They caught up some, talked a little more to the kids, and discussed what they were all doing for the holiday. Locke still didn't know exactly what Weiler had up his sleeve, but knew that when Weiler wanted things to be a surprise, he kept it that way. There was a cake in the fridge Locke made the night before, too, that he definitely planned to dig into today.

The call lasted a good half hour before they finally hung up, and the good mood it left in Locke was obvious. (It had been good before, but he was more awake now, and definitely feeling brighter.) Locke leaned a little heavier into Weiler, kissing his cheek. Despite telling him constantly that he had nothing to worry about with his family, he was relieved and ultimately happy that they accepted Weiler in the end. They still had some secrecy about them, but they seemed to understand.

"So," he said. "When are we going to your mystery place?"