"Trick or treat!"

The children, dressed as witches and superheros, stood by the big castle door with open bags. The prince, dressed as Crowley from that show he liked, jumped out, scaring the kids.

"Ah, happy Halloween!" He exclaimed in Korean with a shitty British accent. He passed around full-size chocolate bars. "Remember to brush your teeth after this!"

"We want to see the dogs! Dogs! Dogs!"

"Well, only one of them, the other two are with the king." Blueberry stepped out dressed up as the Bentley, wagging her tail as the kids awed and patted her.

Once the kids were gone, Crowley went to his Aziraphale, who was tending to Annie. He's been worried sick about her. Her age was getting to her. She was starting to forget things, though she could still recognize him and his mother. She was weak, and she began to need a breathing machine and help in the bathroom. She didn't let Lloyd do that. The maids did.

"How's Madame Sauveterre?" He asked as Lloyd walked out of her room, rubbing his forehead.

"Better, I'm just worried."

"I know, but things will be ok." He hugged him. He was a cute Aziraphale. He had his little bowtie and shoes, and he did his longish hair the best he could do match it.

The bell rang. Lloyd went to answer it. A princess, zombie, and Spiderman were waiting for candy.

"Happy Halloween, children!" He passed around the candy bars. "Brush your teeth after this!"

François went to greet them as Lloyd went back to his aunt. She's been saying she could see her parents and sister again. It concerned him, yes, but he knew it was coming. Death is an unwelcome guest to the party of life.

"Oh, my baby," her hazel eyes were half open. "Your lips look like his."

"Like who?" He hoped she wasn't going to say that name.

"Of your grandfather, he's a disgusting man." Well, that's different. "I always hated him, even before he did it."

"Did what?" He was sitting by the edge of the bed, playing with his fingers that were painted sky blue and white.

"He kicked her when she was pregnant. That's how she lost the baby."

He gasped, covering his mouth. "Auntie, which one?"

"I can't remember. But I remember she ran to me crying, and her legs were bleeding." She rubbed her eyes. "She was devastated, the poor girl. That's why they moved here. They needed to get away from them because they wanted to kill your father too."

"Appa! Why him?! He's done nothing wrong!" He tried not to shout, though he felt himself becoming angry.

"Because he's Catholic and Korean. They told her, 'he's better off dead than to give us monkey grandchildren.' Me and my sister helped them leave. They wanted to live in France, but they didn't want to be harmed." She moved around, getting herself comfortable. "Monsters." She fell asleep before Lloyd could reply.

Steaming with rage, he marched to his parents' house. They were handing out candy, talking about how they missed when he was young, and they would take him around the block dressed up as a sheep one year.

"Aunt Annie told me all about grandpa." He told them the second he went in.

His father filled up the bowl with more skittles. "They got along well. He used to bring her-"

"-No appa, the other one." His father turned to his wife, who was looking down. "Did he really hurt maman like that?"

"...Lloyd, we shouldn't bring up the past." Her voice was gentle yet unusually stern. "They don't matter to us anymore."

As much as he wanted to, he didn't fight them on it. "Alright." There was a heavy silence for a minute. "Sorry for bringing up, I was just curious."

Marie turned to him and smiled. "It's fine. I understand it's confusing."

The backdoor opened. Luna came running in dressed as Barbie. The three girls embraced as the men went to the backyard, the other claiming there was extra candy in the back.

Once they were outside, Beom locked the door. "Lloyd, your mother's family is a very hard topic for her. Please don't ever bring it up in front of her again."

He played with his hair. "I'm sorry. I was curious because Auntie told me about him."

"Oh, I see." He couldn't be upset with her. She doesn't know better anymore. "He really hurt us when he did that. They were very cruel to me, I can't imagine what she's been through living with them when she was a child."

"...did he call you a monkey?" He saw his father's face sour, he instantly regretted that question.

"....yeah, they called Jo a-" he stopped, looking down and tapping his foot.

"Was Jo my brother?" He walked closer to him and held his big hands.

"Is, he always will be." He looked at him, then back down again. "He's the first. He would've loved you." He sucked his tongue as he played with his baby's hair, making him smile. "But yes, he did do that, and many other things."

"Like what?"

Beom stepped back. "Nothing you need to worry about." He turned his head, looking at the bowtie. "What's your costume? It looks like a bookkeeper."

"Well, kinda. It's a character from a show I like." He looked down at his phone. "Oh, I need to leave, François wants to bake."

"Come here." Lloyd felt warm in his father's embrace, then raised his eyebrow when he felt something being slid in his hand. He looked down once his father let go and began to walk to the door.

"It's yours." He said as he opened the door. "Don't bring it back."

"What about the candy?"

Beom gave him a face, shook his head, and then went inside.

-

He ran straight to the library, sitting in his chair to get comfortable. François was tired from eating and baking, lying in bed. Benjamin was with him, Blueberry was sleeping next to Annie, and Apple was on her owner's lap as he opened the book his father gave him. 

He saw a baby picture of his mother. She must've been a newborn. Her eyes were closed, and her lips looked wet. He didn't know the woman holding her. She was tall, thin, and had very curly hair. There was a note next to her.

"This is your aunt, Suzanne. She's a bitch. She died in 1987 from bitch disease. (Heart disease)."

He laughed, then frowned at the next picture. Marie was between eight or nine, and looked miserable. Her dress looked uncomfortable, her hair looked itchy, she looked like she was crying.

Then he saw Satan and the Devil. Saba and Savta.

The grandmother looked ugly, even he could admit that. Her eyes were weird, her hair looked dry, she wasn't a grand beauty. The grandfather was. He had baby blue eyes, blonde hair, tall, lean, a dream. And of course, the bowlip.

"This is your grandfather, the devil. I never knew his name. He's terrible. Your grandmother's an ugly bitch."

He flipped over. There were finally pictures of his mother smiling in her teens. She looked so relaxed. Her eyes were bright, her hair was long, and she was beaming.

"She came here as an exchange student in high school. I met her my Freshman year."

He saw a picture of his teenage parents on a date. His father was wearing a leather jacket and big hair, that was the thing in the 80s. Marie was holding his hand, wearing a skirt and high heels.

"Our first date was at the movies."

There were more. Their graduation, more dates, prom. But then, he saw the pregnant belly. Under the picture there was a name.

"Jo Ho Doh-Sauveterre."

There were pictures missing, though there was a note. It was written decades before, but it looked rushed.

"The devil took my son. The devil hurt my wife. He hurt me. He'll rot in hell. He abused my Marie. Yelled, hit, broke her. I'll kill him."

He saw the moving truck. Then another bump. They looked excited, though not as excited as the first time.

"Da-Eun Marie Doh-Sauveterre."

There were no photos for two pages.

The third page just said "Baby 3, miscarriage."

The fourth one was the same.

He thought about them. No name, no gender, no photo.

Then the fifth one. They looked dull, worn out. There was another bump. There were pictures and a birthday. "April 14."

The last picture of was a tiny, red, empty body on his mother's breast.

"Death: February 17. My Lily did not bloom."

Then, there were his own pictures. His parents didn't have any pictures of the pregnancy. However, there were many pictures of him as a baby. His first bath, playing with toys, eating food, taking his first steps with his mother holding his hands, sleeping with the long gone family cat, or him just simply looking at the camera. He was always loved.

"Lloyd John Doh-Sauveterre. My baby."

He had his hand on his heart, smiling wide. He turned the page and saw himself before the war. It was weird seeing his old features again. Him at school events, getting ready in the mornings, with friends, it was five pages of just him being happy. 

Then just two photos of him during the war. The first one was him on a chair, looking up all cute like. His eyes were big and brown, his hair was neat and longer. He remembered this, this was after the Battle of Nagasaki. He didn't know his parents had it.

A newspaper cut out of him holding his metals and awards after the long battle in Coia. He was cut up, one of his teeth were missing, his hair was a mess, he looked different. It was far away from the other one. Why would his father want that one?

Finally, the recent ones. The one at Christmas. Four of him being home after treatment. Some of their granddogs. His wedding. The coronation.

After he flipped, there was one more note.

"Make your own memories now. I'll love to see them."

He closed the book, staring at it. He then stared at Apple, who was sound asleep.

"Wow."

He slowly walked to his room. François was sound asleep in the blanket. He finally could sleep without worry. He laid down next to him, rubbing his back with his thumb. He stared up at the ceiling, thinking about the book.

He took out his phone, held it up, and took a picture. He was smiling, François had his back to him, Benjamin was in the corner on a pillow.

This was a perfect first memory.

-----

"Marie, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just thinking."

"About what?" Beom turned on his stomach, his chin on his pillow.

"Family." She cracked her fingers. "I don't know why Auntie told him."

"She's old, princess. I mean queen." He grinned. "She doesn't know better anymore."

"True." She sighed. "Goodnight, Boomer."

"Night, Mar."

She bit her nails, hearing her mother's yell in her head.

"You worthless girl! Bringing a monkey into the family!"

"Ma'am-"

"Shut it! Marie, you either leave him or leave us!"

"Mother, no! I'm pregnant!"

The sour faces of her and her siblings. Her father, who was always kind to her, tricked her into a much needed embrace, then kicked her stomach with his knee, hard. She ran off, in pain and dizzy, to her aunts' house.

She didn't see Beom knock out her father and brothers before punching her mother. She doesn't remember the look of horror on Anne and Martha's faces as they pointed to her legs, blood running down them.

She doesn't remember the ride to the hospital or the doctor giving his condolences. She doesn't remember the way she sobbed as her and Beom fled the country and went to be with his brother in Vagu.

She sighed again. She thought losing one baby was unbearable, then she lost four more. She texted her sixth.

"Hey Lloydie, how are you?"

"Abt 2 go 2 sleep 🛏, u?"

"Ok, just relaxing."

"Im srry 4 asking that question. I dk it would make u sad 😞"

"It's ok baby 🥰"

"Thx mom, I 💝 u."

"I love you more, goodnight."

"Gn! 🎃"

She smiled as she put her phone down. She didn't miss her family, she has her own. And they're a lot better.

---

Timoléon Lobrichon
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