Chapter Five: Back to Normal—Almost

David settled onto the living room couch, the controller fitting comfortably into his hands. The new game his sister, Kelly, had gotten him sat in the console, its startup screen glowing brightly on the TV. He took a deep breath, the familiar sounds and sights of the game pulling him back into a sense of normalcy.

Before he could get too far into the game, Kelly plopped down on the couch beside him, grabbing another controller. “Wanna play two-player, bro?” she asked casually, though her tone carried a note of something deeper. The game, a shared interest that had often brought them together, was now a tool for them to reconnect after the traumatic event.

David glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, noticing the way she fidgeted slightly, her fingers tracing the buttons on her controller. He knew exactly what she was doing—keeping herself busy, trying to process the fact that she had almost lost him.

He gave her a small smile and handed her a spare controller. “Sure. You’re just gonna lose, though.”

Kelly smirked, some of the tension in her face easing. “Oh, we’ll see about that.”

As the game loaded, David leaned back, his voice softer. “Hey, sis,” he said, not looking at her, “thanks for getting me out of the pool. I, uh… won’t try to breathe water again.”

Kelly’s fingers froze over her controller momentarily before she looked at him. Her expression was somewhere between amusement and relief, her voice carrying a distinct tone of the latter. “You better not,” she said, her voice cracking just slightly. She leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “Just don’t scare me like that again, okay?”

David turned to her and grinned. “No promises, but I’ll do my best.”

For the next hour, the two of them battled their way through levels, the occasional shout of victory or groan of defeat filling the room. For a little while, it felt like things were back to normal. The sense of normalcy was so strong that it almost made them forget the trauma they had just been through, if only for a moment.

But even as David laughed and bantered with Kelly, a quiet unease lingered at the back of his mind. The warmth of the medallion against his chest was a constant reminder that “normal” might not last much longer. The unease was so strong that it almost overshadowed the fun they were having, a stark reminder of the trauma they had just been through.

David’s parents sat together in the living room as the house settled into a quiet rhythm. The soft glow of a single lamp cast warm light over the room, but the air between them was heavy with the tension of the past week.

David’s mom sat with her hands clasped in her lap, her knuckles pale from how tightly she gripped them. Her eyes were fixed on the floor, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. David’s dad leaned back on the couch beside her, his arm resting gently across her shoulders.

“I keep replaying it in my head,” she said quietly, her voice trembling. “Emma’s call, rushing home, seeing him on the floor like that... I thought we were going to lose him.”

David’s dad squeezed her shoulder, his own jaw tightening at the memory. “I know,” he said softly. “I thought the same thing when I saw him in that hospital bed. He looked so... fragile.”

She shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. “And now? We still don’t even know what caused it. The doctors can’t explain it, and I keep worrying... What if it happens again? What if next time we’re not there in time?”

He pulled her closer, resting his chin lightly on her head. “We can’t think like that,” he said, though his voice wavered. “David’s strong. You saw how quickly he bounced back. And whatever this is... we’ll face it together.”

Her tears spilled over them, silent but steady, and she buried her face in his chest. “He’s still our baby,” she whispered. “Even if he’s sixteen. I’m not ready to lose him.” The depth of their love for David is palpable in her words.

“You won’t,” her husband said firmly, though the emotion in his voice betrayed his own fears. “We’ve made it through this, and we’ll keep making it through. One step at a time.” Their resilience in the face of uncertainty is a beacon of hope for the family.

For a long moment, they sat there in silence, clinging to each other as though the closeness could shield them from the uncertainty of the future. Outside, the soft chirp of crickets filled the night, and upstairs, David and Kelly’s muffled laughter drifted faintly through the house. It was a small reminder that, for now, at least, their family was safe and united.

David’s mom finally looked up, her tears beginning to dry. “We need to talk to him about being careful,” she said. “He acts like nothing happened, but he’s still recovering.”

David’s dad nodded. “We’ll talk to him tomorrow. Tonight... let’s just be grateful he’s here.”

She leaned into him again, her breathing steadying. Though the fear lingered, so did a quiet resolve. They had been scared, but their family was still whole—and they would fight to keep it that way.

David pulled back the covers, settling into bed with a sigh when a soft knock at his door broke the quiet. He glanced toward it, wondering who it could be at this hour. “Come in,” he said, his voice calm but curious.

The door opened slowly, and his mother stepped inside. Her head was hung low, and even in the dim light, David could see that her eyes were red and swollen from crying. She hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice trembling.

“David,” she said softly, “can I lay with you tonight? I... I’m so scared I’m going to lose you.”

The raw emotion in her words struck David harder than he expected. He shifted over in bed, making room for her without hesitation. “Sure, Mom,” he said gently, giving her a reassuring smile. “You can make sure nothing happens to me tonight.”

She released a shaky breath of relief and climbed in beside him, pulling the covers over herself. They lay there in silence for a while, the warmth of their shared presence filling the room. David could feel the weight of her fear, but he hoped his quiet reassurance could ease it, even just a little.

“You don’t have to worry,” he said softly, turning to look at her. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

She reached out, brushing a hand gently through his hair like she had when he was a child. “I just love you so much,” she whispered. “You’re my baby, David. I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to you.”

David swallowed the lump forming in his throat and placed his hand over hers. “I’m okay now, Mom. I promise I’ll be careful. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

His words seemed to bring her some comfort, and she closed her eyes, her breathing slowly evening out. David lay awake for a little longer, listening to the quiet rhythm of her breath, a reminder of how deeply his family cared for him—and how much they were willing to fight for each other.