"Granny Solina!" Kelly rushed to her feet and hugged her grandmother's waist in a tight embrace. Solina smiled warmly at the welcome and stroked the young girl's head. She soon found her encircled by the five eldest children.
"Grammy, I crafted this for you." Astra said as she presented Solina with a painted silk covered hair tie. It was an easy enough craft, but a relatively rare item here. Nora had started making them as all their hair grew out. Keeping the hair of so many girls tidy, even with five other adults helping, was laborious. Solina took the hair tie appreciatively.
"I am grateful. Did you make one for Amrita too?" Solina asked, as she started to converse with Astra.
"I have not been able to give it to her yet." Astra answered her face, registering longing. Solina felt a pang of guilt and pity. She tied her hair quickly to a pony and gave Astra a smile.
"Clear!" Numas said.
"Kelly!" Van shouted out from the door, to his favorite playmate. Solina leaned down and pecked Kelly on the head. "Go off and see him already, he knows how to get to the new playroom" Solina said to her granddaughter. "Go and play girls." Solina said as she wriggled herself free. "Quickly disembark, everyone is waiting." Solina said. Kelly quickly disembarked and ran to embrace her friend. Sirona, Ivy and Fiona followed her out to play. Talan, Liem, Kai, Kadir, Cerez and Nora began to organize. Talan and Kadir grabbed a carrier each and picked up Sage and Rex. Solina heard faint chatter from the door.
"I am so jealous, did you get to touch them yet?" Kelly asked.
"No, they are in special cases, plus it looks really gross," Van answered.
"It is just tissue like my tongue, or the mucosa of my mouth." Kelly said as she stuck her tongue out and stretched her cheeks to make a funny face at her playmate. "Like thithhhh." Kelly sputtered. Astra stood watching the pair like a mother hen, with a smirk on her face.
'Better get them moving.' Astra thought. She was a bundle of nerves since her father explained to her why they were coming here.
"Very nice Kel. Come on! Ivy and Fi grab their hands." Sirona cackled loudly. Her sister was really something.
"Like this?" Van said, joining in the play. Fiona and Ivy started making funny faces, doing their best to avoid the adults unpacking their clothes and essentials for their stay with Granny Solina. The door opened, and their cousins came hurrying in to play.
"Come on." Sirona said, trying to get the younger ones moving.
"Lena! Daven!" Astra shouted.
"Grand Matri!" Sirona sadly whimpered. Unable to hold herself back, Sirona ran and embraced her cousin and friends.
"Sirona, you need to follow Van and go to the play room now!" Nora raised her voice at her daughter.
"Follow them." Allurai said as Reven joined the group.
"Son." Allurai said with a nod. Liem had been silently brooding as Leilanna and Allurai's figure, followed by his Father, and the rest of their spousal group filled the dock. Liem felt his blood pressure spike as he pursed his lips. He quietly eyed them just as awkwardly as he did bitterly. It had been over half a year of requests, a dowry increase, gifts and physical mail. He was not mentally prepared enough to see his parents. He thought that they would be coming after them with the rest of the invited parties. Leilanna was under the protection of Setton, he was prepared to run into them. Seeing them as a group, united like this, solidified the feeling of being an outsider to him.
"Liem. Please," Allurai said as her tears welled. She ran and embraced him. Liem stiffened as she held him. He felt her tremble as she began to sob. He felt annoyed.
'Why are they here early? Leilanna should not know'. Nora thought her eyebrows furrowing in stress. She cast a look to Solina. Nora hand signed to Kai. Your Mother did not tell any outsiders, right?
No, she would not tell these fools anything important. She only uses them to disseminate the misinformation like you suggested. Kai signed back. Nora had lost faith in him recently, he understood her trust issue. He thought he was doing what was in the clan's best interests.
"Mother. This is not the time nor the place." Liem said as she soaked the front of his tunic.
"You have not responded to me in months. If not now, when?" Allurai pleaded.
"Please, not in front of our children. It confuses them. Inside, later." Liem said, as he felt her slacken her grip on him and respect one of his physical boundaries for the first time in her life.
"Yes. Inside." Allurai said, sobering herself. Solina let out a soft sigh. She had been working with Allurai after she heard the reports from Ryen, Numas and talking with Leilanna.
"The next set of guests will be arriving soon. Cerez and Kadir, you may want to stay to welcome them. Allurai, why not head inside and clean up?" Solina said. Allurai left with Reye, leaving Dorien on the platform awkwardly standing alone. His son and granddaughter were there.
"Son, it is very good to see you. Is it alright if I embrace you and the children?" Dorien asked for permission due to the awkward atmosphere. He could understand how it felt, he once felt the same way when he was treated as a possession. He felt pressure as Sirona's arms encircled his waist.
"Hi Papa!" Sirona cooed as she embraced Dorien. A gentle smile spread across his face. Dorien ruffled her strawberry blonde hair. Sirona knew some of the complexity of the situation. Nora had taken the time to tell her the reason why she did not see the Allari. At first, she had cried and clung to her for a week, consoling her and her own father. If Sirona wanted to, she could embrace him, Nora told her that she controlled who she loved and saw. She would not be a weapon for her father. Liem dropped his bags and sighed. Nora gave Liem a concerned look. Sirona had a hard time after the last time her father shouted at his parents. Liem reluctantly held his Father. Dorien patted his back, he pulled back a sniffle just too late. Dorien had many regrets.
"I am sorry son." Dorien whispered in his ear.
"I know Father," Liem said. "I just could not let you say her words or try to coerce me. We will talk later." Liem said as he gave him a pat on the back in return.
Talan finally recognized his younger brothers among the many Setton immediate family members here to welcome them and help them move their belongings in. They looked more confident and healthier as they stood among the Setton family. He now had another identity like them, but the difference in them from when he left his maternal home years ago was striking. The frail, withdrawn boys had turned into confident young men that were able to face him and welcome him today. He could barely talk to them at the last celebration as his mind was on other things, but mostly he did not want to confront what they were still going through at the time.
Talan felt like a coward. This is what Janel called a survivor's guilt; the whole incident was covered up. The men that abused them were dead at the hands of the elite, and it was covered up as a murder suicide, that Lara had gone on a rampage on her spousal group and ended it herself after their systems malfunctioned and the staff left. At least they were receiving help from the Setton family. They had gained weight and had an air of confidence about them. Ceile had grown and he was very tanned. Ishil was able to look people in the eyes. They were now Alphem of the Clan of Setton, and it came with security itself that no one would dare to strike them. He felt like it helped them.
'The others, were they as fortunate as us four?' Talan thought as his brothers walked up and Seriff gave him a polite nod.
"It has been a long time, brothers. Ceile, Seriff, Ishil, you all look well." Talan croaked as he placed the carrier down on the ground. The three young men embraced each other in a mass hug. All of them seemed concerned for him.
"Uncle Kehye and Solina have been treating us well," Ceile said,
"Do not be anxious, it has taken a lot for us to be here, we needed time before we reunited." Seriff said as he patted his back. A wave of relief flooded Talan as he relaxed around them.
"Sage, you have gotten so big." Ceile squatted by the carrier as the curious toddler reached out and touched his face. "She is more of a Northerner for sure, strong genes and hands." Ceile finished with a laugh as Sage gripped his nose and cackled and smiled. Sage thrust her stuffed Coineanach doll out proudly to show it off and hand signed that she was hungry.
"Hungry?" Talan said as he confirmed in sign language. Nora hammered that they had to talk to the children as they signed so they would learn the words associated with the sign. Talan pulled some soft baked fruit bars and cubed cheese from his travel bag and handed a piece of cheese to Sage. She eagerly reached for more.
"Aunt says that it is nearly time, are you nervous?" Ceile said as he played with Rex and his doll. The toy was really soft. He looked at the cluster of women on the platform without feeling nervous. Aunt had said that all the women were safe. The world was about to change.
"It should go well. There is video surveillance of them growing, but having so many important figures bear witness while the world finds out is calming me down. Nora is worried about being attacked," Talan admitted. He was also worried.
"Whoever dares will be inciting the wrath of every man and Clan on the globe. I do not think you will stay for long." Ceile said to Talan. Monil, Cerez and Kadir were loading equipment off of two other transports that had arrived with the assistance of Droids.