Epilogue

"Daddy, I'm home!" Trucy called out as she opened the door to the dim agency. She stopped short, the door ajar behind her. She slowly set down her backpack and shut the door, sealing out the sunlight.

"Daddy? Polly?" This was strange. True, sometimes Phoenix left for a long period of time without telling her, but that hasn't happened sice Kristoph's guilt involving the Mishams had been established. And Apollo... the office has never been empty ever since he joined the agency. "Hello?" She called out. Suddenly, she heard a soft chuckle. Trucy glared at the direction of the kitchen. "I know you're there!" She ran to the kitchen and swung open the door.

"HAPPY HALF BIRTHDAY!" Thalassa and Apollo shouted. Phoenix was slumped against the wall, his mouth hung half open and laughing.

"Well it was supposed to be a surprise but Mr. Wright ruined it," Apollo remarked, throwing Phoenix a dirty look.

"...Half birthday? We never celebrated my half birthday before," Trucy blinked.

"That's because Thalassa didn't want to wait for your real birthday," Phoenix finally spoke up, planting his hands against the wall and pulling himself to his feet.

"Oh. Does that mean I'm gonna get half a cake?" Trucy asked, a cheerful smile adorning her face.

"Haha! You know me to well Trucy, but no. Thalassa didn't want to bake half a cake." Phoenix said.

"How am I supposed to frost half a cake? If I frost all four sides it will just be a small cake!" Thalassa said to Phoenix. She then turned to Trucy, "Now, I am going to get the cake. I hope you like chocolate!" She smiled, and left the kitchen.

Apollo and Trucy took a seat at the table and Phoenix went to the fridge to grab a bottle of grape juice.

"So Polly, did you buy me a present? No wait, half a present!"

Apollo nodded. "I got a full present, I'll never half a present for anybody. One time my friend Clay had a half birthday party and someone gave him half of a baseball. He didn't know what to do with it."

"Actually, Apollo didn't buy the gift himself." Phoenix said, shutting the refigerator door with his hip. "He and Thalassa bought one together."

"Reallyy?" Trucy threw her arms around Apollo. "That's so sweet Polly!"

Apollo had slowly begun to accept Thalassa. He hasn't called her mom or anything like that, but he no longer had a strong dislike for her. The bitterness he had almost burnt out, just a small flame flickering at the end of a candle, the wax melting and disapearing ever so slowly.

"Alright, be sure to sing to our half birthday girl!" Thalassa shouted, swinging open the door with a cake in her hands. The light from the candles illuminating her face, making the scar below her eyebrow stand out.

She set the cake in front of Trucy, smiling brightly at her daughter. "What song are we supposed to sing?" Apollo asked.

"The happy birthday song you silly!" Trucy said, sticking out her tongue at her half brother.

"But... there's no such thing as the 'half birthday song,'" Apollo pointed out.

"Just add the word 'half' to the song!"

"But it won't sound right..."

"It's fine, Apollo. We'll come up with a roper song next year," Thlassa said, putting her arm around Apollo shoulder. He looked at it, but didn't shrug it off.

They all sang the song, Phoenix and Apollo's voices were barely audible, but Thalassa sang loud and clear.

"Now make a wish!" Thalassa said one the song was over.

Trucy leaned over and wished that her family will remain peaceful.