The corridor of the refugee apartment felt warm, despite the cold, worn walls. Teddy stood in front of the door with Vanessa by his side, holding his wife's hand tightly. This building was far from the home he once knew, but now—where his family waited—this was the only place he wanted to be.
Before he could even knock, the door swung wide open.
"DAD!"
Kevin ran as fast as he could, crashing into Teddy with a hug full of longing. The little boy's body trembled, as if afraid his father would disappear again.
Teddy immediately knelt down and lifted Kevin into his arms, gently ruffling his son's hair. "Daddy's here now, son. I'm not going anywhere again."
A big smile lit up Kevin's face as he hugged Teddy's neck even tighter. "I missed you so much, Dad..."
Teddy nodded slowly, trying to hold back the surge of emotions swelling in his chest. "I missed you too. So much."
Behind Kevin, a tall figure with graying hair stood firmly in the doorway. Though age had caught up to him, his body still looked strong and commanding. His gaze was calm, but his eyes held a longing that couldn't be hidden.
"You're finally home, son."
His voice was deep, firm, yet warm—the voice that had always been Teddy's anchor.
Teddy looked deeply into his father's eyes before stepping forward and hugging him tightly with one arm, Kevin still in his other. "I'm home, Pa."
His father patted Teddy's back with a solid hand. "Good. This home feels complete now."
Soon, Teddy's mother appeared from inside, her eyes glistening with tears but her smile warm. "Son... you look much healthier now."
"Yeah, Ma. I'm alright." Teddy approached his mother and embraced her gently. The scent of home-cooked food and his mother's warmth made Teddy's chest ache with longing. "Thank you for waiting for me."
"We've always been waiting for you, dear." His mother smiled, stroking his arm tenderly.
"Bro!"
A cheerful voice interrupted the warm moment. Roy, Teddy's oldest brother, appeared with his arms crossed and a wide grin. "Finally got out of that hospital, huh? Had enough rest?"
Teddy chuckled. "If I stayed any longer, I might forget how to walk."
Roy slapped Teddy's shoulder heartily, his laughter filling the small room. "Good. The world's a mess out there, but at least we've got one more strong guy at home."
"Don't praise me too much. I'm nothing without you guys," Teddy replied with a genuine smile.
"By the way, I'm just dropping by," another voice followed from behind Roy. Tony—Teddy's younger brother—appeared, still in his dusty uniform, a communication radio slung at his waist.
"Tony!" Teddy immediately gave his brother a brief hug. "Still running around?"
Tony laughed lightly, a little out of breath. "Always, bro. Just delivered some messages to the border post. Heard you're back, so I had to stop by before heading out again."
"Stay safe out there, okay?" Teddy patted his brother's shoulder.
"Always. I don't want you getting out of the hospital just to attend my funeral," Tony joked before glancing at the watch on his wrist. "Ah, gotta run. Still have lots of reports to deliver."
"Take care," Teddy said seriously.
Tony gave a thumbs-up and rushed out quickly, like a wind that could never stay still.
Before the room could settle into silence, Liana hurried in from the direction of the kitchen. Her face was slightly sweaty, but her smile was bright.
"Teddy!" she called out as she ran over and gave her brother a quick hug.
"Liana, just got back?" Teddy asked with a smile.
"Just finished handing out food at the public kitchen," she replied quickly. "I heard you were home, so I ran over before heading back to help clean up."
Teddy affectionately ruffled his sister's hair. "You're always busy helping others, huh?"
Liana gave a small smile. "Someone's got to do it. Besides... it feels better than just sitting around."
"Don't push yourself too hard," Teddy said gently.
"I promise," Liana answered before glancing toward the door. "I have to get back now, bro. But we'll catch up tonight."
"Alright, be careful." Teddy smiled as Liana jogged out, waving briefly before disappearing down the hallway.
The room fell into a peaceful quiet, with only his father, mother, Roy, Vanessa, Kevin, and Teddy remaining. Though simple, the apartment felt warm with the scent of food and Kevin's soft, nonstop laughter as he clung tightly to his father's hand.
Teddy looked around—the room was modest, the furniture plain, the walls bare without decoration. Yet here, surrounded by them, he felt whole again.
"This home might be temporary..." Teddy whispered softly, "but it feels like finding something I lost a long time ago."
His father gave a small smile, patting his back once more. "Home isn't about a place, son. Home is about the people who wait for you to come back."
Teddy nodded slowly. "Thank you... for always waiting."
With warmth filling the simple room, Teddy knew—no matter how much the world changed, as long as they were together, he would always have a place to call home.