Chapter Text
Ten years later…
“… and that concludes the training” Annette said, clicking on the presentation’s last slide. “So make sure to apply those tips for your classes.”
Annette Dominic Fraldarius closed her company laptop, packing up her work paraphernalia after the training ended. It had been a long day at work, between training new instructors, going over the lists of people ready to teach at the military program and meeting up with the directors of the military academies. She had taken over the managerial position after her husband started a master’s degree in History and eventually quit Merceus to become a professor at Garreg Mach University.
It was hard work, but fortunately, if there was someone who was able to think on her feet, it was her… With a little help from her academic coordinator, a certain Yuri Eisner-Leclerc. They were a surprisingly good team, with the lavender-haired person being as quick and efficient as in their time being an EMT.
“Annette, you got a call” Yuri said, as she walked into their shared office.
“What happened?”
“Just one of your friends from the Happy Hour Gang, asking if you’d be up for going to The Blue Lion. But I guess they should know that you barely have time to even breathe.”
“You’re way too perceptive, Yuri. It’s scary.”
“Can’t help it if I know that my colleague’s busy being both a professional and a good mother.”
“And how’s your kid doing?”
“He’s with Byleth in Almyra, visiting my sister-in-law and her husband. So I’m enjoying the single life for now. Can’t say I don’t miss my family, but they’ll be back in a week.”
“I see.”
“Well, I think it’s time to close shop for the day.”
“You’re right about that.”
“Don’t forget to call your friends.”
“I’ll do it on my way home. Take care, Yuri.”
“See you.”
Annette headed home as quickly as she could, hoping she’d arrive before her kids did. If not, she knew they’d be at Sylvain and his wife’s. He had moved out soon after she and Felix got married, but he had been lucky enough to get an apartment in the same building complex.
And he himself tied the knot two years ago.
“Hey Syl” Annette said as she called him. “Did Amy and the gremlins arrive yet?”
“I think they did, but Felix arrived early from work and picked them up at the bus stop. And here I thought that Amy’d be old enough to do that herself.”
“We just want her to enjoy being a kid a little bit longer, and not just a babysitter. Besides, she’s also busy with her guitar classes.”
“Good point, and Goose and Bern are nothing if not rambunctious because of their age.”
“It’s mostly Bern. You know Goose is more of a follower.”
Two and three years after they got married, Felix and Annette had sons. Gustave, Goose for short, sported his mother’s flaming red head, but he was pretty calm and studious compared to his mischievous, blue-haired, formidable older brother, Bernard – Bern for his friends. Surprisingly, Gustave had proven to be very intellectually gifted, to the point where he was in the same grade as Bernard, and that led to the older kid to be very protective of the youngest member of the family.
Amy ended up being the musical one in the family, especially after getting over her speech impediment. She was taking singing lessons with Dorothea, Sylvain’s wife, and guitar lessons at a nearby academy. On the other hand, Mia passed away due to old age, but her grumpy dynasty was continued by two cats the kids had named Crusher (Bern and Goose named the male) and Willow (named by Amy).
“Ashe, it’s Annette.”
“Hey, I tried calling you, but Yuri said you were in training.”
“Yeah, sorry. I thought I had to go pick up the kids, but Fee already took care of that.”
“It’s all right. Either way, we’re all too busy today. How about we all meet up on Sunday then?”
“I’ll let Fee, Syl and Mercie know.”
“Sure thing.”
Ashe and Hapi were living together now that his siblings had become independent, with their apartment becoming a place for foster cats – Hapi had been working at The Blue Lion to pay for her veterinary studies. Caspar and Petra married not long ago, and were close to coming back from their honeymoon in Brigid, although they had already had a daughter before getting married.
Ignatz became a full-time instructor in order to help keep the apartment now that Raphael had moved in with Leonie, and Maya was expecting their second baby, while juggling her work as a designer in an advertising agency.
Mercie and Dedue eventually quit the kindergarten, starting their own café, and while it was hard at the beginning, their food made them very well-known, to the point of turning it into a restaurant that required reservations. They also became parents, having a daughter who was only a year older than Annette and Felix’s oldest son.
“Mom!” two boys hollered, hugging her. “You’re home early!”
“I got lucky despite the traffic. Boys, did you do your homework, or are you being gremlins again?”
“Mom! We’re not gremlins!” Bernard said, pouting.
“I already did my homework” Gustave replied quietly. “Bern was almost done with it when you got here.”
“Hey there, love” Felix said, coming out of the kitchen and greeting his wife in a way that made the boys pretend to gag. “Hope your day wasn’t too difficult.”
“You know how it is, Fee. It’s just good luck that I was able to wrap that training early. This batch of new instructors seems to be fairly promising. Also, Ashe asked if we’d like to meet with the Happy Hour Gang on Sunday once Caspar and Petra come back from their honeymoon.”
“We can take the kids to Glenn’s house. I’m sure Amy and Theo can manage them.”
“True.”
“And where’s Amy?”
“Hey Mom” the blue-haired teenager said, coming out of the kitchen as well. “Sorry for taking so long. Was finishing up the prep work.”
“How are the cooking lessons going?”
“She’s a quick study, as usual. She just needs to be a little more confident with spices.”
“Dad, please. You know I don’t like spicy food.”
“I know, I know.”
As the family spoke about cooking, they briefly lost their sense of time, happy as they were in their bubble.
They didn’t hear the grandfather clock in the living room.
And the clock struck five.
THE END.