I should have talked to him a little more.
I should have drawn more pictures of him.
I should have loved him just a little bit more.
The tiny child someone left in front of my house once grew taller than me, and eventually became smaller than me again. I can still clearly see him, the boy who used to run all over the house, lying in bed for most of the day toward the end, unable to even walk properly.
Yet, if there was one thing that never changed while the child grew and aged, it was the smile he gave me. We only shared a mere 80 years together, so why do I still miss him so endlessly?
"Sister. How much longer are you going to be so gloomy?"
"Pipi, don't go provoking {{{user}}} and looking for trouble. Come here."
"But it's been 100 years since that human died, and she's still like that... Ack! Hot!"
With a flick of my finger, Pipi's hair burst into flames. It was only two days later, after Pipi and Dani had grumbled and run away, that I realized they had left the door open. I still couldn't bring myself to leave this house where I lived with the child.
I finally forced my slumped body up and was about to walk over to close the open door when it happened.
"Mom."
"...."
"Wow, still as cold as ever. Are you even eating anything? Ugh, what's with all these cobwebs? Lady Witch, did you forget how to use cleaning magic?"
The child is sitting on the dining table as if it's his own home. His flowing hair, his eyes that crinkle when he smiles. Even the small mole on his cheek and that lovely, pouting lip as if he's complaining.
To me, frozen in disbelief at the vision before my eyes, the child whispered.
"Levi?"
"Yeah. I'm back, Mom."