"Bye! See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow Frosta."

It was around 5 p.m. when Wolf got into Scorpia's car. Most of the campers had returned home. Only orphans like Frosta and the employees were still present. As usual, Scorpia had agreed to drive the girl home. Wolf was silent for a minute or two before sinking into her seat with a sigh.

"I miss you guys..."

"We miss you too."

The woman's eyes remained on the road, yet she had that mysterious smile that characterized her so well.

"But I know that your parents love you at least as much as we do. And don't forget what I told you. There is no farewell, only goodbyes."

The last sentence drew a small laugh from Wolf as she put a hand on her chest. There she found the pendent Scorpia had given her the day she was adopted the year before. At that moment, while the little one was clinging to the terrian with all her strength, the latter had put this collar around her neck saying these exact same words. This way of proving to the child that they would stay together despite the distance had succeeded in stopping the tears.

Handling this little metal scorpion sting between her thumb and forefinger, Wolf thought back to all the times she had performed this same gesture during the school year. Whenever she felt out of place, she had touched the pendant and the memory of Scorpia had calmed her. This woman had always been there for her when she lived in Brightmoon. She was her friend, her confidante and her mentor. And even today, as she parked her car in front of the child's new house, Wolf knew full well that she could still count on Scorpia.

"Don't worry Scops" laughed the child, opening her door. "I won't forget."

Wolf got out of the vehicle and the two friends exchanged a little 'see you tomorrow' before Scorpia left. The young girl then turned to face her house and was surprised to see a black car parked in the entrance. It wasn't her adoptive parents' car. They always parked their blue SUV in the garage. And anyway, Wolf knew very well who owned this car. Hordak Prime...

Wolf hated this guy. So she only walked to the door with very little enthusiasm. When she opened the door she was a little less surprised to see the back of the man's black jacket right in front of her. Apparently, it was already the part when her parents asked him to leave.

"I don't understand why you keep refusing." pleaded Hordak. "You know better than anyone how dangerous my brother is. Your testimony could finally put him in jail!"

"You're right." Wolf's foster father replied, gritting his teeth. "We know better than anyone how dangerous Horde Prime is, especially to those who displease him. Now, if you are done putting our family in danger, I will ask you to leave."

And so ended another sterile argument. Since Wolf had been adopted, she had seen this kind of scene every two months or so. This man was not easily discouraged...

Hordak clenched his fists, admitting his defeat of the day, and turned to leave. He almost hit Wolf but stopped just in time. He walked around the little one with a quick nod before heading back to his car. You could tell he was pissed off, but clearly not against her or her foster parents. This man was touchy, but he at least knew how to control his facial expressions enough not to seem angry to others. That or Wolf was just so used to his temper that she saw through what others would call 'aggressivity'.

With an annoyed sigh, Wolf closed the door and took off her boots. She then greeted her foster parents with a nod. They answered with a weak smile and headed for the kitchen. Considering the smell, diner was almost ready.

Wolf knew perfectly well what was bothering the couple. What Hordak had asked them, what he asked them every time he came, brought back bad memories. Usually they never talked about it. Both out of respect for Wolf and to forget the sadness that accompanied those memories. But only once, when the girl had been particularly insistent, had they told her the truth.

Wolf was not their first child. About 10 years earlier, the couple had a biological child, a daughter. They had raised her with all their love for two years. But one morning, the baby was no longer in her room. There was no ransom demand, no corpse found in a trash can or whatever. The little one had simply disappeared. The parents had been devastated and their marriage had been strained as each faced grief in their own way.

They had never mentioned that child's name in front of Wolf. Everyone in this house knew that they had adopted her hoping she could heal their wounds and they were doing all they could so that the young girl did not feel like she was just a replacement for their real daughter. That didn't stop negative thoughts from assaulting her, but Wolf was still grateful for the efforts her foster parents were making. But she definitely hated Hordak, who brought up the subject of this baby every time he passed by.

"It's ready Wolf!" called the husband from the dining room.

The little one, who had waited on the sofa in the living room, hurried to sit at the table while her foster mother put down the plates. Evening meal: an appetizing stew. As the couple settled in, Wolf noticed that their smiles seemed more relaxed, more genuine. The cooking must have helped them clear their heads. Wolf wanted to encourage this good humor as best she could and gave her honest opinion on the meal.

"It looks really delicious. Thank you Song."

"You're welcome," replied the woman, visibly delighted.

"So" continued the man after his first bite. "How is camp today?"

"It was nice" replied the child, attacking her own plate. "With Frosta, we beat everyone in soccer."

"It's good that you two stay so close" smiled Song.

"But there was a new girl at camp today. She was pretty impressive. Honestly, would she have been on the other team, I don't know if we would have won."

"Oh?" the husband chuckled. "And what is this little prodigy called?"

"Kipo."

Instantly, the man choked and began to cough.

"You're alright Lio?" asked Wolf, more surprised than worried.

"Yes, don't worry. It's just that Kipo... It's not really a common name... "

Turning her gaze, Wolf could see that Song was in worse shape than her husband. She was as pale as a sheet. The little one understood that there were a something that they weren't telling her. But she also knew that it would be pointless to ask them. They were particularly stubborn with secrets...

During the rest of the meal, Lio tried to lighten the mood with a few jokes and even managed to get his wife to chuckle, but unease was still palpable. Annoyed, Wolf finally hurried to finish her plate and went up to her room. They didn't want to tell her the truth? Very well. There was no point in talking at all.

At the table, the couple let go of their forced smiles and let themselves wander in their memories.

"Coincidences are weird, right?" Lio sighed.

"They hurt too" replied his wife.

Indeed, the name they once gave to their daughter was Kipo, Kipo Oak.