Several seconds of stunned silence followed. Her voice was so out of context – so totally unexpected – Egan and Althea were momentarily unable to identify this person they knew so well. Ramuell couldn’t make sense of what his grandmother had just said. The hush was broken by Althea’s squeal. She slammed her hand over her mouth and dove into her mother’s arms. Kadeya caught her in a full embrace, and they dropped to their knees rocking each other back-and-forth.
“What the heck is going on here?” Ipos asked.
Neither Ramuell nor his father understood well enough to answer. After watching Althea and Kadeya for a moment they turned and stared at each other. “Ramuell, it’s you. It’s really you!” Egan said at last.
Ramuell took one step then lunged into his father’s embrace. “All these annum w
