Raphael and Celest sat waiting. They were early and nervous for Celest. She had seen her family, she had them donate equipment, but it felt different now. Raphael squeezed her hand and gave her a smile. "Would a drink help? I'm sure Grizzlebeard has something that would take the edge off."

  She weakly smiled. "Maybe after? It's a good thing I can't die again; it feels like my heart is going to push through my chest."

  He nodded and ordered some cider (non-alcoholic) and a collection of side dishes. "It's a shame Coro?en couldn't have kept more of its older cities. There was a high elf tea shop in the east that would have been perfect."

  Celest sipped her cider. It was warm and had cloves, which was interesting. Grizzlebeard had been doing a lot of finer dishes the more he leveled up his cooking. He delivered a spread "special fer friends." It was hearty, various, meaty, and mostly browns and grays. She wondered, not for the first time, if the bar was a mistake, but she wanted more privacy than she would have gotten at Noob Noms, where the girls would have definitely eavesdropped.

  Then the door opened and she saw them. It wasn't the full family; it was her sister Liora and her mom and dad. All cleric class, because they had taken the class so Celest could have their equipment that, unfortunately, because of the world's ridiculous debuff for lower-level equipment, was now worn not just for decoration and memories.

  "Celest," said her mother, who offered the first hug.

  Celest hugged her closely. Even though it was simulated, she could still smell her mother and feel her warmth. They held, and in this moment Celest remembered how rare hugs had become in the last days of her life, and how long it must have felt for her mom and family during all that time she was in a coma.

  Liora coughed to interrupt the hug, and then, when the two separated, she went into her own hug with Celest.

  Her dad sat next to Raphael. "Thank you for setting this up."

  "My pleasure. Family is important," said Raphael.

  "Where’s yours?"

  "I take care of my dad. The rest moved on, and since my dad left some bad blood, I don't see the rest of the family often," said Raphael plainly.

  "Do you have plans for Christmas?" he asked.

  "Um, no. There'll probably be an event here, so I was mostly going to spend it with your daughter."

  The man nodded. "If you find extra time, come spend it with us. I'll pay for the fast travel. What remains of my little girl was saved by you and your friends, and she seems to like you."

  Raphael blinked and stammered. "Um... yes... thank you, Mr. Dawning."

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  The man nodded and poured himself a mug of cider.

  The women sat down, their hugs paused for now, and Grizzlebeard brought out the food.

  "Why a bar? You were never much of a drinker," asked Mrs. Dawning to Celest.

  "The world is pretty small. There are only two places to eat: here or where I work," explained Celest.

  "Ah yes, that vegan snack shop. While I'm glad they are nice to you, living with a lesbian cat and bunny must be odd," said Mrs. Dawning.

  The father laughed, and Liora almost spat out the beef cube she had put in her mouth.

  Celest laughed. "They are nice, but their PDA has gotten a bit extreme now that they are engaged. Raphael and I will be heading north after Christmas to settle a new town of our own."

  Mr. Dawning looked to Raphael with a sly grin. "So, going to be playing house with my daughter?"

  "Yes," said Raphael. "We considered playing doctor, but since she has magic healing, it made it a bit unnecessary."

  The father burst out laughing to the horror of his wife and daughters. He slapped Raphael's back. "Okay, I like you. Just be sure to talk with me before you propose."

  Grimblade laughed awkwardly at the suggestion. They weren't at proposal stage yet, but to keep in Celest's father's good graces he joked, "Of course. If I don't, you'll try to lowball me with just one goat and two bags of barley. Your daughter's worth far more than that."

  The man laughed and raised his hand to get the bartenders attention. "Barkeep, a round of ale," said the father in a good mood, until he saw his wife's expression. "Make that wine," he changed the order. "God needs to bless our daughter with a toast."

  Mrs. Dawning relaxed a little, then looked to her daughter, who looked so much healthier and happier than she had seen her in a while.

  "I... I should apologize more, but..." she struggled to explain to her daughter. "It seems fitting that only one of you survived. It's like your soul didn't know where to be."

  Celest nodded. "I don't know about the others, but God blessed me, and I still feel Him. He may have used a weird tool with a glitched rabbit woman, but it was still His hand at work, even in this simulated world."

  Her mother looked at her, really looked at her and then wiped her eyes. "It is you. Thank God. It's not ideal, but..."

  Celest nodded. "It's me, Mom. I may not have a physical body anymore, but I still feel my soul, and I still feel the Lord's presence. I can’t explain it, but I know I'm me, and I know I am loved by God."

  The wine was delivered and glasses were poured for a toast. "The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh, and sometimes the Lord gives back," said Mr. Dawning.

  The group toasted, then the father smiled. "Now, come here, my girl. I haven't gotten my hug yet."

  And so they hugged, deep, warm. She felt so comfortable in his arms, and the last of her worries melted away. The rest of the evening they ate, drank, and shared stories. Celest had a lot to catch up on, and they talked and shared well into the night. Grizzlebeard had to shut down the bar, needing some sleep before the morning.

  "We'll have to find ways for more of the family to see you," said her mom.

  "In a few months, Raphael and I will have our own town. There will always be space for family," said Celest. She could see her family and Raphael were getting tired.

  Each member hugged and stated their love for each other.

  Mr. Dawning patted Raphael's back. "Take care of my girl," he said plainly.

  "I will," Raphael promised. Then, in the late of the night, the family logged off.

  The couple relaxed and slouched in the chairs.

  "I'm happy to see them, but..."

  "Family is exhausting," agreed Raphael. From his inventory he pulled a glowing blue wine bottle. "Wine made by the former frost elves. Cold, refreshing, and hits like a snowball. Want a glass?"

  "One at a time. Maybe we can finish the bottle before you need to log off to bed."

  And so the couple relaxed in the bar, sharing the wine and talking about families. It was a long, wonderful night, and Celest was happy to have her family, both in the Net and outside it.