Welcome back

It wasn't time to do that yet. The first priority was the welcome back party.

Everyone was gathered in front of the villa. Jane stood in the front with Ivan and Carl just behind her. Then came the rest of the invited people. Lara's family stood together behind Ivan while Jenny and Trisha's families stood more behind Carl. Together they formed a group of more than thirty people, most of whom Ivan had met for the first time today.

He was only familiar with Lara's family and some parts of Jenny's but most of the other people were strangers to him.

A little bit to the side stood his friends as well as Miss. Klein. It wasn't that the others wanted them to stand aside but they had decided on that themselves. Greg had argued that none of them had much contact with the Lara or the others and were only here because of him.

Since they had already been informed when Lara and the others would arrive, they didn't have to wait for long, before a black car pulled up in front of the villa.

When a long and slender leg, clad in black cloth, exited the car, Jane started running towards the car while calling out, "Mommy."

She had easily identified the leg as belonging to her mother. Ivan followed behind her slowly but he kept his distance. He didn't want to interrupt their reunion. Although Jane hadn't said anything he knew that she had been missing her mother.

So as soon as Lara alighted from the car she was hit by the little girl who threw herself at her. "Mommy.", her sweet voice exclaimed with pure happiness.

"Hello darling.", she felt a lump in her throat as she hugged her little girl. She had really missed her little girl. Although it had been fun to go adventuring, now that she had come back home she felt truly happy.

The mother and child hugging was a wonderful sight to see and nobody wanted to interrupt them. Jenny and Trisha even tiptoed around the car after exiting it, just so they didn't disturb them. They then went over to embrace Carl.

While hugging they then too watched Lara and Jane hugging and chatting away.

Finally, it was Miranda who interrupted her daughters and granddaughter's time together. "Hey, you two. You can hug, some more, later now let everyone else welcome you back as well."

She then pushed Ivan aside with a blaming look in her eyes. It seemed like she was of the opinion that he should have gone over there and welcomed back his wife as well. He just shrugged his shoulders and followed her.

After Miranda hugged her daughter and welcomed her back as well, she stepped back and pushed Ivan in front of Lara.

He didn't know if he should hug her or not. Before she had left they hadn't really been that close that he could just hug her. Unwilling to risk her getting angry at him because he went too far into her personal space, he just stood in front of her.

"Welcome home.", he told her with a warm tone. His eyes looked at her gently. She was the one who had given him a home, the one who had given him their cute daughter.

"I'm home.", she answered him in a soft voice and then took the last step that separated them, putting her arms around him.

At first, he went stiff at her embrace but then he relaxed and lifted his arms to hug her back.

The embrace didn't last long before Jane pushed herself between them.

"Mommy, come and look at what we prepared. Everyone did it together.", she told her and then pulled her mother along.

Behind them, Miranda looked at Ivan and laughed. "It seems like your daughter didn't like you getting to close to her mother."

He knew that she was only making fun of him so he didn't take it to heart and instead responded calmly, "Really? I only think that she has missed her mother too much to part with her for even a bit now."

"Just continue thinking like that and you will see where you will end.", she continued joking.

Following Jane and Lara, everyone else entered as well and the party officially started. The relaxed and familiar atmosphere was much more to Ivan's liking than the one at the party where he had gone with Lara before.

The people sat together in small groups and chatted animatedly while tasting the exquisite food they had prepared.

During all the time Jane hadn't left her mother's side except for going to get something to eat or drink. It was clear that she had truly missed her mother although she hadn't shown it in the time she had been away.

When it got late she even fell asleep on her mother's lap.

"Let me carry her to bed.", Ivan whispered softly into Lara's ear.

"Let her stay. I want to stay with her.", she responded in a soft voice.

"Then should we end the party so you two can go to bed? You must be exhausted as well."

Hearing his concern she smiled at him sweetly, something she hadn't done before. It seemed like the adventure had done her good.

"Mmmm.", her only answer was an agreeing sound.

Ivan straightened up and addressed the guests in the room.

"Everyone, I'm thankful that you have come and hope you enjoyed the party but I think that the ones who we have assembled here to welcome back should be tired and I thus think it is time for us to allow them to rest.", he started a speech and everyone looked at the woman beside him as well as his daughter who was sleeping on her lap.

They all grinned at his speech. It was obvious that the true reason for him to give it was that his daughter was tired and he wanted her to go to bed but she didn't want to be separated from her mother just yet.

Of course, nobody pointed it out openly. Jenny and Trish even agreed loudly with his suggestion, claiming that they were tired as well. Although judging how animatedly they had just chatted with others this seemed very unlikely.

Anyway, everyone readily agreed. The party had already gone on for a long time and it truly was time to end it.

When everyone said their goodbye and left, Lara wanted to get up and say goodbye as well but Ivan pressed her back onto the couch. "Just let me do it. You stay here with Jane and bid your farewell from here. Don't wake up Jane."

If she hadn't agreed to his suggestion then he would have no way of keeping her from getting up but she too didn't want to leave her daughter alone so she readily agreed to his suggestion.

Thus Ivan and Celine took on the role of saying goodbye to all the guests. When it was Miss. Klein's turn she told him.

"Remember what I told you about going to the upper realm? It has been determined that we will have to go in about one month's time. I saw that you applied for leave from school, so make sure to come back in time."

He nodded to show that he had understood and remembered.

When the last guest had left Celine turned towards him and asked, "You will be going to the upper realm? But you aren't even ready yet?"

While walking back towards his wife and daughter he explained how Miss. Klein had asked him to go with her to the gathering.

"It's a good opportunity. You can surely learn a lot there. But you must be careful as just about everyone can easily flatten you there. Always remember that you are one of the weakest there. And they don't play by the same rules as the people in this realm.", she warned him.

"I know."

"I'll take Jane to bed.", Lara told him when he arrived beside her.

"How about you sleep with her tonight?", he proposed, thinking that it would be better for Jane to sleep with her mother for tonight.

"You think so? It was hard to get her to sleep alone back then. I don't want her to get used to it again.", she hesitated.

Hearing her question he had the unexplainable feeling that they had gotten closer to each other. Before she wouldn't have asked him this question.

"I don't think there would be a problem with making an exception today.", he reassured her.

She carefully lifted up their daughter and carried her towards the bedroom. Before entering she turned her head towards Ivan and said, "Good night."

"Good night.", he responded and smiled at the closing door. He then went towards his own bedroom to go to sleep as well. Tomorrow he planned to spend the day with his family before going out in the wilderness to find more combat pets.