe.

He opened it.

Alexcia reached the door just as another knock followed.

"I'm here," she announced to whoever was on the other side. "How may I-"

When she opened the door, she froze. She knew that face. She felt a mix of excitement and curiosity. It was like seeing a long-lost relative, though her care was underwritten with confusion about why he was here now.

"Peter, is that you?"

Agent Reynolds grinned and removed his hat. "You haven't aged a bit."

This made Alexcia blush a little, in spite of herself. She opened her arms for a hug, and they embraced. It had been so long.

"Please come in,” she said once they’d broken the hug. She led him toward the living room. “Can I get you anything?"

He smiled gently and took a seat on their couch. "A cup of your famous joe would be nice if you’ve got it."

"Of course,” she said. “And then I'll fetch David."

She walked to the kitchen and poured him some coffee she’d made for this morning. Then, after handing the mug to Reynolds, she returned to David’s office. She was surprised to see the stress on his face when she peeked in through the cracked door.

"Where could it have gone?" David muttered, holding the now-empty box they’d been discussing just a moment ago.

Alexcia cleared her throat. "David, we have a visitor."

David quickly closed the box and looked up at her. “Who is it?”

"It's Peter."

"Peter?!" David felt his anxiety grow even more.

"I'll get ready while you two catch up."

She left before he had a chance to stop her.

David returned the black box to the shelf and took a long, slow breath. He had to calm down. He took one last look at the box, thinking of all it represented, and then stepped out of his office. He locked the door behind him using his digital padlock.

In the living room, David found Agent Reynolds, sitting on their couch and sipping a cup of his wife’s coffee. At David’s approach, Reynolds leaned forward to place his coffee on a coaster on the coffee table.

"It really is you," David said, in shock."It's been a long time, my friend…too long."

Reynolds stood, and the two embraced, complete with a few pats on the back from each.

"How have you been?" Reynolds asked, as he settled back down into his seat.

David took another long, slow breath. "Good. It's peaceful here really, just like you said. Everyone keeps to themselves. That's what I like for my family."

A brief silence passed between them. Neither one quite knew who should speak first, and about what. They had so much history together. Reynolds picked up a framed family portrait that was propped in the center of the coffee table. Besides David and Alexcia, he recognized Kevin and then noticed his younger brother.

"So, you had another boy," Reynolds said to break the ice. "Could he be a late bloomer too?"

David's demeanor changed. What had initially been a friendly question had quickly turned to topics far too serious. "Why are you here, Pete?"

Reynolds placed the picture frame back on the table and chuckled, shaking his head. "Now, hold on. Can't I stop by and see how my old friend is doing? After all, I helped you find this place."

"Pete, you and I both know that someone of your rank wouldn't come here without a reason. Don’t lie to me.”

Reynolds hesitated, brushed back his hair, and sighed. He’d imagined a bit more small talk would happen before he had to get into this.

"David, they're reopening your son's case. They want to find a way to revive his powers."