YELENA

I had missed my parents so much it hurt quietly. The kind that sat in your chest and pressed down slowly until breathing felt different.

Since we arrived, they barely left my side. My mom followed me everywhere, watching me like I might disappear if she blinked. She kept begging me not to worry, pecking my cheeks and forehead with kisses, whispering that everything would be alright, that this time would be different.

My dad did what he always did when he didn’t know how to fix ...