Closed For better, For worse

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi had been back in New Zealand for a few days, but she'd asked Cameron for some additional time before she picked up Eleanor. She sorely needed it, needed to come to terms with all that had just happened. The loss of a parent was no easy thing, and Cyndi had been in such go mode that it didn't hit her until she was leaving England, leaving her siblings and father behind. Cyndi had spent the days since she'd been back in a room, shades drawn, just in bed though she'd assured Cam and everyone else who had asked that she was fine. She'd left once, for a night of drinks, wondering how exactly she'd made it home the following day. Thankfully, she had taken the entire semester off of work and had been allowed to do so. She knew she would not have been able to be in work right now, not with a bunch of hormonal teenagers when she was feeling so raw. On the third day, she forced herself out of bed. It was partly due to fear that Cameron would come over if she didn't send word she was alright and partly due to knowing that she needed to be there for her family. She'd only been exchanging brief updates with Cameron but something seemed to be going on with him as well. She couldn't quite remember all of the details, wasn't even sure if he'd mentioned them now that she thought about it.

Opening her curtains did a world of good and the shower she took did even more, and soon Cyndi was on her way to her Cameron's place, the hood of her black wizarding robes drawn enough to cover her face. She didn't want to run into an overly friendly neighbor, a former student, or a colleague. The woman looked tired and felt as if she had aged years over the past few months. But more so, she just couldn't handle conversation with someone who wasn't family. In spite of their divorce, she and Cam were family. Their lives had been intertwined for years with no sign of that changing any time soon. Feeling the security spells wash over her, Cyndi moved forward, the feeling of safety coming from more than just the spells surrounding the home. Cameron had never skimped on security for the family. Cyndi could feel tears welling up in her eyes once more and her fingers dove into her pockets for her tissues. She scolded herself, what if Ellie answered the door, and quickly swiped at her eyes.

 

[Cameron Kingsley]

Things had been hectic for Cameron since Cyndi departed New Zealand. Lyra had told him exactly what happened with Carter, and he understood from Natalie that there was some sort of drinking issue with his former brother-in-law. While Lyra had cared for Kingsley and Kamryn originally, she had given up full control of them to him now that she was so far along in her pregnancy. Cameron worried about his niece and her ability to manage the stress in her life, but his protests did nothing to change her opinion. He hadn’t told Cyndi yet, mostly because he was still trying to protect her. The former Minister loved her dearly, and he knew she was having a hard enough time with the death of her mother without him unloading problems on her.

Cyndi was on her way over now, and Cam knew he would have to tell her. Ellie loved having the twins running around in the house as he knew she missed her brothers terribly. He heard a knock at the door, and three pairs of little feet took off running upstairs. The man chuckled. He opened it wide to admit Cyndi into the home they had once shared. “You know you don’t have to knock, Cyndi. Welcome home.” he said, opening his arms to her. He could see the pain and tears she tried to hide.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

The woman practically fell into her ex-husband's arms, her arms wrapping under his arms and her head resting on his chest. She felt the tears falling rapidly, hot on her cheeks. It was his words that had finished her. She could footsteps moving closer and the woman rushed to wipe away her tears, unashamedly using Cameron's shirt with a chuckle before returning to her own tissue. "Sorry" she whispered to him before her daughter rushed around Cameron's legs to hug hers. Two other arms found their way around her legs and Cyndi returned the hugs fiercely, her eyes traveling to Cameron's, a look of surprise in her own. She would recognize these children anywhere even though she hadn't seen them in ages. These were Kiera's twins, the babies her friend had fought so hard to have live. She hugged all of the children for a while longer, reveling in their innocence and their delight with each other. Already they were all chattering away, though following exactly what was a bit more than she could manage at the moment. Ellie kept saying how excited she was about Kamryn and Kingsley staying, and that caught her attention finally. She let Eleanor take her hand and pull her in, though she kept cutting glances at Cameron.

They eventually ended up in the family room, and Cyndi took her robe off, regular muggle clothes underneath. It felt good to sit on her own couch, in her own home. "It's good to be home" she finally said, her voice quiet. "Has Carter decided to play nice, finally?" The woman stated, knowing that there was a lot to talk about but figuring she'd start with the obvious. It was true that she didn't know all of Cameron's comings and goings, not after their divorce but she hadn't seen Kiera's twins in person since they'd been babies. Her eyes watched them playing with Ellie, a little dumbfounded at what she was watching. "Is he ok?" she asked, turning her gaze sharply back to Cameron. The woman couldn't handle another family member's death right now. She just couldn't.

 

[Cameron Kingsley]

Cameron wrapped his arms around Cyndi, letting her sob into his shirt without complaint because he loved her. Cam would have been there for her the entire time if she would have let him. He smoothed her hair on the back of her head gently. "No need for apology, darlin'." he said, softly where Ellie couldn't hear him. He could see the surprise in Cyndi's eyes as she took in Kiera's twins wrapping their arms around her legs as well. He knew she'd have questions about this, and he had so much he needed to tell her. Cameron shut the door and moved into the living room after Cyndi and the children.

The fact that Cyndi referred to this house as home did not go unnoticed, but he knew it was true for her. This was their home and she was a part of his family whether they were married or not. Cameron sighed, sitting down next to her so that he wouldn't have to speak loud enough for the children to hear them though they were absorbed in playing on the opposite side of the room. "Not exactly. He seems to have a drinking problem. Lyra went over there one night while he was drinking. She says he shouted at her, called her Kiera, and threw a glass at her which broke against the wall. So, she took the kids. They stayed with her for a while, but they've been here since October. Ly is...well...she's pregnant, and she's been too tired to help with them." he said, reaching for Cyndi's hand. "I'm sorry to just throw this on you, but I've wanted to tell you for weeks. I just didn't want to burden you." he told her, apologetically.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

The woman listened, a frown crossing her face as she heard the news about Carter. "Oh dear" she murmured, giving a little tsk of displeasure. She knew he'd been grieving the loss of his wife and then having to raise a handful of children on his own, but they'd always been around. That he hadn't reached out and asked for help made her sad. Though most things were making her sad lately, this news from Cameron was troubling. She nodded as he mentioned that Lyra had taken the children. That sounded like the right thing at the moment, even if Carter might be made as hell about it. Cyndi hadn't checked in with Lyra at all while she'd been gone, but Lyra had been doing her own thing for a while and Cyndi chose to respect her need for space, hoping her niece would remember that if she ever needed anything, she would be there. She was surprised to hear the children had been there since October. It seemed a lot more than she thought had happened over these last few months since she'd left New Zealand in August. What she'd just heard was nothing to what she would hear next, and as Cameron continued on, the woman's eyes widened. "WHAT?!" she exclaimed, the children looking in their direction. Cyndi reassured them all was well before turning her attention back to Cameron who was apologizing for not having told her all of this earlier.

Shaking her head, in the hopes of having all of this make some kind of sense, Cyndi only then took notice that her and Cameron's hands were linked. She thought about pulling her hand away, not wanting to give anyone the wrong idea but she didn't. Though she knew all of the loss and this news were sending her emotions into a tailspin, she also knew that somewhere in there she was missing Cameron. Whether it was just because of everything she'd been through or not, she didn't have a clue. But she didn't think she was sending a wrong idea by hanging onto his hand. "Cameron, I...I mean what..." she was clearly flustered. Finally, she formed a more coherent string of thought. "What the hell?" she whispered. "That is the last possible thing she needs right now. She has her career...the wand shop...where is she staying? Where's Carter? Have the kids asked about him?" Cyndi had far more questions to ask than that. She hadn't even gotten started. It was what her mind needed, the opportunity to focus on more external concerns.

 

[Cameron Kingsley]

Cameron smiled reassuringly at the children as Cyndi worked to get their attention back on their game. He had tried to avoid all talk of Carter in front of the twins. He didn't want to worry them, though they had been away from their father for several months now. Lyra's fight with Carter had happened in August after all. Cam appreciated it when Cyndi didn't jerk her hand away from him. He wasn't sure she had let him hold her hand like this since Kiera died. The former Minister was patient as Cyndi worked through her emotions to form thoughts. He knew it was a lot to drop on her, but she had a right to know.

Cameron couldn't help but chuckle slightly as Cyndi asked him several questions in a row without letting him answer in between. He squeezed her hand lightly. Of course, he had similar worries about Lyra. She hadn't been doing well emotionally since Kiera died, but he had no right to judge that. "She bought a house over near the beach. Not too far from the Harbour. She's living there with Ezra Cade." he said, his lips pursing. He wasn't sure how he felt about the man who now owned Borgin and Burkes, but it was obvious Ezra cared for Lyra deeply which went a long way in Cameron's eyes. "I haven't seen Carter, but Natalie has. She's trying to help him. They asked about him once. I told the kids that he's sick, but we are trying to help him get better. I didn't know what else to say, and they haven't asked since." he said, not sure telling them he was sick was the best option, but he hadn't had any other ideas.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

The woman pursed her lips, hearing that Lyra was living with Ezra Cade. It wasn't that she disliked the young man. She remembered him from when Lyra had been in the castle but hadn't interacted him too much. In the years since, she hadn't interacted with him much either. She'd known his brother, James, in a much better capacity. He'd been one of her favorite Gryffindors. Cyndi listened, pulling her hand away only because she needed it to rub at her temples. Her days had been long and draining, and this looked like it was going to move in a similar manner. She hadn't expected to return to any of this. "Can you invite her over for dinner tomorrow?" She asked, giving her temples one final rub before opening her eyes. It had been months since she'd spoken to Lyra, giving the woman the space she seemed to need. But Cyndi had promised herself to be there for Lyra, Link, and Jemma, in the way she knew Kiera would've expected her to be. The same was true for the twins, but her relationship with Carter had seemed to sour at some point and she didn't think she'd have the same access to the twins that she had to the older three.

Cyndi was almost afraid to ask the question, but knew she had to. "And our children?" There was some shame in the question. The woman knew she should've done a bit more at keeping in touch with her own children. She'd sent small notes to Jacob, trying to reassure him all was well. Of all her children, he'd always needed the most reassurance to calm his anxieties. She'd done her best to pop in for quick good nights to Eleanor though in the last few weeks they'd been scarce. Noah had been busy with his Auror training, so she had tried to stay out of his hair. There was some fear in the question too, that she'd find out there had been a crisis at home her children had needed to deal with on their own.

 

[Cameron Kingsley]

Cameron Kingsley nodded to his ex-wife as she asked him to invite Lyra for dinner the next night. He'd tried to talk to Lyra, but he wasn't getting through to her. "I will send her a owl now. You should be prepared though for that conversation. She's due in March I believe, and well...she's not sure who the father is from what she's told me." Cam said, gently as he got up from his seat next to her. He crossed the room and got out a piece of paper from the desk. He wrote a quick note and sealed it before walking to the window. Cam whistled and his owl came to the perch by the window. He tied the note to the bird's leg. "Take it to Lyra, please." he said, stroking the owl once before it took flight.

Cameron made his way back to the sofa to sit next to Cyndi as she asked about their children. He smiled slightly. "Well, you know that Noah was accepted into the auror training program. I haven't seen him much, but he writes. He's doing well, just very busy. I'm sure he'd like to see you though." he told her. Cameron was very proud of the way Noah had turned his grades around at Durmstrang and the fact that he was going to be an Auror. "Jacob is at school, and he doesn't write much. Only the occasional letter here or there. I don't know much of what is going on with him right now." he admitted, reluctantly. Cameron was doing his best to manage, but it was a lot to take on when he had been so absent from his children's lives during his time as the Minister. "Ellie loves having Kamryn and Kingsley here. She's happy." he said.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi was happy that Cameron walked away after he threw that bombshell on her. It helped her keep her outburst to herself, and for the children playing just a few feet away, it was probably for the best. The woman turned her attention to them, though she was only half watching them as she processed all that was going on with her niece. The news didn't sit well with her, at all, and she was already thinking of things she wanted to say to Lyra after she made sure she was eating well and taking the proper potions and making the right purchases for the baby. Then, she'd give her a stern talking to. When Cameron sat beside her again, Cyndi fidgeted only slightly. It had been a long, long time since they'd conversed for this long and sat this close. They co-parented well but extra conversation between the pair was kept to a minimum. She hadn't even really spoken to him at his mother's wedding other than to offer congratulations very briefly. But, talking about their children she could do, and she gave a brief nod, a smile crossing her own face at hearing about Noah.

Being an Auror was not what she wanted for her son. It was dangerous work, and she was tired of her family giving so much for the Ministry but he seemed happy. And she was proud. She needed to make sure that Noah knew amid all of her questions and concerns was an unshakeable pride in the man he'd become. At hearing about Jacob, Cyndi sighed. "He wrote me a few times but I could only manage short replies and...they didn't seem to satisfy him" she replied. She could tell he was worried, which she didn't want, but between the hospital and making sure her dad ate and stayed strong and then the funeral arrangements, she hadn't had the time to write him a proper note and explain much of anything. "I'll bet" Cyndi smiled as she looked at their daughter who seemed like she'd grown far too much over the past few months. "Remember when she spent a month absolutely begging us for a sister because she had too many brothers?" She let out a small chuckle, her eyes tearing up after a moment. She sighed, feeling the full weight of her years, the tough last few months, and the tough months ahead in that moment. "What on Earth is Lyra going to do?" she murmured, more to herself than anything.