The Whispering Woods and the Lost Laughter

Previously

…And then he thought of the sound of Lily’s laughter, and the tiny, growing echoes from the sprites. A warmth spread through him, a feeling so unfamiliar it was almost startling. He felt the corners of his mouth pull upwards, not in a grimace, but in a genuine, albeit rusty, smile. “Perhaps,” Barnaby conceded, his voice surprisingly soft. “Perhaps, on occasion, happy is better.” And with that, a low, rumbling chuckle escaped him once more, louder this time, a sound that truly echoed through the now-merry Whispering Woods. The spell of seriousness was broken, replaced by a cascade of chuckles, a symphony of joy, and the promise of a much brighter, much funnier future.