"Dad! Dad!" Amity, the now rambunctious seven-year-old, pulled on her father's coat. "What dear?" Alador questions as he's putting streamers in the dining room. "Can Willow come over for the party?" Amity did her best puppy dog eyes that Alador can never say no to.

"Of course, there shouldn't be any problems with that." Alador answered, Amity looked like she was going to jump out of her skin from excitement. But then Alador remembered what Odalia had said to him when his children were talking about friends. She had spent hours drilling this into his head.

"Wait honey, what's Willow's last name?" He questioned. "Park!" Amity said, she ran off giggling with giddy without a second thought. Alador can feel his heart rate shooting up. 'Park! His high school friend!' Alador's mind is racing. Panic instantly filled Alador's body, he and Gilbert did not leave off on a good note in senior year. Alador had not seen him since that day.

Back in high school, Alador and Gilbert were close friends, some would say that they were too close for friends, but there was never any proof that it was anything more than friendship. Only Alador and Gilbert know the depths of their relationship.

The two were connected at the hip together. They were most certainly a package deal, you couldn't be friends with just one of them, you had to like both and if you didn't then there wasn't any point trying to be friends at all.

It was always like this since the beginning of their friendship, but one day near the end of senior year the two had a falling out. The last time people ever saw them being friendly to each other was when Alador and Gilbert went behind the school after class.

Only the two know what happened behind that school, but whatever was said back there ended a childhood relationship.

'Alador brought Gilbert behind the school, he needed to get something off his chest. Making it to the spot where kids would hangout while skipping school, Alador stopped walking and looked at Gilbert. Clearing his throat, Alador started. "Gil, I need to tell you something, and I know that this is out of the blue but hear me out." Alador looked like he was on the verge of tears. "My father has arranged me to marry Odalia." He croaked out. Alador looked away from the person standing in front of him. He was too scared of his 'friends' reaction. "When?" Gilbert croaked out, his voice breaking. "Right after graduation." Alador said, still not able to look at Gilbert's face.'

'Alador couldn't hold back his tears anymore and as a result, a sob came out of him. Gilbert didn't know the depths of Alador's family and how they treated him, but he could never imagine that they would force their own child to marry someone who they don't love. He knows what this means for their relationship without Alador saying anything. Gilbert couldn't imagine living a life without his lover, but here it is. Gilbert wanted to run, but anxiety held him in place with a firm grip. So, he decided to let his own tears out.'

'The two stood there, holding each other for who knows how long, but they both didn't want to leave yet. If they left this spot, then it would be the end for them. So, they stayed, but you can't outrun the future. Gilbert ran off without a word while tears still streamed down his face, it finally hit Alador that it was coming to an end. Alador chased after him, but he was never an athlete like Gilbert. So Alador instead ran off into the woods. After running for what seemed like hours, Alador dropped down to his knees and let his tears roam down his face until he could hear the night creatures.'

So many things were left unsaid that day.

The memory finally ended, Alador was left in the dining room just standing there like a rock with his face paler than usual. He felt like he was going to throw up. He can feel the bile rising in his throat. Alador rushed to the nearest bathroom and let out the contents in his stomach. He was lucky that no one was around or else he would have gotten a scolding from his wife.

Alador stood up while wiping his mouth. He needed to be anywhere but here. Alador went through the back door in the kitchen, as it led to a little path into the woods. Alador has this path memorized like the back of his hand. Speedily walking, Alador made it to his little garden that's hidden by the trees. It had very few plants since most of them died but he managed to keep some alive.

He took a seat on a stump from a tree he cut down long ago. Alador would always come to this place to clear his head. It's his hideout from the world, and this spot has come a long way from when he first found it.

It was overrun by greenery, but that was a simple fix. Then Alador soon found it too uninteresting and bland for his taste, so he decided to plant some flowers. Now, Alador most certainly does not have a green thumb, but he did have a way to listen in on the plant track lessons. The secret passageways helped Alador out when learning about plants. Of course, he wouldn't have known about the passages without Edalyn's help. He did have to pay a price to know about it, but potion homework was surprisingly easy for Alador.

Alador chuckled at his memory of Edalyn. They weren't exactly friends, but if one was in trouble the other would definitely help.

Now with his head clear, Alador stood up. He examined his flowers, there were some roses of a dark crimson color, and a couple of columbines. They're overgrown and some are wilting. Alador felt disappointed with himself, he had kept those flowers alive since he first got them, but now with the company and his kids, he can't come out here as often.

Now that he thinks about it, Alador can't remember the last time he had been out here. Life for him has been so hectic, with the twins constantly pranking their classmates, causing them to be sent to the office and suspended. It forces Alador out of his lab so he can pick up his twins from school and Alador doesn't really punish them, he rather just give them a stern word and send them up to their rooms. Alador of course always ruffles their hair as to not tell them he's angry. But it's leaving Alador less and less time to be working on abominations, and he really needs to be down there since the investors want a new abomination every month, which is too much work for one witch, but Alador can manage it to an extent.

Now there was Amity, she was most certainly a perfect child in his eyes, but not in his wives apparently.

'Oh Titan, Amity's birthday party!' Alador raced down the path back to the manor. Busting through the back door, Alador found the chefs preparing Amity's cake. Seeing as he didn't miss anything important yet, Alador started to head to his lab to get in a few extra minutes of work for the day. Then a knock on the front door stopped him in his tracks.

Letting out a shaky breath, Alador opens the door. When he opened the door, he found two men with a little girl with round glasses in the middle of them. Alador started to feel panic rise in him again. He expected the worst, he was waiting to be yelled at and even hit, but that never came.

Gilbert extends his hand out waiting for Alador to shake it. Still in his fearful state, Alador grabbed the warm calloused hand in front of him. Now, instead of worrying about having a screaming match, he was worried about if his hands were sweaty.

Letting go of Gilbert's hand, the man beside Gilbert spoke up. "I believe Willow here has been invited to your daughter's birthday party?" Alador saw the little girl that he now knew as Willow, hiding behind her fathers. "Yes, she is, come in, the party is about to start." Alador stated. Gilbert chuckled at his old friend's nervousness and how it caused him to forget to introduce himself. "Now hold on Alador, you must be eager for the party, we haven't done introductions yet!" Gilbert teasingly said with no hint of malice.

That comment made Alador blush with embarrassment. "You're right, my apologies. I'm Alador Blight, head of Blight industry." Alador sounded like he was talking to business partners. "Well, you already know me, but this is my husband Salix Park and daughter Willow Park." Gilbert said proudly with a beaming smile.

"With that done now, come in, I'll show you to the dining room." After finishing saying that, Alador let the family into the manor. He called for Amity who was in her room waiting for Willow's arrival. Amity ran down the stairs and the two children instantly ran off to a different part of the house. Alador smiled warmly at his daughter's face that was filled with joy.

Alador finally remembered that he had company and brought them into the dining room. The two married men decided to strike up a conversation with Alador while waiting for the other guests to arrive.

Turns out, Alador and Gilbert seemed to have forgiven each other since that day and Alador suspects that they could even be friends again. The group spent a good while catching up on what's been happening since high school. Now with all the guests here they can start the party.

———

It's been a couple of hours since the party started, and Alador would say it was going great. Amity was smiling ear to ear while blowing out her candles and opening presents. But that was until Odalia pulled him aside from the others.

"What we're you thinking Alador, letting someone bellow us into our house!" Odalia said loudly enough to give Alador a fright, but the other guests couldn't hear her yelling. "Do you know how this will look for the company if Amity is seen with that thing!" Odalia said the word thing like it was poison. "But dear, look at how happy Amity is wit- "

Alador was immediately cut off by the quick punch to his stomach by his wife. Gasping for air, Alador gripped his stomach. "Don't you dare finish that sentence Alador Blight! I thought your father taught you a thing or two when he would give you punishments." Odalia whispered the last part that installed fear into Alador, and she knew it. Odalia knew every button that would cause Alador to submit to her.

Alador felt like his younger self when his father would call him up to his office. After Alador's punishment, he would leave the office with a couple of new scars scattered around his body. All of that just because he was being a kid.

Standing up tall again, Alador gave his wife a simple nod, and that seemed to be enough for his wife. Odalia started to lead Alador up to Amity's room like a sick puppy. The two made it to the hall and found Amity by herself. "Amity, What is Willow doing here? She wasn't on the guest list for a reason." Odalia said sickling sweet. "But she's my best friend!" Amity stated, causing Odalia to grind her teeth. Alador looked over at his wife looking for direction of what to say but was only met with her icy gaze."Nonsense, Blights only associate with the strongest of witchlings. You can choose a new friend from one of the suitable companions we invited." Amity's father said and while Odalia's eyes looked at Amity like a hungry predator. "But they're mean! Just because you work with their parents doesn't mean I have to like them!" Amity refuted. Then Odalia sweetly replied "Good children don't squabble, dear. Sever your ties with Willow, and if you don't.." "We will." Alador said coldly, making him cringe at his own voice hating every second of this. "We'll make sure the girl is never admitted into Hexside. Now go, and try not to make a scene." Odalia said sternly. That sentence shocked Alador to the core, she had never threatened peoples lively hoods but he had to agree with Odalia, or the outcome would be even worse.

Amity's answer was an obvious no, she said that she was going to go into her room and break it off with Willow. When Alador heard that, he was pretty sure that his heart was actually breaking. Odalia walked away like nothing happened, leaving Alador to hear the event in Amity's room.

Alador was sure he was going to cry, and it didn't help to see a crying Willow run out of the room to her dads. He felt lucky that he didn't go back to the party, Alador didn't know if he could handle the married men's death glares and choice of words at him. He now had to be careful where he went around town as to not face the couple

Alador tried to go into Amity's room to comfort her, but she yelled and hit him. Alador knew he deserved Amity hitting him, so he just stood there until she tired herself out. Picking Amity up, which she struggled against, but just ended up letting out quiet hiccups. Alador laid her onto her bed and tucked her in and Amity was out like a light.

Silently leaving his child's room, Alador started to head down to his lab. He didn't even notice that everyone had left already.

Alador made it to his lab and fell to the floor crying. He covered his eyes while sobbing on his laboratory floor. No matter how hard he tried to stop crying, Alador just couldn't. He had destroyed his child's friendship with the person that made her the happiest. He had done the one thing he swore never to do, act like his own father. So, he sat there crying for the rest of the night while guilt chewed at his skin. Alador didn't realize that he even fell asleep down in his lab until he woke up the next morning with an incredible headache. Alador knows that he deserves the headache after the pain he caused.

Without realizing it at the time, Alador had also destroyed his own relationship with Amity.