leethee

Callum and Rayla’s house in Evrkynd was cozy, a two-storey abode made of brown stone and an oak wood tree, blending human and elven architecture per Callum’s careful designing. 

Rayla opened the door when Ezran knocked, wrapping him in a one-arm embrace, her other hand lightly doused with flour. “Ezran! It’s good to see you.”

It was rather generous, given the shouting match he’d gotten into with Callum six months ago, but he also knew it was true. Rayla had always been kind like that.

Ezran hugged her back, the tightness in his chest lessening slightly. “It’s good to see you too, Rayla,” he murmured, and meant it. She let him in. “Where’s—”

“The baby’s with her Daddy,” Rayla said with a warm wistfulness bordering on giddiness, like she still couldn’t quite believe her own happiness. She led him to the kitchen framed by windows and opened up onto a hearth area with bookshelves and green Moonshadow rugs. “I’m making mooncrumble cakes, would you want some?”

Ezran stayed standing by the kitchen chairs. His hunger cues had changed a lot the past few years, his stomach tired of constantly eating new foods served by monarchs, lords, and diplomats. “I’m okay.”

“—alright, little moonbeam,” floated Callum’s voice, cheerful and fond, “let’s go back to Mommy in the kitchen, hm? We—” He entered into the hearth area from a spiral staircase, his daughter in his arms. 

She was sweet and young, with Rayla’s rosy complexion, white hair, and horn nubbies, but Callum’s ears and cheeks and five fingers, two currently in her mouth.

“Ezran? Ezran!” His brother hastened towards him for a hug, then caught himself, looking around haphazardly, a bit of spit up on his scarf and his hair more askew than usual. Rayla smoothed him over with a smile, easing their daughter into her arms as she tucked in his scarf.

Callum walked over more hesitantly, but embraced him when Ezran didn’t step back; awkwardly, he hugged his brother back.

“I didn’t realize you were in the area,” Callum said, drawing away—tired, but radiantly happy. The happiest Ez had ever seen him, next to his wedding day.

“I said I’d stop by to meet my niece, didn’t I?”

Callum had sent him periodic updates about the pregnancy, Ezran only writing back once, and then a longer letter once the baby was born—healthy, a girl, a good weight—and to affirm that Rayla was okay, too. Ezran had written back, admittedly relieved and happier than he thought he’d be (though how much sincerity had translated over to written word was hard to measure), and with a promise to visit soon.

“Oh, well, here.” Callum beamed, taking her back from Rayla and hefting her into Ezran’s arms, the old fear of holding babies obliterated early on in his reign, since subjects kept wanting him to bless their children (nevermind that he’d been a child himself).

Holding his niece was nothing like that, though. He was immediately overcome at how tiny and perfect she was. For so long, all they’d done was lose family—Mom, Dad, Viren, Claudia—and they’d gained—Janai, Terry—but... This felt different. Like love and hope and fresh air that came easy.

Callum stepped a little closer, smiling tearfully. “Her name is Sarai.”

“Oh,” Ezran said. He blinked rapidly. It was very hard to speak.

2026 June 8

Comet R3 PanSTARRS Through Time Image Credit & Copyright: Jakub Kuřák & Martin Mašek (FZU of the Czech Academy of Sciences)

Explanation: What happens to a comet as it leaves our inner Solar System? Now, the arrival of a comet into the inner Solar System is typically heralded with great fanfare and high hopes that the comet will become bright and photogenic. But on the way out, the comet’s nucleus is less warmed by the Sun, less gas and dust are expelled, the bright coma around the nucleus shrinks and fades, and the tail length drops off. Many comets will then return to the outer Solar System and only return in hundreds or thousands of years. In contrast, some comets – like Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) – receive a gravitational kick from the planets and so will never return. Pictured, Comet R3 PanSTARRs was imaged deeply many nights in early to mid-May near Cerro Paranal in Chile. Later images appear closer to the top and clearly show the shrinking ion tail.