*****

"The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave and it even feels even better coming back."

*****

Devlin sighed in the cab exhausted waiting patiently to reach his destination. It had been a long drive from the airport to his hometown plus the added hours in the plane.

He really craved a warm bath and a decent sleep at that moment but knowing that his mother was at home, he would probably hit the sack after midnight or even get little to no sleep because of her ambiguous stories and curious questions.

He missed his mum a lot. They had talked on the phone occasionally since he knew his mom was lonely after his dad passed away seven years ago. But he had to work. Working in the Army had been his dream since he was a kid, therefore after collage, he applied and was accepted and he's been there since.

Now he was coming home.

Devlin looked through the tinted window of the cab at the familiar buildings that had not changed since five years ago that he had been around. Five years.

Some people that Devlin knew and some that were unfamiliar to him, were busy doing their daily businesses. Different facial expressions mirrored on their faces.

His mind quickly drifted to his best friend, Kevin, the main reason why he was back home.

The son of a bitch was getting married. He grinned.

The news about his friend's wedding was a surprise to him. Never in his life had he imagined that Kevin would one day want to settle down and have a family. The man was always busy solving cases in his law firm, with little to no time on socialising. 'Making money while fighting for the rights of others' that's what he called his job.

He almost choked on his lunch the day Kevin called him and told him or rather shocked him with the news.

"You must come for the wedding Dev, i have no other friend that can be my best man. You must walk me down the isle and help me wait for my bride." Kevin begged over the phone

"As romantic as that sounds, I don't think so Kevin, i am really busy, and i am sure you have many friends with that smart mouth of yours that can't wait to be your best man." Devlin said, not interested in going back home.

"Come on, man! Do this for the sake of our friendship. You know how far we've come from together... Remember the day Rebecca almost chopped off your head for calling her a slut, and i had to date her for a week to save your ass!" Kevin exclaimed

"Okay, okay. I'll be there. Jeez. No need for the speech down memory lane." Devlin sighed. "Just tell me when i am needed and I'll try and get a leave of absence."

"You've never taken any leave of absence Dev, am sure they won't mind even if you are away for a year." Kevin teased

"Get off my phone you sucker, and send me the dates as soon as you can. Bye!" Devlin disconnected the call and continued eating his now cold lunch.

After he was granted permission by his bosses, Devlin took the next plane home. He had not called his mom to pick him from the airport since he wanted to surprise her and his friend who he figured was probably too busy with work at that time.

The cab stopped at the front of his parent's home and Devlin paid for the ride and quickly took his luggage from the boot. He did not carry much, just some few clothes and shoes knowing that he would be back at the barracks just after the wedding.

Devlin then went to the door and knocked, very sure that his mother was home since it was mid morning. The door was slowly opened and his mother stood at the door looking slightly older and thinner than he had last seen her, he noticed.

"Oh my God! DEVLIN! Do you want to kill your own mother with a heart attack! How do you just pop up without even telling me you are coming home!" Devin's mom, Dorcas, ranted, after recovering from the mini-shock of seeing her son after a whole five years.

"Hello to you too mum, and if i would have told you then it wouldn't have been a surprise, so... SURPRISE!" Devlin beamed at his mother who glared at him with murdering eyes. If only looks could kill...

"Devlin you are now a twenty seven years grown ass man. I don't want surprises, i just want to see you often. Look at how big you've grown! You even got beards now!" She continued ranting, glaring his son even more.

"Am sorry ma, I'll try to visit more in future i promise. Can i at least get a hug?" Devlin asked with a puppy face that he knew his mother couldn't turn down.

Dorcas hugged his son fighting the smile that was now creeping on her lips. She still couldn't believe that her son was back, after five years of her begging him to come home.

"This boy will be the death of me." She mumbled.

After the hug, his mother ushered him in. The house still looked and smelt the same after all those years.

The only thing missing was his dad, who would be cracking his old jokes that always made everyone laugh even when they were not funny. Devlin missed his dad and he made a mental note to go visit his grave later during the day after getting a much needed rest.

"Lunch is almost ready so freshen up quickly. Your room is as you left it. I've just been cleaning it once in a while." He heard his mother's voice on his was to his room. "Okay mum" he replied.

Devlin went to his room and true to his mother's words, the room was as he left it. He quickly showered and put on some old T-shirt and pants since he was too lazy to start unpacking.

He then decided to text his friend to inform him that he had arrived.

Hey man, guess who's back in town! I know you are currently busy with your boring job so I'll meet you at our one and only bar at 7:00pm. Fail to come and be sure to walk alone on the isle while missing your front teeth.

After the shower, Devlin went back to the sitting room to find his mother preparing the table for the two of them. He helped her and they quickly settled down and started eating.

He did not know how much he missed his mother's cooking until he took a bite of the chicken that his mother prepared for lunch.

"Mmmmmh... Mum, if i ever find any lady that cooks just like you i swear i would marry her in a heartbeat." He said, munching the pieces of meat as if it was his last meal.

"You don't marry for food you fool, you marry because you love someone, and my cooking tastes better because am your mother. It's the only cooking you've known since you were born." His mother explained.

Devlin wanted to understand her statement but can someone be in a marriage full of love while hungry?

"Mum, am really exhausted, i didn't get any sleep last night on the plane, so am just gonna hit the sack for a bit." Devlin explained yawning. They had finished eating some minutes ago and they were now washing the dishes.

"Okay, go on, i will manage cleaning the remaining dishes on my own." His mother agreed.

Nodding to his mother, he left the dinning room and went to his own bedroom and changed into comfortable pyjamas and prepared the bed ready to sleep.

The moment he laid on the bed, he quickly fell into a peaceful sleep like a new born baby.

Three hours later, Devlin was awake, feeling not the best but a little bit better than before. He freshened up and went to the sitting room to find his mother reading a book. " What are you reading mum?" He asked sitting on the sofa next to her.

"It's a book containing different recipes i want to try out." she answered, still concentrating on the book.

"You are already good at cooking, why would you need the book?" He asked again, clearly confused.

"Because i love trying new recipes." She answered looking at him like he just asked the stupidest question ever. "Would you eat one dish everyday just simply because you love it?" she argued.

"Okay mum, you do your thing," he raised his hands as a sign of surrender. "Am going to visit dad's grave, it's been a long time since i was there." He said.

"Do you want me to come with you sweetie?" She offered quickly.

"No mom, i will be meeting with Kevin after that so it is okay, really." He informed her.

"You can take the car then, it's still on perfect condition and can take you faster to your destination" She told him while turning her attention back to the book.

"It's okay, i prefer walking. I want to see how our town has developed so far and i don't think driving is the best option." He answered her.

"Okay, say hi to Kevin for me, will you? Then and please come home early, am preparing your favorite dish for dinner." She informed him.

He smiled. His mother really knew the way to a man's heart. "Okay mum, I'll be back before you know it." He said walking away towards the door.

Devlin did not know that at that moment a story had began.

One hell of a story at that.

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