Vorden casually stood in the doorway, leaning up against the creme colored, wooden, frame. He raised his wrist and cupped his hand around the hard to read screen of his communicator watch, checking the time. The company was due any minute. Their first house guests at their newly acquired, modest country cottage.
He watched with a subtle smile on his lips as his son, only 4 years old, ran in little circles just in front of the porch steps. Chasing their puppy as it, in turn, chased him. The little boy laughed uncontrollably as round and around they went.
He couldn't shake the thought, as he watched the joyful scene of his child at play, just how striking the resemblance was to another family member. One that he at one time, knew very well.
"Borden." Vorden whispered, barely loud enough for his own ears to perceive, but the word was swept away on the warm summer breeze before the letters even left his lips completely. The sudden weight that pressed upon his chest making it hard to breathe without warning, was only exacerbated by the enormous lump that formed in Vorden's windpipe.
Unable to even swallow let alone breathe, a momentary panic quickly set in. A split second is all it was, all it ever was these days. Still, that moment felt like Vorden's life was about to end. It felt that way, every time, like the first time, for that brief moment, whenever Borden crossed his mind. Then he would catch himself, remember how to breathe again, and recall the many reasons he had to keep breathing.
He would never forget the day, full size Borden came crashing down from the sky— naked, and terrifyingly similar to a Dalki. Vorden chuckled silently, as he thought back. Remembering the bewilderment of seeing a carbon copy of Sil, with a Dalki spike growing from his back. Barely able to communicate, but completely fixated on one thing— finding his brother.
Vorden's son, being at 4 years of age, was close to the same size that Borden eventually became after initially beginning to revert. In the end, Borden had been saved by Logan Green's quick thinking and just in the nick of time. He was able to create a temporary serum that saved his life, but unfortunately left him in the miniaturized state. Which is why the resemblance, in Vorden's opinion, was so strong.
After the serum he was just as strong, but adorably tiny, with an extremely limited stamina. Borden would often lunge into battle with creatures unbelievably bigger, possibly unimaginably stronger than himself. He had no fear, and no hesitation. With his son flexing his muscles, and shouting battle cries as he launched himself at any willing participant, he was completely devoid of fear too. Just like his uncle.
Above all else, the one thing Borden had fiercely protected was his brother, Vorden— a thought that, even now, brought a gentle, appreciative smile to Vorden's lips.
Yet, that smile was tempered by a bittersweet ache, a quiet acknowledgment of loss that lingered persistently. The pain of losing Borden was not something that would ever truly fade; rather, Vorden had gradually rearranged the pieces of his heart to accommodate it. He carved out a special, enduring place within himself, a space where grief could reside without overwhelming his capacity to face each day anew.
The initial agony of loss had been torturous, raw enough to force his heart into building defenses— calluses formed, emotional sinews thickened, allowing him to bear what once seemed unbearable. The weight remained, ever-present but manageable. With time, Vorden learned how to carry it quietly, without allowing it to divert him from the tasks at hand. Through this pain, he grew stronger, wiser, and more resilient.
His grief had transformed into something akin to a trusted companion, steadfast and ever at his side. In moments when the world around him felt distant or surreal, when life itself seemed to slip through his fingers like grains of sand, it whispered to him. It reminded him that he was human, vulnerable and finite. It reminded him of the brother he had cherished deeply, now gone from this world, yet still profoundly present in memory and spirit.
More importantly, his grief served as a gentle reminder that life was fleeting, delicate, and infinitely precious. It urged him not merely to exist, but to truly live—to embrace the present with gratitude, awareness, and intention.
Even now, long after his passing, Borden continued teaching him invaluable lessons. Jade's sweet voice pierced through the fog of his wandering thoughts, pulling him gently yet firmly back into the warmth of the present moment.
"Vorden, they'll be here any minute!" He heard her calling him and looked toward his son again. He chuckled at the adorable antics he could see at play as he stepped out onto the porch.
"Borden—"
Vorden, of course, was calling for his little boy, that he and Jade had named after his late brother.
"It's time to come on inside and wash up." He walked across the deck and down the several porch steps to reach his son. The child, the spitting image of his father, stopped running and groaned very loudly as his shoulders and head slumped forward.
"Awe, but dad, I was just about to to slay the dragon! Like you and uncle Sil!" He threw both arms out comically towards the dog, who was standing there panting with his tail wagging ferociously behind him, completely unaware of his impending doom. Vorden smirked.
He kneeled down by his son. After looking to the left and right to ensure they could not be overheard by anyone, he leaned in close and placing a hand on his tiny shoulder, looked Borden directly in the face.
"Tell you what, I will help you slay the dragon really quick, but then it's straight inside or your mother will be cross with both of us." Little Borden's face lit up. The next second he was hoisted up in the air and on to Vorden's shoulder, giggling uncontrollably.
A few moments later, from the warm, rustic, kitchen of their modest dwelling, Jade was pulling fresh plates from the cupboard. Just as she began to wonder what was taking so long, she heard a booming shout. What sounded like Vorden's voice, followed by their son's hysterical laughter, resonated into the room, reverberating off of the natural stone floors and wall. She sighed, shaking her head as she folded her arms, a knowing smile dancing upon her lips.
Letting the gleeful sounds of childhood memories being created guide her, she eventually discovered the source as she stepped out onto the porch. Jade walked across to the top of the steps and once again folding her arms, just raised an eyebrow at the scene playing out in front of her.