Axel turned his attention toward the door to watch as his father came into view. He had a large bag hanging off one shoulder and several smaller bags in his hand. His clothes looked a little rumpled, and there were bags under his eyes, but otherwise, he looked alright. He had a small smile plastered across his lips though, as he hurried down the stairs and headed straight for Axel. He paused in front of him and looked him over carefully. “Hey, kiddo. Are you feeling better?”

Axel simply nodded and his father reached out to ruffle his hair. Axel ducked away from his father’s hand and raised an eyebrow...