It’d been quite some time since Lilia gifted Malleus a nice Crosley radio, who quickly became fascinated with it.

He needed a bit of help figuring it out at first, along with how much force he is not supposed to use when using the tuning knob, but he got the hang of it.

There were so many stations to choose from. Soft music, loud music, talk shows, podcasts…

He liked podcasts, and he had a favorite. Congratulations, because that podcast is yours.

It was just perfect for him: you spoke evenly, just fast enough to follow easily along with your words, and about things he took interest in. Each week you had a new folktale to go over, or a historical artist, or historical monuments, even the odd (yet fun) urban legend—and each week, he would be there to listen without fail.

There were a few instances where you mentioned you only had one regular listener, and how appreciative you are of them. Malleus, of course, knew you meant him. It was nice knowing you took note of his loyal routine.

He wished to know more about you. You had briefly talked about having a website, an email, a business phone number… if only he knew how to use any of those things, then maybe he could make a good friend.

The perfect opportunity arose last week when you shared about your P.O. box for whatever the listeners wanted—letters, requests, to share their own stories, et cetera. And so, he sent one. He shared with you his name, how much he loves your podcast, his difficulty with technology and why he couldn’t reach out sooner, and a request of his own: the history and making of gargoyles and grotesques. He thought you would enjoy it, too.

Malleus now sat at his desk, listening to your podcast. He was predictably excited and almost had a difficult time following you talk about Mary Cassatt.

The time came when you gleefully said you had gotten a single letter in the mail. He could hear the rustling of you opening the envelope, a fond smile spreading on his face as you read off his name.