Chapter 103: Reminisce

Lena

"Of course. But why the rush? If you'll permit me, I'd like to buy you dinner first." Dad said hopefully.

My first instinct was to deny him outright - I had no time for nostalgia with the pressing matter of my bond. But I needed his cooperation, and this might be my only chance to get answers about his mysterious past.

I nodded hesitantly. "Dinner would be fine."

Dad's weathered face broke into a genuine smile, the first I'd seen from him. He led me to a small, tidy cabin set a short ways apart from the rest of the humble homes. I followed him inside.

He shrugged off his leather jacket and left his muddy boots on the porch before entering. I did the same, feeling suddenly self-conscious. This simple act of removing shoes signaled stepping into a private, intimate space - a ritual of home I had not shared with my father since early childhood.

The single room cabin was sparse but cozy, with a few hand-built furnishings and faded wool blankets warming the bed. Dad busied himself at