[ WP ] an older person finds something that immediately returns their state of mind to their youth .

It was a day no different from any other, rain falling as it is prone to do in a Cascadian winter. Hikaru had just returned home from work, grabbed the mail from the box on the street, and was flipping through it as he walked into the house. 
 
 `` Bills, bills, junk, probably important, definitely not important and - huh?'' 
 
 Pulling one envelope out from the rest, Hikaru took a closer look at it. `` From my brother? Have n't heard from him in forever.'' Absently, he dropped the rest of the mail onto the kitchen table and walked into the living room, where he sat down in his recliner and opened the letter. 
 
 It was a short letter, with a small newspaper clipping taped to it. As he scanned over the newspaper clipping, having been unable to decipher his brother's horrid handwriting, his eyes widened and his hands started shaking. Gingerly, he stood back up, crumpling the letter in his hands, and staggered through the house to his bedroom. 
 
 Hours later, Raiko was surprised to come home to a quiet house. Hikaru's car was in the driveway and the dog was in the kennel, so he had n't left for a walk. She let the dog out of her kennel and wandered through the house, looking for her partner. She found him curled up in bed, cocooned in blankets, not asleep but wide-eyed and staring blankly at the wall. 
 
 Hikaru jerked away when Raiko touched his head, taking a shuddering breath. 
 
 `` What's wrong?'' Raiko asked, sitting on the bed next to Hikaru. 
 
 `` D-Dad's dead,'' Hikaru whispered. `` Heart attack. Just got notice today.'' 
 
 Raiko paused for a moment. ``... So you wrapped yourself up in all our blankets and stared at the wall for two hours?'' 
 
 `` I'm scared,'' Hikaru admitted. `` I do n't know *why*, he's *gone*, I'm *safe*. He'll never hurt me again, but I'm *scared! *'' 
 
 `` Hey,'' Raiko said gently, running a hand through Hikaru's short hair. `` You'll be okay. I'm here. Just like always.'' 
 
 Hikaru turned and buried his face in Raiko's thigh, a torturous sob ripping through his body. `` I thought I was done,'' he whimpered. `` I thought I was stronger than this. I thought I outgrew it.'' 
 
 `` This does n't make you weak,'' Raiko said. `` It makes you human.''
