"Let me get this straight. There's a woman who wants to hurt your older brother because he denied his sexuality and in the process unknowingly played a hand in the death of a heartbroken girl?" Vannie stared at me as I finished recounting the event that transpired at the laboratory. "That woman knows that nobody could be held responsible for somebody else's personal choice, right?"

"Are you saying that suicide is a choice?" Moira stared back at our friend. "I mean, I suppose it is, but it's still jarring when you say it bluntly like that."

"My point is that Johan denying who he is might have started a mess but he wasn't the one who killed Sherlyn, his decision to break up with her was simply an impetus or a catalyst," Vannie replied. "What is the chance that we can put a restraining order on Linda? We should report her to the police or something for threatening your family, Nardho."

I'm afraid the police wouldn't believe his story that easily, Rain shook their head and flashed us a sad smile. Unless he's got some evidence to back him up, the police might think he's slandering Linda.

"Maybe we can get Keith to testify," Moira spoke up. "Would that help?"

"That could be helpful, assuming that Linda hasn't tried to silence him," Vannie rubbed her temple. "She's not stupid, so I won't be surprised if right now she's blackmailing, or worse, torturing Keith to prevent him from revealing her scheme."

"Shit, I didn't even think of that possibility!" I bang my head on the table, earning a glare from Moira. "Sorry," I muttered. "You're right being panicky would lead us nowhere. Let's call the number he left us. Hopefully the worst hasn't happened yet. But how do I reach him without our conversation being intercepted?"

Do you have a burner phone or a similar gadget? Rain interrupted. If not, I can buy you one. We should be careful not to make a call using anything that could potentially be used to locate us.

"They have a point," Vannie nodded. "Linda could be tracking you. Anyway, you guys destroyed your phones already before coming here, did you?"

"We did," Moira replied. "We passed by a cliff on the way here and Nardho didn't hesitate to chuck our phones out of the windows. I was screaming at him until he explained why he had to do so. Devices like ours could unfortunately turn into a location tracker, like Rain said."

"Your scream could shatter a whole glasshouse," I chortled and Moira's cheeks turned a shade redder. "We were lucky the people on the highway didn't think I was kidnapping you. For all they knew I could be a human trafficker and you my victim."

Your sense of humor is beyond terrible, Nardho! Rain shoved me lightly. Enough joking, though. Let's get a burner phone.

----

The process to acquire a burner phone was relatively uncomplicated and soon I was punching in the number Keith told me to call, holding my breath as I waited for someone to pick up.

"Georgie Blanche Pizzeria, I'm very sorry but we're about to close and can no longer do take out or delivery for tonight." An irritated voice answered on the other end. "Hello? Didn't you hear me? We're done taking orders for the night."

"Hey, I'm looking for George. Before we proceed, are you alone in the parlor?"

"That's me and yes, I'm closing up on my own. Who am I speaking with?"

"George, may I please talk to your father?" I began. "This is Nardho. I assume your father has filled you in on that incident at Orchidsboro Second Chances?"

"Really? If you're truly Mr. Sitohang, then you'd answer this correctly. What are the names of the puppies at the Dream Chamber and what breed?"

"Baxter and Roscoe, golden retriever."

"One minute," George said in a whisper. "Don't hang up, sir. I'm gonna connect you to dad. He's in hiding."

There was silence for an uncomfortable minute or two and then I heard a man coughing onto the phone.

"Nardho? I'm glad you're okay!" Keith exclaimed. "I was afraid Linda would catch up to you as you were fleeing."

"Your son said you've been hiding? Is Linda pursuing you?" I asked. "She's targeting you, isn't she?"

"No, but I worry she might eventually figure out I was the one who erased your personal information from her computer," he sighed. "Anyway, I called Neesa to bring her up to speed. She was shocked, as expected, but she promised to tell Johan everything on your behalf."

"Good, I was thinking of calling Neesa. Did she say something else?"

"She told me to let you know that if you call her bakery one of her employees should be on stand by and would have an important message for you," Keith lowered his voice. "I think the message has to do with where she planned to escape along with Johan."

"I see, thanks for telling me. I should go now, but please stay safe."

"You too. You know how to reach me if you need me."

---

True to Neesa's words, someone at the bakery was already expecting a call. The information, however, was of course withheld until I answered some security questions. Smart, that cousin of Moira was.

"Which flower inspired your wife's middle name and which musician inspired your twin's?" the employee demanded.

"Moira's middle name comes from the roses while my sister's is a feminine form of Mozart's middle name."

"Correct. What number would you get if you put your birthdate, birth month, and birth year together and multiply it by the square root of sixteen?"

"Uh, let me do the math real quick," I laughed and did a simple addition in my head. 8+9+2607. "2624, isn't it? Wait, no, I still have to do the multiplication. Um, 10496."

"Wow, that's fast and your calculation is accurate!" the employee exclaimed. "Okay, you're who Ms. Johnson said would be calling us, alright. She wanted you to know that she's going to ask your brother's partner if Ms. Akira Kinoya can host them temporarily. In the meantime, she has set up two fake email addresses you two can use to communicate. Note them down."

"Okay, hang on," I said as I gestured to Rain and Vannie to find pen and paper. "Mhm. Yep. Got it. So, the first one is mine and the other is hers? Perfect. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome sir. Good night."

--

"What was Neesa's news?" Moira asked as immediately as I got off the phone.

"She's trying to see if Kenta's cousin has rooms to hide everyone," I said as I fell to my knees, exhausted. Moira hugged me tightly and I hugged back even tighter.

"You mean Lee-sensei's daughter? The lady who worked with us on Kulambas project way back in our sophomore year, right? Doesn't she live on Black Elm?" Vannie chimed in. "It's expensive to move planets on such a short notice."

"I think so, but maybe Akira has moved to Red Sycamore since the last time we saw her," I bit my lips. "I hope that's the case. Space ship tickets for three aren't cheap, indeed."

"Neesa is someone we can all count on," Moira squeezed my hand. "If we can't trust her, then we can't trust anybody."

But she trusted the wrong person, I almost blurted out but caught myself.

"We can only wait now," Vannie sighed. "I know you probably don't believe in prayers, Nardho, but Rain and I will definitely be praying for Johan's safety."

"I appreciate it. Maybe I should pray too for once since there's nothing else I could do." I responded. "Moira, would you like to join?"

"Yes," she smiled. "I will ask that we are delivered from evil."

--

The next morning our friends had to go to work; Rain teaching choreography at their dance studio and Vannie presenting her historical research at the local museum of natural history. They both allowed Moira and me to use their computer to access emails from Neesa.

"There are some ready-to-microwave sausages and waffles for breakfast in the fridge if you're hungry," Vannie generously offered. "If you want coffee or tea, feel free to pour yourselves a cup. We should return around 8 pm. What would you like for dinner? Rain is a good cook, we could stop by the grocery store to pick up ingredients after work."

"That's very kind, but we don't want to trouble you, so anything is fine," I said. "I can help with cooking if that's okay."

Sure, Rain signed. I'm thinking of making either quiche or tortilla. Don't worry, I'll make two versions, ones loaded with vegetables and ones without. I remember Moira doesn't like veggies much.

"Nah, she's not gonna be complaining about eating greens. Beggars can't be choosers!" I grinned at my wife, who smiled sheepishly. "Seriously, thank you."

What are friends for? Rain hugged Moira before waving goodbye. Vannie and I are heading out, make yourselves at home.

Once the two were out of the door, Moira and I went upstairs to where the computer room was. We turned on the computer without encountering any problem but froze when a notification appeared, asking for a thirteen-character password.

"Uh, looks like we have to guess," I scratched my head. "They forgot to mention any passcode."

"Let's look for a hint," Moira took my hand and gestured for me to calm down. She checked the back of the computer and found a sticky note in Vannie's handwriting.

"What does it say?" I said upon inspecting it. The writing wasn't in any language I had ever learned. "Is that Hebrew, Yiddish, or Aramaic?"

"Not sure, but it doesn't seem to be Arabic either," Moira turned the note upside down. "How many languages do the couple speak?"

"Including Sycamorean sign language? Probably quite a few. Wait, does sign language have a written form?"

"Not that I've heard of, nope." Moira shook her head and shrugged. "Let's look around for more clues."

There was a stack of books next to the computer. I scanned through the titles and one caught my eyes. Practical Middle Banyanian- Universal Modern Infernoan Dictionary.

"This could be it!" I grabbed the book and checked the table of content for a page on the alphabets. As I had hoped, the printed letters matched the shapes of squiggles Vannie had written. "Moira, could you help me match each letter with the corresponding vowels and consonants?"

"Yep, I'm on it!" She scooted closer to read the page. "Id netsuemhsi... wait, let me double check the rest. Id netsuemhsi nfu emny abiltb."

"Can you understand some of it?" I said as I frowned at what we had half-decoded. "Weren't you raised in White Banyan?"

"Emny abiltb is a very old-fashioned way to say my beloved," Moira replied. "Id is a particle like the or an. I'm not certain what netsuemhsi nfu means."

"Perhaps Rain and Vannie have a special nickname they use on each other, like Kenta and Johan have," I knitted my eyebrows together. "Something sweet."

"That would make sense," Moira nodded. "What do you think their pet name would be?"

"I don't know, but pet names usually reflect the couple's personalities. Kenta, for example, is a ball of sunshine, so Johan calls him the Japanese equivalent of it. What does Rain remind you of?"

"Their namesake, obviously," Moira laughed. "But also, they have this air of serenity. Their presence is understated, like stars in the early evening."

"Let's consult the dictionary," I flipped to the entries that started with the letter N.

"Netsuemhsi..." Moira ran her finger through the sea of words. "There! It says netsuemhsi is the archaic form of netsu, which means the hours when the brightest star in our galaxy is visible to the naked eye."

"That's majestic and poetic, sounds like Rain themself," I gave her a thumbs up. "Next, nfu... that should be further down the page... Hm. It means pitch black."

"So.. Vannie basically calls Rain her light in the darkness? That's charming," Moira marveled. "Maybe we should have pet names too. Should we?"

"Eh? What's wrong with honey?"

"I like that too if you like it."

"Great. Now, let's see if netsuemhsi nfu is the correct passcode," I turned my attention back to the glaring screen of the computer. "I'd assume there's no space between the two words and everything is lowercase."

The notification window disappeared as soon as I tapped 'Enter' and Moira cheered. The screen changed into a wallpaper showing a slightly younger Rain smiling beside Vannie with who seemed to be Hamza and Alex.

"They're so cute!" Moira squealed. "Who are those men, though? Their relatives?"

"Rain's cousin and Vannie's stepbrother, if I'm not mistaken," I said as I clicked on the browser icon. "Let's read Neesa's email."

The email was protected with a password and the hint Neesa had left indicated that it had to do with her favorite dessert.

"Hm. I bet she likes whatever Kenta bakes," I smirked. "But he can bake all kinds of pastries. I don't suppose he has a signature cake?"

"Didn't you mention he loves to bake with ingredients freshly sourced from his garden?" Moira wondered aloud. "What are some of his plant-based recipes?"

"Ooh! Crimson Yeast muffins!" I snapped my fingers. "He is famous for it, how could I forget?"

I typed 'muffins' and a dialogue window popped up, saying 'access granted'.

"We are in!" Moira giggled. "Anything in your inbox?"

There were, in fact, several emails. Three, to be exact, all from different senders.

"This one's from my bro," I pointed to the one labeled I SCREWED UP. "Damn, he must be beating himself up right now, poor guy. Is this an apology letter?"

Dearest Nardho,

I don't expect forgiveness from you because I should have been braver all those years ago. Everything has a price and this is the price I have to pay for denial. I had my suspicion about Sherlyn but I denied that something was wrong. Instead of following my instinct and seeking out answers, I swept all thoughts about her under the rug. Deep in my heart I knew that her not coming back to Blue Orchid had to do with our break up, but I didn't dare to face the music head on.

I was ready to see Kenta resenting me and got even more disappointed than the night he had to bring me to the ER after I tried to take my own life shortly following my coming out to dad, but instead he let me cry in his arms and told me I was a victim of my circumstance too. He said if I hadn't grown up with a homophobe father, I wouldn't have to experiment with Sherlyn to convince myself that my orientation isn't changeable and that no amount of time spent in conversion therapy could convert me. Kenta has been ultra nice to me all week but it just makes me feel bad. Where is his anger? Why hasn't he stopped loving me? Is he a saint?

I know you hate Linda but honestly, I don't. I can understand her position. I mean, what if I were in her shoes? What if it were you or Nardhia instead? I would have been blinded by self-righteous rage too.

I'm no better than Simon Peter. While he denied Jesus thrice before the rooster crowed, I once denied something I should have taken pride in: my gayness. I should be the one bearing all the consequences and yet my action has opened Pandora's box and set off a Domino effect.

I regret everything, little brother.

- Johan

"He... he really is going through an emotional breakdown," my heart sank. "I wish I could be there in person and reassure him that he shouldn't be apologizing because, in his defense, being out and proud in his teenage years would be a privilege and one that he wasn't afforded. Sadly, it sounds like he hates himself now. It's gonna be difficult to reassure him. I knew what it felt like to loathe one's self so deeply."

"Is this the vengeance Linda spoke of?" Moira shuddered. "Psychological torment?"

"No doubt, but I fear she's planning for physical revenge as well," I buried my face in my hands. "Moira, why do horrible things happen to those who don't deserve them?"

"I don't know, honey," she pulled me into an embrace. "Perhaps, like the lyrics of one of the songs you put in your freaking old mixtape, the gods threw a dice and their minds were as cold as ice."

"I hate that ancient song and I had no idea why my great-great grandmother put it on what essentially is my family heirloom!" I gritted my teeth. "The next line is especially terrible!" I slammed my fist on the table before reciting the lyrics. "And someone way down here loses someone dear. The winner takes it all, the loser has to fall. Heck no, I'm not losing Johan!"

"I'm sure Neesa is doing her best to protect him, Kenta and Akira too," Moira put her hands on my shoulders. "Let's read the next emails."

Hi Nardho,

Johan didn't take Neesa's news well. Akira and I are worried sick. Nothing I've said so far could stop him from berating himself.

Man, I've never seen Johan as grief-stricken as this. This is the worst mental state I've ever found him in. He might not have loved Sherlyn romantically but I could sense he cared for her. He didn't want to hurt her. He's not the kind of guy who enjoys hurting others.

I implore, please write something nice to him. If my words can't get through to him, maybe yours can. Blood is thicker than water, isn't that the ancient saying?

Please console him because I'm out of ideas. He doesn't believe that I'm still in love with him and that I'm not angry at him.

- Kenta

"Is this karma?" I dug my nails to the chair's armrest. "Moira, you believe in karmic retribution? I was depressed and broke Johan's heart so now I'm the one getting my heart broken. How fitting."

"Nardho, no..." Moira lifted my chin up and gazed into my eyes. "Life dealt us a bad hand but that doesn't mean we're being punished. Life can be unforgiving at times."

"Please read Neesa's email for me. I'm too sad to read it myself," I laid my head on Moira's shoulder and closed my eyes. "What a tiring day and it's not even noon yet."

Greetings, Nardho!

I'm sorry I put my trust on Linda! I was too excited at the prospect of having a girlfriend that I didn't bother to do a background check. I should have known better than letting someone I barely met in on things like failing memory and the search for a cure.

Speaking of background check, I did one on Keith and that guy is amazing. He graduated top of his class from a doctoral program in Neurodiagnostic Technology at Silver Pine University of Medical Sciences, the best medical school in the entirety of Indigo Inferno. His dissertation on the links between memories and sleep has been published in Violet Chrysanthemum Journal of Gerontology, a peer-reviewed journal specifically for the publication of papers on the study of older patients. There was even an interview a TV channel in Silver Pine did with him a few years back focusing on why he's studying memories and sleep. As it turned out, he lost his wife due to ruptured ovarian cysts. Keith stated in the interview that he wished to find out through his memories if he could have saved her and perhaps use that knowledge to help other women who have his late wife's condition.

I think he could be of assistance in regard to reversing Moira's memory loss, but I'm not going to initiate anything if you don't think I should. I have no reason to distrust him, but after my stint with Linda of course I don't want to repeat the same mistake, so I'll follow your lead.

-Neesa

"Well, here's some good news after an exhausting day, honey," Moira kissed my forehead. "Keith could be an ally."

"That's awesome," I said with my eyes still closed. "Sorry, I know I should sound happier but... I'm so tired."

"This is a violent storm we're weathering," Moira gently rubbed my back. "But all storms shall pass eventually. We will ride it out hand in hand."