As Carl listened, he saw the depth of Gaia's wisdom. They all hid it masterfully and wore masks to conceal it, but all of them carried indescribable loss and innumerable painful experiences.
As the stories were shared, questions asked, he swore a silent oath to himself. 'Whatever it takes, however long it takes, I'll do my best to ease their minds.'
"Papa, can we go play?" Kitsunoko only used the word "Papa" when she was tired, so Carl's instincts told him to get them to bed before they got a second wind.
"Gaia, would you like to stay or are you wanting to return home?"
"Haha! A typical father, powerless before his daughter. Yes, I will stay the night, just to protect your pride and let the girl play."
"You heard Aunt Gaia, go play you four."
The kids ran to and hugged the parents before running off to Kitsunoko's room, though Raziel stayed behind to promise to keep them out of trouble.
