He simply wrapped his arms around her tightly and pressed his face into her neck, rubbing his soft cheek against her shoulder like a baby ghost starved for affection. "I missed you so much..." he whispered.
Ruby’s arms naturally tightened around him, her hand resting protectively on his back as she smiled with emotion. "I missed you too," she said softly, her voice slightly choked.
Milo sniffled a little, though he wasn’t crying—he was just overwhelmed. His heart felt like someone lit a warm candle inside it. She was back. His Wife was back.
"I didn’t like the house without you..." he mumbled, still not letting go. "Even brother Karl was extra grumpy... and brother Adi kept cleaning things that weren’t even dirty..."
Julian chuckled quietly from beside them while Karl muttered, "I was not grumpy..."
Ruby just laughed, brushing Milo’s messy hair gently as he curled against her like a koala refusing to let go.
Karl stood nearby, arms crossed and eyes narrowed—not at Ruby, but at the very adorable scene of Milo wrapped around her like she was his personal treasure chest. Ruby was smiling so sweetly, stroking his hair like a loving wife and Karl’s pout deepened with every second.
A long one. A soft one. With her arms around him, not just Milo.
Julian was sitting beside Ruby on the sofa, watching them with a gentle smile, his hand resting lightly on Ruby’s back like it belonged there. He looked so calm. So composed. So content.
Karl blinked. Then his eyes widened.
In a sudden motion, Karl leapt like a flying squirrel across the room—not toward Ruby, but straight at Julian.
"I MISSED YOU SO MUCH JULES!!!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.
Before Julian could even register the chaos aimed in his direction, Karl had already crashed into him with full dramatic force, nearly knocking him off the sofa.
Julian’s calm expression shattered into pure panic. "Wha—Karl?!"
Karl wrapped his arms tightly around Julian’s torso, squeezing him like a long-lost war buddy returning from the battlefield. His head was buried dramatically in Julian’s chest and he sniffed loudly. "You don’t even know how much I suffered! The silence in this house was deafening!"
Julian froze, hands slightly lifted in awkward confusion.
Milo peeked up from Ruby’s lap with wide eyes. "Huh...?" he muttered.
And then she burst into laughter.
The whole room echoed with it—Ruby laughing with her hand over her mouth, Milo giggling against her side, and Julian sitting stiff as a board while Karl dramatically wept against his chest like some soap opera heroine.
Afterwards, Karl and Milo happily followed Ruby out to the car, practically bouncing on their feet as she popped open the trunk. Their eyes widened in unison—so many bags. Long ones. Small ones. Box-shaped ones. A few were even tied with golden strings and some shimmered slightly under the sun.
"Whoa..." Milo whispered, his eyes sparkling like he’d just seen a treasure chest.
Karl leaned in dramatically, hands on his knees like a nosy neighbor. "Wife... are we—are we rich now?"
Ruby chuckled softly, ignoring them both, and simply handed them a couple of the lighter bags. "Careful. Some of them are fragile."
The two nodded seriously like little soldiers and took the bags like they were sacred scrolls. But as they walked back inside, they kept sneaking glances at the bags, dying to ask her what was inside.
Karl nudged Milo. "What if she brought us... Alot of foods?"
Milo blinked. "I want socks."
"So I don’t slip on hallway anymore."
Karl sighed. "You really are the strangest ghost."
They reached the house and gently placed the bags by the wall in the living room. Their fingers itched to peek, but Ruby didn’t say anything. She just went off with Julian, humming softly to herself. And so... they waited.
They whispered guesses.
They circled the bags like cats around a suspicious box.
But they didn’t open a single one.
Not until Ruby said so.
Later, after Ruby and Julian came out of the shower, now dressed in soft clean robes, their hair still damp and skin warm from the steam, they looked far more refreshed—peaceful even.
Ruby ran her fingers through her half-dried white hair and glanced at the corner where the two sat, still eyeing the bags like loyal puppies resisting temptation.
"Oh? Were those always there?" she said, pretending not to notice.
Karl and Milo jumped to their feet.
"Wife, please—what’s inside??"
"Are there snacks?" Milo added.
Ruby tilted her head, smiling mischievously. "Hmm. Maybe. Depends on who’s behaved well while I was gone."
And both ghosts stood up straighter, cleared their throats, and tried to look as innocent as possible.
"Very well," Ruby said with a soft sigh, walking toward the bags. "Let’s begin the unboxing ceremony."
However, just as Karl and Milo were practically vibrating with excitement, Ruby stopped in her tracks. She turned around, her long white hair swaying gently behind her as she narrowed her eyes at the two.
"Actually..." she said, voice calm but firm, "let’s wait until Adrian comes back."
Both Karl and Milo froze like statues.
"W-What?" Karl’s jaw dropped.
Milo blinked. "But... why?"
"Because," Ruby said with a mischievous smile, "he’ll sad if we open them without him."
And with that, she turned around and walked off toward her room, leaving the both in stunned silence.
"I heard Ruby is back!" Lucien said with a sparkle in his eye—not the warm kind, but the greedy one. He looked pale from hunger, his expensive-looking robe now faded and frayed, and his eyes had the kind of desperation that only came from being too long away from luxury.
Danny, his father, sat nearby sharpening a small blade unnecessarily, his brows drawn tight. "Alright," he muttered. "But we wait until Karl leaves. That brat always ruins our plans."
Lucien nodded quickly, already imagining himself in clean, comfortable robes again, sipping sweet tea and soaking in a warm bath. "Yes, yes. Without him there, it’ll be easy. Ruby’s heart is soft. I’ll tell her how much I love her. Maybe cry a little."
—To be continued...🪄